How to Take Awesome Kids Photos for Canvas

One of the most popular sources for custom canvas prints projects in the home is, naturally enough, photos of your family – especially children. As they grow and evolve, your children are endlessly fascinating subjects for photo printing on canvas that can then be hung on your wall each year or birthday or holiday, showing a constantly changing representation of your family. Or a series of custom canvas prints that show one child’s journey from a baby to an adolescent to an adult, all on one wall – a spectacular long-term project your whole circle of friends and family can enjoy.

However, anyone who has ever tried to take photos of young children, for any reason, knows the dark secret of it all: Children are nearly impossible to get good photos of, unless you have the patience to wait and watch until they spontaneously do something interesting. That doesn’t mean you should give up, though. Here are a few simple tricks (that really work!) for getting your kids to take great photos to make into canvas prints online.

Kids Photos onto Canvas Trick 1: A Focal Point

See it from a child’s point of view: You’ve dressed them in uncomfortable outfits, you’ve posed them in a room with their siblings, and you expect them to just sit there and be still while there’s a whole world of fun going on without them. Naturally it’s difficult to sit there.

You need to give them something fun to concentrate on. For younger kids, an ideal solution is to attach something to your camera or phone – some people like to use a PEZ Dispenser, or an action figure the kids love – but it can be anything that captures their curiosity. They’ll stare at the action figure you’ve taped to your camera, and that tricks them into looking right at you as you snap away.

Kids Photos onto Canvas Trick 2: Role Playing

Kids love to play pretend. Even older kids, who want to be cool, like to pretend sometimes – so this is a trick that almost always works. Instead of insisting that they pose a certain way per your instructions, tell them to pretend to be something. “Tough” is a good one for little boys. “A Princess” is a good one for little girls – but precisely what they’re asked to pretend will depend on who they are, which only you know well enough.

Pretending is great because they will take it much more seriously than your instructions, and will really get into the emotion of it all. You’ll get some fantastic photos as your little Hams Ham it up!

Kids Photos onto Canvas Trick 3: Action!

Part of the trouble with taking kids pictures for your goal of having the greatest canvas prints Australia has ever seen is the boring nature of standing or sitting still while someone takes photos. Instead, get them to move! For younger kids, announcing something like a jumping or dancing contest will get those little butts wiggling, and you can just snap away – and you’ll get some awesome shots.

For older kids, prey on their vanity – if you know they play a sport, or like to skateboard, or are proud of their developing muscles, ask for demonstrations and take photos as they show off. Not only are these going to be great, relaxed photos, they’ll also be filled with action.

Getting picture of your kids that will make a great print on canvas isn’t easy – but these techniques usually work. Be patient, and when you have the perfect photo of your kids, click here and we’ll take it the rest of the way.