How to capture a child's sincere emotions? Advice from children's photographer Marina Cherkasova. How to photograph emotions. Secrets of Oryol photographer Yulia Tyukova

Of all the genres of photography, play photography of children will soon become the most interesting. Have you heard of this? Not surprising. I came up with its name not long ago. This is a process of communicating and playing with children, creating interesting, spectacular interactions in a group and revealing the emotional world of each child individually. All this must be done playfully, without forgetting... I forgot that... Oh yes, don’t forget to photograph all this! But you can do this without me. I’ll tell you how NOT to wait for interesting spectacular moments, following the ancient principle of photographers “Seize the moment”, and actively create these moments!

And so, before us is a child. This is not only a bipedal creature without feathers (this is the definition Plato gave to man), but also a creature that DOES NOT NEED photographs. Not needed now. Yes, in a quarter of a century he will be touched, seeing himself so funny and spontaneous. But at the moment, we will have to make sure that in the future today’s kinder model does not torment herself with questions: why was I so sad or scared as a child? To do this, we create a process: interesting, exciting, positive. Only such a process can hook a child or group of children, captivate them personally and emotionally. If this happens, children begin to show emotions exactly the way they know how and love: openly, directly, not only with their facial expressions, but with their whole body. Children show their emotions most vividly in communication, play, creativity and sports. Photographing them doing these activities in paparazzi mode is one of the paths to success, but we are already going the other way. All you need to do is turn the photography process into an interesting conversation, game, educational activity, joint creativity or competition.

On the same wave

Establishing contact, creating an atmosphere of trust and positive perception of each other are the first and most important tasks of play photography of children. And although the topic of communicating with a child is inexhaustible, several simple psychological techniques allow you to get on the same wavelength with him in a matter of seconds. You can find a couple of dozen of my articles on effective communication techniques freely available on my author’s website www.fotodeti.ru, in the “Articles” section. And now I’ll tell you about a technique that I always use when photographing children. This is an extension to the height and age of the child. The point of any psychological extension is to become like your communication partner. If this works out, the principle “Fisherman understands fisherman from afar” begins to work.

So, in order to gain the trust of a group of kids, I need to become as small, spontaneous, open to the world as they all are. Already at the acquaintance stage, I squat down or simply sit on the floor and begin to meet the children by hand. I ask permission to stay with them and play with them. All this helps kids feel like they are masters of the situation and create a type of interaction that can be defined as a “Meeting of equals.” When I find myself in the world of children, which is almost a meter lower than adult reality, I get the opportunity to use the lowest shooting points. For some reason, many adults communicate and take pictures of children from above, hovering over them. Well, a couple of photographs of the backs of children's heads in the family archive are probably valuable for history. But the most exciting perspective is looking at the world of a child through the eyes of a child. Don't look down on children, and they will show you everything they can, forgetting about embarrassment and their stereotyped reactions to the camera!

Psychological warm-up

So that children do not think that you are a standard inhabitant of the adult world, as boring, serious and tired of life as most of its representatives, allow yourself to get a little weird. Just yesterday, to warm up a group of not really woken up kids, I grabbed some stuffed shark and started chasing them around the playroom. They screamed like crazy! The adults burst in at the screams, but one of them calmed everyone down with the phrase: “Oh, this is Igor, he controls the situation!” In conclusion, one of the girls came forward and seriously, even somehow solemnly said: “Thank you for scaring us!”

Sometimes such impromptu shots are preferable to a proven set of games that help the person photographing a group of children create SPECTACULAR scenes. And when working with an individual child, I like to tell him jokes or funny incidents from my practice. Children, as a rule, do not remain in debt and also begin to tell and show something in a way that we adults rarely manage: with every cell of their body. There is also a set of games with which you can, in ten minutes, encourage a child to show us a couple of dozen emotions, accompanied by gestures and facial expressions, in a completely natural and unpretentious way. I share these developments in articles about the technology of children's photographic portraits and the organization of collective game photography.

Long live nonviolence!

