Children's Photography

I was lucky enough to do my first children's photo shoot with an adorable almost one-year-old little girl name Aubrey. She was the cutest thing I'd ever seen and she was a pleasure to be able to photograph. Her photography location was Memorial Garden - Concord, NC.

Taking photographs of children is a challenge and there are a few rules that are just a given that you must follow:

1. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty.

With Aubrey, I was done on the ground with her shooting photos, standing in water to get the right shot, and being anywhere and everywhere I needed to be to get some great shots of her.

2. Always have the parent or guardian bring the child's favorite toy and/or snack to combat fussiness.

You can see Aubrey brought her doll for comfort

3. Always be prepared to capture the little moments.

Sometimes its hard to get a child to pose, but if you stand back and let the child interact with the setting, you can usually snap the cutest moments.

4. If you don't know the child, get to know the child.

Photographers do not always know the child or the family they are shooting. So, it is important to build a trust with the child before shooting. Luckily, I am related to Aubrey and have seen her at the few family functions she has attended in her short life. But, I still let her get to know me again. I helped her walk around, talked to her, and really encouraged her to smile.

5. Make the photo shoot fun!

You've already seen the photo of Aubrey splashing in the water, but I was also fortunate enough to snap some other photos of her for her 1st Birthday! We set up a mock birthday party set on the stone seating/entrance to Memorial Garden.

Being a photographer and photographing children takes a lot of patience, time management, and the ability to take each moment at a time. You never know when you're going to get the child that's going to do all the wrong things during the session, but as a photographer, you need to know all the right things to do in order to stay cool and get the photos.

Starting with my five tips for successful children's photography, you can mold those tips with your own experiences and attitude to get the most out of photography your children or the children of others.

Taking Photographs in the Backyard with Children and Tweens

Sometimes its just easier to shoot photographs of children and tweens in a space that is familiar to them. Most of the time you will get better results and less fuss.

My previous post about Taking Photographs in the Backyard focused on two adult models, Heather and Angela, and how to utilize things in your backyard to create backsplashes and unconventional props. This post will focus on Mackenzie and benefits of eclectic treasures that can be found in anyone's backyard, but more specifically in a country home's backyard.

Mackenzie's photo shoot wasn't as impromptu as Heather and Angela's. We had planned to utilize the space in her backyard and the yard of her wonderful next door neighbor.

Sometimes porch photographs can seem too boring or only for those old family photographs. Fortunately, the neighbor's porch had a fabulous wooden bench that was perfect for a few shots.

This vintage piece gave Mackenzie a place to lay down and do a fun shot, while still keeping it portrait-like.

Moving around to an old shed in the yard, Mackenzie was finally able to put on her pink Fedora. She'd been excited about wearing it for photos. I loved her outfit because it seemed so edgy with the vibrant colors and the pink hat really set it off. Plus, she accessorized with really down-to-earth bracelets and she wore shorts with Chuck Taylors on her feet. The shed with the netting backdrop was perfect to give the photograph an edgy look without taking away from Mackenzie's awesome look.

Don't be afraid to have your subject stand in front of a trash heap, if you think it'll be a cool feature for the photograph. This shed was shabby but was perfect!

There was also a rundown fence that provided a similar backdrop.

If you don't have any buildings or other wooden structures in your backyard, then don't shun the flowers and other greenery. Again these photos may seem boring, but if done creatively you can really get some beautiful photographs.

Nothing in your backyard is off limits. I cannot stress this enough to other photographers. I grabbed some unedited shots of Mackenzie with an old door propped up by the basement door in her backyard. You never know what you'll find, so be sure to take a look at everything.

Going back to the comforts of the subject being in their own backyard. We began Mackenzie's photo shoot in her backyard, which was a great icebreaker. She warmed up to me taking her photos and experimenting with poses that she felt comfortable doing. Plus, she didn't have to worry about anyone seeing her poses for photos like she would have if we started in a public place. Taking photos at home also eliminates any fear that other people will be watching in a strange place.

Mackenzie did great and we got some great shots in her backyard. You can get some awesome shots in yours too if you just take the time to experiment!