Steps to Magic Pictures of Children

Getting Excellent Pictures of Young ChildrenYoung children pose a challenge for any portrait photographer. They run, they wiggle, they cry, they hide, and their parents are hoping for the perfect shot. 1. Patience is the key to excellent portraits of children. You have to give yourself enough time for the children to relax, get over the tantrum, or start to be themselves so you can capture those magic moments. I set aside at least 1 hour for each family so that I can get photos of the parents, each child, the children together, and the whole family. 2. I try to make the appointment in a beautiful outdoor setting that will allow the children some romping room and things to play with. 3. Parents are often nervous about how their children are behaving so it is important to get them to relax and understand that good pictures take time. Children’s behavior changes by the minute and relaxing and waiting is the key. When the parents relax, things go better.4. When I am taking family photos I often start with the parents alone to give little ones time to get used to the surroundings. Next we move to taking the big group shots. The key to an excellent family photo is to let them have fun together. Small children like to sit in laps and some of the best photos are when the kids are being silly or trying to escape. 5. When taking the pictures of the entire family I shoot like crazy to be sure I get everyone with open eyes looking the right direction. Photoshop allows us to move heads from one picture to another to insure everyone looks their best by copying and pasting but the frames have to be taken consecutively and rapidly to give us that option.6. The best pictures of children are taken when they are being themselves and have time to explore and play. Finding a flower, throwing rocks, climbing a tree, running in a field, etc… Those are the pictures that the parents love.7. It helps to use a flash for fill for outdoor shots in the shade or in difficult lighting.8. The most important element is that you enjoy children and have fun with the family. If they enjoyed the experience they will see the photos with loving eyes and enjoy what you create.So take the time, find an awesome spot, smile, and shoot like crazy. The result can be magic!I have some of my work on my websites at http://www.PictureHisGlory.com and http://www.LauraVanAcker.com