Hey, there's a pandemic. Have you heard?
Looks like we might be spending a lot of time in the house with our immediate family these days. Maybe that family includes kids. And maybe they are starting to go a little stir crazy.
Keep reading for some ideas for any lighting photographer who might be looking to make the best of some unscheduled family time.Read more »
Strobist
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Whether you’re looking for a nearly unbreakable camera that your toddler can throw against the wall, or something for an older child who’s keen to learn more about photography, there are several options available that won’t break the bank.
We’ve broken this guide down into four categories:
Here are our picks for each of those categories:
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| (Yes, it comes in pink too) |
There are a million cameras in the $ 50 and under price range to choose from, and this VTech model is one of the most popular. The Camera Pix has a 2 Megapixel sensor (presumably smaller than that of a smartphone), 4X digital zoom, micro USB port, and both built-in memory and a microSD slot. The camera is rugged to some extent (though VTech doesn’t give any specifics) but is not waterproof. The KidiZoom also powered by four AA batteries – a bargain compared to $ 60 lithium-ion packs found in typical digital cameras.
Kids can take pictures through stereo viewfinders or with the 1.8″ LCD on the rear. In addition to taking stills, the KidiZoom also captures QVGA (that’s 320 x 240) videos for up to 5 minutes.
The KidiZoom has a few other tricks up its sleeve. The camera has an selfie mode, where it takes a photo when it detects faces. It also has four built-in games (!) and tons of special effects.
Overall, the VTech KidiZoom seems like a fun and inexpensive way to get your five-year-old into photography, and if it does break, it’s only $ 40 for a replacement.
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If you want something a little more ‘camera-like’ than the cheap options, then the inexpensive yet rugged Nikon Coolpix W150 may be a good option.
The W150 can survive a drop from 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) and can function up at depths of up to 10m (33ft), so it’ll be alive if you find it at the bottom of the swimming pool. If you take it to the snow park, the camera should keep working at temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F). The camera is also dustproof, so the beach shouldn’t be a problem, either.
The design of the W150 is simple, with simple controls and large shutter release and video buttons. As with all current underwater cameras, it lacks a touchscreen, so there will be a small learning curve for a child used to a smartphone.
Tech specs for the W150 are unremarkable, but then again, that’s not why you’re buying it. The camera has a smartphone-sized 13MP sensor, 30-90mm equivalent lens, 2.7″ LCD and 1080p video capture. It does offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so getting photos onto your phone is easy.
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If you want a higher quality camera for a child who is more… responsible… with your electronics, then the Olympus TG-6 is a great option. Its rugged credentials are even better than the Nikon, with the ability to go much further underwater or get crushed (within reason). Build quality is excellent, with two locks on both of its doors and dual-paned glass to prevent the lens from fogging up.
The TG-6’s larger sensor and faster lens (which offers a versatile 25-100mm equiv. range) make it a capable point-and-shoot, even in low light. It won’t run circles around best-in-class smartphones in terms of image quality, but it’s the best you’ll find on a waterproof camera.
We could write a whole article about all of the features on the TG-6, but suffice it to say, it can shoot very fast bursts, capture photos that were ‘taken’ before the shutter release is fully pressed, take some truly impressive long exposures and records 4K video. If your youngster enjoys hiking, the camera’s ability to record the location, elevation and temperature for each shot make reviewing images more fun than a typical camera or phone.
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If you have an older child who is developing a keen eye for photography and want something they can grow up with, we recommend Canon’s PowerShot G9 X II, which can be had for under $ 450. This camera is pocketable, produces very good image quality from its 1″ sensor and has a touch-based interface that smartphone users will quickly pick up.
The stabilized lens offers a 28-84mm equivalent focal range which, while not as versatile as more expensive enthusiast compacts, is more than enough for a pre-teen. Beginners can set the mode dial to the Smart Auto mode and the camera does the rest, like selecting the right scene mode for the situation. The are plenty of special effects modes, with ‘background defocus’ being one example, and some fun star modes that are easy to set up and enjoy. Transferring photos to a smartphone is a cinch using the camera’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
As your child grows, the G9 X II will be ready, offering manual exposure controls, advanced AF modes and Raw support, which opens the door to using more advanced cameras.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
If you’re a people photographer, it’s hard to resist photographing kids as they play, run around and… well, be kids. It’s also a great chance for you to play as a photographer.
Here are seven tips to help you capture photographs of kids at play.
It was a grey hazy day at the beach so I focused on silhouette photos of my kids at play.
I teach people how to use their new DSLR cameras. One of their biggest frustrations is that their friends seem to take better photos with a phone than they can with their complicated DSLR.
If you’re still struggling with your DSLR, don’t be afraid to use your phone as a camera. As long as you keep in mind the most important parts of a photo – light, moment, and composition – your phone will take great photos.
