SINGAPORE – Children grow up too fast. Maybe you’ve heard this too many times from experienced parents.
Before you realize it, those everyday moments with them can only be relived as memories.
So if you get the chance, make sure you take photos of your children’s sparkling eyes, innocent smiles, and tiny feet. You’ll want to put them away and revisit them later.
Whether you use a dedicated camera or smartphone, there are important considerations that make every photo perfect. Ready to level up and take better photos of your kids just like the pros?
The Straits Times asks chief photojournalist Kevin Lim and executive photojournalists Gavin Foo and Lim Yaohui about their secrets. They are also fathers with children from one to seven years old.
1. Adults first, children last
The formula for making a beautiful family portrait? Get the adults into position first, followed by any older children, and have them smile at the camera.
You should enter the frame last with your little one.
This is also the time when the photographer should quickly get your young child’s attention, for example by shaking a rattle. Then take a photo as soon as he or she looks at the camera.
“The longer you hold your little one, the more stressful the situation can become, as young children quickly become restless and uncooperative,” says Kevin Lim.
He adds with a laugh that his family only had a split second to capture their portrait, commemorating their youngest son Kayen’s first birthday in 2023. After framing the shot, Mr Lim handed the camera to his mother to take the photo.
ST chief photojournalist Kevin Lim has returned to the same spot in Taiwan to document his growing family with his wife, ST senior executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin. They are seen here with their sons Kiran and Kayen, who were five and one years old in 2023. PHOTO: COURTESY OF KEVIN LIM
It is part of a family photo series taken over the years near his late maternal grandmother in Taiwan.
The 42-year-old returned to the exact spot on the same bike to document his growing family with his wife, ST senior executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin, 41. The couple also have a six-year-old son, Kiran.
Referring to the 2023 recording, he says: “If you look closer, Kayen was reluctant and on the verge of tears. Fortunately, the photo still turned out.
2. Make sure you are familiar with your camera settings
ST senior executive photojournalist Neo Xiaobin captured this ‘mirror image’ of her husband Kevin Lim and son Kayen using her phone’s portrait mode.PHOTO: COURTESY OF KEVIN LIM
Speed is essential when taking photos of young children, who generally have short attention spans.
It is important that you have your camera ready and change the settings before approaching your children.
For example, Mrs. Neo already had her phone camera in portrait mode when she saw her husband holding their youngest son and playfully waving him back.
“She took this photo of us when the moment happened. And it turned out to be interesting because it had a mirror image of father and son,” says Kevin Lim.
Portrait mode, a common feature of phone cameras, lets you bring your subjects’ faces into focus, blurring background distractions.
Another useful feature is burst mode, which allows you to quickly shoot continuously, giving you a range of photos to choose from. Make good use of that to photograph your active children, Mr. Foo suggests.
3. Maintain a calm attitude
Relax and enjoy every moment when taking your children’s photos.
When you have fun, they also become lighter. And that is evident from the photos.
“But if you look like you’re in a hurry, they can sense your anxiety and pick up on the negative emotions,” says Mr Kevin Lim.
4. Drop the V sign
ST photojournalist Lim Yaohui encouraged his five-year-old son Jun An to let out a powerful roar as he sat on a dinosaur sculpture at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel on June 12. PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Children may look awkward when you ask them to pose for the camera. They may not know what to do, so some parents simply ask their children to show a V sign, notes Mr Lim Yaohui.
But if they raise their two fingers at every shot, you’ll end up with a boring photo wall or album.
Look around the area and try creative alternatives that your children can relate to, says the 42-year-old.
For example, if your children encounter penguin sculptures, they may want to stretch out their hands and waddle like the birds.
Or suggest that your dinosaur-loving kids let out a mighty roar as they take photos with replicas of the extinct reptiles.
Mr Lim’s five-year-old son Jun An liked this when they found them at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel while on holiday. He has two other sons, Jun Kai, seven, and Jun Xi, one.
5. Let your children be themselves
ST photojournalist Gavin Foo snapped as his four-year-old daughter Clovelly twirled around in her princess dress.PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
A sure-fire way to get better photos of your kids is to take candid photos.
You’re sure to get a series of candid and natural photos, especially if they’re having fun, says Mr. Foo.
The 45-year-old captured a magical moment of his only child Clovelly twirling around in a Disney Princess Elsa costume. She was dressed up to celebrate her fourth birthday at school January.
“I encouraged her to dance however she wanted. She immediately started spinning with joy, completely immersed in the moment,” he recalls.
6. Anticipate their movements
ST photojournalist Gavin Foo knew his daughter Clovelly was going to the slide and waited patiently to take this photo.PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Children are constantly on the move and rarely stay in one place for long, especially in a playground full of exciting distractions.
One thing is predictable, however. Eventually they will go to the slide.
Instead of chasing his child in hopes of getting a good photo, Mr. Foo decided to wait patiently at the bottom of the slide. Sure enough, after a few moments she climbed up, laughing as she glided towards him.
Mr Foo says: “It was the perfect moment to capture her joy and energy without having to run after her. Sometimes patience pays off with children.”
7. Get down to their eye level
ST chief photojournalist Kevin Lim captured this photo of his eldest son Kiran, then three, from a low angle for a more dynamic image.PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
You may have noticed this in the photos shown here: they were all taken at the children’s eye level.
Photographer fathers tend to stoop to the height of their children to take more impactful photos.
That’s because when you can clearly see your children’s facial expressions, they will seem more engaged.
Sometimes you can go even lower for a more dynamic angle, says Mr Kevin Lim.
8. Be one step ahead of your children
To capture that special moment when his one-year-old son Jun Xi took his first steps on December 9, ST photojournalist Lim Yaohui positioned himself well in front of his baby.PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
You won’t want to miss your kids’ first steps or the wide eyes on their faces when they explore a new place.
The trick is to stand in front of your little one and dart away as he or she waddles toward you. In the meantime, remember the golden rule of getting to your child’s eye level.
Mr Kevin Lim caught the twinkle in his firstborn’s eyes when the boy, then three years old, was on holiday in Taiwan.
To capture that special moment when his one-year-old son recently took his first steps, Mr Lim Yaohui also positioned himself well in front of his baby.
9. Create playful moments
Steal this playful idea from ST photojournalist Gavin Foo, who had his daughter Clovelly grab a handful of sand on the beach and watch the grains slowly fall. PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Mr. Foo wanted to take fun photos of his daughter on the beach. But while she focused on building sandcastles, her gaze was focused downward.
He gave her a suggestion: grab a handful of sand and slowly let the grains fall from as high as she can. He was inspired by the hourglass timer she looks at when she brushes her teeth.
“Excited by the familiar comparison, she eagerly raised her hand and let the sand trickle down, face up,” he says.
“It was the perfect way to capture her bright, curious eyes in the moment.”
10. Join the fun
Sit at your kids’ eye level to take more impressive photos, as demonstrated by ST photojournalist Lim Yaohui. Shown here are his sons: Lim Jun Kai blowing out the candle on his birthday cake in 2021 as Jun An looks on.PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The last piece of advice here won’t help you take beautiful photos, but your kids will thank you for it.
Let go of the compulsive need to shoot everything, Mr. Lim Yaohui recalls.
Of course, take a few photos as a souvenir of your visit to the new park or of their birthday. Then put your camera away, whether or not you captured the ideal photos.
Be present in the moment with them and enjoy the experience together, because children grow up too quickly.
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