Posed portrait (travel)

[jorf]

I am traveling to Brazil doing an art project with kids (mosaics - some on outside walls, some on inside walls). We will be photographing the kids and the work that they do for a book project. Some will be taken while they are working but the kids LOVE to pose for pictures (we were there last year and they were pushing each other out of the way to get their picture taken! Partly to get to see the picture on the back of the camera...) and I'd like to do some more posed images of them with their completed work.

Problem is, I've never done portraits and just realized that this is an issue I'd better be thinking about and practicing!

Aside from the articles here (and other places) on portrait photography does anyone have any tips for this particular kind of portrait - a kid (8-18 years old) and their art work? We have one from last year of a young man standing in the same pose as his mosaic of Michael Jackson and it's a great one. But other suggestions would be great.

Light, also, will be a bit tricky as it will be pretty much available light along with on-camera flash, white object reflector....

Thanks!!