Hey there, lovely! I have a great little post for you here.
As busy as we are as moms we always want to make sure to snap cute shots of out little ones in between cleaning, cooking, and other fun things. Making memories and making sure to capture them is one of the most important parts of being a mom! I am going to help you to make this even better.
I took some time to come up with this blogpost for you, my awesome PWC Moms readers, to improve your skills of taking pictures of your precious little stars! (Hang tight, there is a little extra for you at the end of this article)
First things first: You do not need a fancy shmancy camera to take some nice pictures of your kids. Of course I do use a high end DSLR for my business but in private my iphone is my most frequently used camera for the everyday stuff. What really matters when it comes to the everyday super-duper-awesome snapshots are other things (like composition and light). Of course if you have one....awesome!!! (In case you need a little help figuring out how to use it best, read to the end of this post and find out how you can get there)
Simple simple is the secret
Easy Peasy....simplify your image! It is the most important and easiest rule to follow to improve your images: take distracting things out of the frame when you take your picture. That trash can right next to your kids stroller at the ice cream stand just does not scream ‘awesome picture’ - all you have to do is move a couple of feet to the right or left to eliminate it from your shot - done! Of course all this can be done in post processing of an image by cropping it, but let’s be honest: who has the time to do that with those tons of images you take everyday? I sure don’t so I make sure to eliminate those things from the get-go!
Hocus Focus!
Try focusing on the face and eyes of your subject! Nothing is less appealing than a well composed image with blurry face and eyes. It is always the first thing that you will look at in a picture so it needs to be sharp. To achieve this, make sure to push the shutter release button on your camera half way first while pointing at the subject’s face and then - once focusing has occurred - push it all the way.
Don’t wait for the right moment...
....because you might miss it. But when you take 7 or 8 pictures in a row of the same moment, you have a great chance of capturing that beautiful smile that you wanted!! The beauty of having that awesome digital camera is not only to see the picture instantly, but also to be able to delete all those goofy and quirky shots later on the computer! (save some precious space there too, dear!!)
Light is the key
I don’t like bright and sunny days! (What????) Sounds crazy? I agree - and really - I only meant this from my photographer point of view :) Bright sunshine can make people blink when they are forced to look directly at it and it can draw some harsh shadows on their faces. None of which is very flattering in an image. Solution? Place people facing away from the sun (you will now be the one looking directly at it, but you are not in the pic so who cares LOL) and take them to what we call ‘open shade’. Under a tree, in front of a wall or otherwise shielded from direct sunlight. You will see a huge difference in the image quality.
Composition
Compose your images right to make them pop! Pleasing to the eye....what does that mean? We do not like when arms or legs are cut off...so when you take a ‘full body shot’, be sure to include the full body!! When taking a close up portrait make sure to have the full face in the frame and so on. When taking pictures of children, squat down to eye level with the child as opposed to ‘look down’ at them. And one more easy, but effective tip (my last one for today) is to shift the camera slightly when taking a picture so that your subject will be a little off centered (left or right). Try it and be wowed!
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About Nadine:
I am Nadine. I am a photographer! I am passionate about everything I do, I am spontaneous and definitely never boring.
Together with my husband I created ‘Fotos by Nadine’, a high end lifestyle photography business. My passion for photography came from wanting to take the best pictures possible of my babies.
I love paying attention to detail when it comes to my photographs and I love capturing the special moments of a family, a milestone in a child’s life or a breathtaking portrait just because...you can follow my work at www.fotos-by-nadine.com.
If you liked my collection of photography tips, take it to the next level with my ‘Sweet Captures’ Workshop for Moms. If you have a DSLR and want to get out of shooting only in ‘Auto’ mode then this is right for you. Held in August at Confections Cupcakery. Find all the details and sign up information here.
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