Photographing children can often yield some of the best images. Their spontaneity and charm can so easily be captured in pictures, that you’ll be greatly satisfied by your results. Here are some things to remember when shooting candid portraits.

First, make sure you’re photographing the child at his/her best time of day. That means making sure she’s not hungry or tired. Your job then is to let children be children. Let her dictate the photography session. It helps if you have someone to get the child’s attention or to act as a distraction. Having some of the child’s favorite toys on hand or something equally enticing should work as well.

When looking through the viewfinder, try to compose tightly (make sure the child is the main focus of the picture and that there’s little or no distractions in the background). It also helps if you use a low f-stop to get a shallow depth of field (or simply choose the portrait symbol on your camera). This ensures that the background will be blurry and your subject will be in focus.

If shooting outdoors, choose an environment that will photograph nicely-such as a park with open areas of grass and trees. Being close to water also makes for ideal backgrounds. Never shoot at noon, since shadows are especially harsh at this time of day. And although sunny days may be compelling, overcast days can often be better since the light is more even.

If you do decide to photograph in sunny weather, try opting for a shady area. If there isn’t any, you may have to use fill-in flash (the flash on your camera) to make sure the subject’s eyes are illuminated properly and not in shadow.

Typically, you should have the sun behind you so that it falls on the subject. However, you can also have the sun to your left or right so that you have some shadows on the child’s face. To prevent the shadowed areas from being too dark, you can use a white poster board (available at any store that sells school supplies) to help reflect some light into those shadowed areas.

Whatever you decide, it definitely depends on what your’re looking for. Shadows create more depth to a picture and can be more dramatic. Whereas full, open lighting may be more your style.

Last but not least, remember that the child doesn’t always have to be in the CENTER of the photograph. Placing them to the left or to the right of the image can be just as effective (once you don’t have anything in the background competing with the subject).

Above all, make sure you’re relaxed and that the child is enjoying himself. That more than anything, will ensure a good portrait.

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