It’s party season in our family with 8 birthdays over Spring! And if that’s not enough to keep us busy, we also have half a dozen kids parties to go to. Cupcakes, fairy bread, jelly cups, here we come!! :) Aside from the mad rush to organise gifts, cakes & decorations, it’s a great opportunity to grab photos of some pretty excitable kids in their sugar rush best. So, if you’re heading into a party and want to capture some fun memories, here’s my tips :)
1. Create the excitement :)
I think I’ve said in the another tip post that great photos require patience. Well, sometimes great shots also require some masterminding :) My normally shy 2yo was so happy to have all her uncles, aunties and grandparents over to celebrate her birthday that she quickly became quite sociable and …delirious :) I really wanted to capture this glee and pure joy of the day. So, I started the kids on a game of chasey along the hallway, where they would have to run towards me, then positioned myself at one end where I knew their faces would be lit, and just waited :)
2. Get down to their level
If you are use to standing amongst the adults and photographing your kids from a distance then my advice would be to get in on the fun :) For a photograph that takes you and your child back into that moment, get down to their level and capture the shot from their point of view.
3. Have fun with dress ups
Kids look adorable in dress ups, period! :) However, to add a bit of fun, try asking them to act out their character eg. What does a fairy enjoy doing?
My 3yo decided here that fairies like to climb garden benches! I waited till she was in mid climb and called her name :)
4. Set up the candle shot
Don’t all kids love blowing the candles? During the big event, all camera’s are usually out for this one so make sure you’re ready for it and find a good position in anticipation. For an interesting group shot after the main birthday candle’s blown, shuffle the kids as close together as possible and watch them all have a go. Mind the dribbles though ;)
Personally, I find it such a beautiful moment that I also like to capture it after the event, when all is quiet and the birthday girl/boy can truly enjoy their birthday light. For this series of shots, I’ve turned off the room lights, so I just had the ambient light from the candles to capture this magical moment. For those interested, it was shot on my 50mm, at 1.4 .
5. Include yourself!
Finally, my reoccurring tip to parents, include yourself in your photos, your family albums, your memories.
Hand over your camera or ask a friend who’ll happily send you copies. Here’s me at my 2yo’s party, enjoying being the centre of so much cuteness :)
Sure, the kids are looking EVERYWHERE else but the camera hehehe.. but I’m pretty sure it will make my kids laugh when they see it in years to come. It sure makes me laugh :)