Friday, January 08, 2010

Photographing At The Speed of A Four Year Old

Photographing children is not easy. Photographing your own children can be, um...challenging. I believe getting light, mood, location, and settings to all coincide is a bit of an art.

Receiving a new hat and scarf from your Mumzy (his grandma for those worried he calls me Mumzy) is a great reason for photos. And nothing says four year old better than the clashing of shirt stripes with hat and scarf. When you get the willing subject, sometimes that means you get the cheesy grin in the less than perfect location.



So you entice him to move to get a better background, but now...



the background is better but wow, that face? Seriously? THAT is not my child. And light, is okay, but still not what I want.



Ahh, now better. Eyes lit up the way I like, almost natural face, background better. Just want to see the REAL smile. Must now resort to the trick of the moment, effective with the 3-4 year old boy crowd, confusing to most girls though. "Do not stand on that spot. Do not look at the camera. Do not look at the lens. Do not smile." And then guess what I get?





The real deal! I'll take the less than perfect composition! This SAYS Ian! Well, unless you know him well, and then this photo really sums up a bit of what we live with!





and of course this too.



Any guesses which one was selected as my POTD? What tricks do you use to capture your little ones?

6 comments:

Sally said...

Got no terribly successful tricks here I'm afraid - but I'll certainly be employing you neat trick for boys next time I have my almost three year old in front of the lense.
Great series of shots ...and what a cheerful hat & scarf :)

Anonymous said...

Awww, he always makes me smile!! What trick do I use?........a handful of milkboones!!

:) Kathie

Anonymous said...

that should read milkbones ... sheesh

2 Little Irish Boys said...

I need some new tricks--my 4 year old is impossible!!
Love the photos!

The Zoos said...

At least yours will actually pose for you. Mine says no and runs away or he says "no, mom, I am doing something." or he runs right in front of the lens where I can't even see him.

Rebecca said...

I bribe one with money and the other I let him get the sillyness out first then he gives me good photos. Nothing like explaining why you have photos of peaches and butts on your computer.

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