Kids are great, but they can be hard work for photographers. Here are some ideas for how to approach children, how to treat them and what not to do if you want to get good photographs.

Children make wonderful and also frustrating subjects for photographers. The problem most wedding photographers encounter when they are photographing children is that the poor kids are excited as well as being hounded by assorted parents and relatives. Usually they have sat very quietly in a church or ceremony dressed in their finest and by the time the reception comes along, they are just desperate to blow off some steam and run around. This is the worst time to start trying to photograph them as they will either pout at you or smile in an entirely unconvincing way. As photographers we tend to worship light and the great thing about kids is how beautifully their smooth skin usually reflects light back at us. This is what makes them angels.

Here are a few tricks for you that are pretty straight forward but go all the way to helping you get those images you are looking for.

• Don't try getting them to smile all the time! Kids smile and communicate through their expressions and their eyes. If they want to smile or laugh they will only do so if you actually make them through your behaviour.
• Which brings us onto the next thing: earn their trust. Don't start by pointing a great big Canon 5D in their faces but encourage them to run around and have a good time. If they see you as an ally, they will start to respond to you.
• Let the child show in you. Kids love funny adults and it is that can make them laugh and crack up.
• Show them: they love to see themselves in the camera LCD so show them what is happening and then they will start playing along with you.
• Different ages require different approaches. Little children need a silly adult, but teenagers feel patronised. As children get older they want to be treated as important people.
• Try to extract them from their parents. Mothers often think that they will make ideal stylists, but all they do is fuss and try to take over your job. If you can get a little one on one time with children, it will go much better.

The little girl above was running around the party like an exocet rocket and was having a fine time. After she had blown off a little steam and relaxed, it was just a minutes work to get her to look up at me and get the shot. A little post production to lose extraneous detail and tweek the light and there she is!