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 Tips and Tricks for the Writerly Road

How You Can Move to the Head of the Class-Part 3: Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom

11/21/2014

2 Comments

 
To make the most of your time with children, take plenty of pictures.
And to take your classroom photo skills to the next level, I turned to friend and professional photographer Carmela Dutra for advice.

No matter if you click with a fancy camera or a smartphone, she shares five tips for snapping that perfect photo in this next in the series of author school visits with a dslr camera.  Of course, smart phones work, too, and are great in a pinch.  But if you have a digital camera and are willing to take the time, you'll really move to the head of the close with amazing snaps!
​  
Move to the Head of the Class: Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits-Part 3
Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom


PART 1: Six
 Steps to Ace Your Author School Visits  
PART 2: Kid Lit Pros Share Secrets to Move You to Head of Class
PART 3:  Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom
PART 4:  
School Visit Giveaways on a Shoestring 
Photo: Close up of child's hand holding a green marker and drawing two colorful actionfigures on a white sheet of paper
Look for photo opps as children engage in every day activity.

Photographing children is something that many photographers say should be avoided at all costs!

I disagree.

While child photography can be challenging, it doesn’t need to be painful. Capturing the magic of an exploding smile, the furrowed brow of a child in thought, or that mischievous grin outweighs the risks of tears and tantrums. 


Here are five tips to help you can capture memorable moments of children at school, in the library, or at book-signings.

1.     Remove the stress
Create a natural environment that rewards you with winning shots. Most importantly, you need to be relaxed. Children sense when you’re nervous. If you want them to be relaxed, you have be that way, too.

2.     Forget about formal settings
Posed shots aren’t ideal for taking portraits of children that express their personalities. For natural-looking shots, you want a casual environment in which children can simply play and be themselves.  While they’re playing, you’ll capture those candid images. The classroom is perfect for candid shots because kids will already be in their own zone coloring, reading, laughing, etc.
Picture: DSLR camera readout showing ISO at 400 to capture fast motionUse fast shutter speeds to capture movement.
3.   Set exposures ahead of time
Before you do anything, make sure the camera’s exposure settings are sorted out. If you’re fiddling with dials or scrolling through menus in the middle of the shoot, you run the risk of missing the shot, and the children will lose interest in the whole event. Time is of the essence; use it wisely!

The settings you’ll need are similar to those you’d use for shooting sports or action photography.  Use a fast shutter speed (such as 1/125 sec or faster) to avoid movement blur.

Don’t compromise on this – if you have to increase your ISO
to 400 or 800, do so: your camera can handle it.  A wide aperture, such as f/2.8, helps you achieve a fast shutter speed and creates a shallow depth of field, which will throw the background out of focus. This can be a useful way to de-clutter a distracting background. Depending on your lens, it can also introduce some striking bokeh effect.

Picture: DSLR screen readout showing settings for raw shooting with a wide aperture of 2.8 to bring foreground into sharp focus; blur background
Wide apertures, like f2.8, blur backgrounds; bring foregrounds into sharp focus
4.     Get the shot
Once the exposures are set, start by playing a game or engage in an activity, so kids get used to you. Don’t bring out your camera until everyone’s spirits are high. However, keep it nearby so you can grab it when you need to.

Once everyone’s having fun, get your camera and fire off a couple of shots. A winning shot isn’t all about big smiles with the subject looking the camera –a contemplative shot of a child concentrating on a game or enjoying lunch can be just as engaging.
​

5.   Always check school policies
One of the most important pieces of advice I can give you: check with the teacher first. You want to make sure that you have the correct understanding on guidelines, procedures, and school policy about taking photos of children.  

You won’t be able to take headshots of the children without parental consent. 
Many many teachers have a 'do not photograph' list, so you'll know to avoid taking any pictures of students on that list.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t get nice pictures. Focus on their hands while drawing, or get a shot of the classroom while the kids are occupied.
Picture
Don't post faces without parental consent
Now you know my secrets for classroom photography.  Good luck with school visit pictures!
​
​
Connect with Illustrator/Author/Photographer/Mom Carmela Dutra on her website
​ @ www.carmeladutra.comwebsite.


