Tips On How To Capture Photos of Kids

You know what’s more stressful than making sure the free world remains, you know, free? It’s taking photos of children with inadequate gear. Along with covering weddings and building a house of cards in the middle of a typhoon, capturing kids who can’t seem to stay in one place without the right tools may lead to one big clusterf*ck. So beware and be prepared.

Don’t get me wrong though. Even with a simple kit, you can still capture the big bundle of cuteness and awesomeness we all know as children. You just have to arm yourself with lots of patience and a presence of mind to anticipate what’s gonna happen next. Here’s something that might help you.

Last May 2010, a friend of mine asked if I could take some photos of her niece while she was at the mall. I confidently replied with a yes to her. How hard would that be anyway? Heck, I knew how to juggle thesis-writing, drinking marathons with my friends and saving the free world in between. Surely, taking some photos of some kid would be a walk in the park, right?

Hell. Freaking. No.

Meet Hannah

I found that out the moment I met Hannah at some playground for kids along with her parents, Karen and Christian. Once the small talk was done with her folks, I proceeded to take my Nikon D90 with a 50mm 1.8 prime lens out of my bag and get the job done immediately.

Boy, was I surprised at how fast that kid could move. Little did I know that a prime lens on a cropped sensor body would be more of a hindrance to me than I first thought. With a 50mm prime as my only lens in my bag, I found it hard to compose a photo with Hannah in it due to an equivalent of 75mm focal length on my camera. That’s not a good thing because what I needed was a wider view to capture all the color and awesomeness in that playground.

Another point of hindrance during the shoot day was a lack of a dedicated flash in my arsenal. Without a speedlight, most of my photos were blurred due to Hannah’s movement. Plus, I could have gotten more well-lit shots of Hannah if just had a true flash.

A big no-no that can be solved with the help of a dedicated flash

Over-all, I still got some good shots of Hannah and still made her parents satisfied with my work, being a pro-bono favor for my friend as well. Here are some of the things I learned and some lessons you should never forget when covering kids.

- A mid-range zoom, just like your handy-dandy kit lens, is your best friend for this kind of situations. If you’re more of a prime guy, a fixed lens with a 24 to 35mm focal length will be sufficient for your needs. Of course, lenses with a fast aperture will always be welcome. The only drawback will be carrying a fast, but heavy lens all day while chasing kids for photos.

- Bring a dedicated speedlight and almost all of your problems will be solved. Not only would you have enough light for your subjects, freezing them in motion for your photos will be much easier than without a flash. Also, don’t forget to bring spare batteries because you’ll be taking plenty of photos to choose from later on.

- Travel light. A camera body, one lens, a speedlight, spare batteries and you’re all set. If you’re shooting kids in a very open space, you might need a telephoto lens but if you’re shooting indoors, a mid-range zoom is more than enough.

- Be funny. Smile more, make weird faces or be wackier than your usual self. Keep in mind that you’re dealing with kids and it would greatly help them be more comfortable if you don’t treat them as adults.

- Wear something that won't make you sweat like a pig. Remember, you're not covering a wedding or a pageant. You're taking photos of children at their most candid nature. It would serve you well if you're free to move in your own clothes.