Photography kids poses

8 Easy Ways to Pose Children in Photographs

Start Taking Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids!

Learn Manual Mode NOW.

Learn your camera

WITHOUT feeling confused or frustrated so that you can capture all the best moments!

Ready to start creating AMAZING pictures?

Photographing kids is a lot of fun. They are cute, innocent, and you never know just what they’re going to give you!?

Posing kids can be a little trickier however (especially if they are young).

If they are out of that toddler stage though and can follow some simple directions, then you can try to pose them in the cutest ways possible!

Keep reading to learn 8 easy ways to pose children in photographs.

Rather listen? Hear all about ways to pose kids on The Stay Focused Podcast!

Have them Sit

This pose is pretty easy to set up. Just have them sit down! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy either. You could set up chairs, or crates, but using the natural environment works just as well. Find a big rock, steps or just right down on the ground. Make sure to position their legs (if they’ll let you) to it’s most flattering.

Straight On

This is a classic headshot and is often a favorite with parents. The key to shooting a child’s portrait straight on is to get down at their level. Kneel down so your eyes are level with theirs. This will create a very flattering angle.

Have them Kneel

Similar to the classic straight on pose, this is also a classic shot, but from a different angle. How the child squat down, while you get on a higher lever (maybe a step or rock, or step ladder) Shoot vertically and aim down at them while their eyes gaze up at you. This looks great with a serious or happy expression!

Put Hands in Pockets

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with hands when you are looking at the camera for a photo. This pose eliminates that. Just ask the child to place their hands in their pockets. You can have them put the whole hand in or just the thumbs. Either way it’s super cute!

Hands on Face

This pose works better with girls, but could work on younger boys to. Have them touch their cheeks or chin. This pose usually brings an instant innocent smile to their face which will give you a super sweet shot!

Lay Down

This creates a fun and unusual perspective and is generally well liked by children. Just have the child lie flat on their back while you are above them. Depending on the length of your lens, you might have to stand on a chair , rock or something else to get you up a little higher. Point the camera down and ask them to look right up at you.

Ask Them to be Natural

Let them pose in their own element- unposed. Ask them to run, jump, spin, and dance, whatever they can do to move around and let loose for a minute. This is almost guaranteed to give you a good shot.

Crossed Arms

There is nothing like an arm cross to make a child feel like they are boss. This is a fun pose because the child feels a little empowered this way. You could have them cross their arms leaning against something or standing straight up. Ask them to give you a tough guy smile for added fun in their expression!

Want to know some ways to Pose Large Families too? Check it out here for 9 ways to pose large families!

Posted in Photography Tips & Tutorials

COMPANY

Terms & Conditions
Disclosure Policy
Privacy Policy
Blog Roll
Contact Me

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More

21 Sample Poses to get you Started with Photographing Children

After our previous articles on posing female subjects and posing men (there are now more guides – see below this article for the complete series), let’s look at some starting points with photographing children. Little ones are definitely fun and very positive subjects to photograph! Getting those real and authentic emotions and showing through your pictures the joy of a childhood is a very warm and sincere feeling.

However dealing with kids sometimes can be quite challenging. You have to be ready that they often have their own thoughts on their mind and you need to be very patient and adapt to their natural behavior. Don’t assume that they will listen carefully and follow your instructions exactly. That’s why you most probably won’t be able to use these samples as posing cheat sheet. Use them rather as a reference for ideas and different scenarios for you photo shoot.

1. When photographing children, remember to shoot from their eye level! Concerning poses, though, let them be “as they are” and try to capture their natural expressions, emotions and behavior.

2. A sweet pose for kids. Get your subject to lie down on the ground and shoot from a very low angle.

3. Just another variant if your subject is lying on the ground.

4. Very sweet pose for photographing babies. Place the baby in a bed and cover it with a blanket. For best results, make sure that the colors of all the bedclothes go well together. White works well.

5. To make kids more relaxed, try to get them hug or play with their favorite teddy bear or any other toy of their choice.

6. Try taking pictures of kids in their everyday environment, for example, playing their favorite games, doing homework or as in this example, painting with watercolors. Keeping them busy in a familiar setting is a good way to get them to cooperate and to make those special poses you want.

7. It really is a good idea to set everything up so that the kid is busy with his own “things” and not even noticing your actions. Looking at a favorite picture book is just one example of how to keep them “posing” for you.

8. Be attentive and don’t miss the kids heavy laughing or loud shouting. Such situations always produce very emotional and thus rewarding shots! But, please, no staged cheese smiles! Avoid fake emotions at all costs.

9. Use some delicious food items as props. You might be able to capture very interesting moments photographing children eating some sweets, ice-cream, fruits etc.