​Coming Next in this Blog Series

Part 4: Kid Lit pros share tips
for giveaways on a shoestring budget
.

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How you can move to the head of the class: Tips for KidLit School Visits – Part 2

11/15/2014

6 Comments

 
Feeling the excitement yet?  A bit more confident?  You can do it! 

In this second of a four-part series about author visits in schools, writers and teachers share their top tips for acing YOUR classroom experience.


Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits:
Kid Lit Pros Share Their Secrets 


PART 1:   The A to Zs of Classroom Visits
PART 2:  Kid Lit Pros Share Their Secrets

PART 3:   Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom

PART 4:   
School Visit Giveaways on a Shoestring 

HOW YOU CAN MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: TIPS FOR KIDLIT SCHOOL VISITS – PART 2

HOW YOU CAN MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: TIPS FOR KIDLIT SCHOOL VISITS – PART 2Lise Chase's Wally & Warren tote and stuffies

Lise Chase
Author, Illustrator
The Adventures of Wally and Warren
Series
Website | Pinterest

I take a tote bag to the classroom that is screen-printed on the front with Wally and Warren’s emblem. It looks professional and has lots of pockets, so everything I need is handy!

I also produced Wally and Warren plush toys to match characters from
The Adventures of Wally and Warren Series to make the book come alive for children.
Nancy Kunhardt Lodge
Artist, Author of The Crystal Navigator Series
Website
  • Googles "author visits" on YouTube to watch and learn from established writers, like Kate Dicamillo and Emily Gravett, as they interact with children
  • Gets amazing feedback by passing around a tablet for kids to add comments or ask questions
  •  Posts kids' feedback and letters on social media sites
HOW YOU CAN MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: TIPS FOR KIDLIT SCHOOL VISITS – PART 2
Kentrell Williams engages kids by teaching American Sign Language from his book series
Kentrell Martin
Author, Shelly’s Adventure Series

Website
  • Sends pre-order forms with book information and prices to the school in advance (at least a week early)
  • Finds out who the media specialist or librarian is before calling, because s/he is typically the one who makes the visits happen
Karen Emma Hall
Illustrator, Author, founder of the online Kid Literature Community
Twitter | Facebook
  • Uses Welcoming Posters
    Bring welcoming posters and engage children in groups, where they make their own poster for the book or book character. This gets them to bond with the character more and endears them to the book, so it becomes more familiar with your story
  • Includes Dress Up and Role Play
    Dress up in a character role or bring dressing up for children to recreate a character from the book.
    Role play in this way, where they act out the role like a part in a play, familiarizes them with your book. Role play is also an active, social activity and a key component in play learning.  Children reflect on and develop their knowledge of a subject.  Perfect for prompting discussions and making learning so much fun.

Carmela Dutra
Illustrator, Photographer, and Author of Lorenzo the Bear Series

Website | Twitter
  • Meets with teachers to customize the visit and learn what works best for each class
  • Uses activities to encourage creativity, like coloring pages with a partly completed story, to encourage students to use their imagination and creativity to complete the story
  • Checks with schools about  policies for photographing children: 

Click up your camera skills with Carmela's tips for taking classroom photos -- see part 3 this blog series.


Tracey M. Cox Author
Author, Picture Book Reviewer

Website | Blog Series, School Visit

  • Is authentic 
    Children can see straight through someone being fake.  Be honest and sincere with them and you will both walk away a winner
  • Has something to offer
    Be it with presentations or freebies, have something for everyone, like coloring pages, bookmarks, flyers with author pictures and information. Plus, be flexible with your presentation.  It doesn’t always go as planned. So have a back up even for your back up.
  • Smiles!
HOW YOU CAN MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: TIPS FOR KIDLIT SCHOOL VISITS – PART 2
Tracey M.Cox sets up for a school visit.
Rhonda Paglia
Former Teacher, KidLit Non-fiction and Picture Book Author

Email | Website 

  • Holds a book signing
    Book signing is really important!  Kids LOVE to have their books signed by a REAL author! Meeting a REAL LIVE author is a big deal in the life of a kid and encourages kids to read even more - especially if the author is one they love!!

