Someone wise once said, ‘never work with kids or animals’; advice that the team at Inlighten Photography have ignored. Repeatedly.
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With more than a decade of experience capturing moments at weddings, special events and for family portraits, Dean and Rachael Bentick have more than a few insider tricks up their sleeves.
There’s a real dark art to taming the tots for photos and we’ve managed to get some insider secrets from two of the experts.
1. Distract
Keep your child’s focus directly on the lens by holding a toy in the same hand that you’re holding onto the lens with. If there’s another parent nearby, ensure they keep the child’s attention directly on the lens and that they aren’t a distraction. It’s important to just have one person or parent, doing this and not several, as it will confuse the child if multiple people are calling out for their attention.
2. Crop
It’s really about capturing expressions and the look in their eyes, so crop in tight on their face. If you really want to up your game, use a camera lens than has a selective focus that will blur out the background. Once you’ve got your shot, jump online and edit your photo with Photoshop’s free online editor here.
3. Move It
Move your body, and get shots from different angles. Try lying on your tummy to get a “baby height” angle. Some of our best shots are shot from this height.
4. Look for the Light
Think about where the light is, not what the background looks like. So many times people choose where to shoot based on what’s in the background. The light source is more important. Try setting up your shoot next to a window or right in the front entry of your home.
5. Give Up
Be prepared to walk away and try again another day. If the kids are a bit sick or “out of sorts,” don’t try and force the situation. Give up and try again another day.
6. Don’t Watch the Clock
Allow plenty of time. At Inlighten, we always book in a 1.5 hour spot for a photo-shoot and let families know not to stress if they’re running late, as we don’t shoot the whole time.
7. Don’t Grow Up
Be a kid yourself. Our photographer, Dean spends most of the shoot crouched down so that he’s at the child’s level and pulling silly faces to get a smiling reaction, That way, they relate to him better. Dean says, “you can’t stand still with a frown on your face and expect them to give you heaps of energy and grins. They will reflect what you give them. Put some fun into it!”
EXTRA TIP: Print
So many people simply get their photos online, but there is still something really special about receiving a beautifully framed portrait to hang in the home. Pixel Perfect offer some great professional photo products.
For more on Dean and Rachael, visit Inlighten Photography. All images from real Inlighten photo-shoots.
