Just wanted to share this guest post I did a number of months ago. Spring is just around the corner and when we were back home in Canada there was nothing like a little bit of sunshine to make me want to get outside and snap some photos of my kiddos!
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Today I’m going to share a few quick photography tips with you. Let me first start by asking who out there takes a lot of photos of their children? My hand is way up! In fact my husband thinks I take a few too many.
😉
Do you struggle to get that ever elusive smile? You know the one I’m talking about right? A ‘real’ smile, not one of those cheesy grins we know all too well.
Perhaps you’re stuck at getting your child to stay still long enough to snap a photo that isn’t blurry? Whatever your photography woes are, when it comes to taking pictures of your own children (or any child for that matter!), I have a few ideas that might help.
5 Quick Tips for Taking Photos of Children
1. No More Cheese Please. While it may seem to do the trick, asking your child to ‘say cheese’ will yeild a smile that is just that…cheesy. Try engaging your child in a conversation about something they are interested in (ie. an upcoming birthday, their favorite tv show, a recent family trip, what you’re going to do after pictures) and be ready to catch that winning smile. While it may take a little more time, that beautiful smile is always worth the wait!
My three year old Addie has the cheesy smile down to a science but when we get serious and start talking Princesses or Dora the real smiles aren’t far behind!
2. Be Prepared. When taking photos of your children a little bit of planning can go a long way. I like to have everything ready ahead of time that I may need for photos to make the best use out of our picture taking time. Have a chair ready for them to sit on, snacks or a drink, diaper wipes handy for a messy face or runny nose. Make sure your camera settings are correct and your battery is fully charged, etc. Plan around your child’s schedule so they won’t be hungry or tired during photos. Any planning you can do ahead of time will make your photos go that much smoother.
Naptime doesn’t usually make for good picture time. 😉
3. Make it Quick. Children’s attention spans aren’t very long so make the most out of your photo taking time by being quick with your camera. Know your camera well so that you can switch quickly and easily between settings when needed (your camera’s manual is a great resource to learn the ins and outs of your camera). Adjust your camera settings where necessary to capture more images in a short amount of time. Burst mode or sports mode are great tools for this especially if you have a young child who is on the move. If you are shooting in manual be sure to check that shutter speed and make sure its fast enough as well.
This baby girl of mine is always on the go! She sat down on the beach for a few seconds (literally) and I was there with my camera waiting to capture this quick shot.
4. Let Your Child Set the Pace. Capturing great photos of your kids happens most often when you allow yourself to step back, observe and let your child run the show. My kids love it when I let them have a turn choosing their poses, where sit, or to make a silly face for the camera and when it’s mom’s turn afterwards they are much more cooperative. Be sure to pay attention to your child’s cues as to when they’re finished with photos. If it’s no longer fun for your child put the camera away for a while and change activities or come back to it another day.
Emily’s turn…
mom’s turn…
5. Make it Fun. Associating fun times with getting their photos taken is exactly what you want your children to do. Not only will they enjoy getting the photos taken but they will actually look forward to them the next time. Enjoy a special treat together after pictures, bring along a fun prop (ie. balloons, a bubble maker), hand the camera over to your child and let them play the photographer. If you have a busy toddler who doesn’t want to stand still we like to play the game stand on the ___________. Find an object on the ground like a stick, rock, or bring a long some stickers that they can stand on and try not to fall off of. There are many things you can do to make pictures a fun experience for you and your child.
For this photo I let Carson have total control over where he sat & how he posed & what resulted was one of my favorite photos of him just being himself!
Capturing memorable photos of my children is really important to me, as I know it is to so many of us. I hope these 5 simple tips will be useful the next time you pull out your camera to capture some memorable photos of your own!
For more easy to follow photography tips check out my ebook
40 Top Tips for Better Photos by Ella Publishing.
40 Top Tips for Better Photos by Ella Publishing.
Rebecca Cooper is a 42-year-old wife and mother of four from Alberta, Canada. As a photographer, crafter, author, and blogger, she finds joy and fulfillment in celebrating everyday moments. She loves to read and eat chocolate, and is a firm believer in afternoon naps. Rebecca shares her family’s adventures, photo tips, simple craft projects + more right here at Simple as That.
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Great tips, Rebecca! I bought your book “Real Life Scrapbooking” several years ago and I have been a fan of yours ever since. I just recently found your blog, though. It’s beautiful!
Wow!!! Thanks, I was actually struggling with having cheesy smiles this last weekend!!! This really helped!!!
xoxo,
ani
follow me at http://aadreamsblog.blogspot.com/
fantastic post!!
kisses
heather
cute pics!! Great tips for a new mommy! 🙂
http://www.lovinglu2.blogspot.com
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing… 🙂
Thanks for the update on the tips Rebecca! That is a great picture of Carson on the steps. Oh how your children are growing up.
This past fall I took my 5 year old into the wooded area behind our house to get some pictures with the colored leaves and I kept getting fake smiles. I gave up and brought him inside, but then decided to give it one more try. I had him positioned against a tree and all of the sudden he says, “guess what I have behind my back!” So,I started to guess all sorts of goofy things which in turn made him laugh and smile! They turned out to be great shots!
These are terrific tips! thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tips! I can’t wait to try them!
These are great tips! And that photo of your daughter in her ballet dress is stunning. WOW!
Great tips! Thank you again for sharing!!! Your photos are gorgeous!
heather
xoxo
Thank you for these awesome tips, Rebecca.
I have two boys that all but cringe when mom brings out the camera, so I often tell them to keep doing what they’re doing and that I don’t need them to look up and smile. When I do want them to look at me, however, I usually make an unusually strange noise that makes them laugh and I have gotten some priceless pictures this way. I love your idea about getting them to talk about something that makes them happy, so this I will definitely try out soon!
Thanks again,
Pam
Thanks for sharing such great ideas. I’m going to try a photo shoot this week with the boys I nanny for using these tips 🙂
Beautiful pictures! I’m just starting to make portraits of children and your tips are very useful. Thanks, Rebecca!!
Thanks for the tips. I try so hard to get good photos of my kiddos, but seem to fall short. Your posts have been very helpful and give me an idea of what to change.
~Kimberlee at SD