i got the shot photography
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • PETS
  • PEOPLE
  • SESSION INFORMATION
  • PRODUCTS
    • Christmas Greetings
  • GIVING BACK
  • CONTACT INFORMATION
  • BLOG
Elaine Mueller Tweedy
           (570) 575-1705

Taking Pictures of the kids

4/3/2013

2 Comments

 
Truth is, I don't just photograph animals.  I do photograph people as well, and I especially love to take pictures of kids.

Kids can be a tough nut to crack.  In fact, when I first started to experiment with taking photos of children, I fell into the old traps of taking pictures in general.  You know the old say-cheese-look-at-the-bird-in-the-lens mode.  I think the predictable shots that resulted from those instances certainly documented age, weight, and what was in style apparel-wise, but they did nothing for the kids in the photos.

I'm now pretty much a laissez-faire photographer when it comes to kids.  That is, whatever is happening in the scene, you go with the flow.  I really don't like the posed, smile look.  Kids can give you some pretty good facial expressions if you will just let them.

Case in point, on a visit to a local park event there were plenty of kids engaging in various activities  The best time to catch kids is when they least expect it, as in the scene below with kids resting at a picnic table. 
Picture
I  cropped this photo, cleaned some of the surrounding debris and people out of the picture and added some highlights.  I wanted to keep the photo as simple as possible and the focus on the first two children.

I used the same kind of thinking with the young lady in the photo below.  On her way to get a drink or a hot dog at the park stand with her Dad, she was oblivious to me and everything around her.  Kids make some pretty interesting faces when they are hard at work thinking.
Picture
Other examples of capturing kids include the ones below, all taken at the park.  In all cases none of the children are looking at the camera.  I am trying to capture normal, every day occurrences that everyone can relate to.  A child trying to run away to something she sees in the distance, a mother holding back the child, a Dad and his kids fishing.
I think if people can relate their everyday lives to what is being photographed, it makes the photo that much better.
Picture
Picture
I really like soft, morning light for photos of kids, and if it's not available, it's what I will try and duplicate in the studio.  I've seen so many studio portraits with harsh lighting, and I still don't understand why these are valued by parents.  Soft colors and soft lights bring out the fresh-faced looks and soft hair highlights of children best.

Photos are very much the product of what a photographer's eye sees as the end result of the look of the picture.  We've all seen the posed images of kids with Santa, right?  How about the image below?  It's of a friend's children done by a local photographer, and in my estimation one of the better photos of Santa and kids that I have seen. (Photo credit to Tammy Martines Photography)
Picture
Notice how none of the kids are looking directly at the camera?  And even though the primary colors are prevalent, the lighting and contrast colors make this an outstanding photo.

So here are some tips when taking photos of the kids in your life:
  • Give them something to do, or let them go about their business as usual.
  • Don't ask or expect them to stare into your camera directly at any time, but be ready to capture a direct hit when it becomes a part of what they are naturally doing.
  • If you have a camera that allows you to change your lenses, you may want to experiement with different focal lengths and angles.  I used a 50mm 1.8 lens for my shots above, but would opt for a 17-40mm or 70-200mm for photos outdoors, or if the child isn't too keen on you being up close and personal with the camera.  If you have a point and shoot, experiment with your zoom options for different effects.
  • If you have edit software, stay away from harsh edits.  Stick with soft coloring and soft lighting edits if necessary.  Hazes and mists are fine for floral arrangements, but I do not particularly like them when editing photos of children.
  • Most of all, have fun, relax, and enjoy the time with the kids!
Picture
2 Comments
Pamela Tweedy
4/3/2013 11:32:20 am

Love it!

Reply
Anne M. Turner
4/4/2013 04:11:41 am

Wonderful photographs. Of course the kids are lovely, but it takes serious skill to capture them looking so very nice.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    i got the shot

    What People Are Saying:

    "From start to finish I had a great experience with I Got The Shot Photography.  I highly recommend Elaine and her excellent work!"
                                ~Carol C.


    "I LOVE MY PHOTOS. Thank you so much for getting a beautiful portrait of my two babies together.  It is perfect!"
                               ~Melinda F.

    "Elaine’s photos capture the very spirit of her subject."
                               ~Tim S.

    Archives By month

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    September 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    RSS Feed

(c) Copyright  i got the shot photography
 All Rights Reserved

Proudly powered by Weebly