Portrait Photography: The Art of Photographing Children

Photographing children. is an art. You might be able to get a good result by simply pointing a camera at a child and tripping the shutter, but it's not a very repeatable way of going about it.

I have been photographing people and things since I was seven. I didn't turn pro until only 17 years ago when I was hired by a local photo studio. Until then I had never had the experience of photographing children and thought that I could never get myself to do the goofy things one must do to be able to get results every time out. So when my boss would do these crazy things I would just recede into my shell thinking - I can't do that!  . . . until "I" started photographing kids!

I found myself doing things I never dreamed of and enjoying every minute of it. I discovered that I had an innate talent for this genre of portraiture. It also has gone a long way with aiding the photographing of adults as well!

Simply put, it's the art of distraction. Keep a subject occupied and thinking of something "other" than having a camera pointed at them and you will get the best results. You can do things like, ask them about something you think or know that they like. If they're old enough, a complex math equation works wonders because they think you are crazy to even ask but moreover, they take great pride in being able to answer correctly and at that point they enjoy being able to showing off a little.

If the kids are a little rowdy I just let them blow off a little steam. The 2-5 year olds love running around in circles on the studio floor. I think it's because they've never seen a big white painted floor before, I dunno, whatever it is they just love doing that. And I let them.

If the parents are a bit controlling I figure out a very nice way of conveying to them that they should let me control the kids and that "whatever happens" is fine with me. I'm only interested in a good result and I'm very very patient. If the parents seem to be getting a little antsy for results and the kids start to feel this I just ask the parents to relax in the front room for a little bit. Then the kids are only having to deal with me. I'm like the easy going baby sitter at that point who let's them do almost whatever they like except that I trade off of that so I get them to behave for just a short time to get what I need. Perfect little angels.

Success, in the art of photographing children.