Every parent loves seeing photos of their child.
With children, things change so quickly. And whilst the days may seem long at times, the years are short. Taking photographs helps us to keep the memories of this magical period alive. Like remembering how tiny your babies feet were when you first brought them home from hospital. Or how your toddler would keep himself entertained for ages by pulling teabags out of the box. Or what your child’s smile looked like when they still had baby teeth.
Here some tips to help you capture and document those precious moments.
6 Easy ways to take better photos of your kids
Get your child ignore the camera
It is tempting to ask your child to look at you and smile when you are taking a picture. But that expression doesn’t usually reflect their personality. You will get better and more natural photos by allowing your children to carry on with whatever activity they are involved in. Chat to them and play with them while you are taking pictures but try to get them to ignore the camera as much as possible. If you are looking for a smile, tell them a funny story whilst you are taking photos. Or quietly work around them whilst they are engrossed in an activity to capture their concentrated face.
Change your angle
Play around with different angles. An easy way to give your photos more impact is to get down on the floor with your kids and photograph them at their eye height.
Or climb on a chair to take pictures of them from above. Changing your perspective just a little bit can make a big difference to a photograph. It can also be handy to avoid distracting things in the background – like that nappy bag you meant to take out to the bin!
Notice the light
Become aware of the light. You are looking for lots of nice soft light that’s not too harsh. A large window works well. Or your garden on an overcast day. On a sunny day, shoot when the sun is low – in the morning or the late afternoon. Once you have spotted some corners of beautiful light in your home, set up an activity there, like painting, baking, blowing bubbles or building a train track. And start snapping away to get some gorgeous photos.
Be camera-ready
Make sure your camera is accessible at all times. You never know what’s going to happen. Keep it charged on the counter. If you do have a DSLR, take it out with you. Don’t just reserve it for special occasions. Take it for a spin to the places you regularly spend time at with your children, like the playground, the library, or grandma’s house.
Take lots of photos
Kids move around a lot. They are fast, their moods change quickly and they don’t always do what you expect them to do. You will often have to take lots of pictures to get a good one.
Do a photo project
If you want to see your photography improve, start a photo project. This will give you the discipline to take photos regularly. And challenge you creatively. I’m currently doing a 365 project where I take a picture every day. If that seems a bit daunting, you could take a portrait once a week or document a day in the life of your family. Working with different themes or prompts can also be fun, e.g. focusing on taking close-up shots or looking for things with the colour red or capturing a daily routines. The possibilities are endless…
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