Children are so tired of the constant commands of adults: we need this, we don’t need that.... Their whole nature resists the instructions and instructions of adults. This is the simple psychology of childhood stubbornness. To avoid confrontation, I generally avoid direct instructions, commands, and even requests. Paradoxically, the roundabout path to a child’s heart is often the closest and easiest. For example, a child says: “I don’t want to be photographed!” “Well, we won’t. “What do you want to do?” I say in response. Whatever the child chooses, I will support his endeavors. When children see that their choices are respected, they know they are dealing with a true friend. What would you do for a friend? Recently, one girl flatly refused to participate in a photo shoot. She wanted to listen to fairy tales. We called her friends and agreed that I would tell the story, and the children would show it (act out the actions of the characters). Believe me, there was something to photograph there, but no one paid attention to the camera.

It's surprising that most adults ignore such a simple approach. Sometimes it’s simply because we don’t need to deviate from a pre-planned plan. Recently I saw this picture: animators are holding a children's birthday party. For some reason, all the clowns' initiatives are rejected by the children's group. Moreover, the kids do not hide their common desire, which sounds something like this: “We don’t want competitions, we want to play aliens!!!” But the program MUST have competitions. What about the fact that there can’t be competitions on other planets or that lunatics can’t compete in a relay race with Martians??? When the animators (squeezed like two lemons) left, do you know what I offered the children? Well, of course, play aliens.

The main thing is safety!

Photographing children is a very exciting process for everyone involved. A photographer can get very carried away and forget about many things, but not about the safety of all participants in the photo shoot. When photographing a group of children in play mode, I have to move around a lot. In order not to step on the child, not to knock him down and not to hit him with the camera, I learned to: move with a moonwalk (without lifting my feet from the floor, as if sliding along the floor), hold the camera while moving above the children’s heads and put a lens hood on the lens when when shooting in a crowded environment (flexible plastic is still safer than the sharp metal edge of a protective filter). When I take photos sitting on the floor, I prefer the Lotus pose so that children running past will not trip over my feet.

When photographing children, it is also important to address issues of psychological safety. Preventing or reconciling conflicts, fears, and relieving psychological discomfort are the regular tasks of a children's photographer. Sometimes there are many children involved in a photo shoot, and there is not enough time to pay enough attention to everyone. But even in this case, unobtrusive psychological guidelines help relieve shyness and open the door to the process. For example, if a child is shy or otherwise refuses to participate in the process, you can tell him: “YOU CAN just sit on the sidelines and watch what we do. “Any time YOU WANT, YOU CAN join us.” Not even five minutes pass before the child becomes bored, and he happily joins in the fun and interesting process, consisting of communication, games, drive and, of course, photography.

- Good afternoon! Let's start. What qualities must a wedding photographer have?

Attention to people, philanthropy is a must, maximum communication skills are a must, and always a good mood - these are very important points. A wedding photographer must be fluent in photographic equipment, optics, understand the nature of light and be full of ideas.

As a successful photographer, you have quite a lot of orders for shooting. How do you know which couples you would like to work with and which ones you wouldn’t?

I believe that the more complex the client, the more useful it is for the photographer. It is a pleasure to work in the usual way with clients who are friendly, attractive, photogenic, and creative. But people have different personalities, and there are complaints and complex wishes. I take them off because I know: this way I will find something new, and new things are born in overcoming. For me this is an axiom, and that is why I photograph everyone.

- Which wedding was the most memorable for you?

The most memorable wedding I photographed was in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is my favorite city, in my opinion, the best city on earth. I still don’t understand why I don’t live there. I come to St. Petersburg several times a year, and every time I experience a trembling feeling, as if before a date.

One day, a girl from St. Petersburg asked to photograph her wedding, but she didn’t want a standard approach, but something unusual. I didn’t know at all what I would do or how to film, but when I began to find out the tastes and interests of the couple, I realized that the girl and the young man loved Balkan music - I myself love it very much. And I realized that St. Petersburg needs to be made into a vibrant Mediterranean city. In my feeling, it is always like this, because when I come to St. Petersburg, to my surprise, I rarely see bad weather, even in winter.

