Photography Tips for Parents

Going into the New Year I have many goals I have set for myself.  There is one though that I am holding most important…being present.  I am with my children all day, everyday.  However, I am not really present.  I am doing what most parents do…cleaning, cooking, laundry, working, answering emails and the list goes on.  This year I am making an effort each and everyday to put my phone on silent and just be with my kids.  To walk away from the overflowing sink of dishes and the piles of laundry and the unanswered messages and just be with them.  Children really do grow to fast. Last week my little one took her first steps and now she is fully walking. This time last year she was a ten pound little bundle swaddled up in my arms.  Time really does fly by and if you blink you might just miss the little things. Those little things are the important things and I have missed to many of them.

I am also going to take more time to document my sweet babies at home.  Our home isn’t a Pinterest home, it isn’t perfect and most the time it is a mess, but it is ours. It is where our babies are growing up and where they spend most of their time so what better place to photograph them.  I suggest you try it this year. Capture those everyday memories. Capture the little things. Capture your little ones being little. Don’t do what I have for so long and wait til you are on vacation or somewhere beautiful. The everyday is messy, but there is so much beauty in it. I hope you will give it a try and follow me on Instagram to see my series “Our Everyday.”

Tips for Photographing at Home:

• Keep your camera ready and near by.  If it is out you will use it more.  That way its there when you need to capture a moment or if you have been planning something in your head it is ready to go.
• If your kids are old enough to understand explain to them that you will be taking pictures of them from time to time and just to keep doing what they are doing and that they don’t have to pose for you or say cheese.
• Do not worry about cleaning your house. Maybe move anything that is a distraction in the background out of sight, but do not think you have to have a clean house to photograph your children.  If that were the case I would never photograph anything.  I have to admit my house use to be spotless, but having a second child who doesn’t nap I have given up on the perfectly clean house. Just make sure that everything you want in the picture is there and anything you don’t is moved out of the frame.
• Find the Light – Place your children near a window or a door with ample light.
• Shooting manual – lower your apature and do not be afraid to bump up your ISO.  It will cause some grain, but it is easier to fix later then an underexposed image.  I typically shoot in my home at a f/3.5 or lower. If I am only photographing one of my children I will usually shoot at f/2.8. Make sure that you set your speed at 1/125th or higher to avoid blurry images. I usually try not to shoot lower then 1/320th. My kids are always moving around. Then I adjust my ISO as needed.
• Focus on their eyes! Unless you are shooting from the back obviously, but if you can see any part of their face in the image you want the sharpest part of your image on their eyes. Eyes in a photograph instantly attracts a viewers attention and make the image more alluring.
• Make the face the brightest part of the image.  You want your child to be the focus.
• Shoot the details. Their little hands playing. Their feet peaking out from their balnket. Details make a great addition to an album and is a great reminder for you just how little they are.

I know there are so many of you out there shooting with your phone and that is completely ok.

Sometimes it is the easiest thing to use. The most important thing is that your capturing those moments. It doesn’t matter how. Just capture them!  There are so many great perks to shooting on your phone.  You can edit on your phone, upload to social media and even print from your phone.

Here are some Apps that I love when using my phone for images:

• Flic – Let’s face it not every photo you take is going to be a keeper. Flic makes it super easy to delete photos and clear up valuable storage on your phone.
• Lifecake – This app is basically a timeline of your images and your childs growth. You can choose to zoom in on any specific age. It’s really wonderful when looking for a specific photo on a certain date.
• Snapseed – If you really want to get into editing Snapseed is a huge help.
• VSCO – the popular choice with photographers.  Gives a hint of film like finish to your images.
• Instagram – I typically edit my iPhone images in instagram. I use instagram for just about everything. Next weeks post I will discuss all about Instagram and editing in Instagram so check back.

If you would like to take a look at a few more tips on photographing your child click here and read the bottom of this post.  I will be posting tips here and there on Thursdays so check back. If you have any questions or interested in my spring workshop please contact me.

Here are a few images that I have shot recently in our home.  They aren’t perfect, but they are my babies in our home. They are our everyday.