Children's photography: from babies to teenagers

Photographing children is a beautiful, but also difficult area. Beautiful because few things are as wonderful as the laughter of (frolicking, happy, playing) children. It's also wonderful because, from a certain age and as long as they enjoy being photographed, children are eager and enthusiastic about it. They are the most grateful models, because they usually feel flattered when they are photographed (and are happy about almost every single photo afterwards)!

Photographing children is completely different from taking portraits of adults, for example. Children are either enthusiastic or they don't feel like it and show it. Children should be given enough freedom to let off steam in front of the camera, as this is the only way they won't lose the fun of this new "game" too quickly.

Anyone who has ever stood or sat in front of a professional photographer's camera knows a thing or two about how out of place you can feel, or how uncomfortable you can feel. Of course, there are people, especially professional models, who enjoy being in the spotlight and having one or more lenses pointed at them. But most people, including myself - as I found out almost painfully a few months ago - have an aversion to being photographed.

Watching your offspring "grow" is definitely the best thing about being a parent: Seeing the little bundle of non-communicative life from the first few weeks constantly changing, maturing: first into a curious, playful creature that only slowly develops its own personality, through to a self-confident teenager who will eventually go their own way. Watching these many individual steps makes parents proud (and amazed!), even if they are aware that everything, even the smallest progress in their child's development, is only aimed at the child eventually "fledging", becoming independent, and at some point "cutting the cord" (which actually describes the process of cutting the umbilical cord at the end of the birth process).

Most photos of children are probably taken inside their own home. But you will also take photos in sports halls, at school, in party rooms, restaurants, etc. often enough in the course of your life, which presents us photographers with special challenges, because unlike "outdoors", attention must be paid to sufficient lighting indoors.

Most people find it easier to take photos outdoors, as the problem of finding the right lighting - apparently - does not arise during the day. What's more, unlike taking photos in your own home, there is enough space outside and you don't have to be so careful with the framing. Both views are right and wrong at the same time.

In North Rhine-Westphalia at least, if the figures are to be believed, the family is a discontinued model. Only one in three households (35%) lives in the mother-father-child model (as of February 2010; source: 9th Children and Youth Report of the Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia). This change in family life is as much an expression of social change as it is a reflection of better care. Nevertheless, the traditional model should be used as an example at this point, even though you can't tell from the photos whether the man in the photo is the actual father or "just" the mother's new boyfriend. Even with grandparents, the actual degree of kinship is not decisive for acceptance by the little ones, as trust and "caring" are more important. For example, my son loves all four grandfathers, but he is most fond of the grandfather to whom he is not related at all ...!

In the following, I have compiled a collection of important tips which, if followed, may not automatically guarantee good photos - but which, if not followed, are guaranteed to lead to less good photos!

These are all tips and tricks from photography practice that I have acquired in the course of 12 years of self-employment as a commercial photographer. I'm sure you'll find as you read that you've already noticed one or two of these points at one or two photo shoots; just remember that it takes more than a great camera to take outstanding photos of children. More important than the technology is the person who uses it. And the human child being photographed.

This is about perspectives, image composition, giving free space, the courage to get close, parents at the photo shoot, practice makes perfect, photos against boredom, racing against time, constant image analysis.

Archiving photos safely, image editing with Photoshop (by Leonie Ebbert), presenting children's photos.