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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 
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.  Use 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. 
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. 
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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2 Comments
12/5/2014 02:30:13 pm
Carmela, you inspire me to get out my camera, lose the auto-shoot, and take better pictures. Thank YOU for stopping by. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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CAT MICHAELSThe 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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