TIPS: KIDS PORTRAIT
By Feifei Sun I Photos by Anne Mourier
Portraits are one of the most methodical forms of photography, but when your subjects are adorable (though sometimes rambunctious) kids who don’t like to sit still, getting your perfect shot can be a little—or a lot—trickier. Here, Resource spoke to photographer Anne Mourier about some tried and true tips on capturing the little ones. This checklist will come in handy whenever you’re working with kids—be it for a commissioned shoot or just taking pics of your brother’s expanding family.
Practice Makes Perfect.
With any skill, repetition and practice are key, so take plenty of pictures. After all, that’s what professionals do—they don’t get it right the first time either. Keep your camera handy, not buried somewhere where it’s hard to reach or find. Be ready with extra memory cards and charged batteries. After you’ve snapped away, backup your files meticulously.
Play Into The Kid’s Interests.
Get the kids engaged in something they love: playing with a doll, painting or drawing, reading a book, eating mac and cheese, playing dress-up, brushing their teeth even if they cannot reach the sink yet… You get the idea. Not only will you get great candid pictures but the images will later remind them of their favorite activities at that age.
Alternate Angles.
Everyone loves close-up shots of a cute kid. But sometimes the most interesting pictures are shot from the back, from above or from another angle not commonly used. And don’t forget to get down on their level—literally. Bend down so you’re at eye-level with your subject for a more intimate feel. You may also try going the abstract route and avoid shooting the kid altogether. Instead, focus on the teddy bear in their hand, their favorite red sneakers full of mud, the pencil they chew while doing homework, or something else that speaks to their personality.
Go The Natural Route.
When it comes to lighting, use natural light as much as possible, even if you’re indoors. Pose kids next to windows; remove curtains to give the room more light. A soft light coming from the side can add interesting shadows, and backlighting can create fun silhouettes, so explore! If you are photographing outside and the sun is casting too many shadows, compensate by using “fill-flash”—firing the flash on purpose to fill in the shadows.
Additional Tips For SLR Owners
Splurge On A 85mm Lens.
Jeff Niki, who’s worked with Richard Avedon and other famed photographers [and father of Editor in Chief Alex], recommends this lens because it’s the “emotional lens” that captures the heart and spirit of people. Photography is the art of telling a story through images, so pick the lens that’ll give you a deeper insight into the child’s personality.
For Speedy Kids, Choose Aperture-Priority.
The aperture-priority mode will give you control of the depth of field—for example, do you want to see what’s in the background or not? If you are in decent lighting conditions, start with setting your aperture on F4, which will throw the background out of focus (most of the time this is what you want) but keep the whole face in focus (which is definitely what you want). Meanwhile, keep the shutter speed at 1/200 or faster, lest your picture become blurry. Bumping up the ISO can also help in getting sharper, clearer pictures.
It’s A Balancing Act.
Use white balance to compensate for the type of light you are using (natural shady light is too cool, tungsten is too warm). Though your eye might not see the difference, the camera is sure to pick up on it—using the correct white balance will help keep skin tones look accurate.
Miscellaneous Tips.
The best metering mode for portraits is often “spot metering” (single point metering system). If there are very dark or very light areas in the background, the spot metering will help in getting the right exposure where you want it: your subject’s face. Also, selecting the “continuous shooting mode” to take more than one shot at the time can help you catch “that very special moment” without having to constrain children in their movement—which is close to impossible anyway!
Anne Mourier gives photography classes to both parents and kids. More info here: http://www.murielguepingallery.com/classes.php?type=1
