11.24
ZonaMuel
Children don't often like sitting still and smiling for the camera, especially the under 5's. If you're planning shots of your own clan, then heaven help you, it will be a nightmare!! My children's response is usually a false smile the minute I lift the camera. In these situations I'll tell them a joke or say how ridiculous they look. You need to be alert for their response, taking a multitude of shots to find the perfect one you're after. A sequence of these spontaneous photos, displayed on your wall in black and white, can also look quite stunning.
You need to build a re pore with toddlers and children who are not familiar with you, hanging the camera around your neck in readiness, whilst you gain their confidence. Join in their game if necessary, following them around until they are engrossed in what they are doing, and then start snapping away. Its quite magical being allowed into their world. The concentration on the child's face is as good as a smile. If you want a snap of the child looking directly at the camera, and you have gained their confidence, simply call their name and say 'boo' with a smile on your face and you'll usually be rewarded with a huge smile in return. A good trick for siblings is to get them to look at each other and they immediately start to giggle.
Older children can be more difficult, but you can normally get a reaction by asking their friends to pull faces behind your back whilst you take the shot. Sometimes that does back fire, and my friends youngest child is a perfect example. When she laughs her head goes down and you have to be so quick to snap the photo as her head slowly comes back up. She is the world's worst child to take a decent snap of, and it is never going to be greatest photo, but probably the best one you are going to get.
If you have a group of willing children, get them to huddle as close as possible, until they are uncomfortably close. It might look weird from an outsiders point of view, but zone in for a close up of the children's faces, and because they are so uncomfortably close to each other, they start giggling and you'll end up with the perfect shot.
It does take practice to work out when to shoot and when to talk to the child to make them relaxed. I try not to talk too much, I usually find when I have a huge smile on my face they spontaneously will follow suit.
I find the hardest part of the job is when parents are stressed. This makes the child tense, and they usually end up not wanting to listen to me. Some children will realize the power they hold over their parents wanting a perfect photo of them, and will milk it for what they can get, which is not a good idea. I encourage the parents to move away and leave the children on their own with me and we will progress naturally. I know as parent when I get frustrated with my children when they won't listen to what I'm saying, their response is usually a sullen face and the moment is lost.
The best time to take a photo is on an overcast day. There will be no squinting and perfect lighting for the face. If its a sunny day take the photo in lots of shade, without the dappling of sun coming through the trees.
Happy snapping to all those photo enthusiasts.
