Every family has a camera shy kid. I should know, I was one of them, and videography certainly wasn’t my strong suit growing up. I have since broken out of my shell. However, O has inherited my shy gene. However, recently he made a special request that surprised us all. He told me that he wanted to do a video.
Before he could change his mind, I grabbed my Canon DSLR Camera and tripod and began prepping for our shoot. O grabbed his favorite car, Lightning McQueen, and patiently waited for me to set everything up.
“What do you want the video to be about?” I asked.
“My cars,” she shouted.
I was pleased to see how well he followed directions. He also came up with his own ideas on how to make the video interesting. “I want to make Lightning McQueen black,” he said.
He proceeded to take his “color changing Lightning McQueen” car into the bathroom and with a little help from his big sis, he demonstrated how to change the Disney Car different colors.
It wound up being a pretty fun video and it took less than 10 minutes to make. As you can tell, he was excited and happy to talk about his favorite toys. That said, if you’re having a hard time getting your camera shy kid to take photos, here are a few helpful videography and photo tips.
7 videography and photo tips tips camera shy kids.
Start by taking candid photos. Some of the best pictures I’ve ever taken of my kids are when they don’t know they’re being photographed. I like to capture moments when they’re having fun. For a family photograher Hermosa Beach contact Della Ripa Photography. If you do this, eventually your kiddos will open up and want to pose for the camera. You can also consider hiring a professional photographer. For a family photographer Peachtree City call Cedar Hill Studio.
Keep the flash off. Some kids, especially babies are startled by flash. I love taking advantage of natural sunlight. I find that the best times to photograph are close to sunrise or sunset, as opposed to high noon when the sun is at its highest angle. This can cause shadows. I also love shooting on overcast days. If you have a DSLR camera you can always adjust your settings to compensate for lighting. You may also consider hiring a school photography professional to take pictures of your kids using better camera equipment.
Use props. You’ll rarely see a photo of O without a toy in his hand. He loves his cars and trucks so much that he sleeps with them. Whenever it’s time to take a photo, he usually grabs a toy. It keeps him entertained and ready to say “cheese” for the camera. If you’re looking for family photographer Highland contact Jill Daugherty Photography. Parents may also use custom designed photography backdrops to make the photoshoot more exciting for the kids.
Follow your child’s lead. Princess is usually the one wanting to shoot videos. Whenever we ask O if he’d like to be in them, he may pop in and then leave. If there’s food involved, he’ll hang around to eat. So when he came to me and said he wanted to make his own video, I happily obliged.
Make it fun. O chose the topic and because he loves cars so much it he had a great time filming, and probably would have kept going. I kept the questions short and allowed him to answer and show off his personality.
Keep it short. As I mentioned, this video took less than 10 minutes. That’s all you really need. O is only two, so I didn’t want to overwhelmed him with a long video shoot. When it comes to still shots, he’ll give me about five minutes. So I didn’t expect differently in this case.
Know when to call it quits. If your camera shy little one refuses to get in front of the camera, there’s no need to insist that they do. I believe that NOT insisting that O take pictures or take part in videos allows him to go at his own pace. Forcing the issue would have probably built up resentment and a phobia of taking pictures, and we certainly don’t want that to happen.
The bottom line is that when it comes to videography and still photos, it’s important to know your kids’ likes and dislikes. So whenever parents ask me how I get my children to cooperate during video and photo shoots, I share these simple tips. I hope you also find them helpful.
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