How To Photograph Children: Top 5 Tips to Take Better Photos of Your Kids

We know, this sounds easier said than done but understanding basic camera settings is a must for taking good photographs of any subject.

While this may sound daunting to a beginner, the good news is you only need to get as involved in this as you feel comfortable, at this stage. Look out for dedicated “Portrait” or even “Kid” modes on your camera - these settings will automatically produce pleasing skin tones, or sharper action shots accordingly.

More adventurous users may want to attempt shooting in aperture priority, or shutter priority mode to fine-tune these results, considering this:

• What F Stop to use for family photography? This depends on the type of photo you are capturing and what depth of field you wish to produce. For portraits with blurred backgrounds, go for a wide-open aperture. For group shots where everyone is in focus, a moderate aperture of around f8 is perfect.
• A faster shutter speed is needed for photographing your kids running around: 1/250-second is a good starting point.

We mentioned this in our pet photography tips, and the same goes with photographing kids; the best moments are captured when they are enjoying themselves.

No, this doesn’t mean you have to shoot them hurdling or sprinting unless athletics is their thing. We just mean to take photos of them doing their favourite thing, whether that is drawing, cooking or just playing with their toys. 

This will help them to relax and act naturally, and you will have captured a memory of them at their happiest.

Lack of lighting is the main cause of dark, grainy and even blurry images. The easiest way to combat this is to head outdoors if this is possible. There are specific times of day that photographers enjoy working in the best, due to the picturesque results that it yields; have you heard about golden hour photography?

If you must shoot indoors, position your child near an open window to use some natural light to illuminate their face.

Try not to rely too heavily on your camera’s pop-up flash, as it will often produce harsh results and deep shadows. It can be handy though if you just require a little bit of fill light.

Further to this, you shouldn't be afraid to use an external lighting source, such as a speedlight. By getting a handle on more advanced flash techniques, such as bounce flash, you will be poised to capture beautiful, well-exposed images, at any time of the day.

Composition in Photography is what separates the masterpieces from the happy snaps. It can take some getting used to, but you should try to think outside the box a little and avoid positioning your kids in the same position in the frame and shooting from the same old angle.

Get down low to their level to try and capture a more unique perspective, or see if you can position them closer to the edges of the frame as opposed to dead in the centre. For further reading on this point, investigate commonly used techniques, and discover how leading lines or the rule of thirds can improve your photos of kids.

Kids feed off your energy. We know you want your photos to be perfect but it is counterintuitive to become tense and force the issue. Kids will react negatively to your anxiety and the result will be poor images and a poor time for all.

Make it light and fun - put on your favourite Spotify playlist and move around the room. If you treat the photography as secondary to having a good time, everyone can be themselves and your images will benefit from the natural, laid-back feel.