    Make sure you have plenty of books and schedule one-on-one time with your readers to sign and personalize your books. Your reader audience, the kids, will never forget you, and your visit will be one of those school highlights they will always remember.

2.    Educators' Advice to Authors
Jill Cofsky
First-grade Teacher, Professional Voice Actor
Website | Twitter | Facebook


  • Provide copies of your book
    Get your book into the hands of as many classroom teachers, literacy teachers, and/or librarians as you can before your visit.  Get the school staff excited, so they can talk it up with students.  Have printable teacher resources on your website or have them sent to the school to be shared. 

    If the school allows, send out an order form in advance, so you can take orders and have autographed copies to hand out on the day of your visit. Also have additional forms ready to send home after your visit ... for others who realized how much they would love a copy of your book, too! 
  • Keep them engaged.   Keep them excited.  Leave them longing for another visit from one of their new favorite children's book authors!
    Consider the age of your audience and plan interactive activities to keep students involved and excited. You might choose students to come up to the front with you and act out parts of your story. You might hand out paper and pencils to the students and have your illustrator give them a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw your main character.

    Maybe you could teach students that catchy, repetitive phrase from your story that they can chant every time it appears in your book as you are reading it. They'll keep chanting it for weeks.
HOW YOU CAN MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: TIPS FOR KIDLIT SCHOOL VISITS – PART 2
Former teacher and Kid Lit author Rhonda Paglia reads to children
Rhonda Paglia 
Former Teacher, Author of KidLit Non-fiction and Picture Books 

Email | Website
  • Help teachers prepare for your visit ahead of time 
    Children need to know about your works ahead of time. Teachers can read your story to their students, or older students should read the stories themselves before you visit.

    Ask teachers to have students write questions to ask you during at the interview/assembly:
    * How did you come up with the idea for this book?
    * Where do you get your characters?
    * What’s the backstory for this book?  
    * How do you feel when you finish a book?


Feeling better about your foray into schools and libraries? 

Part Three in this four-part series on school visits is up next with more tips to boost your skills and zip you to the head of the class. 

Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits:
PART 3:
Five Tips for Taking Better Photos of Kids in the Classroom


Professional photographer and children’s author, illustrator Carmela Dutra offers five tips to click up your skills and snap professional-looking photos of kids at school.

How do these school visit tips work for you?
What additional suggestions  can you offer?
Join the conversation in the comment section.

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6 Comments

How you can move to the head of the class: Tips for KidLit School Visit

11/9/2014

0 Comments

 
UPDATE:
It's the end of August in North Carolina, and schools here and everywhere are gearing up for a new term.  As a children's book authors, it's also the season to gear up and reconnect with students, educators, media specialists and authors.  I edited and added new content  for this first of a five-part series (accessible now by clicking on the titles below) about authors in the classroom.  You'll find tips from my years in the classroom and advice from other writers and teachers for moving your author school visit to the head of the class.

After two decades behind the chalkboard with kids or on the podium with adults, I was still nervous about venturing into elementary schools for a KidLit author visit. 

It was a tall order: get students excited about reading, wow teachers and librarians with dynamite learning experiences, and generate interest in my books without a hard sell.  No pressure!  However, after visiting  600 children in grades K-4 in three states and in three days, my confidence is back. 
Tips for KidLit Author School Visits_Young girl draws picture about author visit story
I forgot how exciting it is to be in the classroom!  Being with the kids is the shot of magic elixir that reminds me why I write.  I am over the moon when they share their ending toFinding Fuzzy.  And I melt into a puddle when a shy first grader pulls out a notebook to show me her stories.  I wish I had more time to encourage them all.

In this first of four  posts about authors in the classroom,  I walk you through a five-stage process, from pre-visit to follow up, to offer ideas to add to your writerly tool kit.
​
Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits  
Part 1 of a 4-part series 
PART 2:  Kid Lit Pros Share Their Top School Visit Tips  
PART 3:  Five Tips for Photographing Kids in the Classroom

PART 4:  Giveaways on a Shoestring Budget

1.  FIND ‘EM     
 Network
If you don’t have kids in your life orbit, the best way to get into schools is through personal connections.  Ask everyone (family, friends, neighbors, work colleagues, book club, etc.) to identify school contacts they know, and get consent to use their name in an introduction. 

