Every day we experience unforgettable moments with our children: their first steps, the costume party with their best friends or their first trip to the zoo. Of course, we want to capture them and share them with others.
We should be aware of the way in which photos of our children are circulating on the internet – whether on WhatsApp, Instagram or elsewhere online. After all, children also have a right to privacy and should be able to participate in decisions about what and how much of them can be seen on the internet, in line with their age.
Those who like to post photos of their loved ones should make sure that the face, surroundings and names are not clearly recognizable. We have collected a few creative ideas to still get beautiful and impressive photos:
Photothek/Thomas Trutsche
Be creative about the camera’s angle of view. A child’s photo from behind, above or below can also be adorable!
If you change the perspective, it can emphasize the image effect. Often it is enough to stand on a stair step or a kitchen chair. However, make sure that your child’s face is not recognizable.
If you go down to the child’s eye level, the background looks much more exciting and viewers get the feeling of seeing the world from the child’s point of view.
Photothek/Ute Grabowsky
Sometimes we get so busy trying to get everything in one picture at once that we overlook the little things altogether. Details can also tell a story and have an emotional impact.
Photothek/Ute Grabowsky
Interesting and creative photos can also be taken by photographing through other objects (e.g. leaves or fabrics) or working with water reflections. This can result in great puddle photos, for example, and the little ones have fun too!
Photothek/Ute Grabowsky
When you work with light and shadow, some photos look mysterious and exciting and others very artistic. Their advantage is that only silhouettes and no faces are visible.
Photo library
You may have seen photos of children in which their faces have been covered with emojis afterwards. If you already remember when taking the photo that you don’t want children’s faces to be seen, you can cover them up in another way. Sometimes such photos are not intended at all and look natural, for example, when the child just holds his hands or an object in front of his face – as in our example.
Photothek/Thomas Trutschel
Things can also tell stories, especially when you realize they have a connection to a person – like the shoes in our example photo.
Some of the effects mentioned can also be achieved by post-processing photos. For example, you can work with high contrasts and strong backlighting or play with depth of field. When creating a photo collage, images are sometimes displayed so small that the faces are no longer recognizable.
Involve your child as early as possible. Many children are used to being photographed. And looking at photos together on the smartphone is part of everyday family life for many. It is therefore a good idea to talk about the publication of photos on the internet at an early stage in a way that is appropriate for children. You can talk to children from primary school age about what the internet is and what it means when photos are published online.
Whether and how much you or your child reveal about yourself on the Internet is up to you. Above all, it is important to deal with the topic. Both parents and children should be aware of the possible consequences of publishing pictures of themselves and others on the Internet. Our article on children’s photos on the internet can serve as a stimulus for a joint discussion.
