Taking a professional shot of a child comes with its own issues, not excluding the task of holding the child’s focus long enough to snap their picture. However, there are other major problems photographers deal with unknowingly. In no particular order, these problematic issues are: having the child not look as if they are truly a part of the backdrop, creating an image that does not hold the viewer’s attention, or especially creating a boring picture that feels flat. Even the best photographers will face these three issues every now and then, and this article will help you to eliminate them completely.

To begin with, when using a photographed background, such as a professional printed backdrop, people who view the end result can at times see that it was faked. Most of the time this isn’t a huge issue, but occasionally we all experience these nit pickers. Using modest props would be one approach you could use to fight back. As opposed to using a muslin or printed backdrop at the start, think about using a green screen as an alternative. By using a green screen with cheap chroma key software, positioning a digital photo would be a lot simpler than attempting to make your angle perfect with a printed cloth.

Now with the child standing or sitting in front of the chroma key screen, add in a prop or two that can add to the illusion that the child is really there. A holiday like Christmas, for example, could have the child carrying a cheerfully wrapped gift box for the picture. Or if the child is being shot as if on the beach, have them wear a swimsuit and then wrap themselves with a towel. The main idea is to make an effort to add natural elements to the child’s surroundings. Tricking your viewers with the perfect illusion can be done if you pair your props and digital backdrops correctly.

Now another benefit to adding in props such as these is that they can help to engage the viewer. Think about it: which of these two pictures would look more interesting to you? A picture of a child wearing a nice suit standing in front of a background of the Star of David, or one where it’s a three-quarter view of the child wearing his yamulkah and he’s lighting a menorah for Hanukkah? The first picture gives and overall understanding, but the second one is much more engaging and fun to look at.

On the other hand, these pictures also help to tell a story. A baby laying on a blanket is cute, but add in a background of a grassy field and you’ve got a nature spirit. On that very same field, retrieve the child and hand them over to their mother - you now have a gentle spirit, dozing in his mother’s arms. Remember this: Use props in conjunction with a green screen to help make the scene more solid and real, to engage the viewer on an emotional level and to tell a story. Why wait any longer?  Find out more about green screen software today!

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