Taking Pictures of Babies and Young Children

Photographs of young children can bring pleasure to many people, not only their parents and close relatives.

The important thing to remember is that young children tire easily. Patience will be needed to get the best out of what might be a very brief photographic session. If the child seems to be becoming unhappy it is best to take a break and restart at a later time. Try to avoid dressing young children up in strange costumes, as these can humiliate them. The child should be having fun, and not be made fun of.

Natural light is probably the best, as it will not distract or distress the child. Very young babies are often upset by flashlight.

Try to think ahead about backgrounds. An ugly intrusion can ruin what would otherwise be a great shot, and there may not be a chance to move the subject. As well as more formal portraits, try to photograph the young child engaged in some activity - playing, or perhaps at bathtime.

When photographing small children in a studio or away from home, have a few toys around for them to play with. They may well not be able to understand a request to go to a particular place or do something specific. Often the only way of getting the right expression from a child is to play the fool.

With children who are two years old or more, Polaroid pictures can be a great help at the photography session. They will be fascinated by seeing the results instantly, and the pictures are also useful for checking exposure, lighting and general composition.

Willis J. Watson is a freelance writer since 2006, living in United States and he writes about his great passion...digital photography for about 4 years. If you want to read more informations about Digital Sports Photography and also read more reviews about Digital Photography Classes, you can check out his websites.