Photographing Kids On-the-Go

From sitting by the pool, to going on family bike rides, summer is the time to
be active and outdoors. Taking pictures is a great reminder of past summer
activities and favorite summer traditions. Summer can also be a great time to
get fantastic photos of your kids doing what they do best—having fun! If your
kids are anything like mine; however, taking pictures of them while they are
running and playing is a lot like herding cats into a swimming pool. Here
are some tips to help you capture those kids on the go:

1. Avoid the Harsh Sun

Bright overhead sunlight can make colors look washed out, give people
“raccoon eyes,” cause unflattering harsh shadows, and cause people to
squint. Summer and bright overhead sunlight are virtually synonymous—
whether it’s at the park for a picnic lunch or hanging out by the pool—
avoiding harsh light can be difficult to avoid. When confronted with harsh
light try to either 1) find some open shade or 2) use fill flash. Shade is a
quick and easy way to avoid harsh light. Whether it’s the shade of the house,
a bowery, or a full tree, your subjects will look much better in some shade.
Fill flash can also reduce the effects of harsh light. Pop up your camera’s
flash and use it to fill in those harsh shadows and brighten your child’s face.
If you are familiar with using the manual settings on your camera you can
also put your subject’s back parallel to the sun and expose for their face.

2. Get Down to Their Level

Kids are usually small, right? For kids, down low is where all the action will
be. You need to get down at their level to capture those excited faces,
popsicle grins, sun-kissed cheeks, and expressions of happiness. Yep, you
might need to even lay on the ground to capture your little girl rolling down
the hill or the funny look on your baby’s face when you set him on the grass
for the first time. Capturing that expression will make all your contortions
worth it!

3. Freeze the Action

Action shots are hard to get, whether it is a ride down the slide or tricks on a
skateboard. The moment comes and goes quickly and if you are too slow
your pictures may end up blurry and out of focus. Here are a couple
options: 1) Anticipate the movement. Set your focus in a specific spot that
your subject is going to move into, push the shutter halfway to focus then
press it all the way in when the action arrives. 2) Set your camera to Tv or S
to use the shutter priority mode. This way you can select a fast shutter
speed and the camera will do the rest. On a bright sunny day you are
probably safe to set your camera’s shutter speed to 200 or faster.

4. Keep Shooting

Keep that camera clicking on your toddler eating an ice cream cone, at the
petting zoo, coming down the water slide, or hitting the ball at the baseball
field. A series of pictures can tell a story and capture some great candid
moments.

5. Take Pictures on Purpose

Think about the things that make summer magical and deliberately make
those the subject of your photographs. The kids getting in a water fight or
gathered around the ice cream truck; sports; parties, roasting marsh
mellows; or eating a juicy watermelon. Take pictures that will allow you to
relive the fun of summer in the dark of winter.