We are on Day 10 of our Month of Photo Fun and I hope you are enjoying reading these posts as much as I am enjoying sharing them. Today brings us another tip, particularly for the children in our lives. Make sure you are shooting during the right time of day (for them).
Sometimes it's not just about what time of day is best for our lighting. Often times we have to consider what time of day is best for our kids.
I thought a great way to explain this tip would be to walk you through a session I had recently with my new little friend, Harper. Before coming over to photograph her, I encouraged mom to make sure she was fed and sleepy. Fat and happy! And so we immediately got some great shots. Harper wasn't too sleepy though so we started with shots of her being held. Fine by us!
Here's where that tip comes in. No matter what age child you are photographing, be aware of the time of day and how that works with the child. Be aware of when nap time or meal time is, and don't try to capture beautiful moments of a cranky or hungry child. (this goes for us adults too- anyone else out there get cranky before meal time? I can't be the only one!)
As we finished this series of images, we knew Harper was getting hungry again, so we stopped to let mom feed her. Take the time to do what it takes to make baby, or little one (or husband!) happy and your images will be that much better.
A few minutes and a full tummy, and Harper was only too cooperative!
It was so worth the few extra minutes!
In the same way, be aware of when your little one is done. I could have photographed Harper all day, but she began to let us know that she was done and so I took the hint. This was the last shot we got before calling it quits. Know when your little one is done and respect that. Otherwise, you'll have lots of photos of cranky faces and a kid who comes to despise your camera because you don't know when to put it away.
Remember, knowing the right times to photograph your child (and the right times to put the camera away) can mean the difference between great images and horrible ones, and the difference between a child who loves the camera and one who can't stand it.
When are the best times to photograph your kids? How do you know when they're done? Share your thoughts with the rest of us. We can always use more help right?
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