For all my mom-tographer friends, have you ever wondered how to capture your child’s personalities in a photograph? Here’s five tips you can try today…
1. If you are planning a “photo session” with your little ones, make sure everything is already planned before hand. This means that if you are using props, they are already laid out and if you are having them wear special clothes that’s also been prepared well in advance. You want to call your special models just before the session starts so you won’t have cranky and impatient kids waiting on you while you set up your backdrops. They’re like Hollywood stars, they don’t like it when you make them wait.
2. Give them something to hold or do. I like to make my little subjects fold their arms or if we are outdoors, I make them play with bubbles. This gives their hands a purpose and you might even get a genuine smile here and there.
3. Play peak-a-boo with them. I love to do this with my preschool subjects. That game is never too old or too boring for them. Hide in your camera to get the settings right and then when you are ready to ‘surprise’ your subject, pop out from behind your camera with a big smile. Make sure your finger is ready to press the shutter release so that you can capture his/her surprised look.
4. Talk with them. The more you can make your subject feel at ease, the more natural smiles you will get from them. This is the time to bust out your jokes, however lame they maybe! You can also be silly with them.They like it when we, adults, act like kids. They think that’s hilarious!
5. And finally, share with them a peek behind your camera. With the rise of digital cameras, we can instantly see the fruits of our labors in the LCD screens behind our cameras. I try to share a couple of images of my subject with them so they can feel proud of what we just accomplished. This will make them smile for you more on the next round of picture taking.
So there you have it, my five easy steps on having an enjoyable photo session with your little ones. Try it, I guarantee that it will make for a more positive memory keeping experience for you AND your kids. *smile*
Grace Tolman Photography LLC is a lifestyle and portrait photographer in Colorado Springs capturing the special memories from newborns to high school seniors. We believe in preserving your memories, one photograph at a time. To view more images and information, please visit us at www.gracetolmanphotography.blogspot.com. We are on Facebook too, www.facebook.com/GraceTolmanPhotography.
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