Articles: Capture Your Kids – 13

January 17th, 2008 by D-Photo

DP 13 Jo Wickham 00

Picture this, if you will. You’ve been hunting your quarry all day. The sun beats relentlessly and sweat runs in rivers down the back of your neck. They’ve led you on a merry chase, but you finally have them cornered. Keeping up-wind, you crouch behind a bush and try to camouflage yourself as much as possible. Slowly, very slowly, you raise the camera up to your eye. All the settings have been input beforehand so as not to make any sudden moves or noises. You allow yourself a brief

“Being able to step back and still fill the frame is important when photographing children. You want to give them space to play, so that they forget you’re even there”

smile. You deserve it. The shot you’ve been after all day will be your reward. Your finger reaches for the shutter and you hold your breath. Then suddenly, your targets snap to attention and scan their surroundings. But how can this be? You’ve been so careful – so silent. Then from nowhere a sound splits the quiet. The next thing you know they’re bolting, running away from you, towards the noise. Breaking your cover, you panic and chase after them, stabbing hopelessly at the shutter as you run, even though you know the moment is lost and the photos will be no good.

“See you later, Dad. Mum’s calling us in for tea,” your children cry as they disappear away into the house. Is it that time already? Damn. You just about had them, too. Any of this sound even vaguely familiar? While I’m not trying to suggest that taking great photos of children is as difficult as being on safari, it does have its similarities. We took my five-year-old son for a ‘walk’ at the beach in the weekend, and then spent the next half-an-hour trying to catch up with him as he disappeared over the horizon. I get exhausted just watching him, let alone keeping up with him!

And I’m supposed to take great photos of him as well? Yeah, right. The term ‘capture your kids’ seems rather appropriate in this instance.

First Things First

The birth of my daughter threw me back in to photography after a long absence (yeah, I know – what was I thinking?) In fact, taking photos of the kids is the reason that tens of thousands of people give for becoming interested in photography in the first place. This has never been truer than in the digital age, with many a new camera purchase made just prior to the arrival of a new addition to the family. Most of these are compact point-and-shoot cameras offering high megapixels and low prices. They are absolutely jam-packed with the latest technology and the good news is that they are perfect for taking shots of the kids.

Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On

But are there certain features you should look for when buying a new digital camera if snapping the family is a priority? You betcha. At the top of the list should be some form of ‘camera shake’ technology, built in to either the camera body or the lens. Nothing ruins a photo more than camera shake (making your images blurry and ‘unsharp’). While all digital photos can do with a certain amount of ‘sharpening’, applied either in the camera or later using software, this will not help a photo that is ‘blurry’ due to camera shake.

Good technique is important when taking a photo (a solid grip on the camera, arms tucked into the body, feet planted firmly), but there are times when you have to move and react quickly. It’s times like this, especially if you are using the telephoto end of your lens, where image stabilisation can work wonders. The smaller and lighter your camera is, the more susceptible it is to being moved when you push the shutter button. So if you’re looking at a small, light, compact, ask about its camera shake technology. It’s becoming more and more common in even entry-level cameras, and while it may cost a little more, it’s well worth the money. This goes for digicam and digital SLR users as well. Look for bodies and/or lenses that have this feature over those that do not. Your photos will thank you for it and you will end up with more ‘keepers’ at the end of the day.

The Long And Short Of It

Speaking of lenses, go for the camera with the longer ‘optical’ zoom range. Ask the salesperson, or check the box, to find out what zoom range the camera has. A pretty standard range is between a 35–90mm focal length (in traditional 35mm film camera terms). The 35mm wide angle end is useful for landscapes, or large groups where you need to fit in a large scene or a lot of people. The 90mm ‘telephoto’ end, when the lens is zoomed right out, is great for portraits and child photography where you are isolating your subject from their background.

Being able to step back and still fill the frame is very important when photographing children. You want to give them space to play, so that they forget you’re even there. If you only have a wide-angle lens, moving back and still filling the frame with your subject will be nigh impossible, so the bigger the telephoto reach of your lens, the better.

When ‘Digital’ Goes Bad

But, and this is a very big but, please make sure that the zoom range on your new camera is ‘optical’ and not ‘digital’. Huh – come again? A zoom is a zoom, isn’t it? Well, no, it isn’t. And here’s why.

All zoom lenses have an optical limit whereby the physical movement of the lens elements dictate how far you can zoom out or in. When you rotate the lens manually on a digital SLR, or push the toggle switch left or right on a compact camera, the lens physically extends out from the camera body. When it is flush with the camera on a compact camera it is at the wide end, and when it extends out from the front it is zooming to the telephoto end (and the image will get bigger in the LCD screen). When the lens has stopped extending and can move no further, it has reached the limit of its optical telephoto reach.

