I know, what a long title for a blog.  I wanted to get your attention!  Now that I have it, let's talk about getting that cute shot of your child, grandchild or any kid doing what they do….being kids.  So, doesn't it make sense that to capture their little baby faces, we would need to get down to their level?  They are little people and standing above them is only going to diminish their size and show they are little.  How about kneeling down on a knee or getting on your belly and taking a shot when they are bewildered with what you're doing.  The little rascals move so quickly that unless you want blur, you'll need to set your shutter speed fast enough - say at least  1/125 to alleviate too much movement.  Here are two examples, one I shot at his level and the other below, making the kids look larger and more important, in my humble opinion…..

What is Bryson thinking?  This is up close and personal and helps the viewer relate to your subject more easily.  Kids love to play with the hose so try following a little tyke around with your camera and experiment shooting at various perspectives…..lots of fun!  The shot below has the two kids sitting on a wall and by aiming high, a different connection with the subject is created…..

I told them to act like they were on a train so they were pretending to drive the train with their choo-choo gestures and sounds.  Isn't that better than sitting them down and saying, "smile and say cheese"?  This next picture is one of my all time favorites and has won awards.  It was a lucky shot at twilight and I truly had about one minute to capture this little guy before the sun was down.  I remember feeling enthusiastic because of the light - it was perfect!  Then it was gone!  I am standing right above him snapping away while the sun is quickly sinking and disappearing.  

The soft lines of the baby and with converting the shot to sepia in Adobe Lightroom, the image takes on a totally different and more emotional feeling.  Note the shadow on his shoulder, his beautiful lips, and the length of his lashes.  The lighting on his face, half light and half dark, create a chiaroscuro effect.  Let's look at another…..

Poor little fellow!  He has a boo-boo and I'm the big bad photographer capturing his distress on film (so to speak).  It was an important and uncomfortable moment for him and in a second, he was fine.  I love to catch them being kids and all the ups and downs they experience.  Mom is there and one can feel the sweet love and nurturing she is displaying.  Here are a few photographs from a perspective as an adult above the scene…..

Doesn't he appear to feel vulnerable?

Trying to lick daddy's eyes made for a fun and energetic image!

Eyes closed waiting to be dunked….the thrill of the unknown makes for exciting images.

Above the wet rocks shooting down I caught him unexpectedly so he's surprised - Experiment with your kids and act like one to get THE shot!