Children’s Photographs

Children’s photographs are very challenging but then one of the most rewarding areas of portrait photography.

Children’s photography

I took this in sunlight. Natural light is always the best light to use if at all possible. The tones and hues are the best and there’s not bulky equipment to carry around. You can react quickly to any movements and also the lack of big equipment is let off-putting for children to see. I took this photograph of a friend’s girl and shot her so she is on the side of the frame, to add interest.  Outside, there is lots to amuse young children and so there is less chance of them becoming bored. The drawback of course is that there is little to keep them in the same place for more than a few moments.

Avoid shooting directly in to the light or asking your subject to look towards the sun. It’s best in some shade where plenty of light can reach the subject but the light is soft and even. On a professional photography level, you can use reflectors to help reduce shadows. A flash on the camera can help reduce shadows but often this ruins photographs as all natural, flattering light, is lost. I converted this  picture to sepia to give it a more timeless look.

Lastly, get down to the level of your subject. There’s nothing worse than a picture of a child just stretching their neck to look up to the camera. Sit or kneel down so that the subject can see you easily and the picture will look a lot more appealing. See http://www.davidstubbs.co.uk/gallery/nursery/

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