We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our newest family member next week. Our son and his fiancée have been given a date of March 9 for her doctor to urge the little one along and I’m already excited for that new baby smell and plenty of cuddles.
I’m actually going to have a lot of Grandma time around then. A few days after the birth, my daughter’s two little ones are coming to visit and my husband and I plan to take them to meet their tiny little cousin. As you can well imagine, I’m already thinking of the photo ops.
Taking pictures of tots, whether they’re newborns, toddlers or preschoolers can be a daunting task. In all their adorableness they are suitably photogenic. Yet, they do present some special challenges.
Infants are often easiest because they tend to sleep. A lot. They enjoy being held so posing someone else while they hold the baby is usually quite simple.
Never forget, however, that every moment of this photo shoot is dictated by the baby’s needs and when infants aren’t happy everyone knows. Besides the time spent getting the pliable darlings into all kinds of precious poses, there will also be diaper calls, wardrobe changes and snack breaks galore.
The real fun, though, comes with toddlers and preschoolers. They fidget, they squirm. They clearly aren’t interested in following instructions. Their mood can swing to extremes minute by minute. Distraction is a given.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, co-operation with children under five is rare. Spying them in a picture-perfect situation and sneaking up on them before they move on is often the best chance for success. Once they notice the camera, anything could happen. They rarely stop in one place for more than seconds at a time as fascination with everything beckons. Or they will decide to be perfect hams, voguing for the camera. Until, like the flip of a switch, they decide they’re done. Trying to convince them otherwise can be a scary prospect.
As for trying to pose them … well, that’s always entertaining.
Yet, when all the hassles are over there’s no question that young children are one of the most beautiful photography subjects and worth the spit up, poop and tears. My grandchildren range in age from 17 to the not-quite-here-yet. While the eldest is less interested in being one of my photography subjects now having more than paid his dues over the years, his cousins, all under the age of five, have come to expect the focussing of my camera lens on them. Often. How could I possibly resist any chance to capture those giggles and grins, their wide-eyed wonder and delightful personalities?
So next weekend should be fun. On the one hand I have three beautiful subjects. On the other, getting them all into a shot isn’t going to be easy. When it happens, let’s not forget there’s still the technical stuff to work on too. It can all be a bit overwhelming for an amateur shutterbug.
Rather than hope for the best then, I’ve decided to do a little homework. The thought of getting a great picture of two of my beautiful grandchildren with a lovely newborn one is worth it. Here are seven sites that I found to be quite informative:
4 Tips for Connecting and Photographing Kids More Naturally
Photographing Tots and Toddlers
5 Tough Love Tips for Photographing Toddlers
Photographing Toddlers and Getting Them to Sit Still
