Children’s birthday parties create many meaningful and extraordinary memories as parents celebrate their child’s significant milestone with everyone they love. Therefore, in order to preserve these precious memories, especially in today’s digital era, most of us prefer to engage a professional photographer to freeze these moments of joy for a lifelong possession. However, even though a professional is present to capture these valuable moments, are there things we can do to enhance and further boost the quality of the photographs taken?
After shooting for nearly 100 children birthday parties this year, we have prepared 5 tips for you to consider, to make sure that the conditions of those special events are ideal for your children’s photographs to be taken if party photography are very important to you.
#1 AMBIENCE
Environment is the first thing to look at when it comes to the perfect venue for the celebration of birth for your little ones.
> Indoors or outdoors?
From a photographer’s point of view, indoors celebration is more ideal for better photography. Indoor conditions are much more comfortable for children to interact naturally and easier for photographers to keep up.
> Ample space for activities
No matter the age of your child, allocating a space for activities is crucial for the most natural and beautiful pictures to be taken. Photographs, taken when your child is exploring the environment or having fun with certain props or even during an activity, are livelier and more likely to capture the essence of the child-like innocence they possess.
> Colours of the background
Even though events that involve children are often associated with colours, it is best for the background of the venue to be less colourful This is because, colours are reflective of the lights that photographers use and we don’t want our lovely children to look sickly green or blushing red!
> Background Music
With the perfect blend of cheerful, familiar kids pop hits, and a suitable amount of noise level made by other kids, your little pumpkin would be immerse in the enjoyable environment and that makes the most wonderful picturesque landscape to us photographers.
#2 BIRTHDAY CAKES
What’s a party without cakes?
> Size
Size matters. When choosing the size or types of cakes for your children, either find one that is appropriate in size, which will highlight the birthday boy/girl instead of overshadowing them, or make sure there is a platform available for the kid to stand on.
> Placement of table for the cake
It is a definite no-no for the placement of the table to be directly in front of a large window, with natural lights streaming in. We don’t want our lovely birthday boys/girls to hide in the shadows!
#3 ENTERTAINMENT
Entertaining the children during the party is the next challenge in line, because of their short attention span and their constant need to engage themselves.
> 3 to 7 year olds
Considered to be the younger birthday boys and girls, those among that age enjoys a variety of programs such as balloon sculpting, magician or clown acts, or even as simple as throwing them into a ball pit made of inflatable boats.
> Above 7 year olds
On the other hand, the older kids prefer more hands on and interactive activities such as a DIY workshop making toy figurines, treasure hunt, tele-matches and various mini games to keep them engaged.
> Playground
Surprise! Playgrounds are not advisable as a venue for photo taking. Due to the large structures and many nooks and crannies that little kids can hide into, it is hard to get the perfect shot.
#4 DURATION
The duration of an impactful and enjoyable party is typically around 2 hours in total. Even inclusive of activities, it is usually capped at 3 hours maximum, as guests with children tend to have a limitation when it comes to play time.
> Cake Cutting
Cake cutting is best set around an hour into the party, where by guests had the chance to enjoy the food and beverages before the cake is cut and served.
> Group photos
The best time to have your group photos taken is also right after the cake cutting ceremony. Guests tend to leave shortly after the climax of the event, in this case its cake cutting, and it would look good for a collective of photos of all the guests posing together with the hosts and the birthday cake.
#5 BIRTHDAY FASHION
Additionally, another tip to look better in the photographs taken would be picking the right attire to wear. Due to the nature of the event, a family outfit would be encourage as it exudes family unity, love and intimacy. However, one thing to note is that white clothing is not advised, as photography lights tend to reflect more, especially for those who are fairer.
