Photography Basics - How to Click Interesting Pictures of Children

Children are probably the most preferred subject for both professional and amateur photographers. And if you are the parent of one, then you know how much you enjoy clicking away memorable photographs of your tiny tot. There are so many precious moments that you can capture which become priceless memories for a lifetime. But child photography is not as easy as they tend to be the worst posers. By the time you take out your equipment, the child has either lost interest or the moment has passed. So here are a few tips that can help you shoot some pretty kid pictures with relative ease;

The most important thing before you start shooting pictures of children is to take time and interact with them. This is easy if you are clicking your child's images but if you are a photographer or covering any event like a birthday party where there are many children, then the best thing would be to spend five to ten minutes with them. Try and understand their likes, dislikes, preferences etc. This will greatly help you to communicate with the child during shooting and get some great pictures.

It is also important to note how the child responds to the camera. Is she shy or does she make eye contact? Some children are natural posers and would love to make gimmicks in front of the lens while some tend to be very shy and has to be coaxed to open up. If you are shooting a group picture at an event, then keep your camera ready and stand aside observing the group. When the children are playful or up to something cute, then go ahead and capture the moment. Child photography is all about impulse and spontaneity; if you want to take a lot of memorable images of your child, then always keep the camera ready at home so that you can shoot at your whim and fancy.

Try to be as unobtrusive as possible while taking photos of kids. Use a telephoto lens and capture the tiny tots at their best. Whether it is playing with a toy or making faces or even throwing a tantrum; capturing the emotion and expression is the key to getting a great photograph. Using a telephoto lens gives you the advantage of being at a considerable distance away from the child; this makes the kid less shy and you can click pictures of him running and playing around.

Look beyond the ordinary always even when you are taking pictures of your own kid. Try to capture as many moods as possible like playing, studying, eating etc. Some of the best photographs are of children sleeping; the peace and serenity on a child's face while asleep is simply beyond words. Try black and white photography; it helps to add drama and dimension to the picture and also take zoomed images of the kid without too much interference from background images especially when you are trying to shoot an expression.

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Learning Photography - The Basics on How to Take Good Photos

Many people dread picking up the family camera to grab that perfect moment. Much of this is said to come from their misunderstand of the equipment. It can also be because people misuse the best camera of all, their own eyes. To become a great photograph 'taker' you need to have an appreciation of what goes into making a great photograph. Being a professional photographer I often see this king of image produced by beginners.

Seeing a wonderful Peak District scene is something that we all enjoy but often we do not realise that the camera does not see the way that we do. Human beings look about; our eyes constantly rove a scene picking out interesting elements which either appeal to some hidden primaeval emotion or an interest we currently have. Put these elements together an you have a wonderful scene to photograph.

For example in the Derbyshire Peak District you will find some great landscapes (primeval emotion), we will also see wonderful properties (current themes and aspirational). Often people will reach for a camera to record this image because it presses a few pleasure centres for us. We might even think that the image will look terrific on our lounge wall. The bad news it that we didn't see the quarry and Peak District limestone processing factory in the middle distance. The result is that when we review the image back home there is an amount of disappointment.

The point being that before you pick up a camera you really need to survey a scene. Look for the things in the prospective image that will cause problems when you take your photograph. quarry's (unless that is the subject) might be one to look out for. Equally there are lamp posts which have an unnerving habit of sticking out of people heads. If you are taking a portrait this is even more important, as it is so easy to have a branch of a tree poking out from the side of some person's head.

Equipment is another consideration. These days cameras can produce clear sharp results in a range of locations and conditions. It really isn't that important to invest a small fortune to get the right results. Many high street store will a mass of cameras; when you are starting out get a modestly priced model. many professional photographers use high end equipment because they are designed for constant use and will produce images able to be enlarged to poster size. Most people really don't need this functionality and simple 'point and shoot' camera will do. Some basic tips would be to look at your scene, don't try to fit everything in; pixels are cheap so just take more photographs. Bring the camera up to your eye whilst looking at the scene, not at the camera. This will ensure you don't have to search around with the camera to find the shot you wanted in the first place. Relax your arms and most importantly of all, squeeze the shutter button don't stab at it, this will cause camera shake and your picture stand a chance of coming out blurred.

Enjoy your photography and remember to enjoy it. Photography is an art that requires practice and with the era of digital photography upon us the art has never been so ap to have a go at.

David John King a photographer working and living in the Derbyshire Peak District, United kingdom http://www.davidjohnking.co.uk/

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