8 Tips on How to Photograph Toddlers
Oh boy, toddlers are just the BEST to photograph, aren't they?! They sit still for long periods of time, always pay attention to simple commands, and NEVER go through that strange "smiling" phase. All sarcasm aside, I have a friend who is an excellent photographer (check out her page here) and we got into a discussion one day about how difficult it is to capture a nice photo of a toddler. Here are a few simple tricks that (sometimes) work in capturing that precious moment. *Note: many of these also work with babies!
Pick a Special Event:
It's always more fun to take a toddler out and take pictures of them when there is already something special involved. I really only took my older son out to take pictures of him "just because" once or twice the whole first year he was born. All other times were for special occasions like holidays or mile stones. It also limits the stress involved to a few times a year, ie: getting them to smile...
Choose an Interesting Location:
Aww! How sweet!
This is what the other 50 pictures look like:
Interesting locations don't necessarily need to be far away or out of the ordinary. These pictures were taken in our back yard next to a vine that had become over grown (and was immediately pulled out after these photos were taken, they grow like crazy!). I chose the backyard fence as a back drop because it meant that there was little pressure on the kids and myself to get ready and get everyone into the car and drive to a destination. It also went nicely with the Dinosaur Theme (my older son is super into dinosaurs right now) and added to the "wild" part of the picture. The dinosaur toy in my younger son's hand also leads us to the next suggestion...
Use Fun Props:
Lunch Break!
I took a series of photos for JJ's second birthday party invitations using a hard hat (easily found at any hard ware store) and a dump truck we had at home. I remember that he was being especially stubborn that day and refused to wear the hat. The pictures I ended up using were of him as he sat down to eat his snack. I slid the truck and hard hat down next to him on the bench and snapped the picture. The props made the picture fun and fit the theme of his party: construction site. The apple made it look like he was on a lunch break and I got away with using a picture without a smile in it. Which was fantastic because there were literally no photos of him smiling that day. Case and point as to why it's always worse when you put pressure on yourself on getting that "perfect picture"; your toddler will sniff out that desperation and hold back their smile 'til the cows come home!!
The fun props can also help give your toddler (or baby) something to focus on and play with, which sometimes will lead to more smiles! When they are having fun, it is easy to have fun with them.
For babies I suggest making a sock puppet for your camera lens like the ones shown here, or a "tickle stick" like a new colorful duster that will grab the baby's attention and make them laugh.
Get Down on Their Level:
We've all done it, and we've all seen them. The top-of-the-head baby and toddler pictures. Physically getting down on their level to take their picture is just one of those things that you don't think about until someone points it out to you! Angles are SO important in photography, and getting down on the ground to take the shot is probably the most important rule for getting a good shot of a child. I mean, it really doesn't matter if they are smiling or not if the picture will be of the top of their head anyhow... You can see from the two examples above what a difference it makes, so I rest my case.
Keep Clothing Simple and Practical:
These pictures were all taken on the same day. Although nothing is wrong with either set of clothes, I will let you venture a guess as to which clothing my eldest son decided he wanted to wear that day, and which ones he did NOT. Unfortunately for him, those adorable matching sweaters were sent all the way from Slovakia courtesy of Grandma, so he was tortured into wearing them for just about 5 minutes.
It is important that the clothing is simple so that it doesn't detract from your child's face, but it also needs to be comfortable and suitable for the picture. For example, if your photos are going to be taken in the middle of the forest after it has rained and you hate mud on clothes, choose dark clothing and rain boots that will hide the mud and also be practical. Toddlers love being given the ultimate decision, so choose 3 outfits you love and then let them choose the final one for the photo. They will feel like they have control over the situation, and you will be happy no matter what outfit they choose.
Note* Always bring multiple outfits with you to the location and try to make sure they are easy enough to put on and take off your child. I personally don't even dress my kids before I get to the place because somebody inevitably spills or rubs something on themselves that permanently stains. Been there, done that. Probably more times than necessary.
Make Them Feel Comfortable:
Beyond letting them choose their own clothes, explain to them what is going to happen before the photo shoot takes place. Toddlers thrive on routine and the predictable. Control is every toddler's middle name. Talk to them about where you are going. If you are taking the pictures let them push the button and explain how the camera works (if someone else is, ask them if it is alright if your child pushes the button a few times). Try to get there early (I hear you laughing, I feel you on this one!). Try not to schedule anything before or after the pictures so that you aren't on a time constraint and stressing about rushing to something else. Surprisingly, the more relaxed YOU are, the more relaxed your child will be. And if all else fails, take that picture of them screaming their little heads off anyways, at least you will something to laugh at 20 years from now. My mother sure does.
The 1/10 Rule:
Don't worry, my husband hadn't heard of this one either. Probably because I made it up 5 years ago when we were trying to take pictures for our engagement announcement. In a nut shell, on average only 1 out of any 10 pictures that you take will be usable. My poor husband had a shock when I asked him where he was going after we took the first 4 pictures. He knew I needed 4 pictures for the announcement and he had just taken 4 pictures with me, so job done... right? 100 pictures later, I had about 10 pictures to work with and my husband has since picked up my method of just continuously snapping pictures when I ask him to "take a quick photo of me with the kids!". Hooray for more pictures to choose from! The point is, just keep on shooting because the odds of capturing that "perfect" moment will go way up. I took well over 50 pictures of my little cherub in that hot air balloon and there are about 4 I ended up using.
Invest in an Editing Program:
Here are a few examples of Before and After pictures that I've done in the past:
Before: After:
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I don't think I really need to sell you on this point. Pictures just look nicer over all when the colors are more vibrant and small distractions are eliminated. I didn't use Photoshop for any of these pictures, so look around if you aren't interested in making a large investment in an editing program; it isn't always necessary!
True Confessions:
I have about a million photos of my kids that I am secretly hoarding for when they bring home their first date. I feel that it is pretty much the duty of every parent to have a selective stash of photos depicting their child during their toddler years doing all those embarrassing things that toddlers do and you just have to put up with it and move on- like that huge melt down in Home Depot that literally echoed from aisle to aisle because you wouldn't let them pick up that chain saw. After all, we all know that those pictures are going to be the ones we love the most after they grow up...
Feel free to add more suggestions in the comment box below!
