Taking pics of kiddos?

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Question:

I'm taking pictures of 3 cousins, all boys ages 6, 4, and 3 months!.
I'm taking them outside at the fulton mansion in rockport tx (big green grassy lawn, and some yellow stone steps mostly) the boys are wearing matching blue polos and khakis!. I'm not sure what poses would be good for the older boys AND the baby!.!.!. Any helpful hints on taking pictures of kids and kids WITH a baby would be great! thanks!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

A six year old, a four year old and a three month old baby!? All at the same time!? This is like asking 'How do you do an appendectomy on a rollercoaster with only a hammer and a screwdriver!?' Any of these kids would be hard to shoot all by himself!. Each age presents a little different situation!. All three of them together is going to be very difficult!. You might consider taking pictures of them seperately, or at least in twos!.

Well, let's see!. For starters, keep them out of direct sunlight!. Sunlight will make them squint, and in the shade you'll get better colors!. also in the shade the actual direction of the light, the position of the sun, is not as important!.

Very important with kids, you have to keep them in a good mood!. You want them to smile a natural smile!. A six year old and even a four year old will often be told to 'smile' when taking a picture and will make a fake-looking smile because they think that's what you want!. My wife has a nephew that always took pictures this way, and their family album is full of pictures of him makig this terrible grimace-looking smile!. Most kids you can tell them a joke or make a funny face or something so they're not even aware that they're smiling!.

You might have the six year old hold the baby!. If the baby is comfortable with him (and he's comfortable holding the baby) you will at least keep the baby in the right position!.

As for the pose, well you have to work with what you have!. Sitting on the lawn or arranged however seems natural on furniture or sitting on the steps or on a big rock!. You might even think about having them lie on their backs on the lawn and standing over them!. See what's available and use your imagination!.

There's a trick I sometimes use with little kids, 2 or 3 years old, which might work with the 4 year old!. Kids are distrustful or even a little frightened when you point a camera at them!. Sometimes they're all happy and smiling but as soon as they see the camera they frown!. So I let the kid look through the camera, pointing at me!. I wave and smile like an idiot! "I can see you! Can you see me!? Can you see me!? Here I am!" Of course the kid can see you, and he thinks this is pretty cool!. Then I take the camera and look at him!. "Hey, I can see you too!" And he smiles a big smile and I get the picture!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I had a creative pose idea, but I'm not sure if it would work!. Actually I have 2!. 1 of them is more of a natural, sitting in the grass with the baby being propped up front and center!.
The other is kinda odd, and hard to explain!.
Have the 3 month old laying straight up and down!. Then the other 2 kids sideways!. One on each side!. The top of their head near the babys side!. Have some shots where the one older kid has their head near the left shoulder and the 4 year old has his head by the babies right leg!. Just play around with it a little!. That probably doesn't make any sense, but I don't know how else to explain it!. lolWww@QuestionHome@Com