| Of all portrait subjects, photographing children is the | | | | set up an outdoor studio in your garden. Kids love |
| toughest. Children will get bored easily and most of | | | | the outdoors and with soft light great imagery may |
| the time will not want to pose for you - they will not | | | | be achieved. This may not be possible, but if it is, it |
| give you the time to take your image and they may | | | | should not be ignored. |
| start to cry or moan. | | | | Equipment needed for child portrait photography is |
| This is where a great deal of patience is required. | | | | basic. Your standard 35mm is plenty good enough. A |
| You must remember that you are a complete | | | | portrait lens is advisable, but if you use a telephoto |
| stranger to the child and ten times larger. To get the | | | | lens set the range between 85 and 120 to avoid |
| child on your side, you should get down to his/her | | | | image distortion. |
| level and show them that you mean no harm. You | | | | People will pay large sums of money for images of |
| heed to create a safe environment for them. | | | | their children and they will also boast and brag, and |
| Photographing newborn babies will be rewarding if the | | | | show off the prints to their friends. Here is where |
| prints are good, but these images require a great | | | | you should get extra assignments for more portraits. |
| deal of time and patience. Babies tend to sleep, eat | | | | This is how most portrait photographers get |
| and cry a lot and won't pose in front of the camera. | | | | established - word of mouth is twice as good as |
| Photographing kids between two and four will require | | | | taking out advertisement in a local newspaper. |
| you to apply some child psychology when relating to | | | | Don't ever handle a child without the parents consent. |
| them. Kids at this age may be shy and won't react | | | | Most parents will be very protective and won't react |
| well to a complete stranger. To get the child on your | | | | well to a stranger lifting their kid. If you want to |
| side you may need to have a few toys in your | | | | move the child ask the parents to do it. |
| studio. If space allows you a pet may also create a | | | | If you do come across a very photogenic child there |
| good distraction. The keys of your car can also be | | | | may be a way for you and the parents to make |
| very effective. But remember, your job is to take a | | | | some extra cash. There is a large market out there |
| child portrait; you must be able to react quickly when | | | | for advertising images of kids but agencies or |
| the infant responds to your entertainment. | | | | magazines won't touch them without the parents |
| Older kids between four and ten will be more | | | | consent. If you plan to resell the photograph to an |
| outgoing and will tend to be the perfect subject for | | | | agency make sure you get a release form signed |
| ten to fifteen minutes. After that the boredom will | | | | from the parents. |
| start to set in and there will be no return. If possible, | | | | |