Photographing Your Children

Remember To Be Patient Don't expect to get the perfect shot first time round. Sit back relax and wait for the right moment, then shoot quickly.

Shoot at eye level Try sitting on the ground and snapping some photos from the child's perspective. Expressions will look more natural, your flash photos will be more evenly lit from head to toe, and the background will probably look a lot better, too. This also works well for pets!

Take candid pictures Ignore the impulse to force your subjects to always pose staring at the camera. Variety is important. Take candid shots to show them working, playing, chatting with friends, or relaxing.

Include friends Don't forget to include your children’s friends in some of your pictures. In years to come, these pictures will remind them of happy times and the bonds that were so strong. "Look! That was when Mary tried a handstand!" "Whatever happened to David?" "I wonder what we were all giggling about."

Get close Fill the camera's viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera's Zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera's closest focusing distance.

Lock the focus Usually you do this by centring the subject in the viewfinder and then pressing the shutter button halfway down. Continue holding the button halfway down while you move the camera until your subject is where you want it in the viewfinder. When you are satisfied, press the button all the way down to take the picture.

Place your subject off-centre (remember the Rule Of Thirds)
Placing your subject to one side of the frame can make the composition more interesting and dynamic. But if your camera is an auto focus model, the picture may turn out blurry because those cameras focus on whatever is in the centre of the viewfinder. Check your camera manual to learn how to use the focus lock feature to pre focus on the subject. Usually, this is done by pressing the shutter button halfway down and then recomposing the picture while keeping the button held halfway down.