While having the right equipment, and knowing how to use that equipment successfully, can help anyone take good quality photos, more important is knowing how to take a good shot.
Some people are naturally gifted with an eye for angle, light, and the right moment to press the shutter button, but the rest of us have to heed photography tips and tricks from those in the know.
Taking digital photographs of people is a particularly difficult task, and children are perhaps the most challenging subjects. Thankfully, there are several top tips that, once put to use, give everyone the tools they need to take amazing digital photos of their offspring through infancy and beyond.
1. To pose or not to pose?
It’s easy to believe that you should never pose for pictures with your kids. But this would be a misconception. First, you’ll lose shots like the one above, which show a level of facial detail you’d never be able to capture with Natural Snap. Secondly, posing when the camera is around is the instinct of most children.
By taking a few posed shots, you can make them feel as though they’ve completed their duties, at which point they’ll begin another activity, allowing you to capture them in their natural, non-posed environment. A mix of posed and non-posed photos will give you the best chance to capture some great images.
2. open the aperture
Whether you choose to pose or let your baby run wild, aim for an aperture between f/2.8 and f/5.6 to get your baby’s face in focus while there’s beautiful bokeh in the background. Of course, you can also adjust the aperture settings on your smartphone.
Shooting with a closed aperture will give you a deep depth of field, where everything in the background will be in focus. Unfortunately, this can clutter the scene and take the interest away from your child. You can learn all about depth of field in our other articles.
3. A Different Perspective
One aspect often overlooked when taking photographs of any kind is the angle of attack. That is to say, most of us stand still and shoot from head height. Although it usually provides good results, it is easy to use. And the results can be shocking. This is a strategy that is especially important to remember when photographing children because they are much closer to the ground than adults.
A straightforward technique is to get down on their level, so physically kneel down to shoot at their eye level. Alternatively, you can take the opposite approach and climb higher than ever to shoot down on the action. This technique exaggerates the difference in size between adults and children, while also allowing you to capture more in each shot.
4. Take Multiple Pictures
Unless you’re a fan of old-fashioned cameras and refuse to switch to digital equipment, there’s no reason not to take as many pictures as possible whenever you have a camera in hand. Any that don’t turn out as planned can be deleted or archived for a time when you can better appreciate them.
The advantage of taking more than one picture is that you are much more likely to capture the correct image if such a thing exists. It’s definitely a lot easier to keep clicking relentlessly than to wait for the right opportunity to present itself. When it comes to sorting the wheat from the chaff, you might be surprised to know which photos best capture the mood of the day.
We recommend shooting with shutter priority, burst or sports mode on your camera so you don’t miss any of the action.
5. Create a strategic plan
Although you have the option of shooting as many photos as you want with your digital camera, it is a good idea to plan ahead. The golden and blue hours are the best times for photography, but your child may not be ready to wake up before sunrise or stay up late. So, look at other times when the light is great. Provides a natural diffuser for cloudy and rainy days and also gives you beautiful lighting.
If you’re outside on a sunny day, find a shady area or green area to shoot the photo. It’s also important to have snacks and drinks on hand to avoid annoyance and bickering. Also, make sure that your child is well rested before shooting. If you have a newborn, here are our tips for taking beautiful pictures of your newborn.
6. Capture the Mood
The image above demonstrates this tip better than any combination of words. In that one shot, the photographer captured much more than a child playing in a fountain in a park on a hot day. You can feel the mood of the day and the excitement of the child in that moment.