I don't know if you have seriously tried to photograph children. Probably yes, surely you are here because reality has hit you in the face and desperately look for solutions when you see that it is one of the most frustrating and complicated things that exist with wild animal photography . Why is so difficult? You will think. Well, basically because there are so many things that can go wrong, essentially because there are many things beyond your control ;). From the humor that children have at that time, the desire to participate, boredom, the impression you make them ... And then there are you and the things that could go wrong in a current session ... that are not few. But beyond various errors such as composition, boring images, wrong costumes, poor exposure, etc., etc. ... the problem that is most abundant in children's photography is undoubtedly the approach. How many wonderful photo possibilities have ended up in the bin because of a bad approach? Right? Well, we are going to try to solve this article because we are not going to allow you in any way to run out of decent photos of your sons and daughters, nephews, nieces (or clients, if what you want is to focus on children's photography).

WHY IS FOCUS ON THE IMAGE SO IMPORTANT?

Because the focus directs our gaze to what we want to highlight. It tells us what the meaning of the image is or even in what order we should interpret it . A focus error is an error reading our image. And if our image does not say what we wanted to say, if it does not express what we were looking for, our image loses all its reason for being.

The focus directs our gaze @alexadeblois

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO GET A GOOD FOCUS ON PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHILDREN?

Well, this is almost a rhetorical question, a shout to heaven with hands on the head. Surely you already know, surely if you are reading this article it is because you have experienced frustration in your own meats Basically the problem is that they move a lot. That said, like little wild animals . Now, that has no remedy, or at least it has no remedy that lasts more than 5 minutes, especially if what you like is to photograph them in their sauce, free and without posing too much. But don't despair, because there are some tricks that can make your life easier, let's see which ones.

TRICKS TO GET FOCUSED IMAGES

Apart from the distracting elements that you can use to try to make your kids stand still like dolls, soap bubbles, balloons, etc., there are a series of photographic adjustments that will make your life much easier .

USE A SMALL DIAPHRAGM APERTURE (HIGH F / VALUE)

As you will know, the aperture of the diaphragm is directly related to the amount of light input from the lens to the sensor. The more open the diaphragm opening is , the more light will enter the sensor and vice versa. But it is not only related to the amount of light input, but also to the depth of field of the image . Depth of field is the focused area of the image. This is larger with smaller diaphragm openings (high values such as f / 16 of / 22) and smaller with larger diaphragm openings (low values such as f / 1.4, f / 2.8 of / 4). To have a larger area focused on the image, and thus ensure better the focus of the children you want to photograph, it is best that you work with somewhat elevated depths of field, such as f / 16. So you can keep children in focus with relative ease. Now, the counter is that you won't be able to blur the background when you need it. With such closed apertures (great depth of field), most image will come into focus; For better and for worse . To work with high depths of field you will need a place with a lot of light, to be able to combine a sufficiently high aperture of diaphragm and a speed that allows children not to move.

With a higher f / value, the three faces could have been focused

USE A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH SHUTTER SPEED

Sometimes, what we think is a focus error is simply a somewhat moving image. To photograph children or other protagonists in motion, you have to work with shutter speeds high enough to freeze the movement. It will depend on the light and the level of movement to determine the minimum speed to freeze the scene, but remember that the longer the focal length you are working with, the more speed you will need. Which brings us to the next tip.

USE THE BRIGHTEST LENS YOU HAVE

If you have several optics, try to use the one that is brighter . Combining closed diaphragm openings and high shutter speeds will ensure a good focus, but will require a good dose of light input . A good option if you want to dedicate yourself to the photography of children (and if not also) are the king of the objectives or the prince.

Use the brightest optics you have

SET YOUR CAMERA WITH FOCUS PRIORITY

With this priority mode, the camera understands that until what we have selected to focus is not well focused, it should not shoot. In this way, you will not take any images until your protagonist or what you have chosen is in focus. This system is very effective for getting well-focused images, but it can also be something desperate when it is hard to focus for a certain reason (confusing backgrounds, low light, etc.) and can cause you to lose photos that you would prefer to have even if something was out of focus. You must take it into account and see if this system works for you or makes you desperate .

CHOOSE AF-C OR AI SERVO AUTOFOCUS FOR MOVING SCENES

This focusing system is designed to photograph moving elements. With the shutter button pressed halfway, the camera keeps track of what is in motion and we want to photograph. Once we decide that we want the photo, you just have to press the shutter all the way down. This type of autofocus will be very useful for, for example, football, basketball, handball, etc. games, but also races in the mountains, on the street or at home .

Moving scenes like sports with children

EITHER THE AF-A OR AI FOCUS

It is very likely that the scene in front of you is static and quickly becomes a moving one. This is the function of this type of approach; to be able to move from a static scene to a moving one “following” the subject that we have indicated without losing focus. I dare to venture that this is probably the system that can work best for you to photograph children, although, of course, about tastes ...

SET THE FOCUS AREA TO DYNAMIC

This means that you tell your camera what is the point to focus on and it focuses on that point and the surrounding area (you indicate the number of points around the main where it can move). Thus, if something is set in motion and moves from the main point, the focus remains in the dynamic area around it.

AVOID THE PARALLAX ERROR

What what? Yes, don't be scared, surely (like everyone) you have ever done it. Does that sound of focusing at some point, keeping focus and reframe? Well, although it may not seem like it, it makes you lose the right focus, because even if it is imperceptible, when you focus and move the camera, you are losing focus on your protagonist. And finally, if you want a good 100 tips on how to photograph boys and girls without losing your smile , I recommend this article before you start. It reads in a moment and is full of good advice . I know that photographing children is complicated (from my own experience) but it is also very fun and rewarding. Just remember to think about these little adjustments before you start photographing your girls and boys and forget about thinking about it later. The photographs become something so valuable that it is worth a little effort to create a beautiful memory of the most tender time of our lives, right? I hope you found this article useful. If so, please do not hesitate to share it on your favorite social network to reach as many people as possible. Thank you and see you next time.

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