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FAMILYPORTRAITTIPS
Engaging children for
better portraits
Entertaining kids will make for more powerful images
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Slower shutter for creative results
Panning as kids whiz past will freeze their faces and blur
their movements and the background. To do this, use AI Servo AF
mode to track focus on your subject. Select a slow shutter speed
(between 1/30 sec and 1/250 sec), and try using Shutter Priority,
so the camera calculates the aperture and ISO. Half-press the
shutter to focus on the child as you pan and they enter the frame,
and then fully press the shutter when they’re in front of you.
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Suggest some
favourite activitiesChildren relax quickly when you
show interest in their favourite
games and activities. As they
become absorbed in their
activities, great photo
opportunities can emerge. Using
a wide-angle lens means you can
include some environmental
details, for example parts of their
bedroom or the garden, which
help with storytelling in your
photographs. Also look for what
makes their home unique, and
incorporate those elements into
your shots for creative results.Motion blur can add a
great sense of dynamism
to your people picturesLENS PICK
35mm prime