Getting kids to cooperate - your tips?

kitschenalia

kitschenalia

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I shoot largely my own kids but would like to progress soonish to offering free shoots to friends.... My daughter gets surly after a while - she's 5, and better at being still than my 2 year old boy (only just!). I think subconsciously she knows that I'll be frustrated if she runs off, or turns her back to me - etc. etc. so she does it.... whereas my 2 year old is a lovely little poser but loses interest quite quickly.

I need to practice on them, I want to nail a few things before offering even a free shoot... so far, bribery is my best method for Laura (and that makes me feel a bit desperate and weak :lol:), so am interested in your own methods. I also get her to tell a story/do sums/play with a toy etc. Any other ideas?
 
My daughter is eight and I have exactly the same problem. I just let her plan some shots , use the camera and we go with her ideas sometimes. However she will get bored soon.

When that happens...Bribery is the only way :D
 
Even in the STUDIO is can be IMPOSSIBLE to command attention. Some parents are absoliutely insane - the INSTANT a child even makes the smallest of "give me attention" noises, they run over, pick them up and....well you understand.

It's very hard.

G.
 
I find that lots of kids (especially girls) have ideas they want to try - so I always go with their suggestions then they're more open to try mine.

I agree with Gary though (not that I have a studio - but when I do kids in their homes and the parents want posed shots) - it would be far easier if the parents just left the room!
 
With my son Oliver who is 3, it's just patience, patience, patience, patience then i think **** it and offer him chocolate!

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That always works. Until he's sick:D
 
Merc, what a fantastic picture!

Brilliant ideas here, especially the idea of letting her use one of her own ideas - she's never mentioned anything but I'm excited to try it! I'm in the process of making her a gorgeous tutu for dressing up/my photography! I'll talk to her and turn it into a project and give her some control, she'll love it.

Alice/Gary - is there no tactful way to tell them to butt out? What a pain....
 
Being studio bound for the last 3 years one thing i have come to learn is that my clients are the children....if they are happy, the parents are and thats job done

i have an hour in the studio with each family so i have time on my side...i always start off with all of the family in case anyone is shy/moody/scared etc...by the time i get to just children they are generally relaxed and having fun....
The key to most things is communicate on their level..in more ways than one...
Never stand over them always kneel, sit..much easier for them to feel secure...i also have found that my knowledge of kids tv/toys etc comes in very handy....i always talk about peppa pig, thomas, power rangers, playstation games, colours of bedrooms, school names, best friends...essentially talk to them about THEIR world....ask them stuff that they will know...the younger you get you have to be more creative...act a little...usually i can be found to be making strange noises, funny faces, dancing about...i do look and sound like a plonker but my shots are winners....in the background i always have music playing, loud enough to take the edge off, but not too intrusive...high school musical goes down well with girls...and so on...develop your own way creating a good atmosphere in the session....on the whole if i find something isnt working, i change it quickly....make it fun...if it all sounds like a competition or you shout one two three they generally play along...i am firm with parents because i remain in control...be confident..you are the one in charge, dont be afraid to assert that control...
Its taken me years of being an assistant to get to know my gear, then the last 3 years learning to smooth out my people skills....
i can appreciate not everyone has my situation at hand...and i know there are many amateurs on here doing just as good as work as the us pros..if i can impart anything that may help then my time on here is well worth while....but im always looking to improve myself and the quality of photography on this is stunning...so i'll be hoping for some tips too!!
man what a lot of waffle...hope someone doesnt die reading through that lol....
 
2 barrels unloaded into the ceiling early on tends to concentrate their minds:exit:
 
I would also add - with my little one I am not hoping to capture her posing (although she does sometimes when she's in the mood! She also likes to see the shot afterwards on the lcd. Shes only one...)

Instead all my shots of her are of her acting naturally. I think with very young children this works better than trying to get them to pose. I'm not talking about a professional studio type shoot here though. I might take dozens of shots and only a few are good, but there again so long as I do get a few good ones I'm happy and I've achieved what I set out to do.

