Recommendations about children's photo sessions from a professional children's photographer. Children's photography: where to start shooting The shooting process should be invisible to the child

Family photo sessions are an honest attempt to preserve the happy moments of childhood in memory, because it passes so quickly.

Often, capturing happiness in a photo is not so easy. Photographing children is, in principle, quite problematic, since they are constantly in dynamics and emotions that are not always controllable.

How can you ensure that the planned photo session is a success and that your child arrives at the studio smiling and ready to pose? And should children pose? A mother of two children and an experienced children's photographer will share her experience Lyudmila Tsypkina.

- Lyudmila, what is the best way to inform a child that for the next hour or two he will have to smile at an unfamiliar aunt (uncle) and be in a good mood?

There is no need to explain. Play on emotions. In a few days, “feel out” what arouses your baby’s interest and curiosity (be it the photo shoot itself, or a trip to a fairy forest, or a trip to visit the ducklings, depending on the idea of ​​the photo shoot), and in the time remaining before the photo shoot, periodically remind your child about upcoming event, support and fuel this interest.

Based on this, try to choose a topic for the photo shoot that is interesting to your child.

Moreover, it is worth warning and preparing in advance. For example: “You will meet these ducks, their names are Cree and Quack, you will be able to play with them for a long, long time, and your aunt with a camera will take a few pictures as a souvenir so that we can show everyone what wonderful duckling friends you have.” Then the child will not have the feeling that he was deceived and, accordingly, protest.

— What does it take to make a child feel comfortable in the studio? After all, you need to catch not an imitation of happiness on a child’s face, but sincere joy?

Choose an interesting shooting location, schedule a photo session at a time of day when the baby is full and does not want to sleep, try to avoid a long journey to the shooting location. Bring your favorite toys and food with you.

— What is preferable to choose: shooting in a studio or outdoors?

In the studio we are limited by rental time. The weather outside...
I would alternate photo shoots for a variety of impressions. I would discuss the specifics of where and at what age to photograph the baby with the photographer.

— If we are talking about a studio, then is it necessary to be in unison with the chosen interior? What are your recommendations for choosing clothes?

Yes, the preparedness of the models greatly, greatly influences the final picture. It’s always great to think over a family look, when all participants in the shooting are united by style, clothing color, and accessories. And it is worth keeping the mood of the photo studio interior in your clothes (if you have chosen an interior studio). This is never easy and often requires tricks. Therefore, I get involved at the stage of preparing a photo shoot, together with the models we think through the details, often I share something from my supplies or suggest little tricks.

— From your experience, what decorations do children like best?

Children love live animals and birds. Snow you can throw. A roof to climb on. A bed to jump on. In our city we have a lot of such “tricks” in photo studios, and often I myself come up with something exciting for a photo project.

— Is it necessary to force a child to pose?

In my opinion, no. This is the surest way to get an unnatural picture or miss the child’s interest.

— What to do if a child turns away, closes his eyes, and when asked to smile, he sulks or even wants to leave?

Pretend that you don't need anything from him. Or rather, no - don’t pretend that everything is fair with us. It’s really worth forgetting about photography for a while and establishing interaction. Stop expecting something from him and, especially, force him. After all, if the child is healthy, well-fed and slept, it’s not difficult to get him excited about the process and pick up the camera again! It becomes more difficult if children run and cannot stop. In such cases, I turn on the “photo hunt” format and wait until my strength runs out. It is better to allocate a couple of hours of shooting time for such children.

— Filming children with animals – deer and huskies – is this your know-how? The difficult task is to catch two birds with one stone, as they say. Children are probably more enthusiastic about taking pictures with a real deer than with teddy bears?

No, hardly know-how. From time to time there are photo projects with animals from other photographers. It’s just that most often these are one-time projects, creative, with models. And I offer everyone who wants to film with the animals. Because I love shooting in nature, I love children and I love animals :) And yes, catching and collecting children and animals in a suitable frame is many times more difficult, but all the more interesting! The difficulties are compensated by an interesting plot and a ton of different emotions in the frame. Many parents even go to such shootings not only and not so much to take photographs, but so that the child can communicate with the animal, so that he is not afraid and makes friends.

— What advice would you give on preparing for newborn photography?

Newborn photography should be planned before the baby is born, and this is the main component of success. After all, newborn photography is carried out in the first ten days of a baby’s life! When the decision is made and the photographer is found, he will tell you how to proceed. And on the appointed day he will come to your home (this is where newborns are most often filmed) and will work for 3-5 hours. I also explain to the parents in advance what and why will happen during the shooting so that the shooting can be as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

— Is it possible to arrange a photo shoot at home?