10. Soap bubbles are simply a must-have accessory for children photography. First of all, children just love them and are really happy to blow some bubbles. Secondly, you can work creatively and find an accurate lighting settings to get beautifully illuminated bubbles as an outstanding visual hook in your photos.

11. When photographing outdoors, you can involve your subject in a hiding (actually reappearing) game. Get her to hide behind some object – a big tree for instance – and ask her to peek out of the hide-out. This is a nice moment to take a picture.

12. Playing in the sand is a very nice setting for photographing children. They can play and keep themselves busy while you just observe and take your shots while not disturbing them even one bit.

13. Try some action shots. Give your subjects a ball to play with. Then aim for an interesting perspective: Shoot from ground level while introducing the ball as a dominant foreground object.

14. When shooting children and family photos, never forget that pets are also family members. Involve them into your shots and you will notice how much joy and emotions that will create.

15. Children’s playground is a very good place for some outdoor shots, it provides endless variations for action shots.

16. If a boy or a girl is into some sports (basketball, football, tennis etc.) you can take a very special portrait of him or her with the corresponding props.

17. A very nice mother and baby pose. Mother laying on the ground with a kid on the chest. Alternatively, if the kid is still a toddler, she could hold him or her in both hands above her. And just a remark on this one and the following samples with a mother – in all of these samples the parent might as well be a father, a gender used here is only for an illustration purposes. And, of course, do involve both parents in a photo shoot, in any sample here one or both parents are more than welcome to “join into” the composition.

18. Very simple and natural pose: Mother holding her kid on the hip. Try different head positions.

19. A really touching pose. Just ask the child to hug its mother. Capture their natural emotions for a priceless photo.

20. An engaging, fun and easy pose, which is nevertheless rather uncommon and original. Ask the mother to lie down on the ground, then make the kid to sit on and hold on to the mother’s back.

21. This setting is absolutely beautiful for family portraits. Might be arranged indoors in a bed as well outdoors on the ground. Works very well in different combinations and with different numbers of subjects, adults or kids.

And on a final note, first and foremost thing to keep in mind – kids move around very fast! It’s not only the physical movement in space, but also the head, eye direction and face expressions – everything changes constantly and instantly! That means you have to choose fast enough shutter speeds in order to avoid motion blurred images. Consider forcing one or two ISO stops above “normal” to gain faster shutter speeds. And always shoot in continuous shooting mode, taking several frames in a row. The blink of an eye just takes the blink of an eye. Secure the moments before and after, too. In the age of digital cameras this costs nothing, but it can be critical for securing the best shots.

Check out our other Posing Guides:

Posing Guide: Sample poses for photographing Women Part 1
Posing Guide: Sample posees for photographing Women Part 2
Posing Guide: Sample poses for photographing Men
Posing Guide: Sample Poses for photographing Children
Posing Guide: Sample Poses for Photographing Couples
Posing Guide: Sample Poses for Photographing Groups of People
Posing Guide: Sample Poses for Photographing Weddings

Grab Our Guide to Portrait Posing

Kaspars Grinvalds is a photographer working and living in Riga, Latvia. He is the author of Posing App where more poses and tips about people photography are available.

Baby photo poses

Good day, dear reader. Today we will look at different poses for baby photography. The article will be accompanied by various photographs to help visualize what is at stake. Every photographer knows that children are fidgety by nature. It is very difficult to keep a child's attention for a long time. Do not rely on the fact that the child will accurately follow all the recommendations and requirements.

nine0002 There is no need to persistently demand that the child fulfill all the requirements. This can scare or upset the baby.

That is why you need to adapt to the line of behavior of a small model and wait for the right moment.

Baby photography basics

1. Be on the same level

No need to photograph the child from a height. Hold the camera at eye level with your model. You have to be on the same level as your child. It will be very difficult for a child to build a pose, so you should trust the chance and just catch the moments. nine0003

Pay attention to moments when the child is in a natural position. The frame should convey emotions, look and facial expressions.

2. Low angle photo

Good shots are obtained when the child is lying on the floor, sofa, bed or on the ground. In this case, you need to photograph from a low plan.

A good version of the picture is a child in a bed building a house from a blanket. This process is very sweet and funny. The most important thing is to keep an eye on the extra details that can get into the frame and use underwear in a color that looks good in the picture.

nine0002

3. Photo with toy

Every child sooner or later acquires a favorite toy. It can be a teddy bear, a plastic airplane or a machine gun. Depending on what kind of toy it is, you need to build a composition.

