Photography Of Children
Friday, June 17th, 2011
Photography With Small Children?
So I have been asked to take a Christmas card picture of two small children (ages 5 and 9). Any tips on composition or lighting and how to make the shot natural? It is my first photo shoot (I’m only 15) and I need as many tips as I can get! Thanks 
Are you using studio lighting or available light? Outdoors or inside? Use a lower ISO if possible, but I would rather have some noise than blurred pictures due to subject or camera movement. Take some test shots to see how much light you have to work with. You need to keep your shutter speed at handholding levels or faster, (or use a flash to freeze the movement) otherwise you will get camera shake. Take a tripod just in case you want some low light images, but with kids it is hard to use a tripod all the time. What kind of camera are you using, and how fast is your lens?
Don’t have their eyes on the same level. Make sure you have enough DOF so they both will be in focus. Personally I would prefer an environmental shot, where they are doing something. Since it is for a Christmas card, you could use holiday props. You might have them reading “The Night Before Christmas” in front of the tree or fireplace hung with stockings. They could be making a pan of gingerbread men. Decorating the tree. Walking in the woods or park. Visiting the town at twilight to see the lights. Here are a couple of examples.
(Note on this one the DOF is too shallow, only the grandson is in focus here, but it was shot at f/1.4. Wide apertures are great for blurring the bg, but you will really have to control the pose to get two people sharp in a portrait. For shooting two kids, I would use a smaller aperture, at least f/5.6, depending on what they are doing.
Selective color, old hat but many people still like it. This one was made with a P&S digicam, using the direct on-board flash. If you have a hot shoe flash you can bounce it for much better lighting.
The good news is shooting for a Christmas card isn’t like shooting, let’s say, a wedding! If you’re not happy with the outcome, you can offer to do it again. I think your “client” would understand that you are just starting out. Good luck and have fun.
US Child Labor, 1908-1920