How to photograph active children???

[Miocene]

Can anyone give me some advice / pointers / directions on how to get good action shots of our three little ones?

Kit I have is a Canon 100D with standard kit lens, F1.8 50mm prime and basic flash gun.

I get the odd good photo, but they're few and far between when the kids are moving. Still is much easier, for obvious reasons.

Is there another lens that would help? I keep thinking of something with a bit more zoom get in close, but have quite frankly no idea what would suit.

This is largely outside, but occasionally inside (i.e. kids parties)

[toohuge]

It depends on what you define as good...

At the moment, where are your shots lacking? Is it simply, the lack of focal length - i.e. you are not close enough?

Or are some of your images displaying a technique issue - focus etc?

[GetCarter]

You have the lens but probably not the software. Get (rent) Lightroom.

[singlecoil]

You will never get good pictures of children (or anything else for that matter) with on-axis flash. So if you are shooting indoors get yourself a bounce flash unit such as

https://amazon.co.uk/YONGNUO-YN600EX-RT-Profession...

and bounce the flash off the ceiling or a wall. Your indoor photos will improve dramatically.

[eltawater]

Show some examples of what you consider to be your bad photos (ones which are binned straight away or which you just missed the shot on) and we can advise better.

I've photographed quite a few kids parties and also Morris Dancers. You'd be surprised how similar techniques apply to both genres. They both typically involve lots of movement in different directions with either sticks, balloons or limbs flailing around to confuse your autofocus just at the wrong moment, and the lighting can be difficult too.

[threespires]

I like to use TV at around 320 for moving objects in daylight with my 100D. What settings do you like to use?

[Miocene]

toohuge said:

Or are some of your images displaying a technique issue - focus etc?

I'd definitely say this... Problems with the focus being, well, in focus quite frankly.

Some light reading online suggests using centre point focus, whereas mine is generally set to choose it's own focus points.

GetCarter said:

You have the lens but probably not the software. Get (rent) Lightroom.

Completely correct, lack of time and ability certainly restricts me.

singlecoil said:

You will never get good pictures of children (or anything else for that matter) with on-axis flash. So if you are shooting indoors get yourself a bounce flash unit such as

https://amazon.co.uk/YONGNUO-YN600EX-RT-Profession...

and bounce the flash off the ceiling or a wall. Your indoor photos will improve dramatically.

I have a similar model, which admittedly seems to have given up the ghost recently.

eltawater said:

I've photographed quite a few kids parties and also Morris Dancers. You'd be surprised how similar techniques apply to both genres. They both typically involve lots of movement in different directions with either sticks, balloons or limbs flailing around to confuse your autofocus just at the wrong moment, and the lighting can be difficult too.

That's exactly the problem I'd say, getting the focus correct and I suppose knowing the best settings to start off with in different scenarios.

threespires said:

I like to use TV at around 320 for moving objects in daylight with my 100D. What settings do you like to use?

I tend to use AV mode and let the rest sort itself out.

Edited by Miocene on Wednesday 10th April 20:41

[Brads67]

Stick with your set up as it is, and supplement your technique with Calpol.

[anonymous-user]

Bounce flash inside will help soften the lighting, but obviously not much use outside (ignoring fill flash and other lighting techniques)

when I used to take kiddie photos I always used a zoom as it gives you a degree of separation so they act more naturally and you don't have to change your position to get that one shot.
Probably a bit of overkill but I used a 28-300 which is hugely advanyageous, and is fine if it's bright, less so if it's inside (f3.5-7)


The other things I would suggest is get down to their level and just accept you'll take loads of shots and discard them.

But look at it this way it's cheaper than when we had to use film!

[eltawater]

I tend to use the following:

• Manual mode (you can use shutter priority if you must). I find aperture priority errs too much on the side of slow shutter speed which is the exact opposite of what you need with children as they can move quickly and unpredictably, leaving blurry images.

• shutter speed of at least 1/200 due to the reasons above.

• single point focus set to slightly off centre and slightly upwards, this gives you the best chance of eye focus. Combined with..

• a function button assigned to lock focus or for back button focusing. Especially useful when you have to switch from landscape to portait and need to keep focus.

• auto iso limiting to around iso2000 to compensate for the faster shutter speed.

• down on the knees so you are at their level. You need to catch them from their viewpoint, not from that of an adult.

I very very rarely use any flash even in darker village halls. When you're outside, be wary of strong direct sunlight. You'll end up with part exposed faces and strong shadows and give yourself an uphill battle in post production sorting out the blown highlights.

Edited by eltawater on Wednesday 10th April 21:59

[Miocene]

Thanks for all the advice, shall give things a go at the weekend!

Might get a better zoom lens anyway, so any advice on those (second hand is perfectly fine) would be much appreciated.

[steveatesh]

I’m not familiar with Canon (previously Nikon, now Sony A7iii user) but with moving objects such as children you need continuous focus and if the camera has it some form of tracking. If you are using single point focus and you focus on a child’s eye and they move even a small distance towards or away from the camera the shot will be out of focus.

On the Nikon I had 3d tracking to put the focus point over an eye and the camera would track the subject to increase your chances of a good shot.

The Sony has eye focus tracking and just about every shot is tack sharp.

