Ok, experts - how do I tackle this one? I haven't managed to get a nice picture of my girls together since the littlest was about 9 months old. She's now 2 and a half. The problem I have is that the eldest (4) takes a while to warm up to having her photo taken (after the half-hour of promises of bribery), the littlie has a very short attention span. So I get pictures of one grumpy, one beautiful smile and then the little one wanders off or starts hitting people. Or something. My only idea is to buy new outfits and do pretty hair to get the eldest interested. Seems a bit excessive, though. Any ideas? Be very grateful! My back up plan is to put the camera on a tripod, take them separately and blend but I'd quite like them to be interacting! Thanks!
IF they are your own kids.. good luck! I have the same problem with mine. But they take pictures well for other people.
Oh, one of those things! I might try getting my brother-in-law to take the pictures then. He's more of an arty macro type (amateur) photographer but it might work!
I feel your pain - I have three little girls - 5,3, and 2. I cannot get all three of them in a good picture to save my life. I wish I had tips for you, but I don't.
For my kids I put the camera on rapid shutter and then start singing silly songs, making faces, etc. i also let them make so many silly faces for every nice one and let them look at the silly ones in between. seems to work lately.
Very much like the above post from Stephanie (HapEScrapr), but there is a great post on the Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics with tips from photographer Robert Shultz on shooting children here, and with an imbedded link to an interview with more tips... kinda just preset your camera, play before-hand a bit and shoot in bursts? all the best to you with it!
I have twin girls and for the first 4 yrs of their lives I don't have a t have a single photo where they are both smiling! lol
Thanks for the tips, links and solidarity, ladies! Ideas going to have to wait as the eldest is throwing up today. So the little one will be tomorrow... Nice to see (from Nettie's link) that my north facing windows have a use, lol! Finding somewhere in the house with a nice backdrop is such a pain, as well. Perhaps I should have thought of doing this a little earlier in the year. I'm going to try the rapid shoot thing, see if I can get them giggling about something. Maybe I need to appear in a silly hat or something I think the bribery is something to fall back on in a couple of years. The little one is only two and a half and only really understands bribery if she gets it NOW and unless I want the chocolatey-face portrait, that not going to work. Although it'd make a great layout! ETA : Just saw a link to this on twitter : http://www.chambanamoms.com/2009/11/18/take-your-best-shot-tips-for-photographing-your-kids/ I love the tip in the first comment - My trick for getting natural smiles is to ask for a mad face, a monster face, a sad face, a silly face, until the child can’t help but give you a natural smile.
I actually do that with my girls, first I ask for a silly face, or monster face, or sad face, then I ask for a happy face. It usually works, if you ask for a bunch of different kinds of faces they start making them and don't even think twice when you ask for a happy face . Also I make silly faces at them and they make them back, and then almost always they giggle or give a natural smile after. I had one really difficult little girl who I couldn't get a good smile outta her to save my life. I swear it was straight out of friends (the Monica/Chandler engagement photo debacle). The only way I got a good one was when she'd make a silly face first and then laugh at herself. Another trick is to stick a lollipop or other favorite candy top, I saw this and thought it was a pretty cute idea!
