100 Express Tips to Take Photos of Children (Without Losing Your Smile) [Actualizado]

Taking photos of children can be both challenging and rewarding. Who has not tried it at some time? To our children, nephews, children of friends, etc. And who has not been disappointed after another? Blurred photos, moved, with impossible backgrounds…

In this article I will leave you with 100 express tips, but if you want to go deeper into child photography, you will find many more in this other link, as well as tricks, inspiration and professional recommendations. Now to the mess:

1. have patience.
2. Before a session, study the place, the light, the funds, etc.
3. Don’t ask them to smile or laugh, it never works. And for a good photo of children, a smile is not always necessary. Better…
4. make them laugh If you want a laugh, provoke it, it will be authentic and will spread joy.

5. Always wear a pomper outdoors. It can save you from any trouble, no little one can resist making or exploding soap bubbles.
6. If you have a camera that looks like a toy, a lomo, an old one that doesn’t have much value, let them play at taking photos and hunt them down at that moment.

7. always have the camera on in a photo session with children, even if you take a break, so you won’t miss any “moments”.
8. At home always have the camera prepared by hand.
9. uses fast shutter speeds or very fast if there is a lot of action. In this video Mario explains very well what the shutter speed is, in case you are still not clear about this concept.

10. Set your camera on shot priority mode if there is a lot of movement and you do not want to miss a single gesture.
11. In cases of emergency use the sports mode. It is the automatic mode that best captures the activity of children.

With the shooting priority mode, you ensure the speed to avoid blurred photos of children.

12. Set the camera to focus priority mode if what you are looking for is a lot of sharpness.
13. Use dynamic area focus mode.
14. shoot in AI Servo (Canon) or AF-C (Nikon) as long as they’re awake, if they’re not moving, they’ll probably be within a nanosecond.
15. shoot in burst to achieve your best gesture.
16. When it comes to shooting in burst, if you need more speed, better shoot in JPG. RAW format slows down the burst speed. Although keep in mind that you will limit the editing options.
17. If you don’t use a tripod and you have a shaky pulse, activate the image stabilizer whenever you can.
18. Upload the ISO if necessary. In some important moments, it is better to have a photo with noise than not to have a photo. Or have a completely blurry one.
19. Choose the right goal, this can be a great example.
20. uses grand Openings, you will have more light and you will give it more prominence.
21. But beware of openings that are too large, any slight movement of the little monster can make you finish misfocusing.
22. Learn to hold the camera well.
23. Diffuse harsh light from the window with a plain white curtain or white tissue paper over the glass.

24. Never shoot with a flash when taking pictures of very young children. Whenever you can, use natural light. Smile, forever. search tell a story, with a single photo or with several.
25. Indoors, get as close to a window as possible.
26. Or go out on the balcony, but look for the light If you have to turn on lights, watch the white balance.
27. Outdoors, photograph them at shade.
28. Except in exceptional cases, try to use soft light in photos of children. It transmits tenderness.
29. Make sure that in the children’s portraits it appears brightness in his eyes. A nearby window, a reflector, etc. They will help you to let the light reach his eyes and give him life.

Portraits of children look more alive if there is a sparkle in the eyes

30. With the little ones you can attach a target doll, That way you make sure they look at the camera.
31. Let them play. Let them move on their own.
32. Have objects on hand that they can play with.
33. For a children’s photo session, invite them to bring his favorite toy.
34. Plan the session. Everything you have planned will help you, even if half of the things fail you at the last moment 😉
35. Use costumes, or accessories that they might like. A hat, a cape, some huge glasses…
36. Play games to get them to collaborate.
37. Play hide-and-seek with the kids. They will give you great photographic moments.

38. Have fun with them, they will give you their best smile.
39. Don’t force anything on them. Better let them move naturally.
40. Always focus on the eyes.
41. Never cut through joints or fingers.
42. On the face never cut through the ears, chin or neck.
43. Come closer. Plus.
44. Try to catch them everyday moments.

45. Pay attention to all gestures.
46. Try to catch his most characteristic gesture. When he grows up he will love to have it immortalized.
47. tell your son his story through photos. Pregnancy preparations, the first bath, her first smiles, the first time her foot was discovered, her first tooth…
48. Capture your emotions. It’s the only way to get excited.
49. Use a macro to photograph her mouth or other details.