This photo of my daughter running through a puddle was captured with my iPhone 4s. Because it was a bright day, the shutter speed was fast and froze the water as it splashed.
If you’re going to photograph kids at play, it’s best to have them acting candidly rather than telling them what to do. Just let them play, and they’ll give you countless moments to photograph. The moment you step in and tell them what to do or how to play, you’ll ruin the moment.
I wanted a nice portrait of my daughter with these fall colors, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make her stand still for one. So I let her walk on ahead of me. When I called her name she looked back, and I snapped the photo.
While photographing kids at play, consider the angle you’re using. Your photos will look more exciting if you go for low angles or face to face. Get down to their level (if not lower) and into their world.
I achieved this extremely low angle by laying down on the ground and looking straight up.
Before it was hauled away, my kids turned this mattress into a trampoline. A low angle helped to capture how high he was jumping.
Join in the play, and get as close as you can while using a wide angle. When you look at the photo it will make you feel like you’re right back there in the moment.
This son was wrestling with his dad so I decided to get in as close as I could. The wide-angle helped to exaggerate the moment.
Photographing people from behind adds a bit of mystery to your photo. It lets the viewer bring a little more of their own imagination to the photo. When we can’t see the person’s face, it makes us imagine what they’re up to.
This over-the-shoulder shot anticipates the action that’s about to happen.
This photo was taken in a massive outdoor sandbox. Obviously, he’s been sliding down the dirt hills on his bum.
This combines taking a photo from behind with getting in close. (Taken with an iPhone.)
One of the biggest problems you’ll face when capturing action is motion blur. So you’ll need a fast shutter speed.
But you can also play with a slow shutter speed and capture creative motion blur.
I took advantage of my iPhone’s slow shutter speed to capture this portrait of my daughter. As you can see her face is basically sharp while the background is quite blurry. This was achieved by having her walk toward me while I walked backward. To the camera everything is moving except for her.
You can tell a story with your photos. It might be a ‘before and after’ story using just two photos. Or it could be a beginning, middle and end with three photos. It might even be a longer story that fills a photo book.
This story begins with a little girl taking her daddy by the hand and leading him.
Then in the middle of the story, she dances with her daddy.
The story ends with her daddy swinging her around wildly.
Here’s a checklist for photographing kids as they run around and play.
Now go out there and take some great photos of those kids being kids and share them with us in the comments.
The post How to Photograph Kids Playing, Running Around and Generally Being Kids appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Kids are fickle creatures. One day they’re into painting and drawing, the next day they want to learn to play guitar, and pretty soon they’ve moved on to something else entirely like soccer or basket-weaving. For parents who want to get kids interested in photography, it can seem like a losing battle. They are competing with all the other hobbies and activities occupying their kids’ time and energy, and when they finally show some interest, it can be fleeting at best. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies that you can use to build a child’s interest in taking photos, and perhaps help you form a stronger bond with them in the process.
The first step in getting kids interested in photography is to get them a camera! If you’re comfortable with them using yours, then by all means, hand over your DSLR, mobile phone, or even an old point-and-shoot. Another option is to let them use their mobile phone or tablet. I found that the best solution for me and my kids was to get them each an old point-and-shoot camera from eBay. These old cameras still pack a big punch and can go a long way towards igniting a child’s interest in photography.
Old point-and-shoot cameras, like this Canon A70, can’t stack up to their modern counterparts, but they are very inexpensive and often have features like optical zooms and creative filter modes. Perfect for getting kids interested in photography.
I used to be the computer teacher for a K-12 school, and I remember helping kindergarteners and first-graders explore creative apps. These apps allowed them to draw, create music, and express themselves in various ways while learning more about the digital devices they were using. One valuable lesson I learned soon after my first semester began was that children almost always produced better results when given a framework in which to work.
Allowing total freedom usually meant a classroom full of blank stares and nervous confusion, but giving a few parameters like ‘draw a family of elves’ or ‘create music that makes you think of summer’ was like watering the parched earth, and all sorts of creative results soon sprang forth. The same principle holds true for adults who want to help children explore photography. Giving some structure or rules goes a long way towards helping them explore.
This concept seems counter-intuitive, but it works more often than you might think. Instead of giving a camera to a child and telling him or her to ‘take pictures of something’ try offering some guidance or rules. Say things like…
Scenarios and parameters like these give children enough direction to be creative and explore photography while also producing results they can be proud of.
The rule here was ‘take pictures of things that move.’
One of the fun, or frustrating, parts about giving kids some rules is watching how quickly they want to break them. Sometimes that’s not okay, especially when breaking the rules would put them in danger or cause harm to other people. When embarking on creative endeavors, it never hurts to experiment and push the boundaries. Some might say you have to learn the rules first to know how to break them, and I understand that. However, if your only goal is to get kids excited about taking pictures, don’t worry so much about technicalities such as understanding the ‘Rule of Thirds’ or the ‘Brenizer Method.’ Instead, just let them push some simple rules you set forth.
