Photographing Kids

Laura Rose is on the move after her clients with the Tamron SP 24-70mm VC lens.

Article by Jenn Gidman

Images by Laura Rose

Laura has been using the Tamron SP 24-70mm VC lens for her most recent children's sessions. "The images I've taken with this lens are so sharp, and the Vibration Compensation is awesome for low-light shots," she says. "I also love shooting with a zoom with children. The kids move so much and their attention span is so limited that you could lose 10 great shots while you're changing your lens. And the F/2.8 maximum aperture gives me those blurred-out backgrounds I love. That allows me to show the child's environment without it taking away from my subject."

Aiming for a clean, bright aesthetic is Laura's preference when taking children's portraits, but she emphasizes that you have to determine your own personal style. "I like my images to be airy and uncluttered, but everyone's different," she says. "Think about what you want your aesthetic to be: a portrait-style, controlled environment inside the studio, for example, or more free-form candids. A great starting point is to think about what type of photos you like in general and then gravitate toward that style with the lines, colors, and textures in your own work."

Laura usually asks the parents to bring their child dressed in clothes that feel like the child without being too distracting. "I don't want any items with huge logos or clothing that's too loud," she says. "And if I'm doing a session with a younger child, I'll suggest clothes that are soft and baby-feeling. In general, though, I feel clothing is a personal choice. You want to be true to that child and put him in something that feels and looks natural on him. You also want to make sure you bring an extra change of clothes (anything can happen at a session!) and that what he;s wearing is comfortable - if not, that can trigger a total meltdown."

Choosing an appropriate backdrop sets the scene for Laura's sessions. "First I try to figure out where the best light will fall on my subject's face, and then I pick the best backdrop from that," she says. "I also want ample distance between the child and the background: The closer you are, the more the background is going to be in focus. I prefer for the background to drop off and blur out as much as possible, which I'm able to do well with the 24-70. Ideally, if it's a sunny day and you have splashes of light filtering onto a background of grass and trees, it can make for a beautiful image with an almost painterly feeling."

What time of day Laura shoots depends on the season and the child. "You can be creative and find ways to take pictures any time of day, but the morning light is amazing, especially in the summer," she says. "Clients are sometimes intimidated by doing a shoot so early, but their kids are usually up early anyway, so why not just get started!"

Late afternoon can also be an ideal time in terms of lighting, though there are caveats. "Late-afternoon light can be great not only because of the light, but because it's not as hot at that time of day, especially during the summer," Laura says. "You won't get a series of images with the kid's hair plastered in sweat to her head! However, you have to go with when the child is at her best. If she just got home from school and is exhausted, that's not going to work, no matter how wonderful the lighting is."

Laura always brings her reflector with her, though sometimes she employs other creative methods to bounce the light onto her young subjects. "If you're shooting really young children down on the ground, some of the green from the grass may end up on the child's neck or chin," she explains. "Putting the child on a white blanket can help solve that problem. I also sometimes wear white pants and a light-colored shirt - I'm so close to the kids when I'm taking pictures of them that this just bounces a little extra light onto them. My pants are the fill!"

Settling on the right angle often depends on the time of day (and the shadows) and the age of the child. "Shooting from above is often ideal when you're working in direct light," Laura explains. "When you have them look up, that light in their eyes can be amazing. Plus it raises their chin, which lessens the harshness of the undereye shadows. The children's eyes also seem much bigger when they're gazing up at you. For at least half of my typical sessions, though, I'm usually on the ground, especially if I'm taking pictures of a baby on her belly or a young child sitting or crawling."

For Laura, building a relationship with her young clients is paramount to a successful session. "The more comfortable you can make them feel, the better results you're going to get," she says. "For the really young kids (under the age of 4), that means having the parents close by so they don't feel that separation anxiety."

For younger babies, asking the parents to come with a favorite rattle or toy can also help the session go smoothly. "This can help get the baby to look at you when you're trying to take their picture," Laura explains. "And if they need to hold the toy to stay occupied, at least it's a favorite toy from home that will stay true to the child if it ends up in the image - it's not just some generic prop."

Establishing this comfort level might mean you have to ask the parents to bow out on occasion. "I've only done it one time, but once I had to delicately ask the parents to step out for a little bit - they were stressing their young daughter out, jumping around and feeding her candy," Laura says. "Half of the shots I was taking were of the little girl chewing on gummy bears. Once the parents left, the child was so much more relaxed."

When photographing children, it's critical to move quickly and figure out the most logical sequence for your session. "First of all, you typically have to use a fast shutter speed to keep up with them," she says. "The VC on that 24-70 is also handy in this regard, because it keeps everything steady when there's a lot of movement!

Thirty minutes is the average time period Laura has found most kids can withstand before they start losing patience. "What I usually do before the shoot is figure out what my goals are for the day," she says. "If I'm photographing a bunch of siblings, I try to take whatever group shot the parents want first - it's hard to come back to that at the end. Then I try to shoot the youngest kid individually next, because the attention span is often so short. Finally, I move onto the older siblings. You have to be ready to go as soon as you start and realize that you might get five minutes or you might get an hour."

Although some photographers prefer to shoot for a few minutes, then hold back and wait for the next shot to materialize before their lens, Laura makes sure she's taking pictures during the entire session. "It may just be my personal style, but I feel like I've got to stay engaged and keep photographing for the duration, especially when I'm taking pictures of kids individually," she says. "I never want to miss that perfect moment."

To see more of Laura Rose's work, go to www.lauraerose.com.