Say Cheese: 3 Tips to Taking Better Photos of Your Kids

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I wrote in an earlier post that my appreciation of photography started at a young age, but my actual learning photography and how to shoot started recently … perhaps not so surprisingly after the birth of my first daughter.  At that time I owned a DSLR and pretty much knew how to turn it on.  I knew nothing about what all of those buttons and settings did or meant and even less about composition.  I’ve taken several classes and try to shoot every day, and while my photography journey will never be complete, these are always my top three tips for anyone that asks about learning how to take better pictures of their kids.  You can try all three of these now no matter what kind of camera you use – fancy DSLR, point and shoot, or even your camera phone.

  • Find the Light … But Not Too Much – Despite what may seem obvious, bright sun light is not necessarily a photographer’s best friend.  It can cause uneven lighting and shadows not to mention the squinting.  A lot of photography books and guides will tell you to look for what is referred to as open shade.  Open shade is that sweet spot in your house or outside where there is no direct sunlight but reflected light.  Think, for example, of the spot in an open field that might be shaded by a crop of trees or a building or, inside your house, in front of a window but not when the sun is streaming directly in.  Try watching how the light comes in from different windows of your house and note the time of day when you have available light but not bright sunbeams.  My two favorite spots in my house are in front of east-facing windows pretty much any time after early morning when the rising sun can create really dark shadows and bright sunbeams.
Find the Light
Two of my favorites spots in our house are these two large, east-facing windows that get amazing light after the sun rises.
  • Get Low – If you have little ones running around, chances are you are a good bit taller than they are.  Try getting on their level if not lower – stoop down, get on your knees, lay on the floor (trust me, try it!).  How low can you go?  Chances are you will be surprised at what that small change can accomplish.  Getting low puts you eye-level with them.  So, not only will you be able to better capture their facial expressions your shot may also reflect more of their perspective since it is on their level.  Think how big the world around them must seem!
Get Low Photo
The far left picture was shot with me standing at normal height. I got low and opted for two different styles – a close up and a more lifestyle photo.
  • Clear – or at least Crop – the Clutter – This tip is much, much, much easier said than done.  Despite my best type-A efforts, my own house is not always neat and tidy.  That said, I still have gotten into the habit of doing a quick scan to see what other items might make their way into my pictures and try to move them out of the way before taking a shot.  This is true even though I like a more lifestyle/photojournalistic style of photo in which often clutter is necessary to tell a story.  Before hitting that shutter button, do a quick (few seconds) scan to make sure that trash, laundry, another person, etc aren’t making their way into your picture.  If you don’t have time to move whatever the item is out of the way, consider moving yourself and taking the picture from another angle or see if there is any way that you can at least crop the item out after you take the picture (even the most basic of photo editing software, including what is on your phone, includes a crop function).  Of course, if the choice is being clearing the clutter and not missing the moment, always go with not missing the moment!
Clutter
The far right contains a shampoo bottle that I found a little distracting. I moved it out of the way and reshot. The right two photos again are two different perspectives. I don’t mind the little blue of the bath toy container as all of the context does help show how little my daughter is in the tub.

Now, pick up that camera and start shooting!

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Kara
Kara, her husband, and two little girls M and Z live in the idyllic town of Rowayton. She was born and raised in West Virginia and, although she has lived in the New York metro area for over fifteen years, is a mountaineer forever (Go ‘Eers!). In addition to being a mom to M (born in 2011) and Z (born in 2013), Kara is a full time attorney working in Manhattan and a hobbyist photographer. When not battling Metro North, she enjoys practicing her photography skills, reading the latest best-sellers, trying new recipes for the girls, getting outdoors whether running, hiking or snowshoeing, and competing with her husband for the self-proclaimed title of “Efficiency Expert.” If you can’t find her doing any of these things, she most likely has fallen asleep on the sofa while attempting to watch the latest “must see” movie.

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