How To Take Better Photographs of Your Kids
With everything going on in current events, I’m so bummed not to be photographing much this Spring! This is usually my favorite time of year, because it means I’m back to shooting. I figured if *I* can’t be taking happy Springtime photos of your kids, *you* guys still can, and should! I mean Grandma still needs to see her grandkids in their Easter outfits, am I right?!
It doesn’t matter if you are using a DSLR or just your iPhone – these tricks can help elevate your photo game.
*The number one piece of advice I could give (for either indoor or outdoor shooting) is USE NATURAL LIGHT. Yes, on whatever device you are using, turn that flash off right now.
*If you are photographing your children indoors, you want it to be broad daylight, and you’ll want to find a spot in your house that is well lit. If your curtains or blinds don’t let it in ample natural light, make sure to open as many as you can, even if you are only using one section of the room – you want light everywhere. In my living room the couch sits in front of our windows, therefore most of the images below are backlit. That’s why it’s important to make sure any other windows in the room are letting light in!
*Next, make sure every artificial light source is off – aka any lamps or overhead lighting. Having different light sources can really mess up the white balance of your photo, and most tend to make unflattering skin discolorations. You want your photos to look evenly lit and colored!
*In the photos below, we got rid of any mess and clutter so the girls (and dog, haha) could be the main focal point. I didn’t want anything too distracting to take away from them as main subjects. If you are #keepingitreal, then don’t touch a thing!
*Speaking of, kids don’t always have the most “real” smiles when you ask them to crack one, so sometimes letting them have props (a stuffed animal, their favorite book, their puppy etc.) to interact with, helps in getting real reactions from them. You can also try using questions like “what is your favorite dessert?” to make their eyes light up and their face get animated in a more authentic way! If you have more than one child, have them interact with each other (tickling, laughing) to get some fun candid snaps.
*For shooting outdoors, try to find shaded areas (if its sunny) to have your subjects stand in. Often trees will produce the best spots to stand under, but make sure there are no sections of sun filtering through onto anyone’s face.
*If you are shooting in straight sun and can’t find any shade, make sure that it is backlighting (behind) your kids so you can still see their entire face without it being washed out. This also avoids squinty eyes – and complaining. 🙂
*Lastly, make sure you get on your child’s level! If you can crouch down to their height, it helps with the overall composition of the photo, and also allows for them to look directly into the camera without having to look up.
Below are some examples of photos inside and out – hopefully this helps you create some amazing portraits of your kiddos, even if you aren’t a pro!
