Photographing Children

[trisha_f]

<p>I am going to be taking pics of young children and as you know, they often don't stay still at all. I love the candid playful shots anyway, but I'm wondering how to get the most successful shots.<br>

I have a Canon D5 and a 24-70mm f2.8. I am quite comfortable shooting in Manual mode, but I really don't see how its possible to be adjusting my shutter speed and/ or aperture quickly enough. When you are shooting outside with kids running and playing etc. the lighting is always coming from different directions. So I would have to be adjusting constantly.</p>

<p>So I know there are options. I'm wondering which is the best one. I know I need a fast shutter speed so I thought shooting in shutter priority with a shutterspeed of about 200-250 should freeze the action. But then I don't know what aperture it would give me, so I don't have the control over my depth of field. <br>

I love to use spot metering as well, but don't know which is the best for this situation. Also autofocus modes. </p>

<p>Anyone with some experience please share what works for you!<br>

Thanks so much!<br>

Trisha</p>

[brett_w.]

<p>you mean you have a 5D? <br>

more than a beginners model!<br>

If you comfortable shooting in manual mode you must know the acceptable "depth of field" at each aperture setting. For children I usually shoot in Av mode, set the ISO and aperture and just watch the shutter speed. If it's sports or they are running around outside then I'll use Tv mode at 1/800, 1/1000, etc. and AI servo.</p>

<p> </p>

[trisha_f]

<p>Thanks for your help! Yes, I meant a 5D, haha I don't know why I wrote D5 I am not unsure of my equipment. I am not a "beginner" but I am not quite confident enough to call myself more yet. <br>

I actually don't know exactly what the acceptable "depth of field" at each aperture setting. I know at f2.8 there is a very shallow dof, I know that at f11, almost everything will be in focus, depending of course of the depth of the scene. <br>

Any other tips? </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Practice with the autoexposure modes. I didn't trust autoexposure much for 30 years, preferring manual exposure for most of my photography, including action oriented stuff. But when I finally got a camera with good, quick and reliable autoexposure and autofocus I was finally persuaded. I use these features extensively now and miss fewer shots in candid photography. (Keep in mind that the following tricks I use are based on typical Nikon controls. I don't know whether Canons work the same way.)</p>

<p>If the 5D offers auto-ISO you might trying experimenting with it. I use auto-ISO (Nikon D2H) when I want to be sure the shutter speed is fast enough to prevent motion blur (including from my own shaky hands) and I want a specific DOF. I'm more likely to want all shots at or near f/8 to ensure enough DOF to compensate for any minor focus errors, but the technique would work as well at other apertures.</p>

<p>I've also assigned specific functions to the control wheels under my thumb and forefinger. For example, I've assigned the exposure compensation control so that I can adjust quickly to compensate for strong backlighting. No need to lower the camera and look at the controls or to use a combination of pressing and holding one button while spinning a dial.</p>

<p>When I want a consistent ISO I'll use program mode. Most current model Nikons offer a flexible program mode that enables biasing the shutter speed and aperture toward a faster shutter speed/wider aperture or vice versa, as needed, using only a single dial. It retains the same overall exposure value. Again, very quick and easy to use without lowering the camera - it's all visible in the viewfinder.</p>

<p>The rest is down to practice. I spent a lot of time practicing on the kids in my family and my own pets, taking hundreds of mundane snapshots, until these controls became intuitive.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Before going all technical and everything (which was covered by the previous posters), how about working on some of the techniques usually used to get kids to stay relatively still for a few moments? It all depends on the ages of your subjects of course, but ideas such as having the parents behind (or next to) you as means of focusing the child's attention have often worked miracles...;-)</p>

<p>Also you might want to try experimenting with using artificial lighting (i.e. flashes) to freeze the action before you try to figure out how to freeze them using high shutter speeds...;-)</p>

<p>Obviously, if you're talking about slightly older children running non-stop all over the studio or location, then well, you're in a different ball game altogether...;-) Still, see if you could entice them to cooperate with you in some way...;-)</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I think Marios is right on the mark. When photographing children I try to give them something to do that keeps them in one place. It can be a little girl sitting at a table playing tea party with a friend or doll. Climbing a fence or the ladder to a slide. Coming down the slide, or posing at the bottom. If their pet will sit still (they are sometimes better trained than children) playing with the pet. Or sitting and playing with a favorite toy. Turn their bicycle upside down and let them work on it. No matter how good you are technically, you're only going to drive yourself nuts if you just let them run all over the backyard and try to chase after them.</p>