As moms, we’ve had to learn many new skills the past few months. It’s been pretty cool seeing how strong parents have been through it all. Something major that I noticed is that our days flew by. My kids grew a lot the last few months as I’m sure yours have too. With these photography tips, I hope you’ll be able to capture many more days with your little ones before they’re off on their own.
Not only physically but they’re much more mature today than they were at the beginning of this year. While there were so many rough days, there were also many beautiful moments. You might have noticed your kids learning to make their own sandwiches. They might have learned to ride without training wheels. Maybe they learned to do laundry. If these are things you’d like to remember forever, photograph them. It’s a good time to learn one more skill and below are some photography tips on how to do it even if all you have is an Iphone.
Through the gray clouds, there was definitely a silver lining. Maybe you have to really pay attention to see what they were but there have been many things I would consider blessings.
As a professional photographer, I have an eye for noticing the little things. In three steps I’ll help you see them better too with 3 easy photography tips.
Whether you have a camera with interchangeable lenses (dslr), a point and shoot, or a smartphone, these photography tips will help you take pictures of your kids that you’ll want to print and frame in your house.
Photography tip #1 Find good light.
If you’re indoors, look for the window or door. Notice the light coming in. That light should fall on your kids’ face. Turn your child (or sneakily manipulate it so he or she does it on their own) towards the light. Highlighting the face helps you to see the details you love so much. Maybe he has gorgeous eyes or a sweet smile. Those are things you’ll want to remember later.
Turning their faces towards the light makes them the main subject and allows the background and everything else to be secondary. If you’re outside, finding shade is always the easiest but not always possible. Under shade, the light is softer. There will be less squinting and complaining. Find shade and let kids play under it. Photograph them playing. They will be your favorite memories when they’re older. More on this later.
Photography tip #2 Get down to their level.
It may be easier to photograph your kids at your level, but getting down to theirs brings a whole new perspective. Focus on their eyes. Come down to the ground and catch all the details of what they are doing. Coming down to them, gives you an accurate view of what their world looks like. Their body proportion is correct and they look their best.
Photography tip #3 Click the button, even without a smile.
Many of us wait or beg for a smile. That stops the genuine moments. This will make some kids uncomfortable and they might give an awkward smile to make you happy. But the best expressions are when they’re doing what they love. If they’re playing with cars or legos, catch those raw emotions they show when they use their imagination.
If your daughter is playing with her Barbies or doing her homework, don’t stop her so you can get a pretty smile. Get right in there and photograph it all. Think about what will mean the most to you when they’re older. Will it be the picture where you forced her to smile or the one where she played with that toy she didn’t let go of for over a year?
Bonus: PRINT YOUR PICTURES!
There is nothing worse than having pictures of your newborn baby or of your son’s Kindergarten graduation lost in space because you thought you backed it up. It happens all the time. It’s probably happened to you at least once. And I’m sure it felt terrible to lose them. Making albums or printing small prints are the best way for you to enjoy your family memories. Besides, when was the last time your kids got on the computer to look at their newborn pictures.
If you have those precious memories printed, it helps bring the family together. They get to ask questions about themselves and you get to relive it with them. I recommend consumer labs that specialize in photos. Never go to a pharmacy or grocery store to print your pictures. Leave it to the pros. I recommend MPIX. They’re a consumer branch of a pro lab and will print high quality archival prints that will last you generations.
Were these photography tips helpful? Leave a comment below and let us know.
These are great tips – thank you for sharing!
Thank you! I like these tips they’re easy to follow, and I’m sure they’re going to help! Appreciate it.
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