Photographing Older Children

I have had the privilege to shoot with Da’reen from Fabheart clothing line. She specializes in making young girl’s clothes that allow a little girl to feel like a princess when they wear her work. Her vibrant colors and animal print allow a child to imagine and play knowing that they can stand out from any other girl as they have the chance for that moment they are wearing her clothes to feel as if

I’ve photographed TONS of kids ranging from newborns to late teens. Sometimes people don’t understand that to shoot a kid you have to work with them as if they were a client but just smaller. Kids have talents, have temperaments and personalities that will either stand out or look awkward in front of a camera. These are things I’ve learned working with and photographing children. Children can be generally categorized in stages of development for each age. Certain things tend to happen for children due to brain mylenation as well as a handful of other factors that play into why for example many two year olds tend to act the same. The better you can understand a child’s stage the better you can work with them as a parent, a teacher, and even a photographer.

Here are just a few basic tips in working with children of different ages.

Capture expressions: lots of parents want their kids to smile, which they will tell their child to say cheese or smile, this produces a forced look that tends to not be genuine, I like to capture things differently where a child can feel more relaxed, I’ll talk to them tell them a funny story, have them sing a song that they know, talk in a funny voice or say a funny word. These things allow the child to take that moment off of the camera itself and the pressure of “taking a good picture” to where they are natural, relaxed, and sometimes even smiling a genuine smile. This takes time, sometimes its when you tell the kid that you they can relax and you keep the camera on as you say you will let them have a seat or stand as you begin to look like you are adjusting something on your camera. Also to note: leave a parent close by, when they have a guardian, that they are comfortable with especially if they don’t know you then it can become an issue.

KITKAT: what?! Give the kids a break! The younger they are the shorter their attention span, and probably the shorter your patience. If you are working with a handful of kids, and shooting individuals I suggest to work with the youngest first, and go up from there. If you are shooting a handful of them in a group I usually suggest that you set up the older kids first then bring in the younger ones. Also with Kit Kat if you can let older ones know (usually above 3yrs old) that when they are done if mom or dad can let them have a piece of candy, or ice cream, something. DO not lie to them! If you say you have candy make sure you do, I’ve seen parents lie and nobody wants to look like a tool, so don’t lie to your kids, you want to build trust not destroy it.
Be the Ringleader: if you are working with multiple kids then balancing and juggling a bunch of kids getting them to smile, or even just to look at the camera can be difficult. This is why its important to take charge in the beginning, if mom is distracting the child tell her to do it right behind you. Maybe dad likes to tickle his kids and they all laugh, get him to jump in quickly and tickle then get out of the frame. Be on your toes, and if you feel they are getting ansy move on and come back to the shot you are looking for. Work quickly so they don’t lose interest but take the time to get the shots you need! Its difficult but if you come in with a game plan (with the understanding it can change when you actually get there) you can be flexible but at least if you can assure the parents or who is in charge that you are completely capable of shooting their children then you’ll be better off!