Children
have a natural charm on camera and, if you know how to photograph them well, this can really shine through
and get you some great photos.
However,
knowing how to photograph children is only half the battle; having well-behaved
children to shoot with makes your job a thousand times easier!
Luckily
for you, there are some tips and tricks which can help you along the way to
having angelic little darlings on camera.
1. Be mindful of their energy levels
Children
are notorious for being full of beans one moment and having a tiredness-induced
tantrum the next, so you need to be wary of this before you start filming.
Similarly,
if your child is still having naps during the day, it’s absolutely essential
that you don’t force them to be in front of a camera during the time that they
would usually be napping - in fact, doing that is almost a surefire way to have
a grumpy and grizzly child on your hands.
On
this, we spoke to Filming With Kids who said: “Children just can’t
regulate their energy levels in the same way that adults are able to. Because
of this, if you want to get the best out of them on camera, you have to pay
close attention to the patterns in their energy levels.
“Planning
your shooting time around the schedule of your kids rather than going by your
own schedule is really the only way to overcome this and, despite potentially
being inconvenient, you should see results.”
2. Use a reward system
Using
a reward system to encourage kids to behave in an age old technique and is so
popular because it really does work.
Not
only will rewarding the kids for their good behaviour encourage them to
continue throughout the day, it will also lift their spirits during a
potentially long day of shooting.
However,
as time goes on, kids are less likely to be inspired by the classic
sticker-on-the-wall-chart technique, so you’re going to have to get creative to
get your desired reaction.
If
you’re stuck for ideas on possible reward systems for your kids, this jar and cotton
ball method has
proven to be successful!
3. Be as prepared as possible
Being
filmed and photographed can be an incredibly tiring affair for children,
especially if it goes on for a long time. Because of this, it’s crucial that
you’re prepared to keep your kids sweet during the shooting process.
It
goes without saying that they shouldn’t be hungry, tired, or thirsty at any
point during shooting, but you also need to keep them entertained during the
more boring times, such as setting up, because bored children tend to be
misbehaving children.
Bringing
toys and games into the mix is a great way to keep the little ones entertained
and lift their spirits if they’re getting tired or grouchy. You could even take
it one step further and hire a baby wrangler - whose job is to entertain
children and get the required reactions out of them on camera - to take the
pressure off yourself.
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