How to take better photos of your kids

While photographing your children, you will surely have had to delete a lot of photos because they didn't come out as you imagined.

Being a parent is a wonderful adventure and the memories that remain, like the photographs, must be just as exciting.

Despite the good will, however, blurry, blurry or dark photos crop up too often and do not do justice to the beautiful moment you wanted to capture. Not to mention those events that happen only once in your life and that you are unable to photograph as you would like, such as the play that you were unable to see or photograph because you had a myriad of mobile phones turned on in front of you or because the photo came out blurry and dark.

Often in photos the details can make a huge difference. In this article I will explain to you how to take unforgettable photos of your children.

Creating true memories that reflect the beauty of those special moments spent together with your family as they deserve will no longer be an impossible task!

Posed vs Candid Shots

The first thing you might ask is; "What do you mean by 'Spontaneous' and how will it help me take better pictures of the kids?"

Good question.

Each of us is more familiar with traditional style shots. These are the ones where the photographer seats you in a particular way, facing the camera. Most of the time they ask you to say "Cheese" and you end up with a very unnatural looking smile. In this style of posed photography, the subject is very aware that a photograph of them is being taken.

The photographer is in full control of most aspects of the shot and can direct the subject to get the image they want. In many cases, this way of taking pictures works perfectly. Especially if it's for a style shot like glamor or fashion. By the way, many people also like this style of photography in weddings, although many are now moving towards a more candid shooting style.

What is a Candid Shot?

With candid photography, the photographer has much less control over the shot. He will have to move a lot and the subject may not even be aware that he is being photographed.

In this type of shot, the result is finding yourself with much more natural moments and expressions. These are often shots that you would never capture if you went the traditional route of posed photography.

In the first photo, the photographer tried to control all aspects of the shot he was taking, but the daughter was not impressed. In the second photo, however, he zoomed in and took a natural photo of her as she watches the snowflakes fall. Which do you prefer?

It's all about stealth

There's nothing as complex as quantum physics about this. You don't have to have a degree in child psychology to understand that children love to play. In their eyes, this is the only important thing in their life. The best photos of children I've seen are those in which they are immersed in play or caught in moments that are natural to them. This could be, for example, in the chaos while "cooking" with mud, building buildings with Legos, preparing dens or a quiet snuggle with dad before bedtime. Whatever it is, take your chance and whip out your camera or phone without wasting any time.

Resist the urge to ask them for smiles or make them face the camera as it will immediately turn them off at the idea. Thus, you will only get grumpy faces, quick and hidden, or at most a stupid face. You don't want this. Not only will they look unnatural, but it will almost certainly mean waiting a long time until they forget your intention to take their picture without them knowing.

What equipment do you need?

Most phones have great built-in cameras, but honestly, they can't beat a DSLR and a longer lens for these kinds of photos. Using a long lens means you can be much further away from the subject and zoom right in. This means your folks are less likely to realize you're taking a picture of them, but it will still look like you're right in the thick of the action.

Anticipation…

One of the greatest secret weapons in candid photography is the use of anticipation. Some of the best photographers I know use this skill so well, they can take a picture at the exact moment something significant happens, over and over again.

I'm talking about the moment in conversation where everyone bursts into laughter. Or the moment baby smiles for the first time. Some of the best photos I was able to take were when I managed to frame my subjects and there was a "moment" unfolding. Having the ability to predict when these moments will happen will help you tremendously with candid photography.

Capture the character

At the other end of the scale, I have divas and complete lunatics in my family. I absolutely love encouraging kids to be themselves as much as possible. So if your child is partly like that, embrace this mindset! That's who I am! Don't try to ignore them by demanding they stop being silly! Encourage them to express themselves freely.

Otherwise you'll be denying them their natural behavior, and isn't that exactly what we're trying to capture in our photo? After all, nine times out of ten, once they've done something silly or crazy, there's going to be a couple of seconds later where they're REALLY laughing and smiling. These are the moments you need to anticipate or anticipate, and they're exactly where you should be hitting the shutter.

Intensify

For those of you who are relatively comfortable with these ideas, there are several ways you can really up your game and start getting some really great, wall-worthy photos. The first one I would suggest is to think about your surroundings. If you're shooting in your own home, why not step it up and head out to the garden on a nice day? Have the children garden or dig in the flower beds for worms. Perhaps you can try the playground near your home or the beach or the woods. Get outside and make the most of your surroundings!

A roller coaster of emotions

Another aspect that I have often told you about is human connection. That social interaction between people and those they love. Sometimes, they can be people with their loved ones and other times they can be humans with their pets. They are all important, and they are all great subjects for your photography.

The emotional side is easy, don't just photograph smiles. After all, if we're documenting our lives, we might want to see all the fun and happy parts, but life isn't all about happiness. There is also sadness, frustration and anger along with everything in between. Try to capture a broad range of these emotions if you can, but remember to be respectful. A great way to take better photos of your kids is to capture them in all their emotions.

What are they looking at?

Another really great way to capture moments is to take pictures of your children or loved ones when they are all looking at the same thing. This is called "shared focus," and it incorporates what they're looking at into the scene, giving them a broader view of what's happening. You could even take it a step further by using the camera as a point of view into the child's life.

So you can snap over your child's shoulder as they're painting or zoom in on their toes as they're tying their shoelaces. All these things help tell the story of their childhood and will be very fond memories later on. Taking better pictures of your kids isn't just about taking portraits of them!

Do not be lazy

As I said before, you won't have much control over your environment or lighting conditions when shooting abruptly. The trick is to make sure you move! How light hits your scene or subject will have a big impact on the photos you take. Make sure you take advantage of it by checking out all the different vantage points at your disposal. Don't be afraid to lay on the ground or shoot from different angles to create more interest. It's the difference between an average photo and an epic one.

Another tip here would be to take a test shot to check that the exposure is correct. This is especially important if you are shooting against the light or if there is too little or too little light. Anyway. You can always retake the shot if you need to.

Eliminate the clutter

Some like to leave everything as it is and switch to true documentary style, while others like to do a little cleaning first. How you decide to shoot is entirely up to you. I tend to make sure that any unsightly objects are not visible when I take the photo. I've seen many photos ruined by poles sticking out of people's heads! Keep an eye on your surroundings when framing before shooting and decide if you're happy with the shot. It's up to your personal sense of style to decide if this is the way to take better photos of your children!

Just prepare the shot

Most of the time you have a fraction of a second to shoot before you miss the moment. For this, make sure you have the camera set up correctly for the conditions you are shooting in. For many, it's just a quick snap on the phone, but if you're doing it with a DSLR (which I highly recommend), make sure you've got the camera ready.

Ultimately, photography is all about light and the quality of that light. Make sure you have enough to shoot. If not, make sure you understand how to add artificial light or know how to raise the ISO to give more light to the sensor. This will allow you to increase your shutter speed so you can capture things in motion and freeze them (if that's what you're trying to do). Just knowing a couple of these things will boost your photography tremendously.

Ultimately, the best way to learn is to do. So go out and shoot!

Or… Hire a professional

Unfortunately, photography isn't for everyone. While I strongly believe that anything can be learned , you may not have the time or inclination to do it. In situations like this, I highly recommend hiring a professional to do it for you. It's an expense you won't regret and the images will be treasured for generations.