Comments on: Dealing with an Uncooperative Subject

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:03:50 +0000

Good article, as a portrait photographer, having to deal with kids in a studio/family environment that only allows 20mins per session. I don't have the gift of spending 15min just talking nor getting down on the childs level, but what I have found in posing the child is just be yourself, nonthreating and patince with your directions and commands in what you want, does it capture all the nature juice of the child, not always but you will get a good family portrait

By: Shannon

Shannon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:37:26 +0000

I have found that one of the best ways to photograph people for portraits is to use a tripod and a cable release, and simply set up to shoot them, and then stand off to the side with the cable release in hand and chat with them. Light direction, while chatting, distracting them from the camera, really... and you can usually get several pictures without them even knowing, unless you use flash. I did an on location portrait shoot like that once where I was all done, and they never knew I'd taken the first shot! But they loved the results so much that I got quite a bit of word-of-mouth advertising.

By: digi dude

digi dude — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:37:42 +0000

For me the only possible way to take a good photo of a kid is not to ask him to pose, but shoot him when he is busy doing something. I didn't photograph children for money, but those good children photos i have are all candid.

By: Tim Solley

Tim Solley — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:23:56 +0000

I photograph kids, and they can be a real chore. I have the most success just being a kid too, playing with them and gaining their trust. I find it's often worth 15 minutes of playing around without shooting to establish rapport with the child before I even break out the camera. Time well spent.