Taking pictures at home is simply wonderful! These photo cards will not always be ideal in light, or as “tasty” as in the studio, but they are much more memorable! And most importantly, many parents do not want or are not ready to go to a photo studio with their baby, then a photo shoot at home is the only option not to bypass the delicate infancy with the attention of the camera.

— Do you think the so-called iPhoneography will supplant traditional photography? After all, more and more parents are photographing their children with gadgets and processing photos in applications. In this case, you do not need to have any special education or even talent.

Photos on an iPhone... This is the only way I take pictures of my kids myself :) But photos taken on an iPhone should be viewed on an iPhone. But what about video clips, photo books, canvases on the wall and everything that pleases our eyes, what guests see, what grandmothers leaf through, what children look at and where they recognize themselves as little ones? Therefore, a couple of times a year it’s worth gathering your strength and organizing a small family holiday - a photo shoot. It is from these photographs that the family archive is collected. For example, every year I make a photo book right from the birth of my children: volume 1, volume 2 and so on. And I get very sad when there aren’t enough high-quality photo cards and I have to include photos from my phone (yes, yes, this happens to photographers too).

Try giving your child a camera and you will see the world through your child's eyes. This world is amazingly wonderful and amazing.

A child sees things that are familiar to us in a completely different way, if only because he looks at the world from the bottom up. And thanks to the kids, you will get fresh and unusual shots: a blue sky with one cloud, a close-up of a flower petal, cracks in the asphalt, a dog’s paw.

Little photographer

Every time I look at the photographs taken by my daughter, I admire. I would never photograph an object exactly the way Anya does.

Thanks to such photographs, we can get to know our child better. How interesting it is to watch a kid running around with a camera. Our daughter, for example, tried to photograph her own legs in a jump. It's funny.

Photography will help a child discover his creative and artistic potential, develop a sense of beauty, and even feel a little more mature.

Don't be afraid to give a camera to your child. You will win a lot more than you lose.

I got the idea to teach my daughter how to take photographs when she was about 2 years old. And it was realized at 3 years and 5 months. Perhaps this would have happened earlier, but I simply could not give her my expensive SLR camera.

That's why we bought a point-and-shoot camera. For my daughter. And in case mom is too lazy to carry heavy equipment with her :).

First, explain to your child the basic rules for handling a camera:

• The camera strap should always be worn on your hand. Even when the baby takes the camera out of the case.
• A camera is a complex piece of equipment: if it falls, it will break. And it is especially dangerous if the camera falls into the water.
• Do not touch the lens with your fingers, as smudges will appear on the pictures.
• After shooting, you should always turn off the camera and put it in its case.
• A camera is not a toy. You can't run or jump with him.

I think that you shouldn’t immediately tell your child everything you know about the camera. Although a lot depends on the age at which the child takes his first shot.

At 3.5 years old, to begin with, I showed my daughter only three buttons:

• camera power button;
• button for taking a picture;
• and a photo view button.

After Anya photographed a little (a day or two passed) and felt some confidence in her actions, I explained to her the basic rules of photography and named the main “details” of the camera.

Photography rules - suitable for children

• Hold the camera firmly with both hands.
• Fingers should not cover the lens and flash.
• Wait until the finished frame appears on the screen - until this moment you cannot move your hands.
• What you see on the screen (in the viewfinder) will be reflected in the photo.

It was at this moment that I taught my daughter to zoom in or out in order to take the picture exactly the way she wanted.

The child should be told about the design of the camera at least in “children’s” language without going into details:

• lens - how our eye looks at a picture, and when you press a button, the camera saves it;
• flash – illuminates the frame;
• viewfinder - you need it to see what kind of photo you will get.

I told my daughter about all this “in the process”, so she absorbs the information better.

The next thing I'll tell Anya about is the focal point. It is important that the object that the child wants to photograph is clear. Therefore, you need to monitor the focus of the frame.

Frame composition

What you should NOT teach a small child is frame composition. There is no need to impose your opinion on how the photo will look better. This will kill your child’s creative potential. Let the child go through his own path of creative search. This is what fascinates children in photography.

Look at the pictures together, discuss successful and unsuccessful shots, draw conclusions and look for mistakes. Let your child tell you which photos he likes and which he doesn’t and why.

Over time, the child himself will understand that there is no need to photograph his mother without a head, and learn to pay attention to the composition of the frame.

