Since I began writing here at DPS, I’ve been shooting out little lists of tips for photographing children. But each little point on those lists has so much potential for further exploration in and of itself and it would be a shame not to delve deeper. One such tip I’ve thrown out there is to: “Give them something to do”. To further investigate this idea, I now add: “How to get them to sit still for five seconds so you don’t have to shoot them on sport mode”. Kids are the fastest little creatures going and so getting them to chill out for just a second so you can take a picture can be neigh impossible.

I do this by giving them something to do. Something to hold, something to inspect and discover. A few bullet points for you:

  • Just before snapping some shots, hand them something they’ve never seen before. Kitchen gadgets, tools, electronics work a treat.
  • Get your manual settings set in advance so when they stand there inspecting for a moment, you can take some great shots
  • After a few moments, I usually try saying their name or just “look at me” to get a portrait of their face.

This is why I adore props so very much. They keep them busy, make the photos interesting and enhance a concept in your imagery. Who needs more photos of their kids just standing there smiling? For crying out loud, give them something to do!

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