Stalking (My) Kids

[Pichead]

I stalk children.

There, I’ve said it. Whew! Glad to have that weight off my shoulders…

I guess I should elaborate: I stalk my children photographically. With my camera raised, I’m constantly on the hunt for that fraction-of-a-second gesture or facial expression that takes an ordinary photograph to the next level.




Stalking can be tiring, and a little like war in that there are long periods of boredom interspersed with brief moments of excitement. Ah, but those moments of excitement and the superior images they can provide are well worth this strategic approach to child photography.

When I first began my mission of documenting my children’s lives, my methods for doing so were ineffective. Whether the scene was ‘created’ for the purpose of the photograph or I caught my children in a natural setting, I would go after the end-result with rapid-fire intensity, hoping that one of the many image captures resulted in success. I would also try to control my children, hoping they would appeal to reason and take requests from the man behind the camera. Sometimes I’d get lucky and catch the optimal moment with one of my many stray shots. Other times I’d notice immediately before or after I pressed the shutter that the best frame had evaded capture. Never would they sit idle and allow me to take the pictures I had envisioned in my head.



The first rule of stalking is to know your subject, and my subjects were two energy-filled toddlers who were interested in anything but sitting stationary and smiling for dad. They had other things on their to-do lists and, if I was going to make decent photos, my approach had to be the yin to their yang. If they were constantly moving and unpredictable, I had to be patient and watchful. If they refused to pose, I had to fabricate poses using their natural movements and expressions. Essentially, I had to become a stalker of my own children.

Getting used to this alternate strategy took some time, but the transition was relatively pleasant. No longer was I frustrated when that ‘perfect’ moment slipped away. The days of rapid-fire documentation were gone, which meant lower quantity, but higher quality. Now, I simply grab my camera, get in a position I think will result in the best photo, and wait patiently with my camera to my eye for that special moment when the stars align and the shutter goes click.




A few stalking tips:

Act Invisible: I no longer want my kids to even know I’m in the room. Nor do I want to influence their movements and actions. I want them to be immersed in their own little world. This results in a more relaxed shooting environment which offers, in my opinion, superior results.

Know Photography & Your Camera: Know your camera and know the basics of photography so that you can quickly adapt to new light, new positions, and new situations, without having to take the camera from your eye. Also try to maintain focus, despite the inevitable & constant movement.

Maintain Your ‘Focus’: Referring to your attention span, and not the focus of your lens. If you’re personally invested in the opportunity, and if the chance for a superior photo still exists, be ready.

Keep stalking…

[zona5101]

Nice write up and accompanying shots!

[ccting]

Wow, this tutorial really helps me.. ... but i have a few questions..

a) Is it feasible for me to use softbox while stalking my super active baby? ;D
b) Stalking with 18-55mm vr kit lens... comfort?

ty

[happyaperture7]

Thank you so very much for this tutorial...I love shooting kids, but it most frequently results in sad failure. These tips should help a lot!

[NickM87]

great tutorial, very nice images! i dont have kids yet but have taken alot of photos of my neices and nephews and it is very challenging but very rewarding

[Haisman Photography]

Originally Posted by ccting

Wow, this tutorial really helps me.. ... but i have a few questions..

a) Is it feasible for me to use softbox while stalking my super active baby? ;D
b) Stalking with 18-55mm vr kit lens... comfort?

ty

I can relate to this SO much! Our house is super dark, so without having to go high ISO to get a good pic, I resorted to leaving my lighting kit set up throughout the living room. Now when I fire my flash up in the air or behind me, my slave lights go off and I get a good exposure (I pre-set one of my custom settings for our house since I use it so much here - the camera stays on that until I go out on a shoot)

Seems to work well with an active toddler around (the lights are outside of the baby gate, so no chance in her knocking them over)

I get happy, directional, soft box light that is oh-so-sweet!

[rachb]

Awesome tutorial, and great style of writing it up. I don't even have kids.. but the title drew me in to this thread. Love the photos you shared for this

[ccting]

Originally Posted by rachb

Awesome tutorial, and great style of writing it up. I don't even have kids.. but the title drew me in to this thread. Love the photos you shared for this

Go kid studio to take kids studio... ;D. They will pay you some money..

[UASteph]

Thank you for this post! I've taken some shots of my now eight-month-old baby that I like, but most of those are set up. Y'know, "cute little knit hat, now let me try to make you laugh" sort of thing. As he's getting older and more mobile, though, I want to try to catch some more natural shots. These tips will help a lot. Thanks again!