How to Photograph Children

Few parents can resist the urge to photograph every adorable stage of their children’s lives, but most do it more lovingly than well. No matter how doting they are, too often the results are blurry, overexposed, and uninspired snapshots. Guide to Photographing Children offers practical, detailed, unintimidating advice to help transform parents’ enthusiasm into memorable photographs that capture the child’s own distinctive spirit (and involve the child in the process). After gently guiding the amateur photographer through such technical basics as which camera, film, and exposure to use, the authors offer specific suggestions for shooting indoors and out, as well as invaluable advice on working with children at each age (useful words of wisdom: respect the child’s moods and don’t always demand a smile). The book concludes with handy information about how to get the best work out of the photofinisher, even if it’s just the local one-hour mini-lab, plus ideas for scrapbooks and other projects geared to putting the photos to good use. Throughout, sidebars offer additional help on everything from film speeds to smile getters, and the 200 photographs provide clear examples of what — and what not — to do when photographing children of every age and temperament.