Taking a professional shot of a child comes with its own issues, not excluding the task of holding the child’s focus long enough to snap their picture. However, there are other major problems photographers deal with unknowingly. In no particular order, these problematic issues are: having the child not look as if they are truly a part of the backdrop, creating an image that does not hold the viewer’s attention, or especially creating a boring picture that feels flat. Even the best photographers will face these three issues every now and then, and this article will help you to eliminate them completely.
To begin with, when using a photographed background, such as a professional printed backdrop, people who view the end result can at times see that it was faked. This is generally a minor problem, although there are times when everyone must deal with these fusspots. Using modest props would be one approach you could use to fight back. To begin with, instead of using a printed backdrop or muslin, consider instead the use of a green screen. By using a green screen with cheap chroma key software, positioning a digital photo would be a lot simpler than attempting to make your angle perfect with a printed cloth.
Now, once the child is seated or standing before the chroma key screen, you can put in a couple of props to create the illusion that they are actually there. A holiday like Christmas, for example, could have the child carrying a cheerfully wrapped gift box for the picture. In another situation, such as the beach, you could have the child put on a swimsuit and wear a beach towel. The main idea is to make an effort to add natural elements to the child’s surroundings. Tricking your viewers with the perfect illusion can be done if you pair your props and digital backdrops correctly.
Now another benefit to adding in props such as these is that they can help to engage the viewer. Think about it: which of these two pictures would look more interesting to you? A picture of a child wearing a nice suit standing in front of a background of the Star of David, or one where it’s a three-quarter view of the child wearing his yamulkah and he’s lighting a menorah for Hanukkah? The first picture gives and overall understanding, but the second one is much more engaging and fun to look at.
However, there is a story in each of these photos. Having a small baby on top of a blanket is a pretty sweet, though if you were to add in a scene of grassy fields, they would be transformed into a nature spirit. Take the baby and lay her in her mother’s arms, with the same green meadow, and now you have a gentle spirit sleeping with Mom. Remember this: Use props in conjunction with a green screen to help make the scene more solid and real, to engage the viewer on an emotional level and to tell a story. Start today by finding out more about green screen software.