So my advice, for what it’s worth, is to check your cameras continuous focus and tracking ability and use that. If it doesn’t have them, then with moving kids it’s down to taking lots of shots on fast shutter speeds.

[eltawater]

Miocene said:

Thanks for all the advice, shall give things a go at the weekend!

Might get a better zoom lens anyway, so any advice on those (second hand is perfectly fine) would be much appreciated.

What's your kits lens? I'd advise sorting out your technique and working out your ideal camera settings with that first.

Adding a telephoto lens may give you more reach, but it can also make it even harder to take decent photos. The temptation is to zoom in as close as you can, only to find that the subject is moving closer towards you at speed and then you're racing to zoom outwards and refocus. And unless you're planning to splash out a fair wedge, you may end with a new lens with a worse aperture range and autofocus performance than the kit lens, thereby confusing matters even more.

[toohuge]

If you must look at new lenses ....

I’d recommend the 70-200 f4 non is - used it’s not too expensive and easily the best value imo.

[bakerstreet]

Whilst this may not be what you want to here....

If you want great photos of your children, then pay a pro to do it.

Don't be disappointed with a low success ratio. I chatted with a pro at Goodwood last year and he said that you shouldn't expect a 100% success rate. I recon my stuff is about 10% especially if its the kids.

A child will respond quit edifferently to you asking to take his photo compared to a stranger. My BIL is a Pro and my eldest can still be a bit a trouble maker when his uncle is asking him to do even things that he usually enjoys.

Indoors is a no no, as it means a rapid tidy of the background unless your house is permently tidy (ours is not) and even if it doesn't it might not make the best background for a photograph, but a fixed 35 (mentioned below) will at least allow you to go low on the aperture and therefor blur the background.

Kit is a bit meh. I found a fixed 35 prime made quite a dference, so that's a worthwhile investment.

I have been struggling with the fixed on camera flash, but a bit fearful about getting a proper speedlite. Its another variable to go wrong . I'm sure I will take the plunge eventually. I certainly understand the benefits, but just cant quantify them here.

[sgtBerbatov]

Brads67 said:

Stick with your set up as it is, and supplement your technique with Calpol.

Everyone loves Calpol

[nessiemac]

Miocene said:

Thanks for all the advice, shall give things a go at the weekend!

Might get a better zoom lens anyway, so any advice on those (second hand is perfectly fine) would be much appreciated.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it but are you shooting in Ai Servo and not one shot?

[singlecoil]

bakerstreet said:

...Kit is a bit meh. I found a fixed 35 prime made quite a dference, so that's a worthwhile investment...

I think 35mm is too wide for portraits, even on an APS-C such as the OP has. It gives a FF equivalent of 56mm. It's also going to require him to get closer than might be practical.

[bramley]

Agree with some of what's been said but there's too much talk of settings and not enough about interaction, engagement and generally messing about. It helps if you're capable of behaving like a kid! Rule one is don't ask them to look at the camera and smile, certainly not straight away, let them do their thing with minimal direction until you're 'accepted' for want of a better word.

Depending on their ages, things like hide and seek can be great. You can creep up on them and vice versa. Basically stop being a parent and be one of them - not suggesting there's anything wrong with your parenting its just that I see so many people killing the moment by asking their kids to stop and smile.

Annabel Williams published a great book of 99 Portrait Photo ideas that's not expensive and well worth a look. She's says it's something like 90% psychology and 10% technique. I don't agree entirely but it's a very valid point that settings aren't what make the picture.

FWIW your body and lens combo is more than up to the job. The lens may be a bit slower to focus than what I'm used to but you'll have to work around that. Wide apertures, focus on eyes, winner winner.

Edited by bramley on Friday 12th April 11:23

[bakerstreet]

bramley said:

Agree with some of what's been said but there's too much talk of settings and not enough about interaction, engagement and generally messing about. It helps if you're capable of behaving like a kid! Rule one is don't ask them to look at the camera and smile, certainly not straight away, let them do their thing with minimal direction until you're 'accepted' for want of a better word.

Depending on their ages, things like hide and seek can be great. You can creep up on them and vice versa. Basically stop being a parent and be one of them - not suggesting there's anything wrong with your parenting its just that I see so many people killing the moment by asking their kids to stop and smile.

Annabel Williams published a great book of 99 Portrait Photo ideas that's not expensive and well worth a look. She's says it's something like 90% psychology and 10% technique. I don't agree entirely but it's a very valid point that settings aren't what make the picture.

FWIW your body and lens combo is more than up to the job. The lens may be a bit slower to focus than what I'm used to but you'll have to work around that. Wide apertures, focus on eyes, winner winner.

Edited by bramley on Friday 12th April 11:23

Creeping up on them whilst holding a DSLR up to your face? This comes back to my original point of getting someone else to do it, but I do get where you are coming from and I may look at that book myself, but children do get quite rebellious as they get older. My eldest is 4 and is not easy to photograph anymore. You get more buy in using your phone than our

As you say, I don't agree with the 10% technique at all. Based on that, you will get a lot of poor photos even if the child is doing the right thing at the right time (rare)

I was bought a Chinese fixed 50mm by my other half. Still prefer the 35, but agree it can be quite wide, so you have to get close so quite intrusive on the subject.