So, I decided to do this wedding in the Balkan style. We took an old pipe, I asked the couple to come up with bright costumes, and the young man chose a red shirt, and the girl chose a light wedding dress, but with a touch of gypsy. We invited a familiar musical group, and traveled through the streets with it: the group walked with large drums, with trumpets, with a violin and played music, and a couple walked next to it. I tried to shoot it from an angle - with a wide-angle lens, as I like.

It was a wedding where I was given absolute freedom, and that is why it turned out to be the most memorable.

- That is, the photographer, to one degree or another, is also an assistant in organizing the wedding?

Not always: if the wedding is from an agency, then the agency has already prepared everything, and the photographer only has to show himself somehow in a given situation. But I like it when they give me freedom, and I make decisions about the organization, the location of the shooting, and so on.

- What photograph, angle or position, in your opinion, is mandatory for wedding photography?

The photo that parents and grandparents will like should be a must. For example, I love experimental photographs: my work is absolutely far from the standards of wedding photography. But I also take standard photos precisely so that parents and grandparents can put them on a shelf in a frame or hang them on the wall. And since grandparents’ tastes are usually conservative, naturally I shoot beautiful couple portraits. Everything else, of course, is no less important, but this is a mandatory program.

- What determines your choice of photographic equipment?

It so happened that my first truly serious camera was Nikon. And then, most journalists in Soviet times worked with Nikons. This is probably a leading company producing professional photographic equipment. The cameras worked in a wide variety of conditions: from the heat in the desert to the terrible frosts and humidity of the Far North. In my opinion, only Nikon cameras could boast of ultra-reliability and quality of the output material, and Nikon optics were famous for their impeccable sharpness. At that time they said that Nikkor lenses “cut to the blood.”

- What lenses are needed at a wedding?

Of course, a portrait lens, because when photographing people this is a prerequisite. Although you can shoot the entire wedding with a wide-angle lens or one standard 50mm lens, which is called “fifty kopecks”. But, of course, you need to have several lenses. In my arsenal, I probably have all the optics made by Nikon, except for the long-focal lenses that reporters use to photograph sports events - they are of little use for wedding photography because of their heaviness and the unnecessaryness of such multiple zooms. The most common lenses I use are 85mm 1.4 and 35mm 1.4 or 24mm 1.4, that is, moderate wide-angle and moderate portrait lenses. As for zooms, I use a standard zoom 24-70, 70-200 and 16-35.

- What lens do you most often have on your camera when shooting?

It all depends on the wedding: if, say, there is a wedding with a large number of guests, I need to have time to be in different parts of this event at the same time. Since I work alone, I have to move more, so I choose the 70-200 and 24-70 zooms to be able to quickly change focal lengths. I try to cover as much as possible the space and people with whom I work, this is interesting to me. I spin like a spinning top during the photography process, using all my equipment as much as possible to see the reaction of all the guests to the shooting.

If the wedding is intimate, that is, it is just a couple, maybe a few more friends, and we are walking around the city in some interesting places or are generally on a trip, then I take fixed focal length lenses with me. They certainly give a more artistic picture, a more beautiful bokeh - the out-of-focus area. And since I only work with a couple, there is no such rush, there is no need to quickly change focal lengths. Of course, shooting with such lenses is much more pleasant.

- Weather conditions may not always be conducive to filming. Do you carry lighting equipment with you?

The principle of my photography is to use exclusively natural light and a minimum of equipment. I carry a flash with me in my backpack, but I almost never use it - only in the most extreme case, when there is no light at all. In addition, the latest Nikon camera models make it possible to shoot in almost any lighting conditions, the most difficult, and in almost complete absence of light.

- Are there cases when a person remains dissatisfied with the result? And what do photographers do in this case?

If I say that absolutely all clients are happy with the photographs I take, I’m probably lying. There were two or three times when the result did not quite correspond to what the newlyweds wanted. I know for sure that most often this happens because the clients are not exactly “mine”, in the sense that they came on the recommendation of their friends. But those friends studied what I do: they liked my style, my shooting, they wanted to get this result, and they got it. They had different tastes, and therefore different expectations, and perhaps that’s why they got a slightly different result than they expected.

