Taking pictures of mindees

[mumofone]

I was just wondering how you go about taking photos of your mindees. Providing you have parents permission (obviously) to take pics do you ask mindees their permission before you snap away or Dyou ask them to 'pose/stand' next to their say artwork or do you take pics of them in the middle of stuff. I feel even with parents permission that it's quite intrusive and doesn't 'sit well' with me but also know I will need pics as evidence for observations etc etc....

[messyplay]

I tend to capture them whilst doing the activity so it shows their interest

[mumofone]

I tend to capture them whilst doing the activity so it shows their interest

Do you tell them you're taking pictures as you take them?

[AliceK]

I spend most of the day taking pics so the children are used to me doing that. The majority of the pics won't be used for anything and just deleted but the rest I upload to Tapestry. Most are just of the children in the middle of their play but sometimes like today a mindee was very proud of something he had built with the blocks so I took a pic of him posing with it because he wanted mummy to see it. When an older child joins me they can sometimes be obviously aware that I am taking pics and sometimes they will stop what they are doing but after a while they realise it is just the norm and they stop taking any notice. Most of my mindees have been with me since they were under 1yr so they have "grown up" with me snapping away all the time :)

xx

[natlou82]

I usually take the photos of them doing what it is I am trying to capture for obs. I do scrapbooks for older children so they tend to be more "posed". I also take shots that I give or send to parents and they also tend to be shots where I'm trying to get a good pic for Mummy. Tbh I don't think the children find it too intrusive sometimes they'll ask to look at the pics I've taken but other times they just carry on what they are doing and don't even question it. I think you just get used to snapping away that after a while its second nature.

[FloraDora]

I rarely get a child's full face on a picture as I am taking it to show what they are doing. Like others have said, the children become used to the snapping, never posed, and parents tell me that they look at photos together and chat about their day so I know the children and parents like them aswell as their use for obs.
I have one child that I usually take from a distance to capture for observations because if she sees me taking a photo she stops what she is doing and poses, something she is used to doing at home I think.

My hobby is photography so the LO's are used to my big camera as I take photos of my flowers in the garden or duplo bricks ....or a twig....I always have it with me. I have two real cameras for the children too which we always take along with us, because I like using a camera they do too.

Recently when they were jumping in puddles on a rainy day I tried to capture the water moving, they loved doing it again and again, they took it in turns to take photos themselves too and chose the best photo when we got home - it was just of wellies and splashing water but we viewed them and one LO talked about the water looking frozen on the photo....a photographer in the making I think. We had great fun, these photos will stay on the children's external hard drive and not be in my collection, but I learn't a little bit more about taking moving water and the children enjoyed the activity. The next day one of my LO's took photos of himself splashing in water, great ones from his view above although a little blurry because of the movement.....cameras are just something to explore and discover here...

..on my next day off I tried his method, ( an old couple in our nature reserve thought I was barmy) but mine are not as good as his because great big green wellies are not so good in a photo as yellow or pink or red or bright blue stripes!

[Mouse]

The only photos I regularly do posed are a portraits of the children every term - always sitting in the same chair. They love looking at them to see how they have changed. I use the portraits for my records (up to date head shot of child with their info), to make name & picture cards and for if the children are making presents for parents (photos in frames, keyrings etc).

The majority of other photos are taken while they're engrossed in their play. Occasionally I'll do a posed photo, but only if it's for a specific reason. I don't tell the children I'm taking photos, unless it is posed when they obviously know.

You do get some children who hate having their photo taken and you have to take that into account. But you still want photos to show the parents. I do tend to ask those children if they would mind me taking some photos while they play. If they're likely to get really upset I won't take any, but if I know they're OK about it (as long as they don't actually see me taking the photo) then I'll click away until they spot what I'm doing! I find it's best to show those children the photos after they've been taken and they usually enjoy looking at them. If they don't like them I will delete them. I also find it helps to let them use the camera so they know it's nothing to be afraid of.

[faydin]

I was just wondering how you go about taking photos of your mindees. Providing you have parents permission (obviously) to take pics do you ask mindees their permission before you snap away or Dyou ask them to 'pose/stand' next to their say artwork or do you take pics of them in the middle of stuff. I feel even with parents permission that it's quite intrusive and doesn't 'sit well' with me but also know I will need pics as evidence for observations etc etc....
You need to register with ICO as well as taking permission from parents for the pictures

[mumofone]

You need to register with ICO as well as taking permission from parents for the pictures

Yep I did this the other day :-) ive only been minding a week or so :-)

[keohane1]

I snap throughout the day. Sometimes the kids know i'me doing it other times they don't. I never ask them to pose as I like to get natural pictures of them playing/working. It's funny though because when they do catch me taking a photo they all say cheeeeese ha ha

[Mouse]

I snap throughout the day. Sometimes the kids know i'me doing it other times they don't. I never ask them to pose as I like to get natural pictures of them playing/working. It's funny though because when they do catch me taking a photo they all say cheeeeese ha ha

I find they come and stand next to me so they can see the picture on the camera. I have to explain that it's them I want in the picture, not a lonely toy!