Photographing Children
Toronto Child Photographer, Chandra Lee.
With an eye for candid moments and an exclusive viewpoint, she works to capture images that are emotive, fresh and fun. Chandra Lee has a five-year-old child of her own who keeps her continually inspired and motivated.
Apprehending the spirit of children needs patience, passion and a fast shutter! A little girl gathering flowers in a meadow, a little boy splashing in puddles, two sisters sharing a secret – these fleeting and priceless instants can be eternally cherished with a perfect image. The following are some tips and tricks to help seize emotionally breathtaking awe-inspiring photos of little ones.
Just Have Fun. Being a good photographer means truly allowing yourself to enjoy yourself and live in the moment. Young children know when your heart isn’t in something and are extremely perceptive. Stomp around, clap your hands, make funny noises and faces, play peek-a-boo, sing silly songs together and dance like nobody’s watching. Smiles and laughter are contagious. Just have fun and don’t worry too much about getting the perfect image. From experience, the best image happens when you least expect it to. Share an enjoyable photography experience and capture the magic of childhood at the same time!
Location. Choosing a nice setting that gets young kids stimulated and keen to discover is a good step of a successful photo shoot. Young children can be distracted easily by crowded locations so try your best to find a calm and out-of-the-way area. Beautiful sandy beaches, boardwalks, grassy meadows or plantation routes are some popular settings for unique portraits. The natural environment will allow for a variety of fun activities such as running through fields, playing in the sand, collecting flowers, or assembling seashells.
Perceptions and Being Creative. Rendezvous with children at their level and glimpse the world from their viewpoint. Be silly and fun and do whatever it takes to meet them eye-to-eye. Lie on your belly, make funny faces, roll around or play peek-a-boo. You’ll have a more intimate viewpoint and capture the natural expressions and features of children.
Making it Fun. Get children to forget they’re being photographed in order to capture natural moments. Childhood is about innocence, beautiful smiles, skipping, jumping, twirling and having fun – not stiff poses and forced smiles. Children tend to let their guards down when they’re on the move letting their personalities truly shine through. Having siblings hold hands and run towards you or each other tends to relax them and get them in a giggly mood. If children or siblings are hesitant to share hugs, make it fun by having them run towards each other or towards their mom or dad. They usually laugh and giggle during this process and end up hugging!
Intimate Moments. For those intimate instants, give young children some time to discover their environment and play by themselves. Toting a popular storybook is a great idea. This allows a child to forget about their surroundings and get lost in their own little world. A great way to get energetic boys to stay still for more than a few seconds. Capturing the delight of childhood as artful imagery is Chandra Lee’s favorite past time.
Details. Details. Details. Any good story features delicate details – little toes curled up, the twinkle in a child’s eyes, little hands clasped firmly round a favorite plush toy. The tiniest detail can be the most captivating and has the power to be very emotive creating life long memories!