4. Sneak photo

Sufficiently successful shots are obtained when the picture reflects the natural behavior of the child. Try taking pictures of your little one playing, painting, or doing homework. If the child does notice that he is being photographed, ask him to continue doing his own thing. nine0003

5. Smile in the frame!

Pay close attention to when the child laughs or simply smiles. Photos of such moments convey the most vivid feelings. The most important thing is to catch a sincere smile. No need to ask the child to smile on purpose.

6. Composition with food

In the construction of the composition, you can use fruits, berries or various sweets. nine0003

7. Soap bubbles

Outdoor photography

8. Games and movement

All children love outdoor games. You can play hide and seek. Ask your child to hide behind a wall and then look out. This will make for a great portrait.

Preschool and elementary school children love to play in the sand, tinker with cars and dolls. This can be a great subject for photography. nine0003

9. Team play

Capture the moments from the collective game of the kids in the pictures. Shooting moving babies will take some effort, because capturing a good shot in an ever-changing environment is difficult.

If a child is fond of any sport, be sure to reflect this fact in the photo.

nine0011 10. Pets

By including pets in your photos, you add variety and vivacity to your photos.

There are many interesting places for shooting at playgrounds. It can be a swing, a slide, bars or any carousel. Experiment with the shooting angle.

Latest Recommendations

Never forget that children are constantly on the move. It is difficult to take a good shot, so you need to shoot in burst mode. Take many shots of the same moment. Then there will be a chance to choose good photos. nine0003

Poses for a photo shoot of young children. Poses for a successful photo shoot with a child

Options for a children's photo shoot at home, outdoors and kindergarten.

Photography is a kind of art that allows you to remember pleasant moments in a few years, looking at the pictures. To photograph children, you need to be not just a talented photographer, but also a good psychologist. Children are mobile and less attentive to the requests of the master, this is the main difficulty. nine0003

The idea for a photo shoot depends on the age of the child. Parents can usually explain what angle they want to see their baby, but most choose the template options that large photo studios offer. The main difficulty is to create the necessary scenery and "fit" the child into the atmosphere of the shooting.

Photoshoot options for babies up to a year old:

Sleeping baby. It is considered bad luck to photograph children while they are sleeping. But newborns are so cute when they sleep, so there are a lot of photos like this. Usually the child is photographed in a beautiful cradle or on a colorful blanket. Knitted booties or some pretty jumpsuit complete the scenery
Cooks. This idea is suitable for babies who can already sit. The decor is based on vegetables, fruits, pots, kitchen utensils. The baby is put on a white cap and apron. You can put a child in a large pot
Autumn session. This is a themed photo session based on yellow leaves. Held during the Indian summer. On yellow leaves you can put a blanket, and on it pumpkin, apples, grapes and other autumn crops. Baby sits next to him

It can be difficult for a child to explain how to stand or sit down. In addition, such poses may seem unnatural. Therefore, most often babies are photographed in motion. Babies up to a year old, who are not yet sitting, are laid on their stomach. Small children can sit in their parents' arms. You can put the baby on your back or neck.

Older children are happy to pose and complete tasks for the photographer. It is best to capture the baby during interesting games.
nine0151

Usually a beach holiday is the brightest and most unforgettable. Therefore, you can not bother much and take pictures of the baby while swimming or playing with sand. Invite the kid to build a castle and imprint him doing such a difficult task

Have your child sit on a sun lounger, put on a panama hat and goggles. You can give me a glass of lemonade. Such a heavenly vacation for a baby
nine0132 If you want to take a picture with a child, then it is not necessary to do it during the day in good light. Great idea - a photo at sunset, when only the silhouettes of the participants of the shooting are visible
Photos of a father with children look very nice when an adult throws a child in the air. Toddlers love this kind of fun. A photo at sea with an inflatable ring or a toy can be considered a classic

It's best to photograph babies in daylight, so you don't need a flash, if your camera has a portrait lens use it

It blurs a not-so-pretty background and draws attention to the child. Close the window and place the baby on the windowsill. Ask to tell what is happening on the street. Pick a Few Good Positions and Capture Your Baby

Toddlers excel when playing, drawing or sculpting. If you decide to cook pies, connect a little cook to the lesson. Give your baby a piece of dough and ask them to mold something

You can create a separate corner. It can be a sofa, an armchair or even a bed. Carefully arrange the toys and take a picture of the baby. You can capture the baby by candlelight. It looks very impressive. nine0003

Beautiful photo shoots of children. Ideas

Baby photo shoot ideas:

Sleep. This idea is suitable for babies, they are very cute when they sleep

Photo with object. If you want to see how your baby grows, take a picture of him near one thing at regular intervals. Background, clothing and decor must be the same

Portrait. Take a close-up photo of your child. Decor should not be at all. Choose calm tones for the base photo

Photo with accessories . These are thematic photos where clothes and accessories are perfectly combined

Black and white photos. This is a classic that is always in fashion

There are a lot of options for group communication. These are both standard shots where everyone is standing on the line, and unusual funny photos.

