Kids Photography: In Parks at Play
41mIntermediate2016-01-12
Authors

Erika Thornes
Photographer, PPA and ASMP member
Course details
Photographing kids can be tricky. Some kids love the camera, but many freeze up as soon as you point one at them. To take great portraits, it helps to meet the kids on their turf and on their terms. That means photographing them in environments where they get to be kids.
In this course, we join photographer Erika Thornes in a sun-dappled park for a look at the techniques she employs to shoot her beautiful, natural-light portraits. Watch as Erika engages with a little girl and adjusts her shooting approach based on what the child is doing. Erika also demonstrates tricks for dealing with high-energy kids. The course concludes with a review of the day's shoot and some post-processing tips.
In this course, we join photographer Erika Thornes in a sun-dappled park for a look at the techniques she employs to shoot her beautiful, natural-light portraits. Watch as Erika engages with a little girl and adjusts her shooting approach based on what the child is doing. Erika also demonstrates tricks for dealing with high-energy kids. The course concludes with a review of the day's shoot and some post-processing tips.
Skills covered
Portrait PhotographyPhotographyDeep Dive (X:Y)
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - Welcome
1. Capturing Pictures of Kids at Play
- 02 - Playtime and pictures at a park
- 03 - Get kids comfortable
- 04 - Some tips for whatever gear you use
- 05 - Getting a portrait
- 06 - Capturing kids at play
- 07 - Backlit vs. front-lit photos
- 08 - Tell a story
2. Picking Your Best Shots
- 09 - Reviewing all of the images
- 10 - Which lenses worked best and when
- 11 - The pictures where the lighting really works
- 12 - Cropping images can be a great fix
- 13 - Selecting the top picks
Conclusion
- 14 - Wrap up
Related courses
- Kids Photography: Posed Outdoor Portraits
- Kids Photography: At Home
- Kids Photography: Newborns
- Kids Photography: Retouching with Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop
- Become a Portrait Pro: Family and Kids
- Douglas Kirkland on Photography: Photographing Kids and Families
- Travel Photography: The Family Cabin
- Generative AI for Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching the Future of Technology