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Children .. Characters .. How to take the most beautiful pictures .. Photography book

Children

Children are excellent actors and their natural tendency to act makes it easy to take pictures. During a single session, the photographer finds himself rewarded for his efforts with a full range of expressions and gestures, ranging from anger to pure cheerfulness. Here you must avoid falling into the trap of illusory or false sensitivity that you often encounter in pictures of children and pets: this absurdity that the last century loved to represent. This deviation still appears in some photographers who try to give children expressions and feelings that they may not have, such as fear, fear, shyness, or even some manifestations of misery or dream.

When the child gets acquainted with the machine, he quickly forgets it in order to focus on something else. Children are less inclined than adults to contemplate their own pictures on the photographic paper. On the other hand, we cannot hope to leave them calm for more than a few minutes: they do not like to stay under the directed lights that warm and dazzle them, and for this it is advisable to use the electronic flash, knowing that the latter scares the little ones.

The photographer must be patient and try to understand the child's reactions. Even if you intend to make a classic picture, the result may be much less: in any case, you will often have to use tricks or sweets to achieve your goal. Experience has shown that it is easier for you to take very natural pictures full of spontaneous expressions by amusing yourself with taking pictures, even if for a short time. But you have to work quickly to capture the essence of the movement or expression of the child, which may not be repeated.

The importance of the point of view

This little boy was far from the children and did not participate in their play. I adopted a low point of view to increase the atmosphere of isolation and solitude ...
Leica Flex 1/125 sec. Aperture 8 Kodak Tri X

Without prior preparation

The photo on the opposite page was taken after a session of photographing the mother and son (indoors)
As I was leaving them, I turned suddenly to surprise this spontaneous and touching movement.
Rolliflex 1/250 sec. Aperture 11 Kodak Tri X

The unsuspecting children

This photo belongs to a group of photos taken in a children's park. Only one girl seems to have noticed the presence of the machine while the other children were unsuspecting.
Hasselblad Electronic Flash Aperture 8 Kodak Tri X

The children in their surroundings:

Children are naturally drawn to certain outdoor places: schoolyards, public parks, zoos and even the streets: indeed, they often prefer the street. You will certainly succeed in capturing wonderful pictures of spontaneous movements if you have the patience to wait for the children to be satisfied with you in their own world. The weather conditions have little effect on their games, which take place in the blazing sun, in the rain or in the snow. You can get better results with a 35mm camera, and it is better to have two. Since you have to work very quickly, do not waste your time adjusting, estimate the approximate distance to move it later on the lens distance scale. Anticipate the children's reactions by observing their play. Adjust the shutter speed in advance, no less than 1/125 sec. Also prepare the pupil before you start shooting, risking having to recalibrate it if the lighting conditions change quickly, as happens at nightfall.

A group of children approached me and began to take an interest in what I was doing. On the other side of the street, a little girl was looking at the scene indifferently.

I obtained this series of photographs by observing a street and the movement of the people who live in it: I began by photographing the old man on his doorstep.

When the children saw the camera, they began to play in front of it without being invited to do so, since the children have been created actors, so it is often difficult to photograph them in natural poses.

Just as the children's scene was coming to a head, the little girl across the street was starting to show interest in the action.

Objective shot

A good place for a happy baby is in the water, but not in a regular bath. I've simplified this shot with a blue tub, a blue hat and a blue-green surroundings. I used a quick shot to capture the little model's ever-changing expressions and poses.
Rolliflex 1/250 f/6.3 Actachrom HS

Unprepared pose

This shot is more expressive than if I had just positioned the girl comfortably. The simple background helps to show the animal's movement and impressive figure.
Leicaflex 1/250 f/8

Cunning and trickery

I told the children that I would take the first one to the swing: they jostled and fought for first place. The photographer has to be ready to capture events like this in real time. There is no time to change the calibre or the aperture
Leica Flex 1/30 sec Aperture 16 Octachrom EX