Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Kids and School Performances

Wherever you find kids, camera-toting parents are never far behind. (OK, they’re usually far behind, but doing their best to catch up.) And now that email makes it easier than ever for parents and grandparents to share those precious images with the world, the gross national production of kid photos has risen from gazillions to bajillions.

If you’re one of those parents, you’re right to capture those memories before childhood flies by. But try to sit still long enough to read this section. With a little technique, you can shoot photos that make your kids look even more gorgeous (just don’t expect the other parents to admit it).

Getting Great Kid Shots

Children are challenging for all photographers. They’re like flash floods: fast, low to the ground, and unpredictable. But with a little patience and perseverance, you can keep up with them and get the shot (Figure 3-12).

Figure 3-12. If you want great-looking kid shots, you’ve got to play on their turf. That means getting down on your hands and knees, or even your tummy.

Many of the action photography tips you learned at the beginning of this chapter are great for kid photos, too. Highlights include:

• Be prepared. Rule Number One for capturing great kid pictures is to have your camera handy at all times, charged and with memory card space to spare. Great kid shots come and go in the blink of an eye. Parents ...