Chasing the wildlife

ISO200 50mm f3.5 1/200sec

So, one of the greatest challenges for me is interacting with children. Then, you add on top of that the trouble with photographing children at play in a park. For me, this is the most intimidating thing I could possibly imagine. Of course I had to ask a close friend to do a shoot with his kids so we could send photos to his wife who is overseas for a while. Obviously. Because that is totally how I'm comfortable working!

The key with photographing kids is to make sure that you're ready before you even meet up with them. Make sure you have the right lens for the job. Then, if your light isn't going to behave, bring your flashgun. Finally, patience. Lots of patience.

ISO200 50mm f3.5 1/400sec

 My choice for this shoot was a D90 with a 50mm f1.8D. The prime for this sort of shoot in a playground makes sure you keep up with your subject. Kids move at approximately 1.5x the speed of light at a playground and if you are shooting a zoom, you can almost guarantee you will end up with a piece of playground equipment between you and your subject, thereby missing the shot. 

However, the longer you spend with the kids on the shoot the more you will see that they tend to move in patterns around the playground. They all have a particular slide that they like more than any of the others and will make their way back to it frequently. So, at that point you can set yourself up at the base and wait for the perfect moment as they come down. Burst mode is recommended so you can catch the varying stages of static cling in their hair. Parents can't help but smile when you give them the shot with their kiddo's hair all fuzzed up.

Just don't forget, the thing that will make your shoot go smoothest of all is to relax, smile and go with whatever happens. Let the parent handle any problems that arise, and you'll have a great day. Kids are great to work with and always exciting, especially when you let them do what they love to do best, play. I've never had much success with getting kids posed, but, if you're willing to work around how they like to play, you'll find you'll get the best images from them.