Tips from a professional family photographer on how to take better pictures of your own kids
So you’ve got a new camera, some cute kiddos, and you’re ready to start hanging masterpieces of their little fingers and toes, their first smiles and all of their milestones. But you really have no idea where to start, or even how to get your kids to cooperate. Here are 5 tips that have helped me over the years with both my own children and my clients.
Little ones move fast, and don’t sit still for very long. To avoid motion blur in your images, you’ll want to make sure your shutter speed is high enough to compensate for the movement of your subject. A good starting point is 1/250, and honestly, with moving children I wouldn’t consider anything slower. Depending on how much available light you have, you can easily raise that baby all the way up to 1/4000 on a sunny day, or like this shot below, 1/1250. Printers from places like https://skytechlasers.com/monochrome-laser-printer/ sometimes come in handy in deciding the perfect resolution.
I try really hard, in both my personal works and my paid work, to be as candid as possible. For one, it’s no fun for the kiddos to be forced to pose a certain way or say “cheese”, and it will only frustrate you when they don’t cooperate. Instead, I like to have them engaged with something they enjoy, such as a sport, a toy, an action (think blowing bubbles, rolling cars, building blocks, swinging at the park, etc). You’re much more likely to have authentic smiles, real moments and actually document their childhood at the same time.
I will be the first to admit I am not above bribery. It can be anything from a lollipop, to a trip to the park, to chocolate milk with dinner. I will literally do anything sometimes when the light is right and I am feeling creative! No judgement here.
I am always trying new things, from lighting situations, to camera settings, to even locations. There is no right or wrong way to photograph your kids and document your lives, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Art is very subjective and up for interpretation. If it speaks to you, then keep it. If not, then trash it and move on. There are several times I’ve showed my husband and kids work I’ve created and they’ve just stared at and even said aloud, “I don’t get it”. It stings a bit, but I get it. And it’s ok! Keep creating!
Most of all, remember to keep your cool. If your kids aren’t cooperating or you just can’t bring your vision to life, stay calm. The more frustrated you get, the more they will feed off of you and cooperate even less. Just like we as adults aren’t in the mood for certain things, we can’t expect them to always be ready for our crazy antics, either – although I think it should be law 😉
