Sunday, July 15, 2012

5 Tips to Taking GREAT Pictures of Your Kids!


5 Tips to Taking GREAT Pictures of Your Kids!
 

Parents today are buying increasingly expensive cameras and equipment to take pictures of their precious children. Kids grow so fast and the desire to capture every moment sometimes leads to frustration when the beloved subject just WILL NOT SIT STILL!

Here are five tips to turn photo shoots into FUN and your pictures into souvenirs you will cherish for years to come.





 
Kids Just Wanna Have FUN!

If you remember one tip, make it this one – the most important of all. To prove it, I tried an experiment. I put my children in a picturesque setting and asked them very sweetly to please sit still for Mommy and show me a big smile. The result? Expressions ranging from boredom (my son) to utter disdain (my daughter)!  


I then told them that we were going to play a game. They ran over to me and sat down, eager and attentive. I asked them, in an excited whisper, to lean forward and look into the round window (my camera lens) and see who was inside… This bought me enough time to snap some adorable shots of them, which I love. They were happy (apparently, they could see Daddy through the window!) and so was I. Success! 

Other games that work well for gleeful pictures include “Simon says”, “what noise does a sheep (or other animal) make” and then make the wrong noise yourself, or anything that will make your child roar with laughter. With older kids, ask THEM to tell YOU a joke - they seem to laugh the loudest at their own jokes… With siblings, tickling is particularly effective!  












Focus on the Eyes

The first parts of a face we look at and the first things we look for in a picture are the eyes. Get close up to your little beauty and focus on those big blues! 



Capture Them in Their Own World

  How many times do you find yourself standing still and watching your kids playing or absorbed in a task? Those moments make my heart swell and a feeling of joy well up inside me. Keep your camera in an easy-to-reach place in the house, so you can grab it and catch a candid shot of a slice of your child’s personality.

You don’t need an expensive DSLR to capture these precious moments – an iPhone works just as well!  (Yes, I promise the picture below was taken using my iPhone. Not even the most recent version!)

iPhone-tastic, with a little Instagram magic! You don't need professional equipment to capture pictures you love of your kids. Just get to know your camera and learn how to make the most of it.









Not Just a Pretty Face

To record a complete picture of your growing child, don’t limit yourself to taking pictures of only their beautiful face. If your baby’s little pink toes make you want to grab them and have a playful nibble, take a picture! If you love how your teenager paints her fingernails so creatively, snap a photo! I thought my kiddos looked adorable the other day, when Spring finally arrived, the skirts and shorts came out and the winter pants were thrown to the back of the closet!



Get Creative

What was it Picasso said? “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Find your inner artist! Consider different ways to capture your child – shoot from different angles, from varying distances, with interesting backdrops and different types of light. Try your hand at the software that came with your camera, to turn a picture with harsh contrasts into black and white.


I hope these simple tips help create a fabulous, fun and varied collection of happy memories for you and your kids! Don't forget to get some pictures of yourself in there with your little darlings - they'll appreciate it when they grow up. And if you'd like some professional pictures to put up on your walls, I know someone who can help with that... Give me a call! 





Rebecca Berra
Rebecca Berra Photography
All rights Reserved.