Ideas for capturing expressive portraits

The success of Catherine’s portrait business rests on her ability to get the best out of children and ensure natural, relaxed poses. Here are eight ways you can get similar results...

1 “Put your little subjects at ease. Introduce yourself, and make a point not to pick up your camera straight away.”

2 “Build a rapport with your subjects (even if they’re your own children).”

3 “Let them tell you a joke: kids often find their own jokes to be the most hilarious ones.”

4 “Children don’t always need to be smiling to make for an interesting portrait. Look out for beautiful quiet moments, and capture those too.”

5 “For beautiful smiles, I find asking kids ‘not to smile’ is a trick that can often bring about a burst of laughter.”

6 “Read the mood and personality of the children you’re photographing. If they are naturally shy, don’t be overly loud or you’ll end up frightening them.”

7 “Be observant and capture subjects au naturel. The great outdoors is inherently magical to children.”

8 “Get the parents involved and capture sweet moments between them.”