If you are a beginner photographer and interested in photographing kids, here are some tips from an experienced family photographer in Zurich on how to treat children during family photo shoot session.
Keep Children Active and Engaged
Children love to change types of activity and get bored of monotonous plays rather quickly. So, a good family photographer is always prepared to offer several places and games at option for a photo shoot session. To keep children engaged, it is desirable to change activity every 10-15 minutes.
Make Sure That Children Feel Comfortable
Children need energy for playing games with you. Thus, prior to taking pictures, make sure that children are not hungry or tired. Even the best family photographer in Zurich won’t get good images if children experience physical discomfort.
Avoid Taking Pictures under Direct Sunlight
When having an outdoor family photo shoot session, try to take pictures of children in shaded places, so that they wouldn’t squint at the bright sunlight. The most beautiful and attractive thing in children portraits is their eyes. A professional family photographer in Switzerland will do his best to make the eyes clearly visible on pictures. If there is no shadow and you are forced to take pictures in the sun, don’t hurry and let children's eyes get used to bright lighting. However, you can create some shadow by putting a bucket hat or some kind of a hat with a peak on a child or by asking someone to hold a towel over children while you are shooting.
Keep Some Distance
Try using a lens with a larger focal length - you can move away from a scene and shoot from afar. This will help children to forget about your camera and to feel at ease, while you will get live pictures with a really natural touch. Generally, children under 5 should be photographed in a way that they don’t know that you’re shooting, while when it comes to older children it is better to get them involved in the game of shooting. For example, a good family photographer in Zurich will pretend that he is playing for real, while shooting just for fun.
Promise Reward after Shooting
Don’t stuff children with sweets during the photo shoot session. They will be chewing throughout the session, dreaming only about how to eat all the sweets. This can badly affect the images and even ruin your ideas about the photo shoot. Instead, promise some pleasant rewards after a family photo session, but don’t make much focus on this.