If, however, you keep your finger pressed on the rocker switch, after a short pause the image in the LCD screen will continue to enlarge. This is the camera’s digital zoom kicking into action. Great you say, more zoom for me. But what the digital zoom is doing is simply digitally enhancing the image by enlarging the pixels, which is never a good thing. It’s far better to crop in on an optical shot later on the computer than to let the digital zoom do it for you in the camera. As technologically savvy as they are, digital cameras still don’t have the power of your home computer using Photoshop or a similar image-processing programme.

So be careful when you read that a camera has a large zoom. If this is optical, then you’re fine (just make sure it’s got that image-stabilising function we talked about earlier). But if it’s a 3x optical zoom with a 10x digital zoom thrown in, say, ‘No thanks’ and spend your money on a camera with a bigger optical zoom. Just tell them I said so.

Set It And Forget It

Because it’s such a popular subject to photograph, manufacturers are now including a Kids setting in the picture or Scene modes that are pre-programmed into your camera. This makes it so easy to get the images you want straight out of the box. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would ever take a photo in Auto mode when all of the shooting situations you are ever likely to come across have already been entered under the scene modes.

Even if you don’t have a scene mode called Child or Kids (or something like that), I know you have got a Portrait mode, and what are you taking a photo of, if not a portrait of your child? While you’re at it, check out the other scene modes you’ve got. Auto is fine for a snapshot, but you want to take something a little more than just a snapshot… don’t you? To start to achieve better results, it’s as simple as setting your camera to the Child scene mode (or portrait if that’s all you’ve got) and letting the camera take care of the rest. It will make all of the other decisions for you (just like Auto mode), which leaves you free to concentrate on the all-important part of image making – composition.

Beat The Shutter-Lag Blues

Okay, so your camera has image stabilisation built-in, you’ve switched off the digital zoom function, and set the scene mode to Child. You’re good to go. So how come you’re still getting blurry shots and missing all the action? This may have something to do with your camera’s shutter-lag.

“…it’s the more informal portraits of children that tend to be the winners”

All cameras take time to capture the photo when you push the button. Some are almost instantaneous, while others seem to take an eternity. Trust me, when you are following energetic kids around and trying to shoot them at the peak of the action, anything longer than half a second is an eternity. Compact point-and-shoot cameras are the worse culprits for exhibiting shutter-lag, although they are getting much better.

To get around the problem, try to pre-focus on where your subject might be when you want to take the photo. If, for example, you want to take a photo of your little darling blowing out the candles on her cake, pre-focus on the candles by pressing the shutter halfway and then
re-compose the shot while keeping your finger pressed halfway. When your daughter moves in to blow out the candles, press the shutter down completely and viola, the picture is taken instantly. Try it and see what a difference it makes.

Capture The Moment

That’s probably enough of the technical stuff and hey, don’t sweat it if you haven’t got all of the above features listed on your camera. When you get right down to it, while the features I’ve mentioned help your chances of taking great images, good technique and a fast shutter speed will also get the job done.

It’s really the end result that counts. If the exposure is good and the photo is nice and sharp, then a great snap of the kids will rely more on emotional impact than anything else.

Let’s face it, children are emotional little beings. They pour their heart and soul into everything they do. The resulting ups and downs, highs and lows, will be the kind of stuff that make great photos. You simply have to stack the odds in your favour, then it’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

Formal Versus Informal

I have certainly found over the years that it’s the more informal portraits of our children that my wife and I have come to cherish. It’s the fun, silly, playful, awkward moments, rather than the ‘sit here and look at daddy in your Sunday best’ type of photo (although I’ve still persisted with a few of those as well).

If you do want to get the family together for a group shot then make sure you have everything set up before you get the kids involved. Even the most compliant child will probably get bored within half-an-hour, so if you aren’t finished by then the session will go downhill very quickly. And yes, this is a father who speaks from experience!

Better still, get someone else to take the photo of you and your loved ones. That’s one less pressure on you and things will probably run much more smoothly.