My kids and I went out to find pictures of animals, but one of them wanted to take pictures of flags instead. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and he got some pictures like this one that he loves as a result.
For example, if you start with the first tip and tell your child to take five photos of something that makes them happy, it won’t be long before they ask you if they can take ten photos of something that makes them nervous. They might want to take photos of grass instead of flowers, or want to play with the video feature instead of taking still images. It’s all about process over product, and if children learn and have fun by trying what they want to do, then there’s no reason to stop them.
When you think of the term Photo Walk you might conjure images of rain-soaked neon lights in Hong Kong, or impossibly tall skyscrapers of New York, or perhaps pedestrians perambulating past patisseries in a small French villa. Photo walks can be simpler than that, and you can do them right in your neighborhood, whether you live in the city, in the suburbs, or on a tropical island. The best part about photo walks is that they’re a fantastic activity that you can do with kids to help them get excited about photography.
My son took this photo of a spider eating a grasshopper while we were on a photo walk. It’s a little out of focus, and the composition isn’t great, but he had fun exploring nature with his camera. That was far more important to me than the technical details.
The first time I took my boys on a photo walk we spent about 40 minutes going a few blocks down the sidewalk they take on their way to school. The territory was very familiar to all of us, but re-framing our little jaunt as a photo-taking exercise put everything in an entirely different perspective. The kids paused every few minutes to snap pictures of flowers, leaves, insects, yard decorations, old cars, and all sorts of other objects they see every day but never really considered as photo subjects.
It was fun to see their eyes light up during the exercise and it was a nice way for us to spend some time together out of the house all doing the same thing. I had my camera too, and my kids were eager to have me take pictures as well. They helped me see familiar things in a brand new way.
Kids find even the most mundane things interesting, such as this baseball sitting in a patch of grass.
One of the more esoteric techniques to employ when finding ways to get kids interested in photography is to make sure you are a part of the experience. If you hand your child a camera and let them play while you do something else, they miss out on your help, encouragement, and excitement as they take pictures and learn about photography. You, in turn, miss out on spending some valuable time with your child that could help build and strengthen the relationship.
Being present with your children when they learn and explore is great for almost any type of activity, not just photography. Learning and exploring with them helps children feel safe and secure. It gives them a sense of belonging and allows them the freedom to create and explore without the fear of judgment or other adverse consequences—essentially meeting all the needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy. You learn together, share moments and create memories, and end up with some beautiful pictures as a result. You create pictures that tell a story of not just a plant or a bird or a lamp post, but a story of a parent putting everything else aside to share an hour learning, exploring and growing with their child.
After my son shot some photos of red flowers, the two of us looked through his images together commenting on which ones were our favorite.
As DPS writer Bryan Caporicci once wrote, prints are one of the most meaningful ways that you can enjoy photography and this sentiment applies double when kids are concerned. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with children knows how eager they are to share stories about their lives, impress you with their accomplishments, and show you talents they have or skills they have learned.
With that in mind, make sure that you find a way to get your child’s pictures off the camera, phone, tablet, or other such digital device and into a frame on the wall or a book on the shelf. Printing photos are easy and relatively inexpensive these days, and it is for your exciting your kids to have physical versions of their pictures to show and share. You could even take it a step further and get some larger prints framed and hung on their bedroom wall to help instill a love for the medium that could last for the rest of their lives.
My son asked if he could get this photo printed and framed. I’m not exactly sure what he liked so much about it, but it was a very inexpensive way to encourage his interest in photography.
Along with all these ways to help children learn and get excited about taking pictures, it’s also worth mentioning a couple of things not to do. Lest you inadvertently snuff out the photographic flame when it’s in such a fragile state of infancy.
Don’t criticize or over-analyze the photos they take. Focus on the positive aspects of their photos and be encouraging. It’s more about the process of learning than the end product, especially at such a young age.
Don’t give children a camera they don’t understand. An old mobile phone or point-and-shoot camera works well, but a DSLR could easily backfire despite your best intentions. Plenty of adults are confused and befuddled by the buttons and menus on DSLRs, and while kids might have fun experimenting with this type of camera, they could easily get overwhelmed and lose interest.
DSLRs can take better pictures than point-and-shoots, but they’re probably going to confuse most young kids.
Don’t make it about you. If you’re taking pictures with your child, let them be the star of the show and not you. Your pictures might be brighter, more colorful, or better from a technical standpoint, but that’s not the point right now. Your child could easily become discouraged if you compare their work to that of a seasoned adult. So, put your ego aside and focus on the child and helping nurture her newfound interest instead of showing off your pictures.
Don’t continually push them to improve. Let your children grow and develop at their own pace—encourage them, validate their work, and let the journey be the reward. Their interest could wax and wane over time, and they may show an intense interest in photography for a week, followed by two months of not using their camera at all. That’s normal, and if you try to force the issue, you’ll likely see your best intentions wither on the vine.
