Set the Scene | Tips for Photographing Children
Being a self taught photographer, early on in my career, I put a lot of hours into practicing on my own children. At the time, I didn’t really have a method down and I tried a lot of ways to achieve what I saw in other people’s photos. I quickly learned that forcing my kids to look or pose a certain way was not going to work: it not only frustrated them, it created bad memories for all of us.
So, 8 years into shooting regularly, and 4.5 years into running a family photography business, I’ve gained some perspective and would love to share a few tips with you.
Whether you are just trying to take better photos of your own kids and your weekend family outings, or you are new to photographing families and kids for your business, I hope these are helpful to you!
Today, I’ll share the first tip, and will be adding more in the following weeks.
SET THE SCENE
Here’s what I mean: in order to get authentic interactions and not stiff or forced smiles, help create an environment that is enjoyable for the kids.
As I mentioned above, I didn’t know how to approach my kids when I brought out my camera. I would bribe them into posing for me, and that might have worked for a few shots, but they got tired of it very fast.
I realized that I couldn’t control them and their reactions, but I could set up a scenario where it was interesting and fun for them. I’m not saying there’s no place during a session where you have to direct and ask for cooperation, but we’ll get into that later!
This mindset of setting the scene can work in both in-home and outdoor scenarios. For example, when my kids were younger, I would give them a few toys that would occupy their attention for at least 5-10 minutes, and that’s when I would practice, but I made sure to not distract them by being up in their faces. As they got older and were able to spend more time outside, I took them on walks in the park and sometimes small hikes after school. To me, those times gave me the most freedom to try to capture real interactions.
So, if you are a mom or dad or a caretaker who spends a lot of time with young kids and you want to take better photos, remember to set the scene. And ask yourself why you are doing this. Is it so that when the kids are older, they’ll have a visual diary of their childhood, or you are hoping to create better photos to frame for your home, or is it for your own personal enjoyment and growth through a creative outlet? I think those intentions are important and they help inform your ideas and how you set the scene for the kids. If you are a photographer, then I’d recommend asking your client what they hope to get out of this family session.