Photoshoot options for a group of children:

Sunflower. This is a photo of children lying in a circle, head to head. It turns out something similar to a flower

Fun jump. Ask the children to jump at the same time. You can count to three, it's better to use continuous shooting to choose the most suitable photo

Game. Get kids interested in an interesting game. Let them collect the designer or play tag. For moving photos you need a special camera

Heap. A fun option for group shots of children. Lay the largest child on the stomach. Let the rest of the children lay down on him in bulk

Take your camera with you to the hospital. The pictures of the crumbs with a tag on their hand look very touching.

Newborn photo options:

Outdoors. Bring a basket or mat with you. Lay the baby down and take a picture of him. Photographing is best done on a sunny day

With pets. Lay the baby on the bed and invite your dog or cat next to you

Photo in a cap. If you love knitting or have bought an interesting hat, take a picture of your baby wearing it. Kids in hats "owl", "hedgehog", "dog" look cute

With balls. Take the basket and place the baby in it. Attach lots of colorful balloons to the handle

Children are fidgety, so it's quite difficult to collect them all and take beautiful pictures. Accordingly, you have to cheat a little. Get your kids interested in new toys. Children of the older group can pose and stand at the direction of the photographer, but with kids it’s more difficult. nine0003
Kindergarten photo shoot options:

Standard ruler . Used when you need to photograph a lot of children at the same time. Toddlers are seated on chairs and older children are placed behind the toddlers

Photos with caregivers. Let the teachers sit next to the children and make something or tell a story

Portraits. In this case, each baby is photographed separately. This can be done without sitting the baby in a chair. The picture will be successful on a walk, while charging in the gym

A similar photo session is created for the May 9 holiday. This is especially true for kids who participate in parades and performances.

Options for photo shoots of children in military uniform:

Near the eternal fire. This can be considered a classic

Walking along the parade road. Kids on the move always look good

Personal portrait photographs. Usually they are made against the background of green grass and a large number of tulips

There are many options for this photo shoot. Typically, wheat fields, gardens with flowering trees, and parks are chosen for such shots.

Photo session options for children with family:

Sitting on the grass

Lying on the grass head to head

Sitting on and near a tree

Photo by the river

Lying in flowers

The beauty of photographs does not always depend on the experience of the photographer. Quite often, excellent shots are taken by beginners who were able to choose the right moment and take care of the scenery. nine0003
VIDEO: Photographing children

Photographing a child is a very difficult and responsible task. The difficulty in photography lies primarily in the fact that in order to take beautiful pictures you need to find a common language with the baby. Children are often shy and stiff in front of the camera, their smiles are unnatural and simulated, and their movements are constricted and uncertain. Before you start photographing, you need to win over the child, try to compliment him along with him, or tell a funny story about some kind of animal or phenomenon. Let him know that you are not a scary human photographer at all, but simply someone who is interested in him and his affairs. nine0003
It is best to photograph children while they are doing some kind of activity - playing, reading, walking, etc. Being busy with some kind of hobby, the child will not be distracted by the camera and will behave naturally. Such photos will turn out to be as sincere and alive as possible. If the shooting will take place in nature, the photographer can take soap bubbles with him, or ask the parents to take the baby's favorite toys. When photographing children, try to shoot them at eye level. This is the standard position, but experimenting with top-down or bottom-up angles is not prohibited. nine0003
In order not to waste time on inventing poses for the baby during photography, we bring to your attention good ready-made options. These poses for a baby photo shoot are simple and natural, they are easy to perform and shoot.