Sharing your photography passion with your kids can be incredibly rewarding and exciting. Perhaps some of these ideas give you a starting point if you aren’t quite sure how to begin turning the gears. I’m curious to find out what has worked for you and your kids, and I would love to learn from your experiences as well. Share your ideas, tips, and suggestions in the comments below!
The post How to Get Kids Interested in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.
As a parent, one of the most enjoyable aspects of photography for me is sharing my love of photo-taking with my two kids. My wife and I enjoy taking pictures of our two boys, looking through old family photos with them, and involving them as much as we can when we are using our cameras.
However, when our oldest was about five years old he started wanting to get in on the action as well, and that’s when we hit a bit of a road block. We wanted to get him and his younger brother a camera, but with so many options we didn’t even know where to start. Fortunately we found a solution that has worked wonders for us and could be great for you too.
When we started looking more seriously into cameras for our kids we realized we had several options, all of which we ended up discarding for the following reasons.
Let them use our cameras. As much as we wanted them to get a real hands-on experience with photography, the cameras and lenses we use for formal photo sessions are much too expensive to hand over to our little boys. When they’re older we will certainly let them use our camera gear, but not at such a young age.
Invest in rugged point-and-shoot cameras. Some cameras made by Olympus and Panasonic are designed to take a bit of punishment and seem ideal for kids, but we didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a camera that our kids might enjoy for a few days and then put aside in lieu of something else. (As parents we have learned that our kids’ enjoyment of a particular toy or object is rarely correlated with the amount it costs, and just because something is expensive by no means ensures they will like it or use it more than once!)
I have no idea why, but my six-year-old is obsessed with taking pictures of ceiling fans. This has led to some good discussions about shutter speeds and also the effect of flash when freezing motion.
Purchase a kid-oriented camera. If you search online you can find dozens of kid-oriented cameras that have big buttons and bright colors, but all the ones I have used have been quite unimpressive. Tiny low-quality LCD screens, slow response times, horrible image quality, and awful sound effects all seem like they are designed specifically to suck the enjoyment out of photography altogether.
Let them use an old mobile phone camera. This seems to make a lot of sense given the prevalence of tablets, phones, and other devices with cameras and touch-screen technologies, but we ultimately decided against it. We didn’t want the hassle of dealing with internet restrictions and app downloading, especially when our kids are so young. In the future we might open this door, but for now we’re more comfortable giving our kids an actual camera instead of a device that has many functions, including a camera.
The more we looked at choices available to us the more we seemed to hit dead ends, until we came up with a solution that seemed to check many boxes all at once: we would buy each of our kids a used point-and-shoot camera.
Old point-and-shoots can’t match modern cameras, but they’re not too shabby either. And when a kid can snap a picture of a sunrise with their very own camera, it’s a fun moment to witness.
A used point-and-shoot camera hit every one of our criteria. And the more research we did, the more we realized that this plan had almost no drawbacks and a variety of benefits including…
Price. You can look on eBay or used gear sites like KEH.com for used point-and-shoots and find plenty of options for $ 25 to $ 50. That’s well within the range that we are comfortable spending on a toy, and if our kids lose interest or break their cameras accidentally, we haven’t lost a lot of money.
Selection. The sky really is the limit when it comes to selecting a used point-and-shoot, and no matter your budget you can probably find one that suits your needs – especially if the goal is to give it to a child. As a starting point search for “Powershot”, “Coolpix”, or “Cyber-Shot” and sort by price to see plenty of low-cost point-and-shoot options.
A quick eBay search for Canon PowerShot digital cameras between $ 25 and $ 50 turns up dozens of results.
Features. I owned a few small pocket cameras way back in college and over the years I had forgotten how many features these old things had! Most of the ones we looked at included things like optical viewfinders, video recording, optical zoom lenses, self-timers, limited manual controls, white balance options, various metering modes, macro/portrait modes, custom scene settings, and instagram-style filters. Some of these require digging through menus, but it’s all there for children to explore and figure out, which is part of the fun of photography in the first place.
Image quality. Can a decade-old point-and-shoot match the quality and megapixels of a modern DSLR or smartphone? Of course not. Most of the cameras you are likely to find will be in the 3-megapixel range, which pales in comparison to any modern camera. And good luck taking pictures at high ISO values. But the point is to use this as a way to get kids interested in photography, and no child I know is going to balk at having only 3 megapixel images. That’s plenty big enough to crop and print. (Remember, a 4×6 photo at 300dpi is only 2 megapixels.)
Image quality on a used point-and-shoot can’t rival a DSLR, but it can be easily and cheaply replaced if dropped in water when taking pictures of turtles. And that’s almost what happened when this photo was taken.
