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Few of us will ever have to deal with throngs of paparazzi like those following Prince George Alexander Louis, the recently named son of Prince William and his wife, Kate. But we still take lots of photos of our own kids with a basic point-and-shoot or advanced digital camera. Here are three tips that can help you take top-quality portraits or candids of your heir to the throne, whether you live in Buckingham Palace or Bayonne, N.J.
1. Let the camera do the work for you. If you’re not tech savvy, set your camera on one of its auto modes, which are called scene modes. These automate your camera with specific settings that might work better for shooting a baby or toddler.
Some, such as Smile Detection, can be very useful, because in this mode it instantly shoots a photo when your subject smiles at the camera. Another, Subject Tracking, follows your subject throughout the frame and keeps him or her in focus at all times. And a mode on some Canon point-and-shoots, Face ID, can recognize a face you register with the camera and give that particular face priority over others for focus and exposure.
To find the right model for your needs and budget, check our buying guide and Ratings for digital cameras.
2. Use a swiveling LCD. All digital cameras have LCDs, but only a few have swiveling displays; one that does is the Canon PowerShot SX50, pictured above. If your camera has one, a trick when shooting little ones is to turn the display around 180 degrees so your subject sees him or herself when you’re shooting. Babies almost always smile when they see themselves.
3. Turn on red-eye reduction. Another useful tip when shooting babies or toddlers is to turn on red-eye compensation or reduction in your flash (which may have an eye in the flash icon). This will often reduce red-eye, which is more prominent when shooting kids in low light than adults. If you have an external flash on an SLR, you can angle the flash to bounce off the ceiling instead of right at your subject, which will minimize or eliminate red-eye.
Of course, you could also choose not to use the flash at all, in which case you’ll want to make sure you have adequate lighting. One of the best types of light can be found on an overcast, but not rainy, day. On such days, the light is soft and even, which makes for great baby photos.
—Terry Sullivan
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