They say never work with animals or children but who can resist those cherub like faces? Here are a handful of hopefully helpful pointers that one can try when it comes to framing tots and toddlers: Most children will have the patience of a fly so start by netting the ‘safe shots’ first, such as a few well composed, nicely lit portraits with a 50mm prime, before diving into the most adventurous ideas. Suggestions for such could be to: opt for some tight crops of the tot’s face, vary depth of field to avoid distraction, or get creative with shutter speed to some exciting ‘movement’ effects. When their attention levels start to dissipate, try following them around. Not only do you get a glimpse into their world but this can make for some beautifully natural shots. When kids are happy playing on their own opt for a zoom such as an 18 – 200mm to cater for up close and at a distance shots. When kids are cute it can effortless to forget technique and become shutter happy; click, click and click some more – before you know it you’ve expired a 4GB memory cards and have a heap of blandly identical images. Limiting yourself to 20-40 shots forces you to focus on strengthening your composition, as it helps you to decide what it is important and challenges you to be more creative.

Photographing Tots and Toddlers