After all our investigating we ended up getting our boys each a Canon PowerShot DS450 Digital ELPH from eBay. We paid $ 27 for one and $ 29 for the other, including shipping. Our kids (age 6 and 3 when they received them) were so thrilled they could hardly put them down. They called them their “Professional Cameras” and quickly started taking pictures, experimenting with different options, and figuring things out in the menu screens while teaching each other what they had learned.
Over time our kids have learned a lot more about photography and how to use their cameras to get the images they want. And they really enjoy experimenting with the self timer and taking short videos too. We made albums for each of them within our Apple Photos app. Over the past year they have built their libraries up with thousands of pictures which they like looking through and sharing with others.
This picture of grandma and grandpa’s dog isn’t going to win any awards, but my son had fun taking it and it helps him remember this visit.
At times their interest has waxed and waned, and sometimes a month will go by without them picking up their cameras. But that’s how kids are with most toys, and I don’t think the situation would be any different had we spent $ 200 on a brand-new kid-friendly point-and-shoot. The situation isn’t all sunshine and roses though, and there have been some drawbacks and risks that any parent would need to take into account when buying a used camera.
Purchasing anything used, whether it’s a camera or a car, carries with it its own set of risks and parents should be aware of what they are getting into.
Gear condition. If you get a new camera, whether it’s a brightly-colored toy camera or an advanced drop-resistant point-and-shoot, you can be fairly certain that the product you pay for is the same as the product you receive. It will also likely come with a warranty, but neither of these is the case with used cameras. Reputable sites like KEH, B&H, and Adorama rate their items with a scale that gives you a pretty good expectation of their condition, but what you get in the mail might have scratches, dents, or other defects you might not expect.
Both of the cameras we got on eBay had dings and dents, but my kids didn’t mind at all and I would suspect most kids (especially very young ones) wouldn’t even notice.
Beware of auction sites. If you have never used eBay or other auction sites before, navigating their options can seem like a bit of a digital minefield. Look closely at seller ratings, return policies, and buyer-protection options before making a purchase. And if you come across a camera deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is. The same goes for cameras you might find on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the seller.
Accessories not included. Depending on where you get your camera it may or may not come with niceties like a wrist strap, a memory card, or even a charger or working battery. The cameras we got for our kids had batteries that barely held a charge, so we got a pair of third-party batteries for about $ 15. It wasn’t too big of a deal but it served as a good reminder of the difference between buying used vs. buying new. Things like this aren’t deal-breakers and your pocketbook will be still be much happier, even if you do have to buy some of these additional items.
On a recent trip to the local botanic gardens my kids finally got to be the ones taking pictures of daddy, not the other way around. Simple wrist straps definitely helped them keep track of their cameras in the process.
The lesson here is one that has rung true for ages, ever since humans began trading for goods and services: caveat emptor—let the buyer beware. If you do a little bit of research, ask questions, and trust your instincts you will probably end up with a perfectly good camera that will be great for kids.
It’s been well over a year since my wife and I got used point-and-shoot cameras for our boys, and despite a few hiccups, the experiment has been a resounding success. It has not ignited some latent passion for photography, but our boys have had fun experimenting and exploring and creating – and thus far they haven’t broken their cameras either.
My three-year-old took this with the pocket camera we bought him for under $ 30. I asked him why, and he told me he just liked the colors of the bike.
Meanwhile my wife and I rest easy knowing that they can’t access harmful internet sites or download strange apps onto their 2005-era digital cameras. And if our kids do end up breaking or damaging their point-and-shoots it will be a very cheap problem to solve. (As a bonus, if they do break their cameras we plan to use it as a financial lesson and make them save up for replacements.)
If you or someone you know has kids who are interested in photography, I highly recommend checking out the many used cameras available to you before shelling out hundreds of dollars on a brand-new model or buying a cheap kid-friendly camera with actual bells and whistles, but limited capacity for photography. The risk is fairly minimal, the results can be quite rewarding, and you might even find yourself renewing your own excitement for photography simply by helping teach the younger generation what makes the art form so special to you.
The post How to pick the perfect camera for kids appeared first on Digital Photography School.
You’ve probably heard that the absolute best time for taking gorgeous portraits is before sunset at golden hour. I love the golden hour as much as the next photographer. But I’m also a mom, and I know the importance of being able to capture photographs of your kids throughout day-to-day life, not just when the lighting conditions are ideal.
Let’s face it – birthday parties, parades, celebrations, and field trips often happen in the middle of the day when the light is harsh and more difficult to work with. How do you capture those special midday moments?!
You can absolutely take amazing photos of your kids no matter the time of day! In this article, I’ll share three quick and easy tips for those times when you want to capture memories and are photographing kids in harsh lighting conditions.
One of the easiest ways to approach photographing kids in harsh lighting conditions is to find or make some open shade.
If you’re outdoors, look for a group of trees, a small hill, a tall building, or even part of a play structure that can provide you with a bit of shade for your photo. When you’re looking at the shadows on the ground, try to find a patch of shade that doesn’t have “hot spots” of sunlight mixed in with the shade. Mottled light is generally not the most flattering type of light for photographs.
