It's Picture Time
Saturday, November 29, 2008 by Tracey Clark
It’s Great Greetings! time again. This is the tip list for when you are actually ready to get this holiday card portrait all wrapped up. This one is especially for the moms out there. Ready?
Don’t give it away- if you’re attempting a holiday ‘session’ with your children, you don’t have to tell them about it. I have been known to lure my subjects to the location of choice, dressed and ready with no one the wiser. They’ll usually figure it out one way or another but you could get the perfect, relaxed shot before they do.
Get Help- Enlist a friend, sister, mother, whoever. Just get help. You’ll have more fun with an extra pair of hands (and some extra silly jokes).
Get down and dirty- Even if dressy clothes are involved, I encourage you to let your children have fun; this means getting dirty. Don’t take your children to the beach or the park and not expect them to want to play. When kids play, they have fun. That makes for great photos. Bare feet, sand in the toes and fingers, the whole bit. Come on, they'll love it. And so will you.
Look for the light- I love soft, somewhat flat light for my family portraits so I don’t shoot in direct, shadowy sun. I look for open shade or shoot in early morning or late afternoon soft light. I think the most important thing when shooting photos of your kids (or of anyone for that matter) is paying attention to the light on their face and eyes. The eyes tell you everything. If the eyes look light and bright, you’re usually good to go. If your subjects have dark eyes (no light) or dark circles under your subjects eyes, try repositioning them until you get some illumination.
Rules of Engagement- These are a few tips to getting children to cooperate without stress.
Use the magic mirror- when you use this trick (which for the record is my favorite and most effective trick to date) you have to be ready to shoot quickly. Ask your kids if they can see themselves in the ‘magic mirror’ of your lens. I guarantee they will try to see themselves in the mirror and when they do, they will look adorable. You can also throw a few jokes in there while you’re at it to get them smiling and laughing but the key is that they will squeeze in cheek to cheek and it makes for one of the best kind of portraits ever.
Lay them out-
Tummy time- I pose kids on their tummies. It gives them something to do and keeps them in one place for a while. It works really well too if you have a baby in the mix. It gets the older kids down to baby level. And if the baby sits up they can sit but the older kids can still be on their tummies next to the baby. If nothing else, you’ll usually get the baby excited about having his or her siblings on the floor with them.
Back down- Laying babies and children on their backs can work too for the same reasons as the tummy. Just be sure to have your camera strap around your neck and then stand directly over the top of them and shoot straight down. It’s a cute and somewhat unexpected angle. It’s kind of entertaining for your older kids too.
Play chase- This is one I’ve perfected. My youngest daughter has wanted to run from the camera since she could walk. So, to get her having fun and laughing I would have to play chase. And of course I yell Booyah when I’m clicking away. It never fails. And it even makes me laugh. Don't forget to shoot photos from the back as well. Shots of your kids walking out into the wild blue can be priceless.
Get Happy (and silly)- I know it might open a can of worms here which is why I save this one until the end. Once the silliness begins it’s not always easy to reign in. But, I will say that once your kids are allowed to get silly you might catch the aftermath of laughter and laughter is a good thing.
Celebrate individuality- There’s no rule that says all your subjects have to be in the same photo together. Sometimes people need a little space to really be themselves. If you find you’ve captured perfect portraits of your subjects individually then use those together on your card. You don’t even have to know how to work collage magic on your own either. Many of the card companies give you collage options now where you can drag and drop a whole bunch of photos so you don’t have to pick just one. Be sure to include one with you in it too! Good times.
But if you really want to be a part of the card photo and you want to use one great photo, then you can try Karen’s trick using a large mirror to capture a unique and fun family self-portrait or test your self-timer skills. It’s takes a little practice but something tells me you’re up for it.
Be sure to share your own tips and tricks here in the comments today or if you’ve got lots to say on the subject, share on your blog and then leave the link here so we can click over and read all about it. And don’t forget to post your photos (from years past or for this year) in our Great Greetings Flick group.