This, I repeat, is an extremely rare case, one might say, an exception to the rule. But even if this happens, then I agree with the couple about additional shooting and try to complete the shooting in the style in which they want. It is very important to me that the couple is ultimately satisfied and that their experience is not overshadowed by anything, and I try to do everything, even if I have to sacrifice my time or money.

- Is it necessary to communicate with the newlyweds in advance?

Undoubtedly. When a shoot is done without any preparation and without getting to know the client, it is difficult to count on a great result. But in most cases, in such situations, I usually conduct a very good, high-quality shoot, although this is the first time I see clients during the shoot. This doesn’t bother me at all, but there is always a chance that people might not like something.

- How to liberate and relax a couple when only the newlyweds are being photographed?

I don't work with actors who could play any feelings and any emotions. And to force them to play means dooming the photographs to falsehood. Since people are not actors, they are uptight and shy; naturally, all this shows up in the photograph. And to get them out of this state, I try to distract them with conversation, to film in those moments when they are not expecting or thinking about filming. Or I ask the couple to move as much as possible, and in the process of these movements they forget about the photo shoot, and I capture moments of their natural, organic state.

Newlyweds do not always know what they want: tender or simply beautiful. How do you choose the style of future photographs?

I try never to work according to the tastes of my clients. I don’t have a single photograph that could be classified as a fashion section, and I wouldn’t want to see clients who choose such photographs among my own. All my photographs are genre - they are rather close to a reportage-staged style. I would say that this is a “Wedding Movie”. Since I love cinema very much, and in terms of photography it has had a very strong influence on me, I try to create a cinematic atmosphere in my photographs.

- What percentage of photographs do you devote to the newlyweds and how much to the guests?

Surprisingly, I devote much more to the guests than to the newlyweds. During the day, approximately 1000 photographs are taken, of which 300 photographs are dedicated to the newlyweds themselves, no more. The remaining 70% are reportage and portrait photographs of guests and relatives in a wide variety of situations. They have the whole atmosphere of a wedding.

- What is the secret of good wedding photography?

The secret is in the photographer's vision, in his mastery of his craft, in his understanding of how optics work and how to find a way to find an expressive picture and take not just a cliché photo, but one that stands out. Therefore, the photographer must work as a location station: constantly monitor the surrounding space, and must, of course, be bursting with ideas so as not to give his clients any reason to doubt for a minute. As soon as the photographer slows down, starts to think, or stammers, this is instantly transmitted to the clients, and the entire atmosphere of trust in the photographer collapses, and the result can be disastrous.

Very often, beginning photographers learn by copying the work of those they choose as examples. What do you think of it?

Of course, it is necessary to copy, since the photographer’s style and personal vision are not born instantly. A new generation of artists, in the process of comprehending and repeating the experience of the artists who came before them, acquire their own style. That is, a compilation of the styles of all photographers, plus the introduction of a personal attitude to the world around us, is called style, so, of course, you need to refer yourself to the works of already famous photographers, and I think this is the best move.

- At what point did you realize that your personal style was born?

I don’t think that I have any clearly visible style, because I try to be diverse, not to be isolated, to be free. And a person who strictly follows his style and wants to be recognized must work in a strictly defined manner, follow a certain form. For me, the most important thing is that the photograph is catchy, expressive, memorable, and people like it for its uniqueness. Whether it corresponds to a particular style or not is of less concern to me.

- How did you come up with the idea of ​​master classes?

And then a wave of master classes began. This idea was in the air, and I didn’t exactly strive for it, but I was always ready. They allowed me from Krasnodar and asked me to conduct a master class. I immediately agreed, came to this city, held a master class, which was a great success: there were a lot of people, and a film was made based on its results.

I was really inspired by how people responded to my presentation. And when I saw the results - those sparkling eyes, the letters that were then sent to me, and the reviews, I realized that I couldn’t stop there. And I myself am energized by this process, and it also gives me a lot: I really love communicating with people, and master classes allow me to do this.

