 Don't
say cheese!
Follow the advice of these professional mum photographers to
get first-class photos of your kids!
And then see how they've managed to take
pics of their own children!
We've all been there...
Your child is smiling happily away but as soon as you grab your camera,
the scowls appear and the tantrums start. Or you manage to get your child
to pose for the camera but their grin resembles a gurning champion and
their red eyes look demonic. So who better to ask how to take great pictures
without tears on their - or your - part than professional photographers
who happen to be mums as well?! Here are their top secrets...
Time it right
Any mum knows that there are certain times of day that are best for their
children's behaviour. Mimika Clooney (www.photolyrical.com), mum to Shaylee
(8) and Cameron (6), says mid-morning is best. 'Children are at their
best usually mid-morning so schedule a time when they will be happy and
well rested.' Avoid times when your tot is tired as it could all end in
tears for everyone!
Set the scene
If you want to pose your baby in a more formal shot, Susan Porter-Thomas
(www.sptphotography.com), mum to Sam (6) and Jamie (8 months), suggests
setting a plain scene. 'Grab a large white duvet or white sheet and lay
it on the floor in whatever room you want to use,' she advises.
'The whiteness of the background will draw the viewer's eyes to your
baby's face and their expression, particularly if your baby is dressed
in white clothes. It also diverts attention away from any background clutter
such as toys. I also try to lay babies on their tummies as they look so
cute when they're trying to push themselves up!'
Choose their clothing carefully
What a child wears can be almost as important as their expression. First
and foremost, they need to feel comfortable - have you ever had your picture
taken while wearing something that you clearly dislike?
Exactly! Mimika gives the following guidelines. 'Less is more, so keep
colours neutral and the clothes comfortable to make your child feel less
restricted. Although shoes look cute, they don't work in a photo as they
make the child's feet look larger than they actually are! The best features
of a portrait are a child's eyes, hands and feet so show off their little
toes for the camera!
Avoid stripes, dots, brand names and commercial characters as these will
date the photo in years to come. Plain white or black clothes with jeans
or khaki pants look great in black and white or sepia photos.'
Get them involved
A sure-fire way of at least getting your child on your side when taking
photos is to involve them in the process, as Christina Prout (www.christinajaynephotography.com),
mum to Tyler (5) and Toby (3), explains
. 'Allow your child to see the camera and try to explain what happens.
If you have a digital display on the back, try taking a test shot to show
the child. They'll be excited to see what they will look like on your
camera.
Never be afraid to be silly: many children will relax more if they see
that you are also having fun!' Susan agrees with this, adding: 'I always
have a pot of bubbles in my props kit - it's guaranteed to draw at least
a smile, if not a laugh.'
Ask for cheese ... and that's what you'll get
We all desperately shout 'say cheese' at our children, and that's basically
what we get: cheese! If you've ever seen the product of a child or adult
saying that word, their mouths are usually contorted into bizarre grimaces
or unnatural smiles.
'My son did this once when he had a tooth missing and he looked like
Oliver Twist!' laughs Susan. 'A good tried and tested method of getting
your toddler to smile naturally is to ask them not to smile.
Then they can't help themselves! If your child is insisting on those
awful fixed grins, then let them get it out of their system. Take a few
snaps of them like that and gradually a more natural smile should surface
as they relax. This technique normally reassures even the shyest children.'
Smiling isn't compulsory
Smiling isn't the only option for a natural photo of your child. Why
not capture them looking thoughtful or dreamy? These expressions, according
to Susan, work well in black and white photos particularly.
'You could also experiment with a series of expressions,' Susan adds.
'I've done this with my son as a game. Basically, I ask him to do a happy
face, then sad, grumpy, excited, etc. He thinks it's fun and they make
a great series of photos that you can put in an album or a frame that
holds several pictures.'
Get rid of red-eye
Red-eye is the bane of many otherwise wonderful photos. You get your
child into a brilliant position, elicit a wonderful smile ... and then
you find they look like Damian from the Omen in the prints. But
what can be done? Christina has the following tips:
- Turn on as many lights as possible or try to be near a window, in
response to additional light the child's eye will constrict a little
so that less flash light will be reflected back to the lens.
- Select the red-eye reduction function on your camera; this will enable
the camera to first fire a small flash before the main flash fires to
help the child's eyes adjust to the light. This doesn't guarantee to
eliminate red-eye completely, however.
- Instead of taking pictures directly face-on, try side shots. These
can be just as nice. If you're not keen on side shots, try to have the
child looking away, up, down or to the side just slightly to reduce
the chances of red eye.
- Susan says that to a certain extent, red-eye is unavoidable when taking
photos indoors unless you get near a window. 'However, a good desktop
publishing package should get rid of any red-eye on digital photos.'
Jennifer also adds that 'with a point and shoot camera, it's best to
have it set to a "multi-frame" shoot option to make things easier'.
Let them be themselves
Everyone knows that kids don't respond well to stressful situations,
so it makes no sense to make photo-taking time into an ordeal. Professional
photographer Jennifer Henry (www.jenniferhenryphotography.co.uk), mum
to Megan (5) and Evie (3) says: 'My greatest piece of advice I could give
to the parent, grandparent, friend or family member when taking photos
of their special little person is to let them be themselves.
You will be amazed at what you will come up with. For me it is not about
the wide smile, but about capturing the child as they are.
The best photos are the candid ones where the child is just looking away,
or engrossed in their new toy. Keep it natural and relaxed.'
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