photo by Emily Nathan, shot for Apple.

1. OVERVIEW
Kids are a mainstay of lifestyle photography, for good reason.

We've learned from buyers that there is insatiable demand for modern pictures of kids doing just about anything you can think of. And we've learned from photographers that kids can be ideal subjects for great lifestyle imagery because you can shoot them without incurring a lot of overhead on shoots. Kids are perfect just as they are - they have great skin, perfect hair, and they give you endless un-self-conscious moments in front of a camera.

However, there is still an art to be learned about photographing kids, and complexities to address. What ages of kids should we shoot and what should we have them do? Should the parents be on set or is that a distraction? What is the model release situation? What scenarios are most in demand and what are some common mistakes photographers make that result in unsellable images?



photo by Andrea Wyner


2. DEFINITIONS

For our purposes, we are defining 'kids' as newborns through age 12. Once kids hit 13 we are adding them to the 'Youth Culture' section in this blog. We will include expectant mothers in this 'Kids' category.

In terms of end-uses of your images, consider these types of clients:

• Magazines and other editorial publications - both print and online - are significant and frequent purchasers of children lifestyle images. Think of how many magazine articles you've seen on pregnant mothers, and how many magazines and websites are dedicated to parenting.

• Advertising agencies also send out constant research requests for kids doing stuff - think also of how many consumer products are geared towards babies, toddlers, kids and moms. Shampoos, toothbrushes, grocery items, clothes, medicines - all of this needs imagery.

• Textbook and other book publishers - kids learning is a massive, massive industry. There is a major dearth in the market for modern and diverse pictures of kids learning, and these publishing clients eagerly sweep up any new work that enters the market.

• Government + Non-Profit entities also often are creating websites and brochures for educational and family issues and are significant stock purchasers.