Children photography tips

Gear:

• Prime lens – Leave the zoom in your bag as by the time you've zoomed in and focused your child will have ran off out of frame.

Technique:

Let them be kids
If the child isn't having fun they'll easily become bored and as a result, will be less co-operative so make sure they're enjoying themselves on your shoot. If you're indoors ask them to show you their favourite toys or if it's sunny outside get them to take you around the garden on a mini adventure. If they start to get bored a sweet treat such as a lolly will rarely get turned down and is something that works really well as a prop.

Don't force smiles
Asking a child to 'smile for the camera' is something we hear every day but a smile isn't always necessary. When they're directed they will often pull their face into a toothy grin which can look forced. Instead, capture them while they're playing or even day-dreaming as there eyes are more likely to be wide-open and their face more relaxed.

Crop in close
Head to toe shots which show a child playing are fun to look at but for images which are visually more interesting crop into the child's face, focusing on their eyes. Remember to make sure the eyes are sharp as if they're not, the portrait will look lifeless and less captivating.

Watch your backgrounds
Don't get carried away clicking the shutter button without checking what's behind your child first. After all, you don't want to get back in front of your computer to find that a good shot would have been a great shot if only you'd have moved a few steps. If you don't have the space to move disguise what's in the background by using a larger aperture to throw it out of focus.

Change your view
You're much taller than your child so most of the time you end up shooting photos that have a bird's eye view. For shots with a different perspective and more intimacy get down to their eye level. To create even more impact shoot from ground level looking up at them.

Consistent light
Look for areas of consistent, even light. If you're indoors, move next to a large window where plenty of natural light falls through. For outdoor shoots you'll need to use more direction but doing something as simple as kicking or throwing a football in the direction you want them to head will get them running into the right patch of light in no time.

Fill-in flash
If you find shadows form under the nose etc. try adding a little flash to fill them in with light.