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Pix of the Kids
By
Bill Miller
When we take pictures of babies and
toddlers, many aren’t what we wanted. We miss the moment--sometimes because the kids moved too
quickly or we moved too slowly or there wasn’t enough light or the children
wouldn’t give us the “special pose,” etc., etc.
The reasons seem endless.
It’s
been a many years since my four children were in the toddler age group, but I
know kids work the same way now as they did then.
To move past the roadblocks, I got down on the floor, playing with my
children as I took their pictures. Remember,
small kids have almost no patience and a very short attention span.
So, don’t ask them to perform, and you’ll have plenty of time to take
wonderful photographs.
I
began by adjusting my position on the floor to see their play from the best
angle. As the children became
used to having me in their play-space, I took a picture or two.
They quickly became accustomed to having my camera pointed at them.
They grew comfortable with the sound of the shutter, and soon they
stopped mugging and posing. I found
ways to let my kids play as I made photos.
I didn’t pose them, and I didn’t try to get them to act out a role
for the pictures. The shots I
caught were of spontaneous, natural poses and expressions.
However,
not all good shots will occur on the floor as kids play.
A long time ago, I found my son gazing out a window while he was wearing
his new space helmet. It made a
calm and sensitive photo that captured a special moment.
He had become so used to my being close with a camera that he wasn’t
distracted as I took pictures.
While
using a flash may be unavoidable at times, try to use available light whenever
you can. Natural window light that
has bounced off white walls and natural light in open shade outside offer great
soft lighting opportunities. Be
aware that light from inside tungsten bulb lamps creates yellow pictures.
If you must take photos by tungsten light, try an “inside” or
“tungsten light balanced” film. Colors
in the photos will be much more life-like.
Fluorescent
light is always a problem. It’s
green, and the filters sold for correcting color balance under fluorescent light
aren’t color balanced correctly, resulting in pictures that have a
brownish-tan color shift. On the
other hand, electronic flash provides harsh light and causes “red eye.” Your
camera may have anti-red-eye features, but all anti-red-eye features function
slowly, nearly ruling out spontaneity.
For personal and more sensitive shots of your babies or small children, success is only occasionally an accident. Normally, you have to create the right environment. The most important tip is to play with your child when you take pictures. Aside from a marked improvement in the quality of your photographs, you’ll notice that playing together creates a closeness between you that will endure for years.
Copyright © Bill
Miller.
Bill Miller is a photographer, teacher and writer. He is the founder of PhotoTreks and conducts workshops in the Oregon area. You can learn more about Bill and his workshops by going to www.empnet.com/imageworks/PTREKS/
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