I guess I'm lucky in a way - Julia has had a camera pointed at her since she was ten minutes old. She's used to it and very comfortable with it, this enables me to capture those natural moments more easily.
 
Is superglue still frowned upon?
 
I tend to let them relax and be themselves. Show them the camera at first, they soon get bored and just play - have some stuff to take their minds off the camera. Take them to a park and stand back... I was at the park with the girl at the bottom and her mum (and my kids too) took a few shots and got them printed 9x7 black and white the mum loved them and one of the other parents at school has asked to me to photograph her kids at the park now... If it is for free you should feel no pressure and look on it as a learning exercise - after all you are not getting paid!

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I tend to shoot and hope for the best.:D
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Just realized these are my first pics posted on TP.:exit:
 
As mentioned above its patience patience patience and some more patience when it comes to toddlers. I did a few graduation photographs over the weekend where one of the boys was acting up. No smiles, no relaxation, nothing. Tried everything. In the end I just said that if he didn't smile I would come over and kick him in the gonads (in the right tone of voice of course). Strangely enough it worked and generated quite a few laughs. Making sure the ice has broken before hand and the parents are of the right type is essential, if you know what I mean.

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is that you have to capitalize on the moments as soon as they present themselves. For me, this is constantly looking through the view finder. As soon as you take it off your eye the moment usually passes.
 
Bes thing I have found to get kids interested in posing is to let them take a couple of photos, show them the screen and then ask them to pose for a photo.

of course, that's with a camera and lens worth £400, not sure i'd do it if it was approaching £2k :D
 
Harvey_nikon said:
Bes thing I have found to get kids interested in posing is to let them take a couple of photos, show them the screen and then ask them to pose for a photo.

of course, that's with a camera and lens worth £400, not sure i'd do it if it was approaching £2k :D
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Yeah that really helps. Good point.
 
sweets
dollies
and lastly
a whip
 
Harvey_nikon said:
Bes thing I have found to get kids interested in posing is to let them take a couple of photos, show them the screen and then ask them to pose for a photo.

of course, that's with a camera and lens worth £400, not sure i'd do it if it was approaching £2k :D
Click to expand...

I do the same. Kids love seeing their photo. I often point to a photo of the kids and say 'look it's a photo of mum/gran/dad/peppa pig', this often gets them chatting as they want to correct me and say 'no it's me'.

I have given up with my own kids, we frustrate each other. I get my mate to take photos of them in the studio and just take snapshots myself.
 
I read that waving toys around and having hyper enthusiastic parents making faces and loud noises is a bad move because it commands the childs attention for only a short time before their nerves get frazzled, they become extremely excited and quickly get worn out, and then they have a meltdown. The calm, patient, and non-bribery based approach was recommended. What do you think?
 
One of my first ever shoots was with a load of 7 year olds! Because I'm sat down in the wheelchair I'm at their height anyway, I just talked to them about their kinda stuff, stuff in their world. The parents were all happy with the shots.

It was my niece's 7th Birthday and she wanted a pretty princess photoshoot party! So not knowing much I willingly oblidged. It was fun. Though someone expected the fles as soon as I'd finished shooting, I was like "erm, no, I have to process them first!" :lol:
 
Some good tips here... I also show the kids some of the pics I take on the camera to make them involved. I also just say to them to jump up and down, as when they smile just after it is so natural.
 
dubcat said:
I read that waving toys around and having hyper enthusiastic parents making faces and loud noises is a bad move because it commands the childs attention for only a short time before their nerves get frazzled, they become extremely excited and quickly get worn out, and then they have a meltdown. The calm, patient, and non-bribery based approach was recommended. What do you think?
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ah hah! someone with brains!!!!!

the last thing i do is let parents help out..thats what the sofa at the back of the studio is for...be firm!!:bonk:
 


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despite a blurry hand she kept her head still
 
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