Our site already has examples of poses for photographing , and . In the near future will be published and.
If you are photographing a child at home, you can ask him to draw. Beautifully lay out all the necessary attributes, and then just watch the baby and take pictures. nine0152 If the family has a pet, be sure to take a picture of the baby with him. Such photos look very touching and kind, and in time they will be of interest to the whole family.
When photographing a child at home, you can play impromptu hide-and-seek with him. Ask the baby to hide and agree that he will look out to you when you call him.
Don't forget to take a picture of the baby with mom. At the same time, they can play together or rage.
Another version of the portrait of the baby and mother. nine0152 When photographing outdoors, take a portrait photo of a child with their parents, while retaining the details of the background. To do this, shoot with a narrow aperture.
A touching pose for taking portraits of babies and parents. Everyone lies on the floor or bed in an embrace. Participants in the frame can look at the camera or at each other. Live communication and smiles will only make the photo better.
Another touching pose for a photo shoot with a child. You can ask the participants in the frame to look at each other or at the camera. nine0152 Another pose when shooting outdoors, when the baby is passionate about the game.
Beautiful photos are obtained if you take a picture of a child in nature, lying on the grass.
Variant of another cute baby portrait.
Having provided the baby with soap bubbles, you can safely try different angles and poses for shooting. the process of creating bubbles will captivate him, and the photos will be alive and natural.
When photographing a child in the yard, photograph him several times from different angles on the swing. nine0152 Beautiful pose for photographing a child with a book.
Take a picture of a child with their favorite toy. A portrait of a child will look very cute.
When photographing a child playing sports, distract him for a few minutes from the game and take a waist-length portrait.
If you are photographing several children, be sure to photograph them while playing together.
One of the options for “playing hide and seek” during a photo shoot in nature.
When photographing a child, be sure to make his portrait. nine0152 You can try to make a portrait of a child that is turned to the photographer 3/4
49365 Improving knowledge 0

How should children be photographed? This question is asked by many parents, so we dedicate this lesson, in which we will help you with the choice of equipment and shooting parameters, give advice on layout and work with light, and also reveal the basics of communication with children necessary for photographing them.
nine0002 Traditionally for our photo school, all tips are divided into 2 parts - camera settings and actual shooting practice. And don't be confused by the number of the lesson - you will succeed! :)

Let's start with some tips for setting up your camera for photographing children.

Aperture priority mode. Shooting in this mode with a fast lens will allow you to control the depth of field (DOF), which is important for portrait photography, so that the background in the photographs turns out to be blurry, focusing on the subject. The optimal value will be f / 2.2-2.8 (according to shooting conditions) for a close-up portrait, and f / 2.8-4 for shooting a full-length portrait. These values are arbitrary, used personally by the author of the lesson, and you can practically determine the settings of your camera that you consider more correct. nine0003
If your camera does not have aperture priority mode (i.e. your camera does not have manual settings), you can use the "portrait" mode. When using this mode, the camera's automation will open the maximum aperture for the focal length you have chosen, reducing the depth of field. ISO

- depending on where the photo is taken (indoors or outdoors) and on what kind of light, set the ISO value to the lowest possible value to prevent noise. ISO at 100-200 - if the lighting is good enough. If the lighting is insufficient and the shutter speed at low ISO turns out to be long, you can compensate for this by increasing the ISO, but I recommend no more than 800.

Extract - Try to use 1/200 for a static portrait when your child is posing, and if the children are not sitting still, turn it up to 1/500 or higher. As mentioned above, if there is not enough light and the shutter speed in aperture priority mode is set longer than 1/125, increase the ISO or open the aperture slightly. If your camera does not have manual settings, use the sport settings mode.

Focus mode - set the focus mode to one point - with children who are constantly moving, this will be the optimal mode. In simple soap dishes, unfortunately, you cannot select the camera focus mode (maybe you should think about changing the camera?). nine0003
Image format when shooting - if you have the time and skills to process photos, then try to take pictures in RAW format. This will give you more options for post-processing. And again, I state that digital compacts do not allow you to choose the format for saving images.

Flash / Lighting - if there is a "hot shoe" connector in the camera, it is better to immediately refuse to use the built-in flash. If photography is taking place indoors, use an external flash to bounce light off a wall or ceiling (if they are white) or use a diffuser to get indirect light. If you don't have an external flash, or your camera doesn't allow one, try to shoot in natural light and don't worry about the flash (except when you're shooting into the sun and you'll need a fill flash). nine0003
Lenses. If your camera is with interchangeable lenses, then the choice is determined from the condition that was described at the beginning of the lesson - a large aperture. When shooting children in dynamics, you need to use a zoom lens, when shooting statically, the best option would, of course, be a lens with a fixed focal length. A TV zoom lens allows you to shoot casual scenes from a distance, while a wide-angle lens allows you to take panoramic shots.

This is done with the settings, it's time to go directly to the practice of shooting. nine0003
Child photography practice

Before giving specific advice on photographing children, it should be mentioned that the child should feel as comfortable and at ease as possible while photographing. You can show your child the photos you have taken, let the camera look at them, or let them take some pictures themselves.

Place where you will take pictures if it's situational, but try to think ahead of time about 2-3 scenes you'd like to capture. Shoot outdoors (for example, in a park or forest) and indoors (for example, a bedroom or a room where a child plays). Find a spot with a simple, low-key backdrop for posing (and make sure there's no carpet in the back!). Choose places where children will have fun and interest, then you can take pictures of them in a relaxed atmosphere in the game. nine0003

Hidden photography - try to photograph children as discreetly as possible. They can do their favorite things at this time. Use a TV lens.

