You snap photos of your little one ALL the time...
Yes, I'm here to capture the most memorable moments in your life: maternity, Fresh 48 (coming soon!), newborn, and beyond. But let's be real. You're not going to hire a photographer for every little special moment you encounter. I'm not going to pop into your home for your monthly milestone photos during that first, precious year. So, I will share a few tips to help you take better pictures at home - whether you bought a DSLR or are using your cell phone.
Tip #1: Embrace the Chaos
Taking photos of kids is hard. They move around a lot and LOVE to turn their head *just* as you press the shutter button. They can go from a cute little cherub to running around like a tornado in the blink of an eye. Don't be afraid to embrace the chaos and humor - it's what makes them kids! Capture the moments that your child is making a silly face or photobombing their friends or siblings - they may not be perfect photos, but they might end up being some of your favorites as they capture who your child's personality.
Tip #2: Let Them Play
I'm going to piggyback off of tip #1 and encourage you to let your child play. Sometimes we don't want overly candid shots - we want those precious photos marking our baby's 6th month, first birthday, last day of school, birthday, etc. Some of the best photos are taken while they're playing. You can wait for them and ask them to quickly pause and snap the photo like in this photo of my son climbing a tree at Hampton Park. I had my phone ready (in portrait mode!) asked for a smile, snapped, and he went on his way. You can use portrait mode, my favorite feature on my cellphone, or burst mode. Burst mode will help you get the perfect shot because it takes multiple photos at one time which is great for kids on the go.
Tip #3: Use Natural Light
Natural light is a photographer's best friend. Take advantage of natural light when you can and avoid using flash. Flash can be too harsh, and some kids really do not like it. Look for a spot with soft, continuous lighting. Avoid direct sunlight and sun splotches (uneven lighting like you sometimes see under a tree).
Tip #4: Get Down to Their Level
You can see in the photo above that I used tips 1-3.
1- I embraced the chaos by not asking him to put down his candy or reposition him so that there wasn't a crowd behind him.
2- I didn't stop him from playing. He literally sat down long enough for me to open the candy, take a bite, throw the package at me, and take off to continue playing tag with his friends. He would have been so annoyed with me if I asked him to stop playing to allow me to take photos of him.
3- I used natural lighting. It was an overcast day so that helped me tremendously - there wasn't a harsh sun or shadows to deal with. Had the day been sunny, I would have looked for some even shade to take a picture of him.
And, 4 - I got down to his level. As you can see, I'm not taking the photo above or below him. If I were taking a photo from above, we'd have a great view of his scalp. Cute, but not really. If I were trying to take a picture from below, we might see that he needed to blow his nose. Getting on their level also creates a more engaging picture. Below are a few quick examples that I snapped at Costco.
Tip #5: Edit With Care
My mom took these photos of us at the crack of dawn on an overcast, foggy morning. We had to use the light from the porch that gave us a very yellow hue. I took the best photo - ie not the one of my niece with her eyes closed and edited it using the app in my phone's gallery. No special app, just what was built into my phone. The biggest improvement was cropping the photo so that we were centered and following the rules of 3rds. Next, I played around with saturation, temperature, shadows, and contrast. A few quick edits can turn a "meh" picture into something you cherish.
Taking photos of your kids while you're out and about or just living life is important and a great way to capture their unique personalities. With these 5 tips, practice, and patience, you can take great photos of your children with your cell phone camera.
