Shooting kids!

Most of us have kids or love kids or like someone else's kids enough to take pictures of them :) But lets face it, they move a lot and are often not very cooperative past the first ten minutes of a photo opp. For some of us 10 minutes may be just enough time to capture what we want but sometimes we want more. Here are some things I've found significantly improve my chances of coming home with some great shots of the little ones I photograph.

1. Keep your shutter speed HIGH, at least 250 but I shoot for 500 with kids. Now this means you'll have to find good light. Like outside light.

2. Shoot in a safe place where kids can run and play. There's no point in trying to pin down a toddler or even an 8 year old. Everyone is more comfortable when you're having fun, running and playing. Be prepared and know your location before you start. Know the best light. Know where the kid will most likely go and be prepared to shoot there.

3. Shoot in AI Servo (continuous if shooting Nikon). This is an auto focus mode and if you look in your camera's manual you'll find that there are three options; AI Servo, One Shot, and AI Focus. AI Servo is a continuous refocusing mode so as you hold the shutter release down half way your camera will continue refocusing until it is pressed fully down. I use this one most of the time for my boys and around the house. I do switch it up several times if I'm shooting a wedding or something.

4. I always take candy but not just ANY candy. Be thoughtful about what you choose. Don't choose gum, they'll be chewing in all the photos. Don't choose bright blue salt water taffy, they'll have blue everywhere and be chewing in every picture. I take smarty's and pez. For little ones I take skittles. They are small enough and they won't turn their mouth blue or make them drool chocolate.

5. Allow props. Blankets, stuffed animals, even pacifiers, all of things will be on camera eventually and for me they capture the child's phase of life. They will eventually disapear for photos so let them be and when the chance comes move them out of the shot.

This is Jill's REALLY handsome son :)

6. Make lots of fun noises but save the best for last. I always save my dinosaur growl for last ;) That way when they are totally done I can get one last smile if I've forgotten a shot.

7. Show the kid their photo in camera. Kids LOVE to see their photo and sometimes you can get them to make a silly face, show them and then they'll be much more cooperative in front of the camera.

8. Come up with some games to play. Red Light Green Light is a personal favorite. I've also played hop scotch and sometimes I'll just bring bubbles or side walk chalk to play with if we're not in a setting where we can just play around.

9. Allow the parents to take time off. Sometimes parents can be the most distracting thing to face when trying to get kids to relax. They want them to say cheese or smile all the time and coaxing a smile is the last thing you want to do with a kid. Encourage parents to let you take the lead for the shoot.

10. Speaking of cheese, DON"T do it! When you tell someone to smile they look forced. I sometimes do it just to get the after "cheese" smile but for kids it works best to make them laugh. Ask them if fish can climb trees or if their favorite food is chocolate covered sand. Silly things make kids laugh. Be silly!

11. Don't be afraid to just let mom hold the little one. There have been several times when the kiddo just doesn't want to let go of mom or dad and prying them away won't help anything. More times than not the snuggly momma pictures are the ones I love and that my clients love.

 12. Don't worry if they're not looking directly at the camera all the time. As you can see LOTS of my favorite kids shots are when they kid is pretending I'm not around. Having mom and dad or brother and sister stand behind you or off to the side and do something funny is a sure fire way to get a little one to smile!

 13. Some kids aren't smilers! My son was not a smiler until WAY late and so I have a lot of photos of him where he's not necessarily happy. Big smiles, while great, aren't usually the thing I go for. I go for the faces that only mom sees when they are playing pretend or reading a book in private. The photos of my son, where he looks like the son I see everyday are the ones I really treasure. Not all of them are him smiling :)

14. This one's a no brainer but bring your running shoes! Be prepared to move with and around the child at their pace... and keeping up is important!

15. Take LOTS of pictures. This is why I love digital cameras. The camera never tells you you've taken too many photos so just keep clicking! And refocus lots. Make sure you use that shutter release frequently to make sure you get proper focus. I always focus on the eye closest to me or either eye if they are facing me.

Those are just a few of the things I frequently use to get kids to let loose, have fun and make great photos. If you've got more ideas please share!