Photo games with a child

Finally, there are many fun games you can play with your camera. These games will allow your child to develop their imagination. And they will teach us, adults, to look at the world through children's eyes.

Studying the seasons

Take your camera for a walk and photograph all the signs of autumn: yellow leaves, bare tree branches, dry grass, puddles on the asphalt, ruffled sparrows.

In addition to strengthening your child’s photography skills, this game:

• lifts the mood;
• develops observation skills;
• helps to remember and practice the seasons;

Yes, and you too take a camera with you, it’s more fun to shoot together. Successful frames can be printed for.

Developing observation skills

You can do a themed walk and take pictures: everything red, all the numbers you see, all the birds or dogs, all the signs. What else can your imagination tell you?

Exhibition

At home you can arrange an exhibition of children's photographs. Print out interesting photos (just choose them together with your child) and place them on the wall, refrigerator or magnetic board. You can string several ropes on the wall and hang photographs on clothespins. Invite your dad and grandma to the exhibition. And be sure to sign the work.

This is how much fun you can have with your little photographer!

Anne Geddes was born and raised in Australia. In just a few years, which the woman devoted to children's photography, she was able to become famous throughout the world. Ann's unique flair and style help her create real masterpieces, the main characters of which are kids.

Seth Casteel

American photographer Seth Casteel photographs not only children, but also animals. But a series of his works called “Children under water” deserves only the highest ratings. Don't believe me? Then see for yourself!

Iwona Podlasinska

This talented woman lives and works in Poland. Once upon a time, photography was a hobby for her, and when no one doubted her level of skill, Ivona began offering her services to friends and acquaintances. You can see the results of her work in ours.

Facebook/Photografie Iwona Podlasińska

Jordan Mather

This photographer is simply in love with dancing, so he devoted most of his works to this difficult skill. He takes photographs of dancers who are passionate about music and dance. And children are often caught in the lens of his camera. Aren't they beautiful?

Facebook/JordanMatterPhotography

Jake Olson

Jake first picked up a camera when he was 38 years old. No one believed that the man would succeed, but he managed to become one of the best children's photographers in the world. His works are an ode to life, childhood and dreams.

Facebook/Jake Olson Studios

John Wilhelm

John is not just a talented photographer, but also the father of three daughters and a young son. Therefore, it is not surprising that a man loves to photograph children. And his graphic designer skills help him create incredible pictures that are very reminiscent of fairy tales.

Isabella Urbaniak

Another resident of Poland in our selection. As a mother of two children, Isabella loves to spend her summers outside the city. This is where the woman takes her most atmospheric pictures. According to the photographer, the barefoot childhood of modern children should look like this.

Facebook/Izabela Urbaniak Photography

Susie Mead

The works of Susie Mead also deserve special attention. She loves to work outdoors, so all her work is filled with gentle, warm tones and the breath of nature. The woman’s real muses are her daughters, Zoe and Mia, whom the talented photographer often uses as models.

Lisa Holloway

It’s hard to believe, but Lisa is not only passionate about photography, but also raises ten children. The woman devotes all her free time to raising children and photography. We would like to note that she is doing great!

Facebook/ljholloway photography

Tracy Raver

Photos of babies always amaze with their beauty. And when they are taken by a true professional, the pictures are simply mesmerizing. This is precisely the impression that Tracy River’s works from the USA evoke. Looking at the pictures of newborn babies, it seems that they came into this world from a fairy tale.

Facebook/Kelley Ryden & Tracy Raver Photography, Omaha NE

Main photo: depositphotos

Photography is a wonderful activity and a wonderful pastime that can bring to kid not only a sea of ​​positive emotions and a sense of belonging to a real adult activity, but will also encourage child development, revealing his creative and artistic abilities.

Trust your child with a camera!

Do you often allow to hold in your hands for your four-year-old child camera or even take a couple of shots? Personally, as soon as I saw my son quietly approaching the digital camera, stopped any of his attempts to reach serious equipment. But the husband has his own opinion on this matter. It is clear that it is always easier to put a thing away than to show, teach, tell and control. So our dad decided to take the photography process into his own hands and teach your child to use a camera. After all, we often underestimate the baby, deciding for him what is too early for him to do and what is just right. Why not let to kid prove yourself, and at the same time prepare photojournalist for family holidays? A close-up of dad’s smile, the tip of a yard cat’s tail, a toy car from an incredible angle, a fresh report from under the bed – your baby’s photo masterpieces will surprise you more than once!

