An egg hunt in the garden is one of those afternoons that children remember for years. They rush about with small baskets, peer under bushes, squeal when they find something and check each other's baskets. As the adult with the camera, you have to be quick and quiet, because the best moments last only a few seconds. A little planning turns a chaotic scramble into a set of pictures that you will enjoy for a long time.
Plan your spot as well as the hiding places
Decide where you will stand before the children come out. A place near the middle of the garden, with a clear view of most of the hiding spots, works well. Stay low, crouching or kneeling, so that you see faces rather than the tops of heads. If you are the one hiding the eggs, think about the light too. Eggs in sunlit patches show up nicely, and the children will find them without too much frustration.
Take pictures of the search as well as the find. A child crouching by a flowerpot, a hand reaching into a hedge, a small basket swinging as they run. Then wait for the moment of discovery: the wide eyes, the open mouth, the triumphant grin. Take several pictures in quick succession and choose the best afterwards. The expression a second before a child spots an egg is often more interesting than the moment after.
Mind the light. Bright midday sun makes children squint and gives hard shadows on their faces. If it is sunny, ask them to search with the sun to one side of them, or wait for a cloud to pass. On an overcast day the light is soft and even, and the colours of the baskets and eggs look lovely. Turn off the flash, which flattens everything and spoils the natural colours of the garden.
Do not forget the quiet moments afterwards. Children sitting on the grass sorting what they have found, a small hand holding the last egg, a proud face with chocolate around the mouth. Put the phone away when the sharing begins, and simply join in. The pictures will still be there when you get back.
