Shooting children

Things I have learnt whilst shooting children:

1. Prepare but not over prepare.

I ensure I am prepared to work in any weather. I have ideas for all weather situations and often work on the hoof as new ideas and inspiration presents itself.

2. Don't worry about equipment.

I set up my equipment before I leave the house. Choosing suitable ISO, AWB, jpeg and RAW, and multi pattern metering as I will have in mind what I am after. I don't want to be worrying about my camera - I want to be chatting to the child when I arrive.

3. Engage with the child.

This is important because they will not smile, and they will look away if you have not got their attention. Make them feel special. I do all this long before I get the camera out.

4. Pick my spot.

Backgrounds and clutter are a worry and a distraction. I generally shot with a very shallow depth of field to blur the background, but this cannot always be the case so I choose my spot carefully.

5. Get the light right.

I sometimes use flash but much prefer natural light and position children near a window or under a tree. I avoid direct and bright sunlight because it makes the children squint.

6. Clothes.

Depending on the reason for the shoot I sometimes ask for the child to have a change of clothes or a different coat.

7. Keep it short and sweet.

Children have a short attention span so I try not to wear them out or bore them. Sweets sometimes help, but you need permission from parents to hand out sweets, especially to littlies.

8. Don't panic about the weather.

Rain can result in interesting images and I never worry if it is raining. I have wet weather kit in my camera bag. Brollies are good fun for children and puddles even more so.

9. Help.

Sometimes help is required. Holding a reflector, this can be done by an older brother or sister who feel special because they are helping. Getting a child to look towards the camera, a parent standing behind you can help.

10. Composition.

Knowing what the shot is going to be used for helps me decide how to compose the shot. I will usually take a shot with more than one option eg child on left of shot and also on right - rarely centred.

With these points in mind I find I have a successful shooting experience, leave happy children and lovely images in the bag.

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