Photography for a child- this is an interesting game, no matter how seriously he takes this activity. Therefore, if you see that the child is playing seriously and is very passionate about the activity, by the age of 6-7 years you can think about his personal camera: your old or new, but inexpensive. Own camera for a child- a subject of special pride, the baby treats it more carefully and reverently, and you should not deprive him of such positive emotions.

Technical excursion for a child photographer

Before letting your baby take the first pictures, you need to tell and show to kid how it works camera and how the photographs turn out. That's exactly what our dad did. Showed my son the main parts camera: body, lens, viewfinder, shutter, flash and explain their purpose. My husband taught my son digital camera and have not yet delved into the complex management of it. It is enough to tell how the camera turns on, where the operating mode is switched, how to work with the scale and take pictures. "Digital" has before film camera a big advantage: the child can immediately see the result of his work, in addition, you can significantly save on film and photo printing. But digital cameras– the technique is gentle, but children’s hands are still so awkward...

Be sure to tell your baby about the basic rules that will prolong life camera. The worst thing for him is falling. Especially in the water. And if there is still a chance to save the film “drowned man”, then digital camera will be damaged beyond repair. Teach your baby Always wear the camera strap on your hand or around your neck before you take it out of the case and start taking it off. Brought to the point of automatism, this habit will help him out more than once. Camera Do not point directly at bright sun. It's not just bad for your eyesight. photographer, but can also damage the equipment. Do not leave the camera in direct sunlight on a hot summer day. Remind me often to a little photographer, that you should not grab the lens with your fingers, otherwise unsightly cloudy spots will appear on the photographs. The lens should be periodically wiped with a piece of soft cloth. And, of course, the lens should always be covered with a protective cap when not shooting. Scratches on it are unlikely to decorate photographs.

Basic rules of photography

After describing the technical features, our dad explained to his son basic principles of photography. You shouldn’t immediately teach your child composition and the correct construction of a frame. You can limit yourself to the most important commandments photographer, and let him continue to experiment on his own. Own mistakes and deserved praise from parents faster will teach child basics of photography than boring explanations.

So, basic rules of photography:

- You need a camera hold tightly with both hands and be sure to be straight, otherwise the pictures will turn out crooked.

— The moment you press the shutter button you can't move your hands, or better yet, hold your breath.

— The photograph will show exactly what appears in the viewfinder window. That's why It's worth thinking a little before pressing the button. Maybe it would be better to come closer, or, conversely, move further away, go in from the other side, so that what you want to shoot comes out in the best possible way.

— You can’t “cut off” people’s legs at the knees, hands up to the elbows and half the head. It's better to move the camera a little higher or lower. And, of course, you shouldn’t photograph mom or dad without a head at all. Show your child the distance that you should not get closer to the subject, otherwise the photo will turn out blurry and ugly.

— The sun (or other light source) during shooting should shine in the back of the photographer or fall from the side. Therefore, you must definitely monitor its position.

It is better that the first photograph is taken outside on a sunny day. But don't go out at midday, when the sun is too blinding to your eyes. Photos of the baby will turn out bright and light, and you can please your mother with successful photos when she returns home.

Our dad rarely advises the baby on what and how to shoot. Emil chooses himself, the husband only corrects and reminds the basic rules. After all, imposing one’s own opinion suppresses creative search and prevents the child from remaining himself. Suppress the urge within yourself to stop filming the cat from the 35th angle. Do you know that professional photographers take one photo out of 100 and consider this result to be good? Maybe next photo of a child will be a masterpiece. But then, having transferred the photos to the computer, you can discuss children’s photographs together, praise the successful ones and find mistakes. Our dad also comes up with interesting photo games. For example, about neither make cartoons with the baby.

Thanks to children's photographs We can see the world through the eyes of a child in the truest sense of these words. And this will provide an opportunity to get even closer to the baby, to rise to another level of mutual understanding. Go with child walk around the city, and invite him to shoot whatever he likes. Believe me, you will see your city completely differently: its streets, its architecture, and even its people. And even if these photographs are technically imperfect, they will have something that adult photographs often lack: unusual angles, unexpected subjects and, of course, spontaneity, sincerity and deep intuitive wisdom - the most incomprehensible childish quality.

Very often, the date a new camera appears in a family coincides with the birthday of the new person. Every mother dreams of preserving memories of the happiest moments associated with the growth and development of her baby. But not everyone can take photographs that are called “worthy of a frame” and not right away.

This article is for those who dream of learning how to take truly interesting and high-quality photographs of children, but do not know where to start. In it we will talk about how to establish contact with a child, analyze the main mistakes of a novice photographer, and touch on issues of composition and plot.

