In my last educational blog post, Five Ways to Get Better Smiles, I talked about getting better smiles and expressions from your kiddos when taking their picture. Now let's talk about how to take better photos of your kids (or dogs or anything else). 

1 - Know your camera. 

Start by reading your camera's manual from front to back. Yes, read the manual! I know, I know, boring! But seriously, it's super important to know what your camera can do and how to use it to it's full potential. If you have a DSLR, this is especially important and it will even teach you a few things about photography in general. There are so many settings and tools that you aren't likely to learn just by "playing around". No sense having a DSLR if all you do is shoot on auto. CreativeLive has several fast start classes for various cameras taught by John Greengo and I highly recommend purchasing one for your camera if they have it! They're only $29 and worth every penny. You can also check with a local professional photographer and see if they offer one on one classes to help you learn your camera. 

Camera ManualCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

2 - Change your perspective. 

Do you find yourself standing when you're taking pictures of your kids? Try getting down to their level by kneeling or sitting on the floor. They'll probably be more likely to look at you since they won't have to crane their neck to look up. Then try something different like laying on the floor or getting higher for a "bird's eye view". Don't be afraid to try something different. Sometimes changing your perspective can give your image more power in telling the story of your child, or just give you a better image in general.

Perspective | StandingCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Perspective | KneelingCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Perspective | Laying Copyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

You can see much more of my son's expression when I knelt down vs when I was standing in the first image, even though I didn't ask him to look at me. And in the third image, I was laying on my stomach in the sand to make sure I could get the kite in the frame with him. 

3 - Watch the light. 

The word "photography" comes from Greek roots and essentially means "drawing with light". It's so easy to get caught up in the beauty of our surroundings, our children, and happy expressions, that the light becomes forgotten, when it is one of the most important things in creating a good photograph. A great expression isn't any good if you can't see it due to poor lighting. The first two hours after sunrise and last two hours before sunset are typically the best time of day for lighting but when you have young children, all the fun tends to happen in between. If you're inside, try getting your child to sit near a window where the light is coming in and open any curtains or blinds to make the room brighter. If you're outside mid-day, try finding open shade or positioning your child so the sun is behind them and not casting harsh shadows on their face. (One of the best ways to learn about light is to pay attention to shadows.)

Light | Open Shade MiddayCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography Light | Window LightCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

4 - Get closer (or pull back). 

If your house is a mess but you want to capture something your child is doing, get in close and fill the frame with your child so that you don't see the mess. Or just get close enough that you can actually see that great expression on your kiddo’s face. It's fun to get in real close if your camera will allow it and focus on the details. Alternatively, step back and include the scene to give the image more context to tell a story. 

CloserCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

Getting close helps make sure my son is the true focus of the image. 

Back upCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

Stepping back to get the playground in the frame helps give context to where we were playing, but my son is still clearly the focal point of the image.

5 - Be patient. 

Sometimes we just need to wait and be ready for that perfect shot to happen. If you try to rush or pressure kids into giving you the what you want, they'll only resist and you'll never get it. Just sit there and watch them with camera in hand, ready to go when you finally get the capture you wanted. Or in some cases, just keep shooting and eventually you'll get a good one!

PatienceCopyright Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

Now go pull out your camera (and/or camera manual!) and try using one of these tips. I'd love to hear which one was your favorite! 

<3

Kim

Owner/Photographer-Artist

Kimberly Tank Art & Photography

Like what you see? Contact me today to schedule your session!