How to capture their true personalities....*Colorado Springs Children Photographer*

Hi there friends. I've had many people come up to me, especially moms, saying that it's always a challenge to  photograph their beautiful children. Picture this...you saw an idea of a photograph on Pinterest and you decided that little Johnny or baby girl Annie would be adorable in that pose. So you plan a "photo shoot" with your kids. Went on Youtube and figured out how to work your big DSLR only to end up being discouraged and disappointed because the results were blurry images or worse....crying baby/child pictures. Well today I'd like to share my tips on how I work with young models and produce images that would show off their true personalities...

1. If you are planning a "photo session" with your little ones, make sure everything is already planned before hand. This means that if you are using props, they are already laid out and if you are having them wear special clothes that's also been prepared well in advance. You want to call your special models just before the session starts so you won't have cranky and impatient kids waiting on you while you set up your backdrops. They're like Hollywood stars, they don't like it when you make them wait. 

2. Give them something to hold or do. I like to make my little subjects fold their arms or if we are outdoors, I make them play with bubbles. This gives their hands a purpose and you might even get a genuine smile here and there.

3. Play peak-a-boo with them. I love to do this with my preschool subjects. That game is never too old or too boring for them. Hide in your camera to get the settings right and then when you are ready to 'surprise' your subject, pop out from behind your camera with a big smile. Make sure your finger is ready to press the shutter release so that you can capture his/her surprised look.

4. Talk with them. The more you can make your subject feel at ease, the more natural smiles you will get from them. This is the time to bust out your jokes, however lame they maybe! You can also be silly with them. They like it when we, adults, act like kids. They think that's hilarious!

 5. And finally, share with them a peek behind your camera. With the rise of digital cameras, we can instantly see the fruits of our labors in the LCD screens behind our cameras. I try to share a couple of images of my subject with them so they can feel proud of what we just accomplished. This will make them smile for you more on the next round of picture taking. 

So there you have it, my five easy steps on having an enjoyable photo session with your little ones. Try it, I guarantee that it will make for a more positive memory keeping experience for you AND your kids. *smile* 

Did these tips help you? I'd like to know and maybe I'll make some more posts like this. Just leave a comment and give me some of your opinions or topic ideas you'd like me to cover in the future. 

If you are local and are looking into improving your photography skills or just want to figure out how those buttons on your camera work, I am offering a beginner's workshop at a scrapbook store in town. Email me (through contact tab) or call me at 562-716-8568 for more information. 

Thanks.

Signing off,

Grace