If you aren’t able to find open shade, you can also create it. I’ve used everything from a sun hat to a couple of friends holding a beach towel in the air to create a small patch of shade for a photo of my kiddos. Be creative!
Unless you’re shooting right at high noon, the light from the sun will still have some direction to it. If you’re familiar with the circle trick, this is a great time to utilize it so that you can easily visualize the direction of the light.
Snapping photos without taking the direction of light into account often results in lackluster images with squinting subjects and uneven unflattering lighting.
This is an example of what NOT to do when shooting in harsh lighting conditions. See how the girls are squinting and the light is uneven across their faces?
However, spending just a few seconds thinking about the direction of the source of light makes for a much better image in exactly the same location. One simple way that I often communicate this to kiddos is to ask them to stand with their feet pointing towards the head of their shadow.
Nine times out of ten, this simple instruction quickly orients kids so that the direction of light (backlit) is most flattering. You may still end up with some hot spots across their shoulders and the tops of their heads, but typically the light will be nice and even across their faces, which is really my goal when shooting in harsh light or full sun.
So, what if the background you’re trying to capture doesn’t allow you to orient your child in the best way given the direction of light?
Whether you’re taking photos of a historical landmark or a hometown parade, there is another trick you can utilize in harsh lighting conditions. That is to use your on-camera flash as a fill light to help diffuse any harsh shadows and brighten your subject’s face.
For example, the above image was taken at a local lake. Because of the location of the dock coupled with the time of day, I wasn’t quite able to get the sun all the way behind my daughter, resulting in a bit of a hot spot on the right edge of her face, while the rest of her face is just a bit dark.
If this effect bothers you, give fill flash a try!
This second image (above) was taken at the same time, in the same place. But this time I used my camera’s flash to soften some of the highlights near her face. You’ll notice that the coloring of the water is entirely different when using a fill flash versus without it. Additionally, her eyes seem to have more pop with the flash compared to without it.
Whether or not to use fill flash in harsh lighting conditions is really a matter of aesthetic preference. But it’s certainly worth a try if something feels a bit off when you’re shooting in harsh light.
In a nutshell, don’t be afraid of photographing kids in full sun – it’s easier than you may think. Give it a try, and chime in and share your best images with us below.
The post 3 Tips For Photographing Kids in Harsh Light appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Creating gorgeous photographs of moms with their kids can be a daunting task. But with a little planning, responding well to the family dynamic, and paying attention to whether or not you’re selecting flattering angles you can create lovely portraits that they’ll treasure for years.
Women can be harsh critics of themselves, so it’s well worth spending some time thinking about how to make moms happy with their portraits. Both in terms of helping moms relax beforehand and on the day, and paying attention to choosing flattering angles as you photograph them. I’ve learned lots through my experience over the years – here are 10 tips to help you photograph moms.
Suggest avoiding sleeveless tops so underarms aren’t exposed, as well as avoiding graphics on clothing so that the focus is on faces and not on clothing. For new moms, a loose t-shirt or a shirt is more flattering than tightly fitted breastfeeding tops.
Here you can suggest using a face powder to minimize shine, an under eye concealer to minimize shadows, and a pale eye shadow to brighten the face.
Spend some time chatting to Mom before you meet her, and before you start photographing. The more relaxed she feels, the better your photographs of her will be.
If you’re providing any posing guidance, suggest Mom leans her weight on her back foot for the most flattering angle. Suggest she thinks about bringing her forehead in space to minimize any double chins – Peter Hurley has a great video demonstrating this technique (see below). The best place to hold a toddler is generally on Mom’s hip, rather than holding them squashed across or into her body.
Be careful that the weight of their baby isn’t creating bulges, as new moms are often sensitive about remaining baby weight and won’t want it emphasized. Holding the baby in the crook of their arm works well to minimize this. Or if Mom is very conscious of baby weight, have Dad hold the baby and encourage Mom to snuggle in from behind, bringing her arm round Dad’s so everyone’s involved.
Another good option is to have Mom lie on her side, near her baby. This brings her head nice and close to the baby for an intimate portrait, and is also a flattering angle for those conscious of baby weight.
Find out which games the children are particularly enjoying at the Moment, and have Mom instigate those games. Peek-a-boo, spinning on the spot, aeroplanes, lifting babies up in the air (safely!) and tickles are surefire hits for some lovely giggles.
This is one of the most highly prized photographs for moms, so encourage the children to give Mom a lovely cuddle. If they’re not feeling like dispensing kisses on demand, ask them if they know how to kiss Mom’s nose. Often the challenge of proving they can will get the kids to oblige!
