Tips for taking back to
school pictures
It’s a
milestone in their lives and a great time to document on camera exactly who
they are right now! Every year brings so much change to our little ones and
because we see them change gradually over time, it is not always evident to us
how much they change in just a short 12 months. So my challenge to you; is to
preserve this moment in their lives. There are no fixed rules in photography
and of course you want to be creative, artistic, and put your own flare into
it, but these are a few basic tips to help you enhance your back to school
memories.
Lighting
First and
foremost, for any photograph, assess the lighting situation. Photography is all
about light! A photograph is after all, a recording of light. So making sure
that you have a well lit subject will make or break your photo. Place your
subject and look at them; do they have any funky shadows or sunspots? Set your
ISO as low as possible, start with 100 and only go up if you have to, and to expose
your subject’s face. This should be the focus of your image! Natural light is
best, you can find great lighting at any time of the day; it really just
depends on how you use it. It can be a little trickier around noon, when the
sun is in the middle of the sky, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
If needed, use the shade; it is useful for attractive flat (spread evenly)
lighting on your subject. Just be sure that you are setting your exposure for
your subject and not the background. Move around your subject, and see which
angle works best for the light. If you are inside, make use of your windows. You
will need to up your ISO, I don’t recommend using a flash. Unless you are
shooting in the dark, there is really no need for it and often times it makes
the photo unflattering. Have fun with it, test your limits, and experiment to
see what works for you and your style.
Focus
It is
critical that you learn your camera’s autofocus settings and how to use them!
It seems that every camera is different, so take a minute and learn how to use
yours. It is a worthy investment of your time. My camera has several different
autofocus options as to where it selects the focus point(s) I chose the one
that works best for me, (explain)
There is
nothing more frustrating than having that amazing shot where everything just
fell into place perfectly and everyone looks amazing BUT all of your subject’s
faces are blurry and the background is what is in focus. At that point your
image went from that trophy shot you want to blow up and mount on your wall, to
the trash. Set your aperture to a setting where, if there is more than one
person in the picture, they can all be in clear focus. Not just one of them.
Another trick is to try to have all of your subjects on the same plane. This
way you can still get that nice bokeh (blur) in the background and have all of
your subjects be in clear focus. In my opinion, it is extremely important that
you are setting your focus on your subjects face, namely the eyes. If need be, I set my focus (on the eyes),
keep hold of my shutter button and fix my frame. Do not zoom in/out or move
closer/farther from your subject once you’ve set your focus, only move what is
seen in your frame and that focus point should stay in focus. It may be
different for your camera, you will have to try it out and see what works best
for you.
Point of
view
Keep things interesting. Shoot from different
angles, get up high, get down on the ground, and move around! You don’t see
your children from only one angle so don’t always shoot them that way. See things from your child’s perspective.
Take a few shots from the same position, one with a bit of background in it,
crop it in a bit and take a good close up. Then move around them, get down low
or step up onto something. Pay attention to the details and give yourself a
variety. Try not to use too much empty space in your frame, remember the rule
of thirds. You should also be aware of what is directly behind your subject.
Does it look like the tree is growing out of their head or the line of the
fence cutting them off? If so, you don’t necessarily need to move your subject,
but your position. You will be amazed at the difference your pointof view
makes in an image!
Tricks
Lets be
honest, we’re dealing with kids here! You will get a good 15-20 minutes out of
them (If you’re lucky). Make sure they
are well fed and well rested before attempting any kind of photo session. Try
to get your posed shots out of the way as quickly as possible. Have your
camera’s settings ready to go before you pose them and be ready to go when they
are! If you are planning a wardrobe change, put them in their best outfit
first, children tend not to enjoy changing clothes too often. If you are
working with more than one child, get your group shots out of the way in the
beginning. They are less likely to feed off each other’s naughtiness early on.
Bust out the
props! Giving them something to hold will not only give some play to your shot,
but it is likely to keep them in one spot, if only for a moment. So let them
hold their favorite stuffed animal, it may also help them relax a bit. For some
reason everything changes when they know the camera is watching.
Bribery!
Just make sure that you are willing to make good on those promises if you ever
want this to work again. To me it is worth a small toy or a piece of candy to
get a priceless picture out of them. Sometimes I have candy in hand, if they
can see their reward they may be more willing to cooperate.
Act like a
fool! Kids are very easily amused, so take advantage. Fart noises and faking
injuries (hitting yourself on the head, falling over, etc.) work exceptionally
well. Steer away from making funny faces unless you want them to make funny
faces too! Most small children enjoy a good animal noise. For the older ones,
ask about their interests and get them talking. In between your questions you
can snap shots and get some genuine facial expressions. Talking about that cute
boy/girl that sits next to them in class might just get you a candid smile!
If they are
being exceptionally difficult, and depending on their age I try the old revere
psychology bit, “whatever you do, don’t laugh!”. You can even have a helper
pose for you, kids often like to be the center of attention, so if they see
brother or Daddy getting all the glory posing for pictures, and you no longer
want to snap away at them, they will be inclined to jump in and ham it up!
Sometimes,
no matter what you do, they just won’t want to cooperate. In that case, you may
just want to throw in the towel and try again on another day. It’s best to keep
everyone happy and you sane!
The Good Stuff
Take
advantage of your child’s individual personality, capture them just being
themselves. Let them play with their favorite toy and call their name, be ready
to snap when they look up. Let them choose their outfit; they will be obliged
to pose for you when they are comfortable and ready to show off what they
chose. The best part about that is that it really showcases their personality.
Instead of writing it on a chalkboard and having them hold it up, ask them what
they want to be when they grow up and dress them up to play the part. Include
their favorite things in the photo with them. Let their favorite food show all
over their face. Cover them in their favorite color (Shirt, shoes, stuffed
animals of that color, etc…) Most of all, make it fun. Enjoy capturing the
memories while you’re making them, because that is what it’s all about. Be sure
to show off your little one (and what you’ve taken from here) in my photo challenge
on https://www.facebook.com/shailynnphoto Enter the event and upload your favorite back to
school picture that you took! Feel free to like my page while you’re at it and
share these tips with your friends and family! You can also 
