Photograph Your Child

LIKE NOBODY ELSE CAN

by Jerry A. Sierra

Versions of this article were previously published
in Studio Photography, Mothers Today, Bonus, Baby Talk, etc.

"Thou art thy mother's glass, and in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime"
William Shakespeare (Sonnet III)

EVER NOTICE HOW DRUGSTORE PORTRAITS OF CHILDREN MAKE them all look similar and uninteresting? There's little Jimmy, wearing his clean blue suit and a stiff smile on his face as he stands in front of a painted background. Is this how you know him? Is this the image you have of him when you think about him during the day? Would his grandparents recognize him like this?

You may have never thought about your children’s pictures that way. But then one day you notice a picture of your neighbor's little boy on top of their TV set and for a brief second you think you're looking at your own child. How can this be, given that both kids have totally different personalities?

Assembly line portraits of children seldom bother to show a child's uniqueness. The photographer's objective is to photograph as many different children in as little time as possible. One set-up, a few interchangeable backgrounds and lots of customers. How can this photographer, a stranger to your child and family, capture the child's essence of individuality, or determine which expressions would be timeless to those who know and love the child? He can't.

Some studios do take time to create a magical environment in which your children can be photographed at their best, but these are rare, and expensive. On the other hand, parents are privileged to see their children in ways that nobody else can. Their vision is private, unique and spontaneous, shared only with close friends or immediate family. But now, with today's automatic cameras, and a few basic rules, parents can learn to capture meaningful memories of their children as easy as professional photographers.

Children gladly share their magical world with anyone who shows interest. They are discovering so many things for the first time that their excitement alone makes them fascinating subjects. As they move, the world around them expands physically and mentally. Their new awareness manifests itself in the form of energy and unpredictability.

Parents are also experiencing many things for the first time. But along with that energy and excitement, they bear the responsibility for their children's health, safety, happiness and future. In their hearts they re-experience childhood through their children, while maintaining the balance of adulthood in their minds.

Good parents are enlightened by their role of parents and by their child. They seek to understand their children and childhood in general. They share their joy of discovery and their pain, willingly offering their time and energy to see the purity in their young one's smiles. It is this abundance of love, affection and devotion, this unequaled dedication and understanding, that makes parents ideal candidates to be their children's best photographers.

CAMERAS AND LENSES

Today's 35mm cameras have the advantage of automatically adjusting themselves to successfully photograph under a wide range of lighting situations. All you have to do is set the correct film speed, set the mode to automatic and you are ready to take great pictures. These cameras, although a bit more expensive and complicated than cartridge-loading, disc or instant cameras, will give you much better results and allow you to use a wide variety of accessories.

Another advantage of a 35mm camera is also the variety of lenses available. The three general types include the standard lenses, wide angle lenses and telephoto lenses.

Included with most camera purchases are the standard or normal lenses. These will vary in focal length from 50 to 55mm and will give you an image that looks about the same as it does to the naked eye.

Wide angle lenses will capture a wider expanse of the scene and will range from about 17 to 35mm (17 being the wider). These lenses require a more skilled approach and are not generally practical for photographing children.

Telephoto lenses range from 75 to 400mm and will get you closer to your subject without changing your position. A 105 or 135mm lens makes close-ups of faces easy to capture and is a great addition to any camera. If you want a variety of lenses, you do have an economical alternative - the zoom lens. This lens allows you to take a variety of views of your child without changing your position. I recommend that you choose something in the 40 to 135 range and that you stay away from the longer, bulkier lenses, some of which require that you use a tripod.

A WORD ABOUT FILMS

Choosing film is another vital decision you get to make while learning to take good pictures. The closer you match the film to your scene, the better the image will be. Here you have a choice of color prints, color slides, or black-and-white prints.

Films are available with different speeds, or sensitivities to light. This speed is indicated by an ISO rating: the higher the number, the more sensitive the film.

High speed films (ISO 250 and up) are "faster," or more sensitive to light, requiring less light for good exposures. However, these films don't give as good an image quality as slower films.

Medium speed films (ISO 60 -200) are less sensitive and require more light. These are the films most commonly used for general picture taking.

Slow films (ISO 50 and less) minimize grain but require much longer exposures. These are generally used with a tripod for nature or architectural studies.

For your purposes, I would recommend a medium-speed print film whenever possible.

Photograph Your Child, Conclusion

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