I am a photographer but I am also a mom to a 4 month old so I completely understand how important it is to have a camera on hand at all times. No, I don’t carry around my huge camera with the perfect lens and big flash every day. I prefer to have my little point and shoot that I can throw in my purse or the baby bag to get a quick shot of those priceless moments.
Here are some quick tips to achieving great photos:
-My number one tip is to have FUN!
-Don’t make the kiddos do things. Let them play and be themselves. It will make things a lot less stressful and you will be surprised at how much fun everyone will have. (If you have a camera that can get wet this is even better especially in the summer pool or winter snow)
-Most digital cameras come with scenic modes in your camera; you should try to learn them. This way all you have to do is turn the dial and push the button. The camera will do the rest of the work for you!
-Try to get as much natural light in the photo as possible, this will allow you to get less of a flashy look
-Avoid direct sunlight. If you are at a park or a playground they always have great shaded spots or you can take the kidlets out in the evening when the sun is setting (you will get great light but not so bright light)
-If it is at night or in-doors this is where your scenic modes will help you. Just turn the dial to the right mode and push the button.
-Try to avoid busy or distracting backgrounds and remove any unnecessary objects from the photo view if possible
-Remember to try and see what the camera sees. For example, you are in a parking lot but there is a median with really pretty flowers so you take a picture of a flower. No one knows that you are surrounded by concrete. When they look at the picture all they see is a gorgeous flower!
There is also some free basic photo editing software available. Most new computers come standard with this, but you can also download programs from the internet, such as picnik.com, or photobucket.com. This will allow you to do simple things like turn photos black and white. Sometimes, black and white photos can make an even bigger impact than color photos.
If you have any other questions please feel free to email me at impressionsintime@yahoo.com or visit my site at photogra-bee.com.
If you mention this post, I am offering 50% off any of the packages listed on my site and 10% off any additional prints ordered.
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Are you as excited as we are about the upcoming “End of Summer Blog Party?” It’s going to be a great opportunity to meet some new bloggers, and gain readers for your own blog! With all the prizes we’ll be giving away, it’s going to be a blast!!!
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Do you have any questions for Kim about taking great pictures? Any tips of your own to share? Comments, comments!
Great tips! Since this site is targeted at multiples, do you have any tips on getting candids of several kids together? My three-year-olds are so active now that I rarely get a photo of them together unless I ask them to stand still together for me. Also, I can't figure out how to take pictures of my (dark-skinned) kiddos with fairer-skinned friends with my point-and-shoot, because their friends are always overexposed.
Great tips – and I agree with Sadia, how do you get the multiples in together?
Great tips. I'm anxious to the summer party.
Yes, multiples and multiple children advice would be helpful! I tried to get all 4 kids to sit in front of the Chistmas tree last Christmas for a photo and it was a DISASTER.
No expert here, but I think the harder you try to get a picture of your kids together, the lesser the chances get of it ever happening. If you go into it just hoping for some good candids and let they kids play, eventually you might get lucky and catch them all in one shot. Once they are mobile… it's a whole different story!
Multiples will definitely give you a run for your money (no pun intended)! The number one thing I can say is patience. You can't force the kids to do something and still get a good picture. However, sometimes bribery can work. I often get great ones when the are plaing with toys or you will notice onnmy site that I use props to try and hold them in place for a few seconds longer.
As far as taking pictures with a mix of skin tones, that is very tricky. Try to get the best light possible, not direct sun but not to dark. Without getting to technical the perfect balance can be hard to achieve.
Awesome tips! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip, Kim. I recently managed to get a great shot of my girls with our neighbour. We were outdoors, on a bright Texas summer day, in the shade of a wall, and everyone's skin tones came through perfectly!