Up your photo-shooting game — no fancy camera required!
Children are notoriously tricky to photograph: they squirm, they squint, they wiggle out of grasp. What’s a frustrated parent to do?
I’m a portrait photographer who often snaps pictures of families, and over the course of countless sessions (not to mention a redo or two), I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to capturing kids.
First, the bad news: there’s no magic bullet for getting those little wiggle worms to sit still for your next family photo op; snapping kids inevitably requires a little luck and a whole lot of patience.
The good news: employ a few simple strategies, and you can easily take your photo-shooting game to the next level despite the challenges, no expensive equipment or master classes required. Happy capturing!
Focus on technique before tools. When you’re frustrated with the quality of your pictures, a shiny new camera can sound mighty tempting. Wait! Until you’ve sorted out the basics of clean, sharp shooting, it won’t help nearly as much as you might think. Focus, for now, on mastering your current equipment (starting with a careful read-through of the entire camera manual), then upgrade your gear later when you’ve improved your skills and have a better idea of which features you’ll actually use.
Get closer. Think you’re close enough to your little subjects? You’re probably not. Don’t be shy! Squeeze in there, fill that frame, and remember that it’s almost impossible to be too close to when you’re photographing wee ones. Get down on your kids’ level whenever you can, and don’t be afraid to move your own body around in space when going after a shot. You’ll end up with better pictures every time.
Mind the details. Before you click, quickly scan the screen or viewfinder for any subtle surprises lurking in the background. Is a potted plant growing out of your child’s head? Can you see your own reflection in a nearby mirror? Is somebody’s collar flipped up all janky? The tiny details often spell the difference between an elegant shot and a so-so one. So pause, and use your eyes: you’ll be amazed at how many would-be glitches you can catch when you take a moment to preview your compositions.
Stop tilting. Tilting your camera forward, backward and to either side to cram every desired element into the frame feels efficient, but in truth, it distorts objects and people in often-unflattering ways. Capturing pictures at odd angles might strike you as artsy, but it rarely produces a high-quality photo. So watch the wild and wacky angles, move your body instead of the camera, and keep those horizons hewed to a flat, even plane.
Ditch the flash. Yes, flashes are a necessary evil in very low light situations. And yes, professional photographers use them to fantastic effects. But when unnecessarily or improperly, flash leads to shiny, washed-out faces and faded background details. As your skill improves and you upgrade your equipment, you might consider taking a basic photography class covering the principles of flash photography. Until then, use natural light when it’s available, moving your subjects into better lighting whenever practical, and engage the flash only when absolutely unavoidable.
Learn to watch light. Light can create an incredible variety of photographic moods: low light is mysterious and subtle, while early morning and early evening light bathes subjects in a soft, flattering glow. Bright daylight is shadowy, strong and sometimes harsh. When you’re out shooting photos or even just taking a walk around the neighborhood, study the light around you. Note how quickly it shifts and changes, note what those changes do to people’s faces, and keep what you’ve learned in mind next time you decide to schedule some family photos.
Become a human tripod. Frustrated by consistently blurry photos? It’s not entirely your fault. When a scene is low lit, a camera’s shutter stays open longer to suck in every bit of available light. And as it’s very difficult for the human hand to remain perfectly steady, this creates wobble and blur. Mitigate this effect by using your body as a tripod when light is poor: brace yourself against a sturdy object, then tuck your arms against the sides of your torso and chest, elbows in, holding the camera close to your body. Your curves will create a natural “shelf” that minimizes wobble (women have a special advantage here). How to get your squirmy subjects to hold still in the meantime? If only I knew!
To see some of Erin’s portraits, visit www.erinjbernardphotography.com.
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