Good morning, friends! I hope you’re having a beautiful morning and have a relaxing weekend ahead! I’m here to send you into your weekend with some tips on how to photograph your children in their daily lives, being the little angels that they always are:-). As much as I love photographing my boys in the studio, I also cherish the daily images I capture of them just being themselves. Hope these tips are helpful!
1.When trying to get a picture of the children actually looking at the camera, DON’T tell them to smile.
It’s second nature to instantly say “Smile, I’m taking a picture! Look at the camera! Look at me!” But in my experience, this either results in a fake smile, or in the case of my middle child, everything but looking at the camera.
Instead, engage them with singing a song, regale them with a tall tale, or elicit giggles by simply being silly. One time when I was photographing the boys I started telling them about a dragon named Galooey who didn’t know how to talk on the telephone, instead, he only knew how to say “Blah, blah, blah.” Sounds ridiculous, right? But Galooey has evolved into a full blown character that I tell stories about whenever we take photographs, and has become a beloved member of our household.
2.Photograph from different angles and perspectives.
Lay on the ground, stand on chairs, squat, lay on your back, get closer, move further away → changing your angle and distance can change the story you’re telling and seeing, convey a different emotion, and highlight different aspects of your child’s/children’s personalities.
3.Look for light sources and directional light.
What does that even mean?
Windows are your best friend. They create beautiful, soft, flattering light to photograph your children in and have a gorgeous fall off of light that allows the background to fade away. Windows can be used to the right or left of the subject to create more of a portrait look, behind for a more dramatic look, or in front of the subject for a flatter lighting look.
Indoor lighting is usually pretty gross. But single sources of light such as lamps (or TV’s) in your home can be wonderful directional light.
Morning and evening are the best outdoor times to photograph! While I’m sipping my wine and watching the kids play during these gorgeous summer eves, I always have my camera sitting right next to me just in case something astonishingly cute happens.
4.Photograph your littles simply being who they are. Don’t make them associate a camera with having to behave a certain way or stop what they’re doing.
It’s wonderful to be able to orchestrate a scene when there’s something you’d like to capture, but it’s also beautiful to be able to recognize when a moment is amazing just the way it is. A majority of the images I take of my children are events I stumble upon and simply have to photograph because of the way they make my heart skip a beat. I’m not focused on taking pictures when I’m spending quality time with my boys, but I do have my camera always easily accessible.
5.Try and capture everyday moments versus only the events, milestones, or when your children are perfect and happy.
Your babies are multifaceted, unique, individual beings that change so quickly. Pictures of them eating breakfast, playing with bubbles, coloring, taking a bath, watching TV - they’re all beautiful. Check out my personal Instagram - @mrsanjolson for more images from our family life.
6.And lastly, get in the frame, Mamas. There’s nothing my boys enjoy more than seeing pictures with me alongside them, and there’s nothing that fills my heart with more joy. Feel free to comment with any questions and happy Friday! & remember - L&L offers an In Home Lifestyle session option, book your Consultation to learn more!
