Childrens Photography with natural Light using Nikon D5300 camera

1. Choose A Location For Your Photo Shoot

Of course, the child is the most important element in your photo. But you also need to choose a location for your shoot.

Even though the background often appears blurred in a portrait photo, it’s still an important part of the final image.

 

So what makes a great location for photographing children?

Here’s the good news:

You can actually make magic out of the most mundane environments.

The key things to consider are detail, texture, and color.

Look for a backdrop that adds detail to your photo. If there’s no detail or texture, you won’t have anything to create that beautiful background blur.

Great outdoor locations include the beach, woodland, or an open field. You could also shoot in urban environments, using buildings to add detail to the background.

Even a deserted parking lot or an overgrown patch of land can make an interesting backdrop.

Of course, you can also shoot indoors – which is great for newborn photography.

When choosing a location, consider how the surroundings might add to the storytelling element of your photo.

You also want the color of the background to complement the subject. This means you might need to think about the color of your subject’s clothing.

For instance, if you’re shooting against a green field or trees, you can make your subject pop by dressing them in a contrasting color such as red.

Now, choosing a good backdrop is important. But you also need great light.

Read on to discover how to capture incredible light when photographing children.

2. Shoot In Soft Natural Light

Good light will add a magical quality to your photos.

The same location can look completely different in different kinds of light. And certain kinds of light are more flattering on your subject than others.

So, what kind of light is best for children photography?

First of all, I love to shoot in natural daylight. There’s no need for expensive studio lights or flash guns.

And the best kind of light is soft or diffused light. This type of light softens details and is flattering on the skin.

It also softens the overall mood of the photo, which is perfect for creating magical photos of children.

So, how do you ensure the light is soft in your portrait photos?

First, you could shoot during the hour before sunset. When the sun is low in the sky, the light is soft and the colors are beautifully warm.

However, this time of day isn’t always the best time for children. If sunset is around bedtime, you’re unlikely to have a happy child to photograph!

So, another option is to shoot early in the morning – before the sun is too high in the sky.

When the sun is high in the sky, you’ll get harsh shadows on your subject. And the bright light will make the child squint.

If you need to shoot during the middle of the day, find an area of dappled shade.

For example, you could position your subject beneath some trees or shrubs.

Make sure the child is positioned in a pocket of light that’s being diffused by the foliage or trees above. (You don’t want the child in dark shadow.)

I call this the “spotlight technique.” And it’s perfect for illuminating your subject in the middle of the day.

Just be careful that the shadows from the dappled light don’t fall on the child’s face or head.

Of course, clouds and fog will diffuse and soften the light. So even in bad weather, you can capture beautiful portraits with a soft, dreamy atmosphere.

For indoor photography, all you need is a room with a window.

Just make sure you don’t have direct sunlight coming in as this can create harsh shadows on your subject.

Remember, you want the light to be soft and even.

If you shoot in soft natural light, your photos will be stunning!

3. Use Backlight Or Sidelight For Children Photography

Most people think it’s best to have the sun behind you when taking photos.

But for beautiful child portraits, this isn’t the case.

If the sun is behind you, it will shine directly onto your subject’s face. This will cause the child to squint – and you definitely don’t want that.

Bright light on the face of your subject can also result in the skin being over-exposed (too bright).

So where should you position the light in relation to your subject?

I love to backlight my subjects. This means that the light comes from behind the child.

Backlighting results in magical images with a gorgeous glow around your subject.

For best results, ensure the sun doesn’t dominate the scene.

You could position the sun behind your subject or behind other objects in the scene. Or compose your shot with the sun slightly out of the frame.

Keep moving around and changing your shooting angle until you find a position that works.

Shooting from low down is a great way to get the subject to block the sun when it’s low in the sky.

Shooting towards the bright light can sometimes result in your subject appearing as a silhouette. If this happens, try to ensure the subject is blocking the sun.

You should also set your camera’s Metering setting to Spot Metering. Then ensure you set the focus point on the subject’s face. The camera will then expose correctly for the child’s face.

 

If your subject still appears as a dark silhouette, change your position so that the sun is illuminating the subject from one side.

This is called side lighting. And it’s a great way to light up your subjects if shooting into the sun is challenging.

Remember, the direction of the light can make a huge difference to your photos.

So, always take note of where the light is coming from. And choose a shooting position where the subject is illuminated from the back or side.

4. Include Some Interesting Props

Props are a wonderful tool for improving your children photography.

They add visual interest to your photos. They help you tell a story. And they keep older babies and children entertained during the photo shoot.

So, what kind of props work well for children photography?

When photographing newborns, you’ll need props for posing the baby. It could be a bowl, a basket, or even a cushion covered with a soft blanket.

You can then use other props, such as flowers or soft toys, to decorate the scene.

For older babies and children, there are so many different props that you could use.

Great examples include toys, teddy bears, balloons, cakes, lanterns, and flowers.

Try to keep the props context-appropriate. For example, if you’re shooting at the beach, give your subject some large shells to play with. If the child has a favorite toy, they could bring that along to use as a prop in the photo.

When choosing props for your shoot, think about color and how it will look in the final image.

Props that blend in with the overall color scheme of the photo are perfect. But you can also use props to add a contrasting pop of color.

Remember, props can be very simple. But they can have a big impact on the final image.

So choose your props carefully. And ensure they add to the story of the photo.

5. Capture Natural Poses & Emotions

Getting children to pose for photos is difficult. And it usually results in unnatural poses and forced smiles.

So how do you capture natural poses and expressions that show the real emotion of childhood?

The trick is to not ask your subject to pose or smile! Instead, try giving the child direction with simple, encouraging instructions.

Make them feel at ease by talking to them gently.

Tell them you’re going to have great fun together.  Ask them questions. Encourage them to play.

Once the child feels at ease, they’ll start moving around more naturally. And you’ll be able to capture real joy and emotion as they play.

Of course, for newborn photography, you’ll need to pose the baby yourself.

For best results, you want the baby to be sleeping. This allows you to capture the serenity of those first few weeks after they’re born.

Gently lay the baby down on a soft blanket. Curl them up, keeping their hands and feet visible.

Or wrap the baby in a blanket with just their face and hands on show.

A good posing trick is to place the baby’s hands under the chin to keep their head propped up.

Once the baby is in the perfect position, take lots of photos from different angles. This allows you to capture many different shots from just a single pose.

Clidren Photography By - Mr. Rajashekar From Krupa Digitals