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Alright I have messed up big time!!! I took a pix of my nephew that turned out pretty good. But now my dilema is my neice wants me to take a pix of her daughter. I'm not very good at posing people and knowing what to look for. So where do I turn?

I'm pretty new to photography but I'll take a shot at answering your question. I'm assuming that you'd like a photo similar to the one you posted. I won't delve into the technical aspect of shooting portraits, mainly because I feel that I'm under-qualified at this time.

First of all, pose means to "put or set in place." I personally don't like those kind of photos, ones where the subject is tense and unnatural. I like to take photos where the person is relaxed and in a comfortable environment.

Something you should consider is how old your subject is. Are you working with a baby? A young girl? Put your subject in her natural environment. If she is a young girl, get her to play around in a playground or on a swing. A baby? Let her crawl around in her crib or on the floor. Just don't force your subject to do anything she doesn't want to do. Get her to do something she enjoys! Don't see what I have in mind? Just ask and I'll tell you what kind of shot I'm thinking of.

Also, shoot away! Film is the cheapest part of a photographer's arsenal. Shoot a roll or two! You're increasing your odds of getting a photo that you'll like if you do so. Don't worry too much about the "perfect" shot. Sometimes the perfect shot is the one which you thought you messed up.

Best of luck to you! Hope you get a good shot!

It's a good question. I've always believed that especially with kids and animals, keeping them comfortable with you [the photographer] and with what you're doing [taking their picture] is both the most important and trickiest thing to do. Be calm and relaxed. "Posing" often gives you, well, a posed picture. I like pictures of kids doing, seeing, tasting, running, expressing emotions.

With that great picture of your nephew, you've shown that you've got a good eye for composition and a good sense of when to push the button. So rather than pose your subject, put her in a situation where she's comfortable doing stuff that kids do. Have her make faces, run, throw, "all fall down", twirl, jump, blow bubbles. And, then, catch the moment that best expresses the child.

Most important, have fun.

That may all seem a little tediously obvious, but it's what I do.

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