But, as I said earlier, it’s the more informal portraits of children that tend to be the winners. Everyone is more photogenic if they are relaxed, to the point of being unaware of the camera. With kids that’s even more true. Believe it or not, if you get your little models engrossed in an activity, taking great photos of them can be child’s play (sorry, I had to sneak that in). You’ll have to move and work fast (this is where the Child setting is helpful), but if you can do this from a distance, with a longish telephoto lens, then most of the time the kids will carry on oblivious to you. End result – a fantastic scenario for taking great photos. Better still, you can (and should) orchestrate when, where and how they play by setting things out for them in an area of your choice. Set up a tent on the lawn that has great afternoon light, or choose brightly coloured toys and place them in a room that has big windows for natural light. Make it as easy as you can to capture the kinds of images you want, and then let them get on with it. On any given day there will be a range of emotions on display – all of which makes for great photos.

Get Down To Their Level

Really strong images of kids have a beautiful child-like quality to them. This quality has a lot to do with their unique view of the world and can be achieved much more readily if you ‘get down’ to their level – literally. Of course, I’m talking more specifically about the very young since many 16-year-olds now tower over me.

Don’t just stand up and point your camera down at kids when you are photographing them. Get down low to achieve a kid’s eye perspective of the world. I used to have nice smooth knees when I was first married, but years of crawling around on wood, carpets, sand and dirt taking photos of the children have nobbled them for good. So get down and dirty if you want really strong photos of the children and vanity be damned.

Instant Feedback

Of course, the more photos you take and the more often you have your camera out, the more your kids will become used to it. I have also found that children love the immediacy of digital. Back when I was shooting film my kids would sigh, shake their heads and resign themselves to the fact that Dad was taking yet more photos of them. But now that I’m shooting digital they love to pose for me (not always a good thing) so they can see the results on the screen. In fact, they now ask me to the get the camera out and take photos of them doing this dance or that construction, so they can see themselves in action later on. Kids are fascinated and excited about seeing themselves straightaway and I must admit, they aren’t the only ones.

It’s In The Menu… Somewhere

As your children venture forth in life there will, of course, be other situations that call for different approaches. But here’s a tip – check out those scene modes again. I’ll bet you’ll find one for every scenario you and your children are likely to come across.

For the school athletics there is Sports mode. For the kids on Grandma’s knee, there’s Portrait mode. On their birthday there is Party mode. When you go skiing there is Snow mode. Eventually there may even be a First Date mode, although I’m not quite sure I’m emotionally prepared for that one just yet.

The point is that the technology we have in today’s digital cameras might at first seem scary, but it’s actually there to make things easier for us.

“Believe it or not, if you get your little models engrossed in an activity, taking great photos of them can be child’s play…”

And, by Jove, it does just that. If, like other parents out there, you’ve bought a digital camera to take photos of the kids, then find out where your Scene modes are and use them.

Any Last Requests?

Finally, if I may end on a few more technical considerations; remember that your camera doesn’t work if the batteries have run out or the card is full. This is, of course, important for not just child photography, but for photography in general. But if you’ve just set your children up, they are engrossed in what they are doing, paint is flying and laughter fills the air, the last thing you want is a flat battery or a full card.

When you buy a new digital camera, get two sets of rechargeable batteries and a much bigger memory card (about 256MB to start with). You’ll be sorry if you don’t. Who wants to be limited to just 16 photos when the fun’s just getting started? Not me and not you either.
With a little planning, a little patience and a lot of shooting, great images of your kids can be had every time you get out the camera. Pretty soon, not only your family albums, but your’s, your parents’ and your great grandparents’ walls will be full of amazing photographs of your children.

Ten Hot tips for Perfect Kids’ Pics

1. Get down low and look for interesting ‘kid’s-eye views’ that will give your images a child-like perspective.

2. Use the telephoto end of the zoom range, open up the aperture and crop in close for an ‘intimate’ look.

3. Capture the kids at ‘play’. Getting your subjects engrossed is the best way to take relaxed and natural images of them.

4. Portraits of children can handle lots of saturated colour. Boost the saturation and contrast in the camera for extra punch, or do it later on your computer.

5. If you set up a shoot, make it snappy. Even the most obliging subject will loose interest after half an hour.

6. Make it fun! Introduce music, mess and other fun activities that the kids will really enjoy. Then you probably can go well over the half-hour attention span.

7. When taking photos of babies, get in super close with a macro lens for detail shots that emphasise the small scale of a newborn. Introduce parents’ hands and fingers to give a point of difference.

8. Look for peaks of emotion. All children are incredibly emotional and if you can capture their highs (and lows) you will get images with powerful impact.

9. Break the rules by getting up close with a super wide-angle lens and distorting the view. Children don’t mind looking silly and not every portrait has to be classically composed.

10. Even the most active kids have some downtime. Capture these more reflective moments and you’ll have a hauntingly beautiful portrait of your child that you will cherish forever.