Compact and easy to use, zoom lenses with a standard angle of view provide a hassle-free tool for photographing your kids as they run around amusement parks or other leisure facilities. To add variety to your portraits of happy faces, try varying focal length according to the situation.


Posing with Large Objects

Standard zoom lenses can be zoomed out to photograph your family posing in front of a large object.

If people are posed in front of a Ferris wheel or any other object big enough that it can only be viewed by tilting your head, you’ll need to position the portrait subjects in the foreground close to the camera with the background object as far away as possible, as otherwise you’ll only be able to get a portion of it in the frame.

If you take the photo standing, the wide angle will pull in the corners, giving your subjects large heads and short legs. Instead you should squat so that the camera is at about half their height, or in other words level with their belly button.


Emphasizing Perspective for Unique Photos

Zooming in emphasizes the effects of perspective by making nearby objects larger and distant objects smaller. Wide angles capture more of the background, making it easy to figure out where the photo was taken, and bring your subjects closer for fun photos that give their expressions starring roles in the shot.

For close-up portraits, focus on whichever of your subject’s eyes is closest to the camera and adjust exposure compensation ever so slightly upward to add life and a healthy glow to their expression.


Zooming In on Lively Smiling Faces

With a zoom lens, you can zoom in for close-ups of people on a ride.

Start focusing before your subject reaches your position and release the shutter slightly early to ensure that you do not miss the shot. To freeze motion when photographing children on an amusement park ride using a standard zoom lens at maximum zoom, choose a shutter speed of around 1/1000 s. When photographing moving objects, focus steadily and carefully to ensure that you don’t panic and release the shutter before focusing.


If you are using a standard zoom lens, your subjects will usually be within range of your voice. You don’t have to be silent when taking photographs; instead, call out something fun while shooting so that your subject cannot help but smile.