Avoid staged shooting where the child, for example, sits among toys with a sour face and stares blankly at them. The picture is called "Happy Birthday", but another name suits it best: "I got this photographer and all your gifts." Unfortunately, social networks are just teeming with just such photos. nine0003

Posing - older children love to pose, but small children are not very attentive to this and the photos in which they pose may look a little unnatural and forced.

The best time to shoot babies is between 6 and 9 months. Then we have the most angelic faces, wide eyes and the most controlled mood. During this period, babies look at what they are shown, lie where they are laid, touch what they are given. In general, ideal models. In a year or two, character begins to appear. Here, as luck would have it. Maybe all the games that you have prepared for him will be completely uninteresting to him. At three or four children, it is difficult to make them stand in one place. Do not even hope that you will put a small child in front of the lens, and he will smile at you radiantly, turn in different directions and react to everything you say. Will not be. one hundred%. The film set turns into a platform for active games, and you always want to play not where you take pictures. But closer to 5 years, the child can already pose well. nine0003
Photograph at the level of the child's face - an ordinary small child is not higher than half of your height, and if you photograph him from your height, the pictures will turn out to be ordinary and not expressive, and the proportions of the child's body will be violated. Therefore, sit down at the level of the child's eyes.

Using the zoom . You can increase the focal length by zooming, but do not forget that in this case, lenses with a variable aperture value reduce aperture, and, accordingly, the shutter speed increases and the depth of field increases. It's best not to use the zoom, leaving the lens at wide angle and taking pictures in the surrounding context, while remembering that the pictures should also be dominated by the children's faces, and not just the surroundings. nine0003
Focus on the eyes . Pay maximum attention to the eyes of the child. Clear eyes in the picture will always draw the attention of the viewer to it.

Background. Pay attention to the background of your photos. The background gives context to photos, but it can also detract from the main subject. Before shooting, remove all unnecessary objects from the frame. Experiment with backgrounds of different colors and textures, or vice versa, take a picture so that the background is not visible at all. nine0003
Clothing - choose clothes in which the child will be comfortable and which will reflect his personality. It's also good to have a few different costumes if you're filming in different locations. Avoid bright, flashy colors and accessories in the frame - they distract attention from the child's eyes and create a kind of color spot - the visual center of the photo.

For original shots , use continuous shooting mode .

Include other people in the frame as another way to help your child feel free - add parents, siblings, friends, etc. This will add intent to the relationship in the frame and distract the child from the photographer. Shooting two children is more interesting than one, but also more difficult. Here the emotions of one child must coincide with the emotions of another, otherwise there will be complete confusion. Here, too, it is easier to give them some kind of task and film what they will do. Only then the photo will not look simulated. nine0003

Make your photo session as fun as possible . Try to cheer up the child, ask him to do some funny things, this will make the pictures more energetic and help the child to relax. The more fun the child is, the more sincere and original his pictures will be.

Light scheme The that you will use indoors does not have to be complex and hard to set up. Tell the children to stand here, and they will move half a meter to the side. And it is on the side that the best shots will be. If your light is set to a specific point and a specific angle, you will not succeed much. It is easy to shoot children against a white background, where a step to the right, a step to the left does not play a big role, although, of course, you still need to follow the light, and, if possible, correct it. nine0003
Separate photography in kindergartens and schools

The production process of school photography requires careful organization. The fact is that taking a photo of one class, usually, you can spend time comparable to one lesson. There are twenty-five to forty-five students in a class. The lesson lasts forty-five minutes. Therefore, the photographer has only one minute for each portrait.

A portable studio in a miniature version consists of a studio flash with a power of 150 joules (with a distance of 130 cm from the umbrella to the child's eyes, it gives an aperture of 8), an umbrella with a diameter of 100 cm (it is bad to move the umbrella more than thirty meters from the eyes. At the same time, it stops giving soft black and white pattern, and it is impossible to use large-diameter umbrellas: they take up too much space), a reflector to the right of the photographer (twenty cm from the child’s shoulder) and a source of key light (ideally, it should stand so that it is not needed during the shooting process move too often, about 20 cm above the child's head, angle - 45 degrees to the axis of the lens). nine0003

Opening a hole even more than 8 is bad, because there is no margin of depth of field, and in case of the slightest mistake, you can get a marriage. Given the pace of shooting, it's best not to risk it.

Children at recess break loose, rush like meteors, now and then knocking down the fence of chairs built around the studio. It costs them nothing to fill up any of the flashes on the floor. Therefore, at breaks, shooting stops, the photographer retrains as a security guard.