With newborns, encourage Mom to place a gentle kiss on the newborn’s face – you may need to point to the spot that you’ll be able to see in shot.
moms will want to remember the feeling of holding a little hand in theirs. So remember to photograph moms walking with their children, hand in hand. Having Mom run towards the camera with her children can also be a great way of helping more camera shy mothers to relax and have fun.
Keep an eye out for the tender moments between moms and their children – these are very emotive and can be very powerful photographs for mothers. Capturing the strength of that bond is such a privilege, and the gentle oments of calming a baby or young child can be a great opportunity to do just that.
For shy moms, try to incorporate details such as their arms holding the baby – you don’t need a face-on portrait if it makes her feel uncomfortable. Having these kind of details will mean a lot to the baby when he/she is grown up, to see themselves lying in their mother’s arms.
And if their mom is camera shy, all the more reason to make sure the child gets some photographs with Mom in shot!
For one reason or another, it so often ends up being the mother who takes snaps at home and on holidays – with the unfortunate result that moms are often absent from most home photographs.
Making sure to incorporate beautiful photographs of Mom with her kids is a lovely gift to level the playing field here and make sure that Mom features in their photo albums too!
Do you have any other tips for photos of moms with their kids? Please share them and your images of moms and kids below.
The post 10 Tips for Photographing Moms and Their Kids by Louise Downham appeared first on Digital Photography School.
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive as a writer here at Digital Photography School is, “How do I take better pictures of my kids?”. There’s just something about becoming a parent that helps you understand exactly how fleeting childhood is, as well as how important it is to capture it. Whether you’re using a pro-level DSLR camera, a point-and-shoot, or your phone’s camera, here are a few quick and easy tips that will help you take your momtography or dadtography to the next level and take better pictures of your kids.
It’s never a bad idea to learn about the technical aspects of photography. But when it comes to photographing your own kids, the truth is that the photos you’ll treasure the most are the ones that capture genuine emotion. When you pull your camera out, don’t just look for the perfect smiles. Look for genuine expression and emotion, which tends to happen most often when your kids don’t realize you’re watching them.
Similarly, when you’re culling images, don’t automatically trash every image with soft focus or strange cropping. Sometimes, those technically imperfect photos may capture genuine emotion so perfectly that it would be a shame to delete them just because they’re not perfect. You may not want to blow those imperfect images up onto a giant canvas, but definitely keep them for your own records!
Technically speaking, there are a few things about the above image that I don’t like. I wish I hadn’t cropped off some of one daughter’s fingers, and I wish the other daughter was in focus. I was super tempted to delete this photo right away because it’s not quite up to my standards. However, every time I look at this image it makes me smile to see the absolute joy on their faces. I remember their excitement at seeing the cherry blossoms covering the ground like snow, scooping them up by the handful, and throwing them up into the air while laughing and squealing with delight.
As family and friends flip through photo albums, they don’t comment on the other image I took that day of the girls standing perfectly still while looking at the camera and smiling, they comment on this photo. They mention how happy the girls look, and how much they love this photo. This image is beloved not because it’s technically sound, but because emotion always trumps perfection when it comes to photography.
When it comes to photographing your kids, don’t wait for the moments when everyone is perfectly dressed in coordinating outfits at golden hour. Those moments are beautiful, but they’re few and far between. Instead, look for ways to capture the beauty in the ordinary everyday moments.
Snap a photo of your kids reading a bedtime story every once in awhile. Take a quick snapshot of their messy faces after spaghetti night. Capture the mismatched crazy outfits that they put together when they dress themselves. Quietly sneak out your camera as they’re practicing writing their name at the kitchen table.
Life isn’t always perfectly styled, it’s messy and full of mundane, repetitive moments. It’s really tempting to wait to pick up your camera until your house is cleaner, or the kids are dressed in something that isn’t stained, or until the flowers in the backyard have bloomed. Don’t wait.
Take the opportunity to photograph your kids just as they are right at this moment, and see if you can’t find some beauty in the ordinary.
At any given point in time, your kids are likely to have at least one thing that they’re absolutely obsessed with. It may be a stuffed dinosaur, their favorite book, a hat that they want to wear every single day or a best friend.
Regardless of what their current favorite thing is, taking photos of your childen with the things that they absolutely love is a really sweet way to remember them at the different stages of their lives.
Chances are that in a year or two, your child will move on to a new favorite thing. You’ll forget all about that stuffed dinosaur or favorite blanket much more quickly than you’d probably think. It’s fun for both you and them to be able to look back and say “Remember when you used to….”
How many of us are guilty of taking hundreds of photos of our kids, maybe uploading a few to social media, and then letting them hang out on our hard drives in perpetuity? In all honesty, one of the most important parts of photographing your kids is to actually print the photos you take of your kids.
There are so many great resources out there now, whether you want to send prints off to a professional lab or print a photo book right from your Instagram feed, there truly is something for everyone. You don’t have to do it all, but just pick something, and get those images off your computer and into your lives!
