A child’s hands are delicate and beautiful and should
be included whenever possible. While it is basically im-
possible to pose children’s hands—other than by giving
them something to hold—you can gain some control by
varying the subject distance and focal length. If using a
short focal length lens, for example, hands will be close
to the camera and appear larger than normal. Using a
slightly longer-than-normal focal length sacrifices the in-
timacy of working close to the child, but corrects the per-
spective and controls this situation. Although holding the
focus of both hands and face is more difficult with a
longer lens, the size relationship between them will ap-
pear more natural. And if the hands are slightly out of
focus, it is not as crucial as when the eyes or face are soft.
While the vast majority of hand poses are not particu-
larly useful to this discussion, it should be noted that the
most flattering results are obtained when the edge of
the hand is photographed, as hands pointing straight into
the lens appear “stumpy.” Also, where possible, fingers
should be photographed with slight separation. While it
is impractical to do much about hands with children, it is
useful information to know.Three-Quarter- and Full-Length Poses.
Where children are concerned, the difference between
three-quarter length and full-length poses is slight. There
are a few things you should keep in mind, however.
A three-quarter-length portrait is one that shows the
subject from the head down to a region below the waist.
This type of portrait is best composed by having the bot-
tom of the picture be mid-thigh or below the knee and
above the ankles. You should never “break” the compo-
sition at a joint—at the ankles, knees, or elbows. It is vi-
sually disquieting.
A full-length portrait shows the subject from head to
toe. This type of portrait can be made standing or sitting,
but it is important to remember to angle the child to the
lens or adjust your camera position so that you are pho-
tographing the child from a slight angle. The feet, ordi-
narily, should not be pointing into the lens.56 CHILDREN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK
ABOVE—Moving in close can create an intimate pose—and Mom doesn’t have to put Baby down in a strange studio environment. Judy
Host made this delightful image with a Kodak DCS Pro 14n and a zoom lens set to the 65mm setting.
FACING PAGE—A newborn baby will be perfectly content when in its mother’s arms. Frances Litman made this wonderful portrait with
a Nikon D70 and 80–200mm f/2.8D ED AF Zoom-Nikkor lens set to the 90mm setting.