Choose the Right Prompts | Tips for Photographing Children
Last week, I covered the first tip, which is learning to set the scene. And this week, I’ll be talking about something that goes hand in hand with it.
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROMPTS
Once you’ve set the scene and given your child a comfortable environment to play, and after you’ve observed and taken some photos, you’ll want to get in a little closer and take some shots that show real emotions.
Instead of saying “look at the camera and smile really big,” which will break that comfortable environment you’ve built and only give you forced looks, you want to approach your child like you are really interacting together. Ask yourself what kinds of questions you might ask if you are learning to get to know one another. Yes, even if you are photographing your own children, you should engage with them in an authentic way.
For younger kids who might be playing with legos, trains, or some type of building toy, you can ask them to describe what they are building and why they chose to build it a certain way. Or maybe they are painting and coloring, and you can then ask about the painting and how they picked certain colors and ask if you can show it off by framing it or putting it up on the wall in their room. You never know, they might even let you take a photo of the painting!
And for the little ones who aren’t able to speak in full sentences yet, you can engage with them by asking simple questions and giving them a couple of choices. For example, you can ask what their favorite color is, or favorite food, or name their favorite toy. They might even run to grab their favorite thing to show you, and that’s a great opportunity to say, “wow, that’s so cool, and may I please take a photo of it?” Most of the time, they will open up and be really proud to let you take a photo, or several photos!
If you are outside, say on a family hike with older kids, and want to practice taking photos but your kids are too busy or too cool to stop for you. You can ask them to take a photo of you first; I find that request usually gets their attention and they are eager to help. Then, once you’ve had your turn, you can ask for a photo of them in return. They might only give you a few seconds, but that’s long enough to snap a few portraits of them, and if you want to extend that time, you can talk to them as you are taking their pictures. Again, be genuine in your interactions and your words. Tell them you are proud of them for hiking today and how grown up they look now and how much you appreciate their care for one another. Or tell some of your favorite family jokes! You know your kids best and what they like to hear!
Remember, the less you make it about getting photos of them, the more authentic your photos will be.
I’ll be back next week to share more!
