You want to take great photos that you will cherish forever but, no matter how hard you plead, your children just refuse to sit still and cooperate. Taking photos of children is a challenge. They are easily bored, they are easily distracted, they want to run around, and they rarely do what you want them to do.
If you still want to take photos of your children to share on Instagram or to frame and display at home, here are tips you can follow.
Work with What You Have
You do not need professional equipment to take a good photo of your children. The camera technology found in your smartphone has improved so drastically over the years that it can now compete with the most expensive devices from brands like Sony or Canon in terms of quality. You only have to understand how to use the features of your smartphone to take photos like a professional newborn photographer.
The first thing you need to do is to clean your camera lens. Your fingers leave prints on the camera lens that can make the photos you take blurry or cloudy. Give it a wipe, but be careful not to use coarse fabrics like cotton. Your jeans or your T-shirt might leave scratches that will show up and ruin your photos. Instead, opt for soft microfiber to get rid of smudges.
You should experiment with your phone to find a setting that works for you. In most cases, an automatic setting is good enough.
Finally, ditch the artificial lights. Move your subject — your child — closer to the window. The sun is still the most flattering source of light. Do not use the flash either; it has a tendency to make photographs look flat.
Take Advantage of the Burst Mode
If your kid continues to move around, you will end up with blurry photos. Apple’s iPhones are equipped with a burst mode that takes a series of photos rapidly in succession. It captures every movement in crystal clear quality. You surely will get the perfect shot every time.
It is also great for capturing special moments that your child will not be able to recreate.
Focus on the Emotion, Not the Pose
Good photos are not just pretty to look at. They evoke genuine emotions.
When taking photos, stop trying to direct your child’s poses. Let them express their feelings freely. If they want to laugh, let them laugh. If they are curious about their surroundings, let them look around.
Photos that show your child’s genuine, unfiltered emotions would be better at reminding you of the good old days when you look back on it in the future than posed photos.
Get on the Floor
If you are not finding a good angle for your photos, sit on the floor and get down to the level of your child. You can even lie down to get a good look at their face. Taking a photo from a high angle is rarely flattering and it would not show the surroundings.
Check the Background
It would be frustrating to think that you have taken the perfect shot only to realize later on that there is a plastic bag or a soda can on the floor. You can digitally remove it using photo-editing software. Or, before you start snapping, make sure that the environment is free of things that you would not want to see in the photo.
If there is something that is blocking a potential shot, change the angle to hide it or be a good citizen and put it in its proper place.
Your child will not be a child forever. It is only natural that you want to keep mementos from their childhood. Hopefully, these tips will make taking photographs that you will cherish forever much easier.
