Howard Moo Young, Contributor
WHEN THE first child is born into a family, the event often sparks off the beginning of one's serious interest in photography. The parents usually purchase a good camera in the hope of taking better pictures of their kids, as the arrival of a child can ignite more interest in photographing children.
It is interesting to note that there is always a loaded camera around for at least the first 12 years. With today's digital camera, together with the internet, these photos can be seen instantly by family members around the world.
FROM BIRTH
A point-and-shoot camera loaded with fast 3200 ISO black-and-white or 1600 ISO colour film, is the ideal choice for taking baby's first photos in the hospital, if the use of flash is not allowed. If your doctor will allow you in the delivery room, moments after the birth can be a precious time to capture that first photo of mother and child.
You can also plan for the moment when older brothers or sisters meet the new arrival for the first time. Concentrate on their facial expressions and compose for that big family moment, it is a situation you can anticipate, and memories are made of moments like this.
BABIES AND TODDLERS
Young babies are not yet on the move, so they might be easy to photograph at this point. Holding a flash close to the baby's face is not something that I really like doing, but one just have to take a peek into any family album and see the constant use of flash in almost every family photograph. Personally, I prefer the use of natural light coming through a window, with a white reflector opposite the window to bounce back the light on the baby to capture the proper skin tones and soft feeling. Again, use fast film in these situations.
When babies reach the pre-walk stage, it is now time to take out your flash or use the one on your camera. The flash will freeze the action and you can catch those great action pictures such as baby's first step, or fall. If you are using an SLR camera, you can bounce the flash off the ceiling or wall, or use a large white card and you will soften the lighting.
ALWAYS BE PREPARED
Take a peek into the world of children, because this is the area of child photography where most of the great pictures come from. You need to have your priorities right when it comes to capturing images of kids doing their own thing. Just take a trip to Hope Gardens on a weekend, or to any other public park or beach, for that matter, and watch what happens when children really get involved outside of their home environment in total freedom, oblivious to what else is happening around them.
Once they start having fun, that is when you should take out your camera and start taking pictures. Let them become absorbed with what they are doing and not interested in you at all - perfect! Don't let them stop and pose for the camera, unless you want a close-up of an 'ice cream face' at Devon House with dripping cone in hand, or a great smile with a tooth missing.
When you are out on a picnic with your family, or visiting grandma, and you can't bother to drag around your SLR and lenses, pop the point-and-shoot or even a disposable camera into your pocket. These pre-focus cameras loaded with high speed film, will allow you to compose quickly and capture expressions you would not normally get with your SLR. I normally carry one of these cameras as a spare, they come in quite handy at times. They don't need batteries to operate, but you can capture that 'one-in-a-million image' in a flash!
KEEP IT NATURAL
Try to keep photography a normal part of family life, don't make a big deal of it. You need to keep a relaxed atmosphere. Never create a bad family tension over photographs, if the child does not want to take a picture, don't force him, many other opportunities will come.
I like to use a 80-200mm zoom lens with my SLR, which is ideal when things happen so fast and you don't have to move with the child. In fact, I don't want to intrude at times, I prefer to give the subject space to do his own thing, and this lens allows me to compose quite easily. I also prefer a fast 800 ISO colour film so that I can cope with most light conditions, except when I am on the beach in bright sunny conditions. Then I will load up my camera with 100 or 200 ISO colour film.
There are certain considerations to bear in mind when making portraits of children. Look for a distraction-free zone with a clean background, such as against a white wall outside with plenty of light. You can also spread a bedsheet over a sheet of plywood or spray a large piece of hardboard for use as a background. Always shoot at the child's eye level and not from yours, looking down on the child. It is more powerful to be at the child's level.
Don't use a wide-angle lens if you are shooting just head and shoulders, the face will be distorted and the child will end up with a big nose and elongated head. A minimum of 70mm or longer is good.
COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE TASK
Kid will be kids, and children have a short attention span, so be prepared before you let them face the camera. Sometimes you have to be an entertainer as well as a photographer. Play some of their favourite music, set the stage and get them relaxed and charming. The mood of the child will reflect your mood, so don't bring any tension to the shoot.
If you are not photographing your own children, please keep the parents out of the way. You don't need their approval as you develop your own relationship with the kids. Don't insult the child by talking 'kiddie talk', give clear, firm instructions: they will understand, remember they are little people. Children are far more intelligent than we give them credit for. Win their confidence and you will end up with some great shots.
If you are taking group portraits, use a tripod so that you can keep your other hand free to give instructions. Remember that you will have to take twice as many pictures as you think you need, as so often someone has his or her eyes shut - or even worse!
Be in charge here. Take no nonsense, and place every child exactly where you want them. Think about the composition and background before you shoot. You must be able to see both eyes of every child, and remember - just get all those children looking good, this time around, any lens can be used.
ACTIVITY EVENTS
Whether it is a birthday or a sports day, football or tug-o-war, get to know what is the order of events on the programme. Talk to the person in charge so that you can position yourself for the highlights of the event. I hate people telling me to excuse myself and get out of the way as they rush to scramble into good camera positions.
Always ensure you have plenty of shots left on the roll and a new roll ready in your pocket. When photographing events, you don't want to miss out on the highlights.
Children are natural subjects when it comes to photography, they don't think about fixing their hair, washing their face, putting on make-up or changing their clothes, and you will never hear them say "I hope your camera is insured!"
Howard Moo Young is an advertising/graphic design/ photography consultant with over 40 years experience. Send your comments to Email: mooimages@yahoo.com
