Taking pictures of your toddler

Taking pictures of your toddler is no easy feat. Although younger children are some of the most appealing and engaging subjects to shoot, they are also among the most challenging. Getting quality pictures of your toddler requires a lot of patience, timing and a little bit of luck, but it can be done. Here are some tips to help ensure that you get the best possible results.

One of the first things to consider is the type of camera that you have. Whether it’s a point and shoot traditional film camera or a newer SLR digital, the type of camera you have will affect how you approach your picture taking. If you have an auto-focus camera (whether traditional or digital), you will need to be sure when taking your photos that you have focused on the correct spot. This means you will want to center your shot on the toddler, rather than on a space to the side or above or below them. If you shoot with the focus not on your subject, you will end up with a picture that is clear on the surrounding details, but with a fuzzy, out of focus toddler. Carefully position your shot so that you have the focus on the correct place to get the results you want. With a digital SLR, there are other considerations as well. These types of cameras have a delayed shutter, so there is typically a noticeable lag time between when you press the button and the camera takes the shot. You can try the trick of shooting before your shot is perfectly set up and hope to time it right that way, or you can just work around this and accept that the shot may not look exactly like you had originally positioned it.

When taking photos of any human subject, especially toddlers since you are trying to capture their smaller features and expressions, it is always best to use soft, natural light whenever possible, rather than relying on the camera’s flash. The flash is useful when you have no other alternatives, such as at nighttime or in rooms with no or little light, but when you are able to, try to make use of natural light. This can be either outside, or in a room with windows or doors that let in a fair amount of light. This reduces contrast, and will produce a softer, more realistic look in skin tones, eyes and clothing. It will also result in less over-exposed pictures or ones that are too dark. When shooting outside in direct sunlight, a fill flash can be used to help reduce contrast. For outdoor shots, it is better to try for early morning or late afternoon, rather than the middle of the day when the sun is straight overhead to help reduce shadows and cut down on bright sunlight that can cause your toddler to squint.

Another tip is not to shoot from too far away, unless you have a good telephoto lens. From a distance, it’s hard to make out a toddler’s features and expressions and in most cases, that’s really what you’re trying to capture in the photographs. Also, try to get down to their level to take your pictures. Photos taken from a standing adult position looking down on them don’t give an accurate sense of their height and can be visually distracting in the final photograph, as the child will probably not be well framed within the shot. The ideal is to be several feet away from your toddler, far enough that they won’t reach out to the camera or try to grab it, but close enough to capture all the important and adorable details and facial expressions, and taking the picture from a crouched or kneeling position.

It also helps to have another child or adult on hand with you to help get them to smile, laugh or look in the right direction. Many shots have gone by the wayside as your toddler becomes distracted by something off camera and wanders off to look at it. It is also hard to get a toddler to look at you while you’re taking the picture, as they have short enough attention spans that they will likely be looking away by the time you have composed your shot. Having another person there, standing next to or right behind you, to call their name or make some interesting noise, can help get their attention and thus get you the shot you wanted.

Another factor that is very important when taking photos of toddlers is timing. You should try to plan any photo sessions for a time of the day when they are most likely to be agreeable. This applies not only to scheduled photo sessions, but trying to capture events, such as showing off new skills, milestones or expressions. Toddlers are more apt to cooperate when they are not tired, hungry or over stimulated from too much play. They also have notoriously short attention spans, so try and plan ahead for the shots or poses that you want. If you want to capture some of the realities of everyday life with a toddler, though, it’s a good idea to simply keep your camera with you at all times. Not all photographs need to be posed – in fact, some of the most meaningful and treasured photos are those that are taken on the spur of the moment. Capture your toddler in all his or her moods – laughing, crying or playing. These are the moments that you are sure to treasure having a record of when they are grown.

Taking pictures of toddlers, particularly your own, is a fun pastime, but one that requires patience, skill and luck. Hopefully these suggestions will get you started down the right path and allow you to enjoy the experience of capturing wonderful moments from your child’s toddler years on film, to enjoy and reflect back on over the years.