How to Photograph Children: Secrets for Capturing Childhood's Magic Moments [Paperback]

Lisa Jane (Photographer), Rick Staudt (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001

This manual offers practical advice on taking photographs of children. After guiding the amateur photographer through such technical basics as which camera, film and exposure to use, the authors offer specific suggestions about shooting indoors and out as well as advice about working with children of different ages. The book concludes with information about how to get the best work out of the photofinisher, even if it's just your local one-hour mini-lab. Throughout, sidebars offer additional information on everything from speed films to "smile getters", and the 200 photographs provide examples of what to do - and what not to do - when photographing children of every age and temperament.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A friendly, technically savvy guide to taking irresistible photographs.

About the Author

Lisa Jane and Rick Staudt are friends and award-winning colleagues in Houston, where they each run a professional portrait studio specializing in children. Lisa Jane's book Enchanted Childhood: The Magical World of Lisa Jane was published by Abbeville in spring 1999.

Product Details

• Paperback: 135 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press; 1st edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789206528
• ISBN-13: 978-0789206527
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for Beginners; Not as Good for Advanced Amateurs, September 20, 2004

By 

Sam A. Mawn-Mahlau (Winchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Photograph Children: Secrets for Capturing Childhood's Magic Moments (Paperback)

This is a good book for beginners, with extensive discussion of many of the basics of lighting, composition and exposure. However, if you have read a couple of the excellent books on general photography out there for beginners, you will already have heard most of the advice. The fact that this book puts the basics in context for people who photograph mainly children is mildly useful, but it would be much more useful if the authors instead would delve into greater detail on issues peculiar to children.

As examples, children tend to need softer lighting, and additional material on how to generate soft lighting would have been useful. Children also tend to be more difficult to direct and they don't stay still. This, as the book acknowledges in several places, requires a more spontaneous set-up and approach, yet the discussion rarely follows through with details, reverting instead to a more traditional and meticulous set up.

Please don't misunderstand this review. If you are a beginner and have a particular interest in children, this may be the book for you, especially if you are only going to get one book. I would tend to rely instead for most of the basic information on the classics, like Basic Photographic Materials and Processes (Stroebel et al); the Ansel Adams series (the Camera, the Negative, and the Print); and Horenstein's book on Black and White Photography, and would look for more advanced information from a book focused just on children. Unfortunately, I picked this up hoping it would be that more advanced book, and it is not.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book!, June 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Photograph Children: Secrets for Capturing Childhood's Magic Moments (Paperback)

As an amateur/hobbyist photographer for 20+ years as well as an avid reader I have read a lot of books on the subject, but none as fun to read as this. It contains lots of practical advice about composition and lighting as well as basics about film and equipment selection. The authors also tell how they got a particular shot, and give very clear examples and advice about technique. I recommended this book to several friends and relatives who wanted a basic book about photography, and, although the focus is on children's photography, this advice is translatable to other areas as well.
I was very impressed by the conversational tone and humorous approach which is often evident. What was great was that they encourage a lot of experimentation and they are not camera snobs - they actually acknowledge that such things as point & shoot & single use cameras are in use and tell you how to get the best of them, without making you feel like you're somewhat inferior if you're not using an SLR or medium format.
All in all, I highly recommend this book. Did I mention that the photos are great and the feeling is that they are actually attainable by the average amateur photographer?

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Title - How to Photograph People, July 10, 2001

By 

Railgun - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Photograph Children: Secrets for Capturing Childhood's Magic Moments (Paperback)

I almost didn't even pick-up this book because of the title. I have no interest in photographing children. But almost everything in this book applies to photographing people. Both the writing and photography are very good. The content is concise, well organized and straight to the point. The example photos are those that any weekend shutterbug can aspire to create, not overwhelming masterpieces that would take years of experience and tons of equipment. And technique applies to any type of camera.