Taking Great Pictures of Your Children

People often ask me how to take better pictures. With a today's point-and-shoot camera, it’s possible to get great results. Here are a few ideas to help get great pictures of your children.

Get Down to Their Level

Many parents don’t even realize that many times they are taking pictures of their child at a downward slant. Don’t feel too self-conscious to get down to your child’s eye level in order to capture a fabulous moment. Taking photos at a child’s level shows his expression best, brings focus to the picture, and downplays shadows on the face.

Minimize Distractions

A cluttered background takes the focus away from the child in the foreground. If you see a good photo opportunity, take a second to move brightly-colored or reflective objects and toys from the background first. It may be hard to take photos with a neat backdrop when you’ve got small children in the house, but do your best. Zooming in on your child will automatically eliminate many background distractions in a photo.

Use Natural Light

Part of taking pictures is always using whatever sources of light are available to you, instead of just relying on your camera’s flash. The best source of light for photos is sunlight. Kids look best in natural light, so whenever possible photograph them outside or near a window. Sunlight can add depth to your child’s face and eliminating shadows.

The best time to take pictures are a few hours after sunrise or a few hours before sunset, preferably on a day that is bright yet cloudy. If your child is squinting in the sun, move them under the shade of a nearby tree and you will get the positive effects of indirect sunlight.

Try Black-and-White

Black-and-white photos are timeless classics. A monochrome picture gives a timeless or sentimental feel to a photograph. (And if you are trying to take a family picture, it doesn’t matter if outfits are color coordinated!) It’s easy to change any color photo to black-and-white using a photo editing program. Your camera may have come with software but if not there are great free options for Windows & Mac.

Take a Variety of Different Types of Pictures

You want to create an album of photos that capture the essence of your family, so don’t make the mistake of just bringing out the camera on holidays. Take everyday shots of your children. Take photos not just of smiling faces, but from behind when walking hand-in-hand with a sibling or sitting on a park bench with a parent. Try getting shots of your child crying or laughing. Not every picture has to be a “look at the camera and smile” shot.

Action Shots

Kids are always in motion. Take advantage of this and take action shots. Capture the expression on their faces as they are doing something they love. If your child is involved in an organized sport, try getting action shots at practice rather than at actual games. Daytime practices have better lighting and allow you to get closer to the field or court. You may get some blurry shots, but keep shooting you will get that perfect picture.

There you have it, just a few tips I thought I would share.  I hope this helps you get fantastic pictures for your family photo albums.