TIPS WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING WITH CHILDREN:
1) Bring lots of treats and something to drink. Kids get hungry and thirsty during a shoot.
2) Never be ashamed at bribing your child. Promising to take them to McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese if they are good can never hurt...in this situation. Most people only get family pictures taken once a year or longer...do WHATEVER you have to do to motivate the kids!
3) Take a break. There's nothing wrong with taking several breaks during a shoot. If the kids start getting restless, I'll normally call for a break and move locations just to shake things up. We usually shoot in an hour - which is plenty of time to get good quality pictures and not have to rush through to beat the clock.
4) Parents, don't take this next one the wrong way, but sometimes I may ask to have you all take a walk somewhere while I shoot some more. I know you all mean well, but sometimes the cause of the stress for kids taking pictures comes from you. I know this, cause I'm the biggest culprit when it comes to getting pictures with my kids. Most of the time I like to start out a session with just myself and the kids. Let them look at the camera and even take a few shots. We'll walk around and talk which gives me time to let them get comfortable with me. It also allows me to snap a few candid shots that really capture their personality.
5) Bring an extra change of clothes that you can swap them into if there is an accident . Photoshopping only does so much, so if there is a mud puddle that none of us sees but the little ones end up swimming in it, you have backup.
6) It sometimes takes a while for children to warm up to a photographer. More often than not, there is a window of opportunity when your child will become the ham in front of the camera - and like a window, that opportunity will open and shut repeatedly. Try not to add extra pressure on them to smile or do something that is not natural. They'll come around...and your pictures will thank you for that.
About This Blog
Here's the more interactive and fun side of what goes on behind the pictures taken for Luxe Photography. As a photographer, you hope that out of the hundreds of pictures you've taken, you have at least one that stands out...that tells a story. These are my pictures as well as stories to share with you. We operate out of St. Charles, Missouri but we have clients throughout the St. Louis area.
Friday, January 25, 2008
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