Stuff Them in a Pack 'N Play and Snap Away | Apartment Therapy
Stuff Them in a Pack 'N Play and Snap Away
"So here's a photography tip when taking photos of four kids with no parental supervision (i.e. babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers each running around doing their own thing)", says the photographer over at Phat Baby Photography, "Stuff all four kids into a small pack and play and snap away. " More real advice on shooting kids below...
1.) The simplest thing to do is open up the windows in the room and take a shot with the natural, soft light. I didn't have that option - the day was fairly overcast and reaching for the window shades assumed I was able to think straight with the screaming kids.
2.) If the parent has has a point and shoot or a dSLR that their familiar with, then the easiest thing to do is to shoot in B&W with the highest ISO (e.g. ISO 1600) your camera will allow with the aperture wide open (e.g. f2.8). No flash. I posted a bit more info on the technique on my blog.
3.) If the parent has an off camera flash or an external flash with a rotating head, then I'd bounce the flash off the ceiling (i.e. pivot the flash towards the ceiling to have the light reflect back down on the kids). This simulates natural, soft light. Shooting the flash straight on gives the nice deer in head lights look and would also cast a tint from the pack and play onto the faces of the kids.
In all cases, shooting with the widest angle lens and really close up adds to the sense of mayhem.
Stuff Them in a Pack 'N Play and Snap Away | Apartment Therapy
Stuff Them in a Pack 'N Play and Snap Away
"So here's a photography tip when taking photos of four kids with no parental supervision (i.e. babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers each running around doing their own thing)", says the photographer over at Phat Baby Photography, "Stuff all four kids into a small pack and play and snap away. " More real advice on shooting kids below...
1.) The simplest thing to do is open up the windows in the room and take a shot with the natural, soft light. I didn't have that option - the day was fairly overcast and reaching for the window shades assumed I was able to think straight with the screaming kids.
2.) If the parent has has a point and shoot 
or a dSLR that their familiar with, then the easiest thing to do is to shoot in B&W with the highest ISO (e.g. ISO 1600) your camera will allow with the aperture wide open (e.g. f2.8). No flash. I posted a bit more info on the technique on my blog.
3.) If the parent has an off camera flash or an external flash with a rotating head, then I'd bounce the flash off the ceiling (i.e. pivot the flash towards the ceiling to have the light reflect back down on the kids). This simulates natural, soft light. Shooting the flash straight on gives the nice deer in head lights look and would also cast a tint from the pack and play onto the faces of the kids.
In all cases, shooting with the widest angle lens and really close up adds to the sense of mayhem.