I have a 15-month old who can't sit still. I love to take his photo but they are usually "action shots" and not always really crisp or the most flattering shots. Any suggestions on getting good shots of my little guy?
Um, sometimes hitting the halfway button the camera to focus on him and move the camera with him, and then start shooting. He should stay pretty clear and give the background the blur effect. Not sure if that suggestion will help, but it's all I got.
When my son was about your sons age, I think I mostly got good pictures of him when he was tired or asleep. Sleepy pictures are cute. :) Maybe try to get him to focus on something (a movie or someone talking to him etc.) and snap some pictures that way?
I just have to take a lot of shots of my daughter [just turned two]. Most are bad, but sometimes I get good ones. Just have the camera focused and ready at all times, you never know when you'll get a shot.
Lots of clicking. You'll get some blurry, some wonky, some you didn't plan, and a few awesome ones. Sometimes you'll end up getting a magical shot. Usually when I'm taking pics of my 3 year old, I just let her loose. I'll probably end up with 50 or so pictures and just see what I found. It's like a treasure hunt.
Honestly, take some while he's sleeping. I have many great shots of mine asleep. Okay, also, make strange noises and get a new toy and just flash it when taking his photo. That will get him to look at you.
I don't even try to get my son's attention. I just click away ...and hope there'll be a few good ones. I like the spontaneous reactions/ expressions. I also just talk to him so he is at least looking towards me.
I find, using a net is pretty good, and sometimes I will use a trip wire.. and if that still doesnt work. a little something in their milk, will do the trick...
I have to agree...lots of photos. Most won't turn out great, but you will get a gem or two in there. I just follow my son around and click away while he does his thing.
if u look silly they will look at u and smile ...... well my boy does , thats the only tip i have haha .... other than the already suggested net haha !
Try and get the shots first thing in the morning when they are in that cuddly, giggly, happy mood. distract them with toys, props, neat food (is there such a thing?) and if you have access to help, get the other person to distract them.
oh.... a bubble machine. hours of entertainment, but you'll still be taking loads of photos to get that one golden shot.
have fun! it's such a lovely age and it passes so quickly.
@tolpol LOL! No fair! I'd clicked on this discussion to say almost the exact same thing. I had no other helpful advice to offer on the actual discussion but couldn't resist the opportunity to be a smart ass.
I like kid shot that are natural rather than posed, do you have a walking trail, where he can roam from you with no dangers, have balls, books, blankie, pillows-like a picnic with food and spend and hour or two.
get them engrossed in something they love then say something along the lines of ooh wow look at that,they usually look up at you with that lovely innocent look,that's when you press the button ;)
alternatively just follow them around and click away,also try and get down on their level so that you aren't looking down on them all the time.
if you want them to pose i have found getting them to shout sweeties instead of cheese has a better effect because they are more keen on sweeties so stop and look at you for a second longer
bribery! I LOVE taking shots of my kids, i just follow them around with the camera, the best shots to take are when they think you are not looking or when they are engrossed in something. I get down on my hands and knees and hide from their view lol. And i take loads and loads of pics - jsut delete the crap ones~!
@egad sports mode or whatever mode your camera has that's fastest. Make sure you're on same level as him, ie crouched down, not standing up and looking down. Apart from that- be glad it's digital and not traditional film cos you can take and waste now. :)
Hardest thing I find is that they either stop doing what they were doing and come towards you- or they learn that they get to see pictures of themselves and start hamming it up when ever the camera is around.
I wait till mine get engrossed in something and try then. If you have somebody else with you to keep an eye on him, taking the shot from a distance can help.
It helps when you know the kid that you are shooting: what motivates them, what will hold their attention. My daughter loves flowers, so she is always looking for flowers, smelling them, etc. and this is very "her" so the shots don't look contrived. (I hope)
just hold down the button and click away. Sometimes kids are moving so fast it's hard to get a good one. When they get to be between the ages of 5-8, it should get way easier to get those awesome shots such as the ones above by Missy. Good luck :)
If you're looking for something more like a portrait, maybe don't worry about a getting a full length shot. Can have him sitting on the stomach of someone lying on their back and holding him. while you shoot his head and shoulders. If you're looking for something more natural, I've found that putting them in their own environment works and letting them interact with the things they're familiar with. Keeps them occupied and shows off more of their real personality.
Something that works for my daughter is to put a small towel or blanket down on the ground, then tell her she couldn't move from that towel. When I first started this she would still run around, but after a while she got the hang of it. Most of the shots are not full body, but she sat still. Another trick is to only take pictures when they want to! Usually in the morning is best for my daughter.
@jasonbarnette LOL Love it.... squirrels and red bull.... LMAO I'm going to have to remember that one
What I do is just semi focus my camera (half shutter hold like what was mention before) and just shoot away... I usually end up with about 200 shots and like 6 I can actually work with LOL
I have a nearly 15 month old and he won't keep still either and at this age it's hard to make them sit still or understand what you want them to do. I do find playing peek-a-boo can work or when he is in his highchair/pushchair I can get some cute fun shots.
The shot below was taken with Riley in his pushchair, just his arms out of the straps (but strap around his waist) and playing peek-a-boo etc.
And hey even with an older kid to help you still can't get that perfect shot:
And like others said, auto-focus with it half-compressed and then follow and just click, click and click.
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Um, sometimes hitting the halfway button the camera to focus on him and move the camera with him, and then start shooting. He should stay pretty clear and give the background the blur effect. Not sure if that suggestion will help, but it's all I got.
oh.... a bubble machine. hours of entertainment, but you'll still be taking loads of photos to get that one golden shot.
have fun! it's such a lovely age and it passes so quickly.
alternatively just follow them around and click away,also try and get down on their level so that you aren't looking down on them all the time.
if you want them to pose i have found getting them to shout sweeties instead of cheese has a better effect because they are more keen on sweeties so stop and look at you for a second longer
Hardest thing I find is that they either stop doing what they were doing and come towards you- or they learn that they get to see pictures of themselves and start hamming it up when ever the camera is around.
I wait till mine get engrossed in something and try then. If you have somebody else with you to keep an eye on him, taking the shot from a distance can help.
What I do is just semi focus my camera (half shutter hold like what was mention before) and just shoot away... I usually end up with about 200 shots and like 6 I can actually work with LOL
The shot below was taken with Riley in his pushchair, just his arms out of the straps (but strap around his waist) and playing peek-a-boo etc.
And hey even with an older kid to help you still can't get that perfect shot:
And like others said, auto-focus with it half-compressed and then follow and just click, click and click.