Tips on Photographing Children With Natural Smiles

I absolutely love this image of Avraham. You really can’t ask for a more genuine natural smile and fantastic expression. Would you believe that this image was probably the fourth or fifth image taken at his photo session?

How did I achieve this? How do you capture a natural smile like this from a young child who has only just met you five minutes earlier? Well just like with any great portrait you have to understand your subject.

The secret to capturing children’s natural smiles

Avraham’s mum told me that initially he would be a little shy and reserved but it wouldn’t take long before his adventurous nature would kick in and he would be up and about exploring. I knew that it would be critical to capture those magical expressions early on. Therefore a short window of opportunity existed before he would not want to sit still for any length of time.

This is one of the benefits of working within a studio environment. Children who like to run around and not sit still for very long really have nowhere to go. If they were outside on the other hand it makes the task a lot harder and parents end up being assistant wranglers.

When working with adults it takes a while for them to get warmed up. When I photograph studio head shots, my subjects are always a little reserved and hesitant at first. They soon get into the swing of things and the best images are nearly always taken towards the end of the session. Because of their short attention span, the opposite is true with children.

There are other techniques I use to extend the length of time we have before children lose interest. The key is to discuss all this with the parents before the day of the photo session. For instance, what is the child’s personality like? What do they like to do? What do they find amusing? These questions help me put a plan in place and mum and dad are now on board and understand their roles on the day.

For older kids, I like to find out their interests and ask them questions based on these. In their eyes I don’t seem like a stranger anymore but someone who “gets them”. And dare I say it, “I’m totally Cool!!!”

Take home tip for mums wanting images of their children with natural smiles

Try this. Frame the shot of your child and pre-focus the camera on their eyes. Now move your face away from the back of the camera and interact with them. Do what you need to do to illicit that laugh while keeping your camera in the same position. Take the shot. It may take some practice to hold the camera still while talking to your child but you will soon get the hang of it.

If you would you like more articles like this on the subject of getting better pictures of your kids then you can read them here.

For more information about a professional photography session for your child contact me at the studio on 9570 6191 or use our contact page here.

Take care

Warren

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