Although it would be wonderful to have a professional photographer document each moment and milestone in your children’s lives, unless you are a Kennedy or a Rockefeller, chances are that’s not going to happen! The good news is that it does not take a $3,000 camera or a degree in photography to take a snapshot from “average” to “wow”. By following these simple guidelines you will notice an immediate improvement in the quality of the pictures that you take.
Turn off the on-camera flash
Flash is not always bad. In fact, professional photographers often use flash for creative effect or to fill in the shadows caused by direct sunlight. However, if your photographs are full of red eyes and harsh skin tones, that is the result of the flash that is built into your camera. While there are some situations in which using the flash simply cannot be avoided, most of the time you can improve your lighting situation by placing your subject near a large window or, if you are outdoors, in open shade. If there is a natural light source in the scene that you are photographing, use it to your advantage.
Get out of the sun
Sounds counter-intuitive to the last tip, doesn’t it? Let me clarify. It is a common misconception that bright, sunny days are great for taking pictures. In fact, an overcast day provides a much better lighting situation. Direct sunlight creates harsh shadows and often causes your subjects to squint. On an overcast day sunlight is diffused by the clouds, causing the light to be softer and more even. To avoid direct light on bright, sunny days, look for an area with lots open shade.
Kneel down
It is only natural to point and shoot from a position that is comfortable, which is usually standing up. This is fine for photographing adults, but when taking pictures of children, keep in mind that your subjects are usually at least 2 feet shorter than you. Get down on their level. This will create a more intimate feel to the photograph, rather than that “taken from above” look. If you’re lucky you may even get eye contact!
Photograph your subject
This seems like common sense, right? What else would you be photographing? But how often do your family photos include not only include your son or daughter, but part of grandma’s arm, the family dog, or the pile of laundry in the background? All of these extra elements are distracting in a photograph and draw the focus away from your main subject. A simple way to avoid this is to fill the frame with your subject’s face or body, or move to a location with a plain, uncluttered background. Before you press the shutter button do a quick check of the contents of the frame. Are there people walking through the background or a pole or tree seemingly growing out of your subject’s head? If so, recompose before you take the shot.
Go vertical
Just turn the camera. It’s that easy. It can mean the difference between a snapshot and a portrait. If you’ve ever tried to fill a horizontal frame with someone’s face or body, you usually end up with a lot of empty space on either side of your subject. If you simply hold the camera vertically, all of that empty space will disappear, allowing you to get a nice close up of your subject.
Capture the moments
In this photographer’s opinion, it’s not the “sit still and say cheese” pictures that really freeze a moment in time. Rather, it is the hysterical fits of laughter, the faces full of birthday cake, the pouts, the tears, and all of the moments in between that really demonstrate who our children truly are. It is often said that every photograph tells a story, and it is true. If you can pull a photograph from your childhood out of a box and instantly recall the moments leading up to and following the instant that the picture was taken, then the photographer has done his or her job. So go ahead and capture the cheesy grins and the perfectly ironed dresses, but don’t forget to get the camera out for the scraped knees and the bad haircuts and that time that your son drew a mural on the wall with permanent red marker. Trust me, someday you’ll be thankful. Someday!