The lens must be capable of shooting a half-length portrait at arm's length. This is important, because now and then children have to straighten shirt collars, ties, and bangs. Portrait lenses are distinguished by their soft pattern, shallow depth of field, and usually large aperture. nine0003

When shooting a class, turn off autofocus and frame the frame so that the subject's head occupies three-quarters of the frame, there is not too much of the body, and there is a small space of a blurry background above the head. Now focus on the child's eyes and seal the focusing ring with tape. The main thing is that the scale of the image of the heads does not change in the process of work. When they all come together on one cool vignette, heads of different sizes will look ugly. You will have to focus by changing the position of your own head: either approaching the client’s eyes, or moving away from them. Not very convenient, but the product is guaranteed standard at the output. Another important little thing. At the moment of shooting, the camera mirror is raised, and you lose sight of the person for a brief moment. And it is at this moment that he strives to blink. There is only one way to avoid this during the shooting process: you need to look with one eye into the lens, and with the other - directly at the child and, if necessary, shoot a take. To insure against mistakes, now and then looking at the camera display, is not an option - the pace of work gets lost. nine0003
On the eve of shooting, children usually receive a lot of "useful" advice from their parents. A trained child, sitting on a chair in front of the photographer, inflates like a bubble, begins to straighten her hair, collar, chew her own lips, or gives out such a wry smile that it is just right to burst out laughing. A lot in this case depends on the behavior of the photographer. You can't let a child recover. As soon as you sit him down and straighten his hair, clothes, immediately ask him some stupid question that has nothing to do with shooting, but requires switching attention. For example: “How much will kvazhda kva?”, “What is your cat’s name?”, “Turn your nose a little to the left”, etc. You should have quite a lot of such blanks in stock so that for each next child the question is unexpected. nine0003
Children usually stand in line near the studio and watch everything that happens like a small performance in which the photographer is both the director and the actor at the same time. And because of whether the children are interested in the performance, their behavior during the shooting depends. At the moment when the child hears the question, he willy-nilly shifts his attention from the desire to be beautiful and control the muscles of the face to thinking about an unexpected question. His physiognomy at this time acquires a natural expression. This is the moment of truth, catch it, press the trigger. After a moment, the child will think about the question and respond: he will begin to speak, smile and begin to play “handsome” again. nine0003
You should not take pictures of talking children, squeeze smiles out of them, if they themselves do not smile at you with full confidence. Uneven teeth or all sorts of glands in the mouth are very ugly. It's better for these guys not to open their mouths at all.

Do not allow children to stand directly behind you. They begin to make faces, show horns, in a word, entertain the one who is already filming. This knocks down the rhythm of shooting, prevents the creation of the optimal mood of the whole class. Confidence, benevolence, calmness, mild tolerance for children's pranks and at the same time firmness in organizational requirements are absolutely necessary. If you can get the teacher to tidy up her tomboys, and you don't waste time combing recalcitrant tufts and arranging collars and ties, you will be able to rent an entire class in forty-five minutes and still not "produce" marriage. nine0003

Senior classes are more difficult to film. The girls are all fashion models. They may sit in a chair with their back to the light because that side of their face seems better to them. Asking to move is useless. It is necessary to prepare in advance for the rearrangement of the light and mark on the floor the installation site of the rack with an umbrella. Large guys will have to shoot while standing. Conversations with them and distractions should be more sophisticated and humorous. Commands in an orderly tone do not pass. In a confrontational environment, filming goes badly. Many guys have teenage acne. Therefore, stock up on good covering powder and masking pencils. Under the friendly laughter of the guys, they will have to paint their cheeks and foreheads at a fast pace, not listening to objections. The result is quite decent portraits without pimples and freckles. The alternative is computer retouching. nine0003
That's all for today. I hope the materials in this lesson were interesting and useful for you. Good luck and all the photographic to you!

Let's see how to work with children.

Working with kids is always interesting and fun. The ability to capture lively and sincere emotions and show the joys of childhood through your pictures - all this allows you to keep very warm feelings for a long time. Despite this, sometimes working with children can be difficult. You need to be prepared for the fact that they think they know how to behave, and you have to be very patient and able to adapt to their natural behavior. nine0003
In the case of children who are very difficult to get to pose, we advise you to use these illustrations more as a source of inspiration and a possible scenario for your shooting.

1. When working with children, remember to take pictures at their height. However, when it comes to poses, let them be themselves and try to capture their natural facial expressions, emotions, and behaviors.