One or two days of master classes is extremely little for a person to change their worldview, but if this happens, it is worth a lot. It is a very strong feeling when you see that a person has sharply turned his development vector in the right direction. I try to make people grow wings, so that after the master classes they feel that they are ready to fly. I do my best to motivate people to take the camera and run faster, to take the magical shots for which I prepare them.

It is important that a person experiences a breakdown, as they say now, a break in the pattern, and that a person understands that he can create, how it is done, and that there is nothing complicated about it. Probably the most important thing is to open a person’s eyes.

- Can everyone attend your master class?

Absolutely. There are master classes where there are both beginners and professionals. I try to present the material in such a way that it would be interesting to everyone. Often people come to me without a camera at all - just to get into the atmosphere and see the process.

- Do you observe changes in the creativity of people who attended the master classes?

Of course: they often send me photos, and I’ve been communicating with some of them for years. Moreover, some come to me more than once for master classes. There is even a category of people who try to get to every master class. This is priceless, and this is a kind of feedback on my work.

- Do you have projects that you do just for fun?

Undoubtedly. First of all, I photograph weddings for the soul. If weddings didn't bring me joy, I wouldn't do it at all. Only the love for wedding photography will not allow me to leave, and no amount of money can compensate me for doing a job I don’t like, because I get pleasure from photographing weddings.

But besides this, I also do my own projects. If I go to some interesting place, I definitely shoot there: I invite a local couple and film them in some situations that are interesting to me. For example, I went to Asia to Lake Issyk-Kul. The place is magical, most picturesque: a blue lake framed by snowy mountains. I rented a car and through friends I found a girl and a young man who would like to join me and get an interesting shoot as a result. And so I traveled with them along the shore of the lake and photographed landscapes. For me, it is not the landscape itself that is interesting, but rather the people organically embedded in this landscape, the couple - he and she. And for me, trying to find beautiful images in this combination is a pleasure and a favorite pastime.

- Do you study a place before going there?

No, I always rely on spontaneity, on some unexpected turn. The most interesting and enjoyable things in life are what are not planned.

- What does photography mean to you?

Photography is a way of life, a way in which I experience this world. This is the path I want to take. Everything is born of light, and photography is born of light: it seems to me that this is a unique combination - the beginning of life and the beginning of photography. And observing the light, all the diversity of its manifestations and the person illuminated by this light, for me is the meaning of life.

- a very important holiday in the life of newlyweds. And the atmosphere of this holiday is simply overflowing with various emotions and experiences that would be worth capturing. The result of reportage shooting will undoubtedly be “live” photographs.

The photographer will try his best to display all the emotions that were experienced at the holiday. You might think that reportage photographs are the easiest to take. But this is not true, because often newlyweds and guests cannot relax knowing that they are being filmed. Therefore, many seemingly sincere moments seem forced. Besides, just reportage photography is of little interest to anyone these days. Newlyweds today also want colorful staged photographs.

To achieve natural emotions in a wedding photo, you can pre-organize a photo session with the newlyweds. This type of shooting is called love story. This is an opportunity for the couple to get to know the photographer better, and also to get a little used to the idea that a lens is constantly watching you at the celebration. In addition, photographs from such a walk can be shown at the wedding itself, as part of the program.

Usually this is a love story of lovers that touches everyone present at the holiday. But this may not be a love story, but simply a pre-wedding shoot, that is, a half-hour walk with a photographer, during which you will learn to be natural in front of the camera and not hide from the photographer, which is the most important thing.

If you are not satisfied with the “pre-shoot” option, then at the holiday, namely during a wedding ceremony or entertainment in a restaurant, you should try to forget about everything and just enjoy the fun. Then the photos will be successful. By the way, not only a professional will be filming you, but also many guests who took their cameras or video cameras with them to the holiday. So ease, naturalness and sincerity are exactly what is required from you, since you will be the center of attention.

Emily Soto's bold yet playful images are sought after by many publishers and regularly appear on magazine covers. Soto and her professional creative team conduct fashion photography workshops throughout Europe, Australia and Asia. They say the key to a successful photo shoot is communication. But we rarely remember this.

All our attention is focused on cameras, lenses and lighting. Although creating the best shots depends precisely on the ability to convey your ideas and feelings to the subject. We'll look at a few simple tips that Emily Soto finds particularly helpful.

