Photography Wednesday: 5 Tips for Photographing Young Children

I remember taking photos of Miss L when she was a little baby.

It was so easy.

 

She just sat there and looked perfectly adorable without even trying.

 

As she got older, photographing her got to be more of a challenge.

She wouldn’t sit still. She ran around. She wouldn’t look at the camera. She wanted me to hold her. She tried to grab the camera. She wanted to push buttons on the camera…

 

*sigh*

 

I have learned that taking pictures of young children is an art.

 

Tip #1:

Forget the poses! Catch them being cute in their normal daily routine.
Kids change so fast, and it’s fun to look back and see how they spent their day at the different ages…

I realized that if I let her “see the camera” for a few minutes, eventually she’d lose interest and go about her daily routine…{And by “see the camera” I mean I turned it off and let her push buttons while I held it.}

 

Tip #2:
Take them outside!

There are like a million and one reasons why outdoor photos are the best…
 It is especially ideal to take kids outside because there are things to climb, play with and look at. They forget you are taking pictures of them, and just act like, well, kids!
 

Tip #3:

Embrace the “not looking at the camera” shots.

As a general rule, the harder I try to get Miss L. to look at the camera, the more resistant she is to do it….what’s up with that?!  Truthfully though, some of my favorite photos of her are the ones where she isn’t looking at the camera!
 

Tip #4:

Be persistent and patient…

If you are crazy enough to try to get your toddler to sit in a chair, smile, and look at the camera all at once, you are going to have to be persistent and patient.
{As a mother, you’ve learned this already though.}

Tip #5
Prep your area before you start shooting.
Clear away any clutter, open the curtains to get good light, and maybe put a few things out that your kiddo would like to play with.

Now, get out there and take some pictures of your cute kids!

Have a great day!
 

I’m linking up at: Tatertots & Jello