A children's photo shoot is a laborious and very difficult job. If an adult can be explained what and how to do, then working with children is quite difficult. If a newborn and a baby up to a year can be laid and set as the photographer needs, then this will not work with an older child.
However, young children can be fascinated by something interesting and make the time of the photo shoot simply unforgettable. From the very birth of a child, parents take pictures of literally every step, however, it is professional images that are obtained in high quality and unusual. There are many places for a children's photo shoot, so if you want, you can turn all the most daring ideas into reality.
Photo session planning
The question of how to photograph children is of interest to so many parents who want to get very interesting and original pictures. Equipment preparation largely depends on where the shooting will take place. The frames are very interesting:
- outside;
- at home;
- in a studio;
- in kindergarten or school.
If shooting is done at school, at home or in the studio, then you need a wide-angle lens. In addition, the room will require additional lighting, without which even the most powerful optics will not provide high-quality images. It is worth considering that the simplest soap dishes are simply unsuitable for holding a photo shoot at home. Such cameras will deprive photographs of artistry, and they will turn out too grainy. Using a SLR camera, it is worth using an external flash and additional accessories for light reflection.
When conducting a photo shoot in nature, you do not need to use portable lighting, but you should still take a reflector with you, since when working with sunlight it will turn out to be a necessary accessory.
Preparing for a photo shoot
Many do not know at all how to take pictures of children so that the pictures turn out to be bright, colorful and saturated. The main component of a successful photo shoot is a good mood, as well as the physical condition of the baby. It is necessary that the child feels well, sleeps and is full. However, shooting immediately after eating is not recommended.
It is important to understand exactly how to photograph children for group shots and how to take an individual photo. If the photo shoot is held in a school or kindergarten, it is advisable to plan its holding in the first half of the day. With individual shooting, you need to adapt to the characteristics of the child. First of all, the baby should be comfortable so that he is always in a relaxed state.
It is best if the photo session is held at home, on the playground, in kindergarten, as well as in another familiar place. If this happens in an unfamiliar place, then it is best to give the child time to get comfortable and get used to it.
Parents must prepare in advance for the arrival of a child photographer. They can pick up costumes and props. In addition, you need to prepare the room, remove unnecessary things so that they do not interfere and do not distract attention.
In order for the child to show the necessary emotions, you should talk with him during the shooting. It is important that the baby behaves naturally, so do not force him to pose if he does not want to. It is advisable to go to an event with the baby before holding a photo shoot, and ask him to share his impressions during the shooting. Guaranteed to be a lot of emotions.
Home photography
It is important to understand exactly how to photograph children at home in order to get really high-quality and original shots. It is at home that the baby can relax and behave naturally. You can capture his games with your favorite toys, catching the sincere emotions and smile of the baby. The most important thing is that the child has a good mood and he perceives everything that happens as a game. The next day, you can invite several friends of the same age and watch them.
How to photograph children up to a year? It is safe to say that it is best to do this at home. You can take some pictures with your parents, as the result is a very interesting and touching selfie. Ideas for a home photo shoot can be very different. From the things of newborns, you can create the most extraordinary images.
A no-lose option is balloons, which are appropriate both at home and in nature. They personify joy, celebration, fun. You can have the child throw them up or directly into the lens.
A good occasion for taking pictures of children at home will be the birthday of the baby. In this case, you do not need to invent anything, you just need to dress the baby in elegant clothes and put a cake with candles in front of him. In addition, you can invite animators to the celebration, and the celebration will be simply unforgettable.
Outdoor photo shoot
To get high-quality shots, you need to know exactly how to photograph children in nature. Here you do not need to think long about the images and decorations, the most important thing is to choose a cozy place. It could be:
- sea shore;
- a park;
- children's play town.
Children aged 1-3 years old still do not know how to pose, but they play very well. That is why for an original photo shoot in nature, you can bring soap bubbles, a bright rug and toys. You can make original and unique frames at any time of the year.

In autumn, you can throw up golden leaves, and if the photo shoot takes place in the summer, it is best to organize it in the morning. You can find a clearing with flowers, collect them and enjoy the aroma. If the shooting is carried out in the park, then the child can be given colorful crayons in his hands and asked to draw something. At this point, you can take unique pictures. The most important thing is to remember in which mode to photograph children, if you shoot yourself, so that the images are colorful, rich and clear. A child’s photo shoot is a very lively and dynamic process, which means that the settings of the camera during operation will need to be changed more than once. It is best to set the semi-automatic mode, which will quickly change the depth of field.
In poor light conditions, you need to open the aperture, which will increase the shutter speed. In addition, it is important to understand how to photograph children in motion so that pictures are obtained without the blur effect. In this case, it is necessary to slightly increase stabilization and clarity, but it is worth remembering that there may be a small grain size.
Professional studio shooting
A child photographer can offer many ideas for a photo shoot in the studio. Here you can make very high-quality and original family and portrait shots. The most difficult thing in the studio is for children aged 1-3 years. Around everything else, the baby does not want to become or sit in the right position. In this case, it is advisable to prepare in advance to understand exactly how to photograph children in the studio.
