Jenna Lee's Top 10 tips (of the day) for photographing children

I'm constantly asked what my secret is to capturing little ones and how others can improve upon their photography of children.

So here it is, my 10 tips of the day for photographing little ones.

1) Get down on their level. When you get down and on their level you see them as they are in the world, and not just how you see them towering from above. They quickly begin to trust you more because you are far less intimidating at their size.

2) Listen to what they have to say and find a way to connect with them. Have a little guy that won't stop talking? PERFECT.. the best photographs are the ones that capture the personality of your subject. An animated subject enjoying a story is the perfect way to capture them and their little unique personalities. Perhaps they have a favorite toy they want to tell you about- GREAT! 20 years from now that's the story mom and dad will want to remember, what made their little ones unique at their different ages, what made them smile, their curiosities, and unique traits that make them, them.

3) Get them moving. I am about to tell you the three words that I live by, breathe by, shoot by, and swear by. .. Ready?..

MOTION CREATES EMOTION.

This is true regardless of what subject you are shooting. Get them moving and suddenly they forget about posing or what they look like in front of the camera. They get lost in the moment and this is the key to capturing real photographs regardless of subject.

4) Give them a task.  "Run up behind dad and throw your arms around his neck" "Run toward me really fast and smile" "On the count of 3 look at me and yell 'BOO!'" (This is a piggyback of #3) This not only keeps the energy up in the shoot, but it helps to create moments as well. My goal is to not just capture special moments but help create them.

5) Focus on the eyes. As with most of the time when you're photographing a person (unless the focus of the photo is elsewhere) you want to make sure and focus on the eyes. This is how your images will appear the sharpest. I do this by shooting in manual (but can be in AP or any mode other than Automatic) I then focus using the "back button focus" method and recompose my shot. Always focusing on the eyes and/or face (unless again, the focus of the image is purposely elsewhere.)

6)  Play a Game:
          • Follow the Leader. Have kiddos who are dragging their feet moving from one location to the next? Try a game of follow the leader. I've found this works best on kiddos between the ages of 3-11 Kids can't resist a game of follow the leader.  I hop, skip and jump while the kiddos trot along behind me. This keeps the energy of the shoot up and big smiles on their faces. It also helps to keep the photoshoot moving at a fast pace.
     • 1, 2, 3, BOO!!!!! Remember earlier when I referenced 1, 2, 3, BOO!!! ? Well, this is another     game I play with little ones. If I get a kiddo not wanting to smile or starting to get bored with the shoot, I start a game of 1, 2, 3, BOO!!! I count to 3 and on 3 direct them to yell "BOO!" as loud as they can! Kiddos love this one, it cracks them up, especially once they see how they've startled you. ;)

7) Let them be themselves. I personally never try and pose children. I will guide them through the shoots with recommendations and fun games. I will get them into the area I'm visualizing with the lighting and environment I want but I don't sit there and pose them. There are many reasons for this, to list a couple...
1) I don't want to lose their attention and have the shoot become stagnant. I like to keep the energy high (remember #3?)
2) I want to capture them as they are, not this perfect little posed imposter. Give me the crooked smile, the untied shoe, and the quirky little mannerisms. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I aim to capture moments and personality.

8) Ask the Parents to Leave.  If I have a defiant kiddo that keeps acting up, I ask the parent(s) to walk far enough away to where they are out of eyesight of the little one(s). Kids are smart little geniuses who push the limits with their parents and know exactly what kind of response they can expect to get from certain behavior. This changes with a stranger, suddenly with parents gone they morph into little angels happily listening and abiding by every request, after all they've never tried you before, so they don't know what kind of response they will get. (Dont believe me? Try it!!- Of course this works best if the kiddo(s) feel comfortable with you)

9) Stand back and observe from a distance. I love to follow little ones around and capture them exploring the world around them, capturing their many curiosities. Their eyes lighting up when they see or experience something new. Watching them interact with the world around them.
Here, little Aubree was picking flowers, she would then blow them into the air as if they were little fairies dancing away off the palm of her hand. I love the way her whole body is alive with she's focused on, the seriousness of her left (our right) hand with it's little fingers spread, and the gentlessness of which she hold the flower. This photo always makes me smile.

10) Show them praise for good behavior.  It's no secret that human nature dictates that acceptance makes you feel good. I immediately let my kiddos know when they're behaving or listening well that they're rockin the shoot. I gratuitously pass out high fives and give accolades where deserved. Kiddos LOVE high fives.

Hope you enjoyed this edition of tips and tricks for kiddo photography. Children are such a joy to shoot, honest little human beings, experiencing many things in the world for the first time. 

Start practicing these tips and tricks and your child photography should start improving in now time. 

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more awesome tips and photography tricks.

Aloha!

Jenna Lee