Capture Golden Childhood Memories
By Harry Lew
28 Sep 2009
If you're a parent with young children, you're probably hard-wired for photography. You want to capture every precious moment, from their first halting step to their first day at school to their first prom. Problem is, it's tough to be objective. Your kids are wonderful, so every out-of-focus snap in garish light must be wonderful, too. Not!
If you have no plans to share your kid's photos with others, then don't sweat the light. But if you want to document their childhood and take photos that friends and family will swoon over, this article's for you.
The principles of child photography are similar to those of other forms of photography: compose artfully, expose correctly, shoot from the right vantage point, and take advantage of good light. For me, light tops the list. And the best light is the golden glow just before and after sunset.
As parents, it's tough not to take pictures of your kids all day long, even in horrible mid-day sun. But don't put down your camera at sunset. If the light is golden, move to the light and snap a picture.
Why is golden light so beautiful? For one thing, it gives everything in its path a luminous warmth. If you position you kids with their backs to the sun, then the sun will bathe their heads in a shimmering glow. For another, sweet light is made just for children. We feel warm and sentimental about our kids and the delicious light at day's end just accentuates and communicates those feelings.
How to grab those great shots in golden light? Here are a few pointers:
1. Don't let your kids flop on the sofa to watch TV after dinner. Get in the habit of taking them out for a walk or a bike ride, with camera in hand, of course.
2. Pay attention to how the light in your neighborhood behaves late in the day. Where do the warm shafts hit? Where do the shadows fall? How do these patterns change with the season? Use this knowledge to get your kids in position before the light show starts.
3. Always carry a camera with you when out and about with your children. Lighting effects can be unpredictable. You want to be ready for them.
4. Be flexible. I found that my daughter (who's now nine) loved to pose until she was about four. Then, all of a sudden, she began hiding from the camera. This lasted until quite recently, when she decided she liked being my model again. My advice: go with the flow. If your kids are good "models," let them pose. But don't force them. If they don't like their picture being taken, then become a stealth photographer, grabbing shots while they're busy playing. Either way, you can't go wrong when the light is breathtaking.
5. Get comfortable using your camera's spot meter. In backlit conditions, take a spot reading from their faces to keep the shot from being underexposed.
6. Get down on their level. Shooting from on high minimizes a child's stature, both literally and figuratively. Plus, since the light at this time of day is so great, shooting down squanders it. Try to frame your shots to grab as much colorful light as possible in the frame.
7. Get close. Don't hesitate to fill the frame with your child's face. Great young skin in great light is a winning combination.
8. Take lots of pictures. With digital cameras, there's no reason not to. And when the light is gorgeous, taking just one shot is a high-risk gambit. What if your child blinks or looks the wrong way?
9. Don't stop taking pictures in bad weather. Some of the best light occurs when storms clear just before sunset. As long as lightening bolts aren't flying, grab your kids, an umbrella, and your camera and wait for the light to turn electric.
10. When they get big enough, get them their own camera to take pictures of the golden hour. Or make a game out of sharing your own camera. The key is this: make picture taking at day's end fun, interesting, and special.
Your children are only young once. To capture golden memories of their childhood, get them playing in lovely light and . . . click!
2 responses
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Michael Adams gave props (29 Sep 2009):
Great article. Wonderful tips and an awesome set of pictures! My vote.
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Deseray Coil gave props (7 Oct 2009):
These are some great tips. I too enjoy the evening sunsetting light. Normally im at work during the sun rise hours so I have to settle for the sun set...
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