Initially, you need to get acquainted with the situation, the photographer, so that the baby is a little used. With older children and adolescents, everything is much simpler. Parents should prepare their child for the upcoming shoot. The photographer should also try to find a common language with him, to win over him, since children are very distrustful of strangers.
Ideas for a photo shoot can be very different. Children are very fond of imitating adults and trying on their images. In addition, stylized images look unusual. In specially selected costumes, it is very simple to create the necessary poses for the camera.
Interesting ideas for young children
Many parents do not even imagine how to photograph young children, which is why they try to find the most interesting ideas. They depend on the age of the baby. Parents often have a clear idea of exactly what angle they want to see their child, but many choose template options that are offered by large photo studios. Among the most interesting photo shoot options for children up to a year are:
- sleeping baby;
- autumn pictures;
- cooked.
It is considered a bad omen to photograph children when they are sleeping. However, they are so cute that there are a lot of such pictures. Usually a sleeping baby is photographed in a beautiful crib or on a bright bedspread. You can complement the scenery with knitted booties or a jumpsuit.
The idea of the Povaryata photo shoot is ideal for children who already know how to sit. As a decor, you can use a large pot, fruits, kitchen utensils and vegetables. You can wear an apron and a white cap on the baby. Original look photos of the baby in the pan.
An interesting thematic photo shoot may look interesting, based on yellow leaves. The best time will be mid-autumn. A coverlet can be placed on the leaves, and grapes, apples and pumpkin can be placed on it. Nearby you need to seat the baby.
Photos with pets look very original. To do this, lay the baby on the bed, and then put a cat or a dog nearby.
Taking pictures of older children
To conduct a photo shoot with older children, you can pick up the most unusual and original ideas, which are quite simple to translate into reality. Usually a beach vacation is very bright and unforgettable, so you can make some interesting shots while the child is swimming or playing with sand. You can offer the baby to build a castle.
When conducting a photo shoot with a child on the seashore, it is not necessary to do this in good light. A very interesting option would be shooting at sunset, where only silhouettes are visible. Classics are photos in the sea with inflatable toys or a circle.
There are so many original ideas for group photography. It can be standard shots, where everything is arranged in one line, or unusual, original photos. You can arrange the children in a circle, head to head. In this case, something similar to a flower will come out. It will be very interesting to look at the picture where the children bounce at the same time. It is best to use serial shooting for this, then to pick out the most interesting photo.
You can arrange a thematic photo shoot dedicated to a particular holiday. For example, it could be May 9th. In this case, you can dress the baby in military uniform so that he participated in the parade. Photos near the eternal flame where the child walks along the path will look interesting, and you can also make portrait shots.
A family photo shoot in nature can also be quite original and unique. Usually for such pictures choose:
- fields with wheat;
- parks;
- gardens with flowering trees;
- Bank of the river;
- flowering meadow.
The beauty of the resulting pictures does not always depend on the professionalism of the photographer. Often, very beautiful shots are obtained from beginners, the most important thing is to choose the right moment and worry about the scenery. In winter, you can play snowballs or make a snowman. However, in this case, you need to take care of warm clothes and shoes.
Parent Tips
Very often, parents are very nervous before a photo shoot with their child. For all questions of interest, you should definitely consult a photographer to know how to behave properly. Photography must be vibrant, vibrant and vibrant. It is necessary to convey all the feelings, emotions and feelings.
Children do not know how to pretend, so they behave in front of the camera as naturally as possible. This can be a minus and a plus. Since the baby does not hide his emotions, he may be shy, be wary or scared.
No need to perform sudden movements and force the child to do what he does not want, because as a result, you can simply lose time and not achieve anything good. If the child snuggles up to the parents, then you can start with a family photo shoot until the baby calms down. In addition, such photographs demonstrate love and trust.
It is best to start shooting a child using telephoto lenses. The minimum distance should be 3 m. This will allow you to smoothly enter the process, and the child experiences much less.
School photo shoot
It is very important to understand how to photograph children in school so that the graduation album is very beautiful, original and colorful. First you need to conduct thorough preparation, choose a place, costumes, as well as the most successful poses. Before holding a photo shoot, children should have a good night's sleep, prepare shoes and clothes, and also make a hairstyle.
Do not be afraid of the camera and be shy, you need to be as free as possible. Before taking pictures, you can rehearse several poses and choose the most successful ones. During individual shooting, you need to communicate with the photographer, not be afraid to ask him questions.
It is important to show all your imagination and creativity. If you have favorite things, then you definitely need to take them with you to a photo shoot, this will allow you to make some successful shots. The more creativity there will be in the pictures, the brighter and more interesting the album will look.
Photo processing
During the photo shoot, you need to try to take as many frames as possible so that you can then choose the most successful photos. You need to constantly change the proximity of the plan and angles, experiment and play with the baby during work.
When processing the resulting images, it is important not to overdo it with retouching. Usually the baby's skin is light and clean, so an extra correction will give it some pallor. When processing photos, you need to select a shade that will look most advantageous.