Technical aspect

There is an opinion that the cooler the camera, the better the photos. This is true, but only in skillful hands can expensive technology work wonders. You can achieve good results during the learning process with a regular digital point-and-shoot camera. If you already have a DSLR camera, then a standard zoom lens will be quite sufficient for it. By the way, the desire to learn how to take good photographs is an excellent reason to finally study the operating instructions for your camera. Don’t rush to try all modes at once; modern cameras are equipped with good automation, which means that even in automatic mode you can take a high-quality photo. Moreover, if you start training in comfortable conditions, that is, choose a fine day for a photo shoot and go outside to shoot in some beautiful park.

A technically sound shot has good sharpness and natural colors, it's not too dark or too light, and you'll need a lot of daylight to get a shot like this in auto mode. That is why it is not recommended to complicate your life with photo experiments in an apartment lit by a chandelier with incandescent lamps. At the same time, it is better to avoid using the built-in flash altogether; with it, photographs lose volume, and ugly black shadows appear in the background. The flash can be used for reportage photography, when you really want to capture an event, but there is not enough light in the room, and even then, if the distance from the camera to the subject is no more than 3-5 meters.

Composition. What is good and what is bad

There are a number of compositional techniques and rules by which objects are placed in the frame for easy perception. If there is no time and desire to analyze all compositional techniques in detail, we will learn from the mistakes that almost all novice amateur photographers make:

Cropped limbs. . Shots with cropped hands, ankles, fingers, ears and other parts of the body do not look the best, so if the child does not fit entirely into the frame, then we make a half-length portrait or a close-up (where only the face and shoulders remain).

Closeness. Leave free space in the frame, not so much that the hero of the photo is barely visible, but enough so that there is no feeling of cramping. That is, the child in your photo should not rest his head against the top edge of the frame or press his back close to the right or left edge. If in the photo the baby is running or sitting sideways towards the window, then a little more free space should remain in the direction of movement or gaze.

Eyes are the mirror of the soul. When we look at a portrait, the first thing we pay attention to is the eyes of the person depicted in it. Obviously, the eyes should be sharp, so you need to “focus” on them. In large portraits, it is better to place the eyes on a horizontal line crossing the top third of the frame, even if you have to crop off the top of the head a little (if there is only the face in the frame, this is allowed).

Shooting point. To avoid unpleasant distortions of space, you should not photograph babies from your own height. The child's head in such cases looks disproportionately large. This also applies to newborn baby dolls; it is better to transfer them from the crib to a large bed on their tummy, and photograph them from the level of their eyes, then all proportions will be respected.

By strictly following these principles, you will very soon forget about them and will automatically begin to correctly position objects in the frame.

Making contact

Catching a little fidget in the frame is not so easy. If you can somehow come to an agreement with older children, involve them in the process of preparing props, interest them in some kind of photo quest, then getting a one-year-old baby to sit quietly when he has just stood up on his feet is an absolutely impossible task, and newborn babies often wake up, as soon as they are moved from warm hugs, even in the softest and most cozy blanket. One piece of advice - seize the moment. This means that you need to think through everything in advance, prepare the camera, clear the background of debris, think about the lighting, mentally frame the frame... and only then lure your baby into it. You can give the child a toy or some interesting and new object for him (the main thing is that it does not go too far out of the general plot). Sometimes it’s the steering wheels or the grandfather dancing a jig behind your back that saves you.

You can sew several lens attachments from bright fleece - bright toys that will also help to briefly attract the child's attention. One way or another, your task remains the same - to manage to press the shutter button at the right time and in the right place.

Locations, plots, props

This is another important component of a successful shot. If a landscape or still life can be beautiful in itself, then in children's photography a thoughtful image and an interesting plot have always been valued. Design and sew or knit a funny hat for your baby, find in the pantry some long-forgotten thing like a sled or accordion or grandma's down scarf. During trips out of town and walks in the park, take note of interesting places, and at the same time remember the time of day at which the light seemed most favorable to you for a photo shoot. Even seemingly ordinary events can be a good subject: a picnic, fishing, flying a kite or playing boats in early spring. Here, the props have already been selected and assembled, and the location is favorable, and the baby won’t have to take much persuasion.

And a little about the mood

In ordinary life, children are, as a rule, one big bright emotion. The highest photo aerobatics is a technically high-quality and emotionally rich frame in which a child laughs, is sad, screams, cries, makes faces, in general does everything that he is supposed to do according to his age, and it is precisely such moments that we most often strive to preserve in our life. memory, which means they themselves must always be on alert with the camera ready to shoot.