Do you have any non-technical tips that you’d share with moms and dads just trying to take great photos of their kids? If so, please chime in below in the comments.
The post 3 Simple Photography Tips for Parents – How to Take Better Pictures of Your Kids by Meredith Clark appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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Last year, photographer Josh Rossi made headlines all over the world after he used his skills as a photographer and retoucher to turn his daughter into Wonder Woman. It was a fun passion project, but the viral outpouring of support it generated inspired him to do something more.
And so Josh and his wife Roxana teamed up with costume designer Julie Whiteley to find ‘the REAL Justice League’ and show them for the superhumans they are.
Roxana scoured the world to find six children with varying disabilities and diseases, who have shown incredible strength and resilience. The final Justice League lineup consisted of: 5-year-old Kayden Kinckle, 3-year-old Sofie Loftus, 9-year-old Teagan Pettit, 2-year-old Mataese Manuma, 7-year-old Zaiden Stolrow, and 5-year-old Simon Fullmer.
Each of the kids suffers from a disease, disability, or condition that makes them seem weak on the outside, and Rossi’s hope was that this photo project would showcase their inner strength. So they created costumes that cost up to $ 10,000 per child (donated to this good cause), photographed them, and then delivered poster prints to the family and taped the children’s reactions.
Here are some behind the scenes photos from the process, followed by all six reaction videos.
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You can read each of the children’s individual stories on Rossi’s website. From rare cancers, to heart conditions, to a young double amputee, these kids really are incredible humans. And, of course, you can see all of the final images in the gallery below:
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To see more of Rossi’s work, visit his website or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
All photos by Josh Rossi and used with permission.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
When it comes to photographing kids, we spend a lot of time discussing how to capture images of them smiling naturally and looking at the camera. Of course, every parent wants that sort of image of their child or children, and learning how to cultivate those genuine reactions is an important skill for any photographer to have.
That said, full-face portraits are just one small type of people photography. When it comes to photographing kids in particular, if you only capture that style of image, you’re missing out on a whole lot! Here are five things not to miss when it comes to photographing your children!
Fingers. Toes. Eyelashes. When it comes to photographing kids, don’t forget to capture the little details! Years later, a photo of dirty feet will bring to memory hours spent playing in the backyard. Mismatched fingernails will remind parents of the “I’ll do it myself!” years of budding independence. These aren’t (typically) the photos that make it onto Christmas cards or Facebook profile images, but they are images that parents will be thankful for down the road.
It’s amazing how much body language can convey in a photo, and that’s never more evident than in the case of a silhouette. I love capturing silhouettes of kids because they highlight body language and details in a different way than a full-face portrait does.
In a standard portrait, the wisps of hair take a backseat to adorable toothless smiles. I love a good toothless grin, but I want to remember the cowlicks and hair wisps as well. I want to remember the way that the kiddos sat on top of a fence so close to each other that not a single ray of light was able to sneak through.
Don’t forget to try silhouettes from a number of different facial views. Try them with the kid facing away from your camera. Try them with the kiddo facing the camera head-on. Definitely, try them in profile! Again, it draws attention to the little details like the shape of their nose and their facial features.
This category is one instance where you’ll be at a huge advantage if you’re photographing your own children (or close relatives) because you know your kids best.
You know the silly way they sit on their feet while they’re eating. You know the way they press their hands into their face while they’re making up a “once upon a time” story. Only you know the goofy faces that they make and you also know the way that one kiddo always tries to photo-bomb the other. You already know the funny little quirks that your own kids have, so make sure to photograph them!
Take it from me, you won’t remember them as well as you think you will, and someday you’ll be grateful for the reminder.
This is a category of images that is easy to forget about, but I really try to make an effort to occasionally photograph my kids while they’re sleeping. The other day, my first grader fell asleep unexpectedly. She has the tendency to act older than she really is in a lot of different ways, so my expectations for her tend to be pretty high.
I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos because I was struck by how young she looked while she was sleeping. Nearly every time that I make the concerted effort to photograph my kids while they’re sleeping, I find myself thankful for the reminder that even though they may act older than their ages, the truth is that they’re still little.
As I look through the many, many photographs that I’ve taken of my children, there are very few images that are shot from unusual angles and different facial views. Anytime I find an image that’s shot in silhouette, I’m always pleasantly surprised! There aren’t many of them, but I’m always pleased to come across them because they capture a different sort of expression than full-face images. In my experience, kids aren’t typically photographed in profile very often, and I think it’s such an important aspect in capturing their personalities!
Similarly, I always try to get down to their level when I’m photographing kids. That’s usually a good thing, but on occasion, it’s nice to have an image that’s shot from above, below, or other non-traditional angles. Make an intentional effort to photograph your children from a variety of different perspectives – you won’t regret it!
Please share your tips for photography kids below as well as your images. I’d love to see them.
The post 5 Non-Portrait Ideas For Photographing Kids by Meredith Clark appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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