Never work with animals and children
By Greg Beyer
W.C. Fields once said, “Never work with children or animals.” But he was an actor, not a photographer. In this article, we’ll look at the first part of this tenet and ask “why not?” Text and photograph by Greg Beyer
Capturing a good image of our loved ones, whether human, canine or feline, is not always easy. Children, in particular, are a big part of our lives and keeping a photographic record of how they grow is important.
Children under two years of age and pets won’t respond to our requests to sit still or to face the camera as they simply don’t understand.
Consequently, if we want good photos of our family or pets, it’s necessary to take account of their thoughts and needs as well as maintaining a healthy dose of tolerance and persistence. In this issue, let’s talk just about children. Controlling the environment in which we photograph our kids can help us obtain the expressions and mood we’re after.
For instance, when taking photos of newly born babies, it’s important that they are comfortable, are well fed and not too far from Mum. How the baby is feeling will have a bearing on how your pictures will turn out – if he or she’s a bit sick, it would be wise to wait until they’re well. I’ve found that morning, just after a feed, is a good time to be taking photos of infants and small children but not every child will fit into this category.
Parents will know those periods of the day when their child is more likely to be happy and this is when the camera should come out. And always pay attention to the temperature in the room as you’ll want to unravel the infant’s blankets for shots and your little one will need to stay warm.
You can begin by placing mother and her baby beside a window. You can have them seated or standing – whatever is most comfortable for Mum. Using the window as a natural light source, get Mum to cuddle and interact with her baby as she would normally and start taking pictures. Avoid using a flash as it’ll distract or disturb the baby and it’s sure to destroy the mood created by the natural light.
Keeping the child close and snug to Mum will help the child relax, allowing you to zoom in close. It may take patience but if both parent and child are comfortable and communicating with each other, there will be moments worth capturing. You may wish to do a similar thing with Dad, all the while keeping the child content and comfortable. If you have an SLR camera, it’s a good idea to shoot with a macro lens because it’ll allow you fill the frame. And because you’re using window light, open your aperture to take advantage of the natural light falling on your subjects.
This will have the added benefit of allowing you to decrease the depth of field, thus highlighting your child. When photographing slightly older children, put them in an environment where they’ll be comfortable such as their playground, the toy room or the backyard.
Again, having Mum or Dad about will help them to relax but make sure they don’t make demands upon the child. Parents often intervene with commands such as ‘smile!’ or ‘look at the man!’ and these interruptions will only displace the child from what was an otherwise natural and comfortable setting. Above all, be patient. Follow children as they stumble around their environment, kneeling or walking at their height and letting them play as if you weren’t there.
Doing so will eventually yield some expressions and moments worth capturing. Or try engaging the child in an activity. Mum, Dad, or another sibling can interact with the child by giving them a small task to perform such as fetching a toy or playing a game. Any activity that keeps the child excited will be great for photos.
When taking photographs of children or animals, remember to try and think at their level and to understand what they’re experiencing. That way, you can better plan your photography session to capture those special moments. Greg Beyer can be contacted via his website at www.beyerphotography.com.au
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