How To Improve Your Indoor Photographs Of Children
When we photograph our children indoors we are often less concerned about harsh sunlight than we are about having enough light for our photograph and the proper color of light. If we are to create great images of our children then you need to know how to improve your indoor photographs.
In addition, the evil “red eye” is the nemesis of many an indoor photograph as well. For the most part, however, for common snapshots of your children indoors it is probably just fine to use the automatic camera settings and the internal flash unit.
But, if you really want to get great indoor photographs of your children there are a few things you can do to move the odds in your favor.
Use The Best Indoor Light – Window Light
Using Window Light Photographing Children
Natural light will always be the best light, so whenever possible position your child near a window to take advantage of the natural light pouring into your home through the windows. Here are some tips on using this kind of light:
- Avoid using windows where the light streams in directly creating harsh shadows; instead, pick a window where the incoming light is more diffused and indirect;
- Position yourself with your back to the window and then turn the child so she faces mostly head-on into the window, with some of the light spilling over on the side of her face;
- When necessary, use a reflector or fill flash to fill in the side of the child’s face that may be in shadow. Please click on the image to order your reflector.
How To Avoid Red Eye
Remember, the dreaded “red eye” is what happens when the camera flash reflects off of your child’s pupils. You can see this effect on any living subject, but it appears particularly spooky on dogs. The important thing is that red eye occurs more often when photographing your children indoors, underlining why you need to know how to improve your indoor photographs.
Now that you know what causes red eye you can learn some easy ways to avoid it. Here are three common ways to avoid red eye when photographing your children:
- Use the camera’s red eye reduction mode- This is the easiest solution most of the time. When you use this function the camera will trigger the flash several times before it snaps the photograph – but remember, don’t move the camera when it snaps the picture!
- Use an off-camera external flash – If your camera has a hot shoe for an external flash you can connect an external flash. If mounted on the camera, bounce the flash, if you have a flash sync cable port such as the one on the Nikon Coolpix 995
you can connect up to 5 separate flash units to the camera. The cool thing about using separate flash units is that you can hold it away from the camera! - Photograph your children near windows – If you are near a window with natural light streaming in you can avoid the red eye problem entirely because your child’s pupils will already be closed down due to the bright light source.
Correct The Color Balance
The color of artificial light, like the lights bulbs in the home, is entirely different than the color of natural outdoor light. And that means that different kinds of artificial lights have different colors.
Because of these variations in color many indoor photographs just don’t look right. The good news is, though, that you can adjust for different light sources with your camera settings. Called white balance, it will help you make sure that you get natural colors in the photographs of your children regardless of what type of artificial light you use.
Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!
Betty Muscott, Child Photographer
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