From The Straits Times    |

1 GET IN FRONT OF THE ACTION
Your child should stand close enough to the subject to capture a full body shot and to see what is happening, says Gary. Being too far away reduces the impact. “If you’re shooting moving people or objects, try to stay a few steps in front of them,” he adds.

2 ZOOM IN WITH YOUR FEET
Gary doesn’t recommend using the device’s zoom function when filming, as it’s more difficult to control and will make the video shakier. “To zoom’, just walk closer to the subject – the video will look better,” says Gary. “But do not get so close that the subject’s head is cut off – leave some space at the top.”

3 NEVER SHOOT VERTICALLY
Make sure your child shoots videos horizontally (landscape), not vertically (portrait). “You can hold your device vertically to take photos but vertical videos will look funny on a computer screen – they will have two black borders on the side,” Gary explains.

4 BE STEADY
Shakiness is a common problem when young children shoot videos, but it can be easily solved. Gary recommends finding a level surface, such as a chair, table or lamp post for them to rest their hand or camera on. “Even pressing your camera against a tree will make your video steady.”

5 MOVE SLOWLY
“If you are going to turn your camera left and right, or if you are walking while shooting, always move slowly,” Gary advises. Get your child to hold his breath or breath carefully to reduce the shaking, or count silently while moving to pace themselves.

6 KEEP THE SUN BEHIND
When shooting outdoors, get your child to always stand with the sun behind him. “If the sun is in front of you, the camera will think everything is too bright and make your video super dark,” explains Gary.

7 KEEP QUIET
If your child is taking a video of someone talking or singing, remind him to be as silent as possible. The microphone on your device will pick up sounds nearest to it, so if your child is talking at the same time, the device won’t pick up other sounds as well.

This article was originally published in Simply Her July 2014.