2. Ask the model to lie down and shoot at the level of the model. nine0003

3. Another photo of the model lying on the floor.

4. Very cute pose for a photo with a small child. Put him to bed and cover him with a blanket. For best results, make sure the colors of your baby's bedding and clothes go well together.

5. To help your child relax, give him a hug or play with his favorite teddy bear or any other toy. nine0003

6. Try photographing children in their natural environment, such as when they are playing their favorite games, doing their homework, or, as in this example, painting. Keeping them occupied in their own environment is a good way to get them involved and get some really good shots.

7. A very good scenario - the child is busy with his own affairs and does not even notice your presence. Looking at a favorite picture book is another example of how to get a child to "pose". nine0152

8. Be careful not to miss the moment when the child bursts into laughter or screams at the top of his lungs. In such situations, very emotional, and, therefore, very profitable shots are always obtained. But please, no staged forced smiles. Avoid fake emotions at all costs!

9. Bring some sweets to the studio. You may end up with very interesting shots of children enjoying sweets, ice cream, fruits, etc. nine0152

10. Soap bubbles - this is just a necessary attribute of a children's photo shoot. Firstly, children simply adore them and will be happy to have the opportunity to blow bubbles. Secondly, you can experiment and find the right lighting to get shots of beautifully lit bubbles that will be an unusual visual effect in your photos.

11. If you're shooting outdoors, you can get your model involved in hide-and-seek (or rather "appearances"). Ask her to hide behind something, such as a large tree trunk, and then peek out from behind her shelter. This is a very good moment to take a picture. nine0003

12. Sandbox - excellent decorations for a children's photo shoot. The child can go about their business and not even notice how you take one great picture after another.

13. Try to make some dynamic shots. Let your model play with the ball. Then look for an interesting angle: shoot from the ground, make the ball the main foreground object.

14. When working with children and family photography, do not forget that animals are also members of the family. Involve them in the process of shooting, and you will notice how much joy and emotion they bring. nine0003

15. Playground is a great outdoor photo shoot location, it will give you an endless variety of dynamic shots.

16. If a boy or girl is into a sport (basketball, football, tennis, etc.), you can take a very personal picture of him or her with the appropriate sports equipment.

17. Very cute pose for mother and baby photo. Mom lies on her back and presses the baby to her chest. If the child is still very small, the mother can pick it up and raise it above her. A small note about this pose and further universal poses with mom - in all these poses, dad can also act as a parent, it is mom that is depicted here only as an example for clarity. And, of course, try to involve both parents in the shooting process. In any position in this article, there will always be a place for one or both parents. nine0003

18. Very simple and natural pose: mother holds the child on her hip. Try taking photos with different head positions.

19. Very touching pose. Just ask the child to hug mom. Capture their natural emotions and get a priceless shot.

20. Attractive, funny and simple pose, which is quite atypical and original at the same time. Ask the mother to lie down on the floor, then ask the child to lie on top and hug her. nine0152

21. This pose is great for family portraits. The picture will turn out great both indoors on the bed and outdoors on the ground. It works very well in different combinations and with a different number of participants, both adults and children.

Remember - children are very mobile! It's not just about running and jumping fast, their head, look and facial expression - it all changes instantly and constantly! You need to use fast enough shutter speeds to avoid motion blur. nine0003
And always shoot in continuous shooting mode, taking several shots in a row. If the model blinks, you will only lose one frame. But you will have pictures of the moments before and after. In the age of digital cameras, this doesn't cost anything, but it's the only way to get better pictures.

For every mother, the birth of a child is a real miracle. And it is only natural that she tries to capture every moment of his life. However, professional photography is no substitute for amateur photography. But, since this pleasure is not cheap, it can be arranged not so often, for example, to choose some special day. nine0003
Ideas for a photo shoot with children

Children are more often photographed when they are still very small. Mothers dress their daughters and sons in different outfits and costumes. Ribbons or hoops are tied around the girls' heads, and in the meantime, the kids sleep and don't worry about anything.

A child's birthday is a great occasion to shoot. In addition, everything you need is already ready - the child is cheerful and beautiful, it remains only to think over the poses for a photo shoot with the child. Here are some options:

the baby can be put on the green grass, and a whole mountain of gifts can be placed next to it;

mother or father, sitting on their knees, can put the child on their back;

if the children are older and can do what they are told, then you can arrange a funny photo session by inventing a separate pose for each child. The result is a very fun and original overall picture.

Another great idea for a photo shoot is the mother and baby theme.
Learn more

Best lens for sport

Single point lighting

Ideas for family pics

Vintage photo shoot ideas

Adobe photo editing software

Shooting real estate photography

Photo editing technique

Combining two photos into one

Magic lantern focus peaking

Calculating hyperfocal distance

Landscaping free images