help needed - shooting a 3 yr old

[NimishC]

Hi,

I have a query here. I need to photograph a 3-4 year old kid. pls. let me know which shooting mode would be the best in such situations and what settings should i use on my camera (Nikon P90) to get good pictures. The shoot will either happen in morning or before sunset and most probably it would be an indoor shoot.

[jez]

shooting a three year old you do have the luxury of time to compose etc. giving the baby a bath in orange sunset light would add a touch of luxury to your picture. Try to position the baby close to a window and shoot low angle and avoid high shots. A silhouette of the baby across the sunlight and close up shots of fingers and toes with a blurred baby in the background would also up your status is a "photographer"
Finally the baby lying on white cloth would give you a silver aura like wash on the subject. also shoot manual manual manual, large apeture and is using flash, use a low setting with a diffuser. I have done it and been successful!

[NimishC]

Thanks Jez. Do i need to use faster shutter speed in the range of 1/250-1/500 sec coz a 3-4 yr old kid might keep moving? Do let me know.

[wulf]

It depends what they are doing. Running around and, yes, you'll need a fast shutter speed. That might be a challenge depending on the light and how much room you've got to change other settings. However, even three year olds sometimes sit still with their attention caught by a toy or a book (or the television!).

You could also try the "honeypot" trick. Find a good location (excellent light, interesting setting), set up your camera and then put something in the area to entice the child across. They will be too young to direct with words but cunning use of things might do just as well.

Wulf

[AmberTillman]

Hi Nimish,

I have a two yr old and I shoot him and his little friends quite often. I find that the best things to do:

1. If you can, go outside and play. We do a lot of take a walk style shoots where we take a couple of balls and other toys and we go for a walk. I usually use a 50mm lens with a wide aperture to keep the clutter out of the shot. (I've seen the Nikon equivalents for like 129 or so, but I have a Canon and I know you can get a 50mm 1.8 for 100 bucks and that is a great investment if you plan on doing this for a while). This is great if the parents have the time and can accompany you. I would strongly discourage anyone from taking a walk with a toddler and a camera without another adult. Recipe for disaster. With the outside natural light, you won't have to worry about a lack of lighting as much and focus on the cool things the kids is doing. (smelling flowers, observing animals, trying to catch a ball, etc.)

2. If you have to stay indoors (like if it is actually winter where you are), find a huge window, bring in some toys and chairs and just play. We have a huge bay window in my house, North facing, so we get some great light in the mornings and early early afternoon. Not enough in the evening though. So if you can get to them in the morning, you will probably have a better chance.

3. Do you know the child that you are photographing well? If so, that will help a lot. If not, you can alway ask the parents is the kid can have some sugar to liven him up if he is shying away from you.

If you find yourself indoors without a big window and natural light, then you wil definitely want to get to know the ISO capabilities on your camera. Set them higher, put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and be sure to bring your tripod.

Have fun!!!

[NimishC]

Thanks Amber. I don;t have a DSLR. I use my Nikon P90 but it's a powerful camera nevertheless. Since this would be an indoor shoot, I will ensure to get the kid near window. I was thinking of manula shooting mode with wider aperture and faster shutter speed (1/250 OR 1/500). Will this suffice?

[AmberTillman]

Originally Posted by NimishC

Thanks Amber. I don;t have a DSLR. I use my Nikon P90 but it's a powerful camera nevertheless. Since this would be an indoor shoot, I will ensure to get the kid near window. I was thinking of manula shooting mode with wider aperture and faster shutter speed (1/250 OR 1/500). Will this suffice?

It totally depends on the light situation. Just play with it until you like what you see. Wider aperture is great with kids because there is usually clutter (toys, etc.) around. So put the camera in aperture prioroty mode on the widest aperture you can and see what the camera chooses for shutter speed. If the shutter speed is still too slow for the kiddies movement, then go higher on the ISO until you get to at least 1/60th.

Have fun!

[NimishC]

Thanks Amber.