p.1 #1 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
I don't mean in a family session. Given sufficient time it's easy to get through to the little ones. I'm talking middle of the family formals and little Mark is being a pain in the a$$ and refusing to look at the camera.
I've used funky sounds, I've coughed, I've had someone the child knows sneak up behind me and pretend to "get me" or "tickle me" ...
Any suggestions I can add to my arsenal?
FWIW I'm I'd say 95% successful at getting their attention... just looking for a fatter arsenal mostly because I've found that if something works with a child it's less likely to work with a child who was WATCHING while the first went up... and 'cause maybe some alternatives might make things quicker
p.1 #2 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
things that work for me, one is calling the child by name & one of my biggest tricks is bribery (depends on their age), sometimes as simple as a special treat (I ask parent's permission first though)... sometimes I bribe them with a special photo trick, again this depends on age too. what I mean about this one is if they promise to do a good picture, I will also let them do a totally silly picture, this one has worked wonders for me with some kids
p.1 #3 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Easiest trick in the book for children 1 year old and under...
Step 1: Be very clear with the family that no matter what that child does, every one of them needs to look at you and keep smiling... even if the kid is doing backflips.
Step 2: Walk up to the kid and hold your camera out. Let them play with it and see the lights. Confirm that everyone else is looking at you and smiling.
Step 3: Back away quickly. The kid will still be following you. Everyone else is on board. You win.
p.1 #5 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Someone tossing a toy or water bottle up in the air is a good attention getter. Soft squeaky toys are great, especially inside. Squeak, hide, pop up behind someone, throw in the air...
p.1 #6 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Tony Hoffer wrote:
Easiest trick in the book for children 1 year old and under...
Step 1: Be very clear with the family that no matter what that child does, every one of them needs to look at you and keep smiling... even if the kid is doing backflips.
Step 2: Walk up to the kid and hold your camera out. Let them play with it and see the lights. Confirm that everyone else is looking at you and smiling.
Step 3: Back away quickly. The kid will still be following you. Everyone else is on board. You win.
This.
Works like a charm.
The key for me with little kids is making sure everyone else understands that I don't want them looking at the kid, tending to the kid, looking at each other, or off into space thinking that the kid isn't looking so they don't have to be. If everyone else is looking at you, you'll snatch a frame of the kid looking in your direction.
p.1 #7 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
ckhagen wrote:
This.
Works like a charm.
The key for me with little kids is making sure everyone else understands that I don't want them looking at the kid, tending to the kid, looking at each other, or off into space thinking that the kid isn't looking so they don't have to be. If everyone else is looking at you, you'll snatch a frame of the kid looking in your direction.
Tony & Candace, thank you! I've done variations but not directly with the child's attention on the camera. Looking forward to trying this.
p.1 #8 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Tony Hoffer wrote:
Easiest trick in the book for children 1 year old and under...
Step 1: Be very clear with the family that no matter what that child does, every one of them needs to look at you and keep smiling... even if the kid is doing backflips.
Step 2: Walk up to the kid and hold your camera out. Let them play with it and see the lights. Confirm that everyone else is looking at you and smiling.
Step 3: Back away quickly. The kid will still be following you. Everyone else is on board. You win.
I like everything about this with one caveat. What happens when they cry because you take back the shiny toy you just gave them?
p.1 #12 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
DrewFos wrote:
Exactly what Tony does..... also take a pic of the kid & show it to them of the back of the camera, sometimes gets them into it!
This is a big hit with the little ones. If they're big enough to hold the camera, I'll even let them take a pic of me to try it out. Or I'll hold it, aim, and let them fire.
p.1 #14 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Good thread. I've just been to see a couple who have a 1 year with a very short attention span (don't they all?) and they want a good pic of him in his suit (which he doesn't like wearing).
p.1 #15 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
Tony Hoffer wrote:
Easiest trick in the book for children 1 year old and under...
Step 2: Walk up to the kid and hold your camera out. Let them play with it and see the lights. Confirm that everyone else is looking at you and smiling.
p.1 #16 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
A lot of good tips here. I do the walk up, walk back when I'm doing a one-off little group portrait... I guess I should have mentioned it but I'm thinking about more static situations... camera on tripod... lights... bleh...
I mean, not like I can't take the camera off the tripod and walk up with it ... but yeah .. bleh.
I might duck-tape an ipad to the camera and have angry birds playing on it. that'll get EVERYONE's attention.
p.1 #17 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
I think next time if I'm going through the trouble of setting up the tripod I'll also hook up the remote release and incorporate some of this stuff and more while backing towards the camera. I suppose I could always use a second body to do the silly walk up stuff then back up and trigger the tripod one.
p.1 #19 · Wanna share some tips for getting little ones' attention?
I make one heck of a great "Elmo" voice. Sing a few bars of Elmo's world, and any kid 3 and under will INSTANTLY snap their attention to you. Like Tony said, make sure everyone else's eyes are on you.
I photographed Santa at a rich, upper-class mall for a few years, so you want to learn how to work with kids, try having to get 6 wonderful shots right people are paying for and expect perfection for their family christmas card, while Mom is frazzled, Dad is on a cell phone, the kids are crying from the red "demon" everyone wants them to sit with, and do it all in under 3 mins each time. I AM A CHILD NINJA at this point. haha