Brainstorm
Outline a 30-60 minute interactive program and age-appropriate activities you’re comfortable about offering. Build on your strengths as a writer and presenter, but be mindful of the needs of your target audience.  

If you’re comfortable with technology, think about offering virtual visits through Skype of Google Hangouts.  Most schools have a dedicated librarian or technical specialist who can help with cyber visits.

Many authors develop an exhaustive list of educational curricula that link to their presentations.  I do base activities along students' developmental levels and teacher feedback; however, 
I’m not as detailed as these writers: 
Eiry Reese Thomas
Picture Book of the Month 
Tips for Kid Lit Author Visits ~School welcome sign against red brick building and shrubs

Connect
E-mail query letters to your leads, referencing mutual contact.  Suggest visit scenarios from your program outline and send links to book previews/reviews and website/blog/Facebook page to showcase your professional background.

To fee or not to fee
Decision time!  The debate is on about putting a monetary value on authors’ time versus offering cost-free programs to budget-strapped schools.  


I didn’t charge a fee for my visits, but I’ll likely request mileage or a modest honorarium to cover expenses for future visits.  


2.  BEFORE THE VISIT 
Confirm expectations
Save angst down the road by establishing mutual expectations from the start. It’s fine to deviate, but it’s wise to have a starting point. 
  • Send a pre-visit letter to confirm details
  • Invite teachers/librarians to give you feedback to customize your visit
  • Clarify school policies:  checking in;  photography; selling books in school;  giveaways
  • Confirm student ages and numbers:   Small groups versus assembly-sized presentations?  Primary grades, with shorter attention spans and developing reading skills vs. upper-elementary kids, who sit still longer and write flowing paragraphs?
  • Determine if children will read your book before you visit.  
  • Many authors have a dedicated page on their website or blog that summarizes school visit offerings.​
         

Giveaways
Create, produce giveaways (bookmarks, rack cards, etc.) on a shoestring budget. 
Stay Tuned ...
More about budget-friendly giveaways in part 4 of this school visit series.

Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits Part 1 of a 4-part series:
School art designed around computer parts
Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits Part 1 of a 4-part series: Author Cat Michaels role plays with third-grade girl using animal stuffiesCat ears, stuffies help kids role play story endings

3.  DURING THE VISIT
Arrive early
Have directions in hand and on GPS (because you will be nervous and/or stuck in traffic), and check in at the front office to wait for someone to show you around.

Bring extra copies 
Bring EVERYTHING....books, business cards, giveaways, etc. (More about giveaways later in this series).  Have back-ups on a portable usb drive or Dropbox/Google Drive folder if you’re projecting visuals.  I print out 8x10 copies of my presentation to use in a pinch. A list of materials to bring helps me, too, because travel trauma and adrenalin usually kick in, and I lose track.

Check the tech
If you use own or the school’s AV equipment, make sure those gadgets are loaded and working. I always arrive early and ask for an on-site AV person to help with set up and test. 

Seek the library/media center
Librarians (nowadays called media specialists) are an author's best friend: be sure to meet him or her, and donate a signed copy of your book to the library.

Connect with kids
Get the group in your corner right away through a personal connections. 

Share a story about your writerly journey:
  • i.e., I tell fourth graders that fourth grade is one of my favorite grades because I wrote my first story in fourth grade.
  • I let first graders know that one of my characters is a first-grader, just as they are.

I wasn't sure about role playing with K-3 kids, but after consulting with teachers, we settled on a ‘controlled’ role play: I played Mama Cat, a character from my book, and teachers selected children to interact with me 1:1.  It was a huge hit with the students and a total  joy for me.

Channel wiggles and giggles
  • I use short bursts of activities to keep attention: the younger the child, the shorter the bursts.  Younger kids can interact with the story by moving appropriately to passages you select. For instance, if you read a passage about driving a car, you demonstrate how, and kids simulate while being seated.