50. See that he background do not distract the attention
51. The protagonist is the boy or girl, not the toys, furniture or people around. Eliminate everything that gets in the way.
52. If the above is not possible, change your perspective.
53. Put yourself at their height to portray them.
54. Don’t be afraid to drop to the ground.
55. Nor do you climb up to capture them from an overhead perspective.

56. Search different angles shot.
57. If there is a horizon, please that is straight or it will detract from the child.
58. Take care of the composition, that his smile does not make you forget what is important, it is a photograph and a good composition is always the key.
59. Search suitable locations for what you want to tell.
60. Do not take photos of your children always in the same park. All photos with the same background are boring.
61. Take them to a place that they really like and where they can run free. Without elements in the background that disfigure the photograph, or where the context counts for something.

62. hide some surprise. Use it in an emergency or to close the session and leave them with a good memory.
63. If you see that they get very bored or that they don’t want to collaborate, try playing silly faces. Who will be able to make the funniest face, you or the child? The laughs are guaranteed. Have the camera ready!
64. Get inspired: Martha SchmidtElena ShumilovaClaudia CabreroCharo Ten or our buddy Alexa from Bloisare some of the “must see” when it comes to children’s photography.

65. Show them a photo from time to time, especially the older ones. You will take them to your land
66. that the clothes do not detract from them. No big letters, no exaggerated prints, especially in the smaller ones. The protagonist of the photos is the child, not the clothes.
67. In summer, better clothes in soft or neutral colors.
68. In winter, better clothes in bright colors to contrast with the landscape.
69. Their well-being is the main thing, and if he is uncomfortable for the session you will not achieve the best photos either.
70. If a newborn pees in his sleep, dry him better with tissues, the washcloth is wet (and cold) and will wake him up, then you will clean him up.
71. With newborns put a plastic protector under the first blanket.
72. If you take photos of a small child without clothes or with minimal gauze, make sure that the temperature of the room is adequate.
73. Photograph the parts and details of the newborn, such as the mouth, feet or hands, with a very large opening. More tips and tricks on newborn photography in this mega guide.

74. Be careful with the photography of newborns with older siblings, if the main character is the baby, do not steal the limelight (or vice versa).
75. put a newborn to sleep in posture where you want to photograph him.
76. With newborns, start the session with clothes and take them off little by little until leaving them with the gasita or whatever you have prepared. Or without anything…
77. Pick a good time, especially one in the don’t be sleepy (except in newborns, who should ideally fall asleep), no hunger. If he’s not receptive don’t expect much. Well yes, let him get angry and you get desperate.
78. When taking photos of very young children, help yourself with creative accessories.
79. With children who are already crawling (or crawling), use buckets or baskets to get them to stay still. Of course, do not forget your safety.
80. Because… safety first.
81. Whenever you can, bring to your children’s photo sessions a assistant.
82. Never post photos of children without express parental consent.
83. Never photograph a boy or a girl (other than your own) without permission. And if it’s your son or daughter and they don’t want photos either 😉 .
84. dress with White clothes, You will reflect the light.
85. Carries comfortable clothes.
86. Y comfortable shoes.
87. Never place a tripod where children are running around, you run a serious risk.
88. Never leave the camera within their reach.
89. Photograph them with mom and/or dad.
90. Mom, if they are your children, try to go out from time to time.

91. Capture the magic between brothers.
92. Dare with him black and white when you see it clear, but shoot in color and then, in editing, convert to grayscale.
93. Learn to be flexible now improvise.
94. Reveal the photos on paper.
95. Learn to erase It is difficult to delete photos of your children, but having ten identical photos is useless, well yes, to make you lazy to edit them and to fill hard drives without meaning 😉 .
96. Develop your photos with Lightroom or any other program, the difference can be important. Don’t let the camera decide how the final photo will look.
97. To edit the photos, the RAW format is better.
98. When everything seems to go wrong, have more patience yet.
99. Never give up ;). Extreme sports, like this one, are hard, but when you get to the finish line, you become the happiest person.
100. And to finish, I leave you a trick bonus in this video by Julian Marinov. You will like!

So far the 100 express recommendations to photograph boys and girls. I invite you to expand the list in comments with your own advice. Thanks for sticking around until the end, and if you find it useful, don’t forget to share it!