The main thing is to communicate with the model

Sometimes it takes some time for the model to get used to the camera. If she is inexperienced, a little instruction may be required.
Each model is unique, with its own characteristics and best angles that are important to identify.

You will be surprised if you notice how differently photographers shoot the same models. Effective communication with your subject will create the foundation for a good shot.

Different ways to communicate

Use verbal and nonverbal communication. Body language is especially important because it sets the “mood” of the photo. The photographer often imitates the poses he expects to see in the model, shows what to do with his hands, and so on.

Before the photo shoot, study the portfolio of each model to determine the best angles and style for her.

Always keep your portfolio handy to use as an example when you need to clarify what kind of facial expression you need to portray. The first 30 minutes of shooting are usually spent testing shots to find the best perspective.

Focus on eyes, mouth and hands

It is important to evoke the right mood and expression in the model. Emily Soto prefers to create images that look soft and romantic, highlighted by large, innocent eyes.

Pay attention to your mouth. An open or closed mouth has different effects on how we perceive a subject's emotions. Hands are also important. If they are tense or look awkward, then the model is nervous.

Speak the same language

At the beginning of the shoot, show your model images that reflect the style, poses, and overall mood you're going for. Describe the emotions and mood you are looking for so that she understands what is required of her.

If the model does not know your language, it is important to be able to show her what mood you are trying to achieve without resorting to words.

Emily Soto, as a rule, prefers simple poses when the model looks natural and the eyes convey the right emotions. You don't have to speak the same language to be on the same creative wavelength.

Help the model relax

Tension and clumsiness in the hands usually indicates that the model is unable to relax. If you feel like your subject is in the wrong mood, try giving her a few posing options. If things don't work, go back to a basic pose, such as looking over your shoulder or looking directly at the camera.

Having a chair or stool for the model to rest on is extremely helpful. You can also lean against a wall or sit on a step. Once she feels comfortable, her look will become more natural and you will make a huge difference in your photos.

Music will help create a comfortable environment in the photo studio. Ask the model what she prefers to listen to. You don't have to share her musical tastes, as long as it helps her feel comfortable, relax, and express herself.

Contact by name

Finally, when you meet models, talk to them and call them by name. It's so simple and so effective. Then your model is guaranteed to feel more comfortable and automatically relax. As a result, the photo shoot will be more successful.

12 tricks on how to liberate your child in front of the camera and get emotional and sincere photographs.

1. Children often get lost in front of the camera, don’t know how to stand up and... what to do with their hands. Give your child some subject that will captivate him - you will get both a subject for a photo and, as a result, a frame without artificial posing.

2. Or you can give your child not just something entertaining, but a delicious chocolate bar or some other delicacy - both the child’s pleasure and funny pictures. And if the children also feed each other, such an activity will give us fun, cozy portraits.

3. What will not leave a child indifferent and will not allow him to pass by? Swing! What a place to create emotional photos with drive. But here you will have to do a lot of takes in order to get the sharpness and the right emotions.

4. Great for music lessons with children. Even if the child does not study at a music school, he will be interested in learning the instrument during photography.

5. Group photographs are especially touching, for example those showing the friendship of a boy and a girl. To get such shots filled with an atmosphere of warmth, children can be asked to ask each other simple questions, for example: “what do you want as a birthday present?”, or “Will you be friends with me?” There will be dreaminess, slight embarrassment and cheerful smiles.

6. To catch the child’s playful gaze, show off developing curls, and at the same time save the young model from boring posing, invite the child to stand with his back to you and, on command, turn his whole body towards you, throwing his hair away from his face with a movement of his head. But here again you will have to do a lot of takes.

7. Photographing children in motion. The method is difficult, since you have to keep up with the little fidget, but the result, as a rule, is very interesting and certainly without tense facial expressions.

8. It would seem a simple, but very effective way to get a photographic portrait with an inspired, not strained look - to invite the child to dream. Just don’t dream in general, but about something specific, for example, about a trip to the sea.

9. And another simplest, but one of the most sparkling techniques is to make a child laugh.