Picture Almost-Perfect 03: Children’s Party Photo Tips

by: BJ David
Photos by Corrine Anne Wu and BJ David
2007-06-06

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A children’s party is the most commonly attended event in the country. In your lifetime, you will find yourself attending hundreds of these and there is a high chance that you’ll be asked to be the designated photographer in some of them, especially if you're close to the parents of the celebrants.

So it is best to be prepared, armed with your camera, and some of these helpful tips to aid you in capturing the party's highlights.

Words of Warning

ANTHROPHOBES BEWARE! Children's parties are never short of the human element.

In Picture Almost-Perfect (PAP) #2, we discussed adding the human element in pictures, but that was in the context of travel photo tips. In a party, one may have a little too much of the human element.

The challenge now is to capture this chaos into something that is well composed and emotive.

This edition of PAP will be a bit more technical because it involves tinkering with your camera settings. So it is advisable that you get to know your camera, as mentioned in the first PAP.

Technical Mumbo-Jumbo

Let’s start with the settings you need.

SWITCH IT AROUND. Todays point-and-shoot cameras have preset modes for idiot-proof settings adjustments.

You wouldn't want to spend too much time fiddling with your cameras on the field (in this case, the party venue) so you have to know the most common preset modes that you can use. This way, if you need to change settings, all you have to do is turn the camera dial. If you don't have a camera dial, now would be a good time to experiment and figure out which buttons to press to change modes.

There are three preset modes you can use for children’s parties: Portrait, Landscape, and Sports.

Using Portrait mode allows you to take photos with the subject sharply focused and the background blurred. This is a good setting to use when the celebrant blows out the birthday candle, as it makes him/her stand out. You may also use this for solo shots.

Landscape allows you to focus on many subjects of varying distances. Use this whenever you are taking shots with lots of people or when people are interacting.

SHARP AS A SWORD. Capturing sharp images of kids in action are next-to-impossible if not for Sports mode.

And then there is Sports mode. Why sports mode? Well, kids are rambunctious little creatures and taking a picture of a NASCAR racer zooming by is actually easier than taking a picture of them in action, especially when the games start. The fast shutter speed of this mode will prevent the blurring of objects that are in motion. Just remember to mind the lighting because a fast shutter speed generally makes a picture darker. Make sure that there is enough light.

It’s Just Emotions

Your target for the pictures are people that show emotions. It’s okay to make them pose and smile, but it's better if you can capture their natural and candid expressions. Since children will be playing around, there won’t be any lack of facial expressions in this venue. Be quick enough with the shutter button so that you can capture those smiles, giggles and yawns.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST . Posed shot: Nice. Candid shot: Stunning.

One major problem in taking candid shots is that most point-and-shoots take a while to focus. It is important to be alert in anticipating these candid moments. You can try "marking your target" to give your camera time to focus. When you see children playing around with balloons, set your sights on one kid (preferably the celebrant) and keep your camera’s auto-focus on him/her (this can be done by half-pressing the button). Then click the button when the right moment comes. It’s a very tedious process, but if you’re patient enough, it’s worth it.

A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION. Interaction between people always makes for a good picture.

Good photos to take are moments when people interact with each other. Some of the best times to take these kinds of pictures are when there are games or shows such as a magic show, bubble show, puppet show, etc. Don't just capture the performers. Capture also the audience's reaction, like when they are amazed or surprised at a magic trick. During games, take photos of kids bumping into each other or running around.

And don’t forget the celebrant! You may get so caught up taking pictures here and there that you might not remember whose day it is you're celebrating in the first place. Take pictures of the celebrant most of the time, especially his/her interactions with the guests and family.

Guts And Class

Another thing that point-and-shoot cameras lack is a powerful zoom. To make up for that, we’ll need the guts to move in closer.

GET A LITTLE CLOSER. Moving in closer gives the frame less space for stray elements.

Getting closer allows you to fill the frame with your subject which results in better pictures. A closer shot also allows you to hit more sweet spots in the frame.

Don’t be shy when you need to get in close to the magician, clown, or celebrant. If anyone is blocking your way, ask them politely if they could let you through. They’ll be more than willing to give way once they see that you have a camera with you. But don’t abuse that privilege. Make sure that you aren’t violating anyone’s space or obstructing another photographer’s view. If you are indeed blocking someone's view, get out of the way as soon as you have taken your shot.

Unleash The Child In You

PLAY. Don't be too much of an adult. It's a children's party.

Lest we forget, the real point of a children’s party is to have fun. So have fun while you're clicking away. Don't be too pressured about your job as photographer and don't treat it as a chore. The more pressure you feel, the worse your shots will tend to be. Go along with the kids as they play. Make faces, throw around balloons and be a child yourself. That way you’ll have plenty of smiles to shoot.

When you’re reviewing your photos at the end of the day, you’ll find that being immature, even for just a couple of hours, can be pretty rewarding.

If you have any comments and suggestions, you may send them to info@hotoccasions.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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