Manage behaviors
  • It’s great to see kids who are excited and having fun.  Most are angels, but a few may test you.  If that’s the case, teachers usually handle of the situation.  I developed the No-Nonsense Eyeball that sends a non-verbal message about the need to straighten up n*o*w. It usually works. -:D.
  • I also set behavioral expectations by reinforcing children who participate appropriately: 
            I love the way you’re sitting and listening politely.  
           Thanks for raising your hand.
           Awesome answer.  

Snap Photos 
  • Since already knowing about photography policies, you're confident about your shots. I arrange for school staff to snap me (using my iPhone) while I’m working with students --perfect for posting on my social media sites.  
  • For variety, I add building façades and iconic visuals, like art projects, and bulletin boards.
  • To avoid showing faces, I shoot the backs of those sweet heads or close ups of hands writing and drawing to avoid issues about kids’ photos on the Internet...a touchy subject.  Be prepared for at least one child to turn around and face you as you click!  
Tips for Kid Lit Author School Visits Part 1 of a 4-part series:
Third-grader writes her story ending for "Finding Fuzzy"
  • Since already knowing about photography policies, you're confident about your shots. I arrange for school staff to snap me (using my iPhone) while I’m working with students --perfect for posting on my social media sites.
  • For variety, I add building façades and iconic visuals, like art projects, and bulletin boards.
  • To avoid showing faces, I shoot the backs of those sweet heads or close ups of hands writing and drawing to avoid issues about kids’ photos on the Internet...a touchy subject.  Be prepared for at least one child to turn around and face you as you click! 

Stay tuned ... 
More about photography in part 3 of this series when author, illustrator, and professional photographer Carmela Dutra shares secrets for taking your school visit photography to the next level.

Picture: A young boy and girl draw their story endings to Kindergarteners draw story endings
4.  CLOSE
 Say Thanks
Don't laugh.  You will be so excited that you may forget!  Before leaving, remember to thank students and staff.  Energy and enthusiasm is highest at the close, so this is also the perfect time to let them know you welcome a return visit. 

Include Your Call to Action 
An author visit isn’t a hard sell event, but it's a chance to build relationships and find readers. I ask students, with the help of an adult, to send me drawings, story ideas, and photos of them reading my books.  My giveaways include urls to sell sites and social media, so I direct follow up with me there.  I especially encourage adult subscribers to my newsletter.  (Note: In the USA, children under 13 years old cannot legally subscribe to an online newsletter.)


5.  FOLLOW UP
Almost done!

Just like a job interview, demonstrating appreciation after the event goes a long way to augment your standing as a professional and keep your presence in the forefront.

After each visit, I send an e-note of thanks to my sponsors and school staff, including a link to a video I create from visit photos. 
I use free, user-friendly software, such as i-movie or the Animoto app to make the videos. 

The  video showcases photos taken during my visit as well as illustrations from my book illustrations and author links supporting my call to action. 

Congratulations!  You finished  your first round.  Now sit back and relax.  But don't rest too long.  It's already time to start planning your next school visits.  The next blog posts in this series may help, so stay tuned.


Coming Next in this Blog Series 
PART 2: Kid Lit Authors Share Their Top School Visit Tips
PART 3: Five Tips for Photographing Kidsin the Classroom
PART 4:  




How do these school visit learnings work for you? 
Join the conversation in the comment section below.
  • What new classroom visit tips might you consider?  Already use?
  • How do school visits increase your discoverability and book sales?

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    CAT MICHAELS

    The writing journey is a long one.  And with all that social media and technology in the mix, it's easy to feel  overloaded. To make it easier, I share angst-saving tips found along my way. I'm still learning, so please join me. Let's travel this writing journey and learn together.


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  • Welcome!
  • Cat's Books
    • Just Between Sam and Me
    • Sweet T and the Turtle Team
    • Finding Fuzzy: A You-Decide Tale of a Lost Friend
    • Sweet T and the North Wind
    • The Magical Aquarium
  • Cat's Corner: Blogging About Books, Writing, and More
  • Author 101: Tips & Tricks for a Writer's Journey
  • Meet Cat
  • Author Visits
  • FREE STUFF in the Kids' Zone
  • Book Review Guidelines
  • KidLit Book Reviews
  • Contact Cat