8 tips to photograph your kids at home | NY Family Photographer

As most of us are staying home right now and probably for weeks to come, I thought I’d share with you 8 tips I have put together to help you take better photos of your kids during this time!

I tried to keep it simple without getting too technical and confuse you with your camera settings; so if all you want is taking better portraits of your kids and are not interested in learning the settings of your camera, then ignore anything below that talks about aperture, ISO or shutter speed; and use the automatic modes in your camera or just use the camera in your smartphone. For the more enthusiasts, I have included a pinch of technicality so you can start having a better understanding of your camera. Most of all, these tips are to help you feel more confident and get better images while documenting your family. 

1. Let them be themselves.

This is probably one of the most important tip. Too often parents try to pose their kids and ask them to smile to the camera. As much as this is fine to do sometimes, if you are after a portrait of your child that will melt your heart, this type of shots will most probably not do it. My advice is simple: to capture their spirit and personalities, you need to let them be themselves. Take a step back, put your camera settings on wide aperture to get a nice blurry background (so that your little one is the centre of attention), observe them playing or exploring their environment and shoot away. You can use the ‘portrait’ mode to achieve a similar result with your smartphone or on your camera.

2. Be quick. 

This is not news: kids are moving fast and don’t stay still for too long, so you need to be quick. To freeze a movement or action you will need to use a fast shutter speed, so increase your ISO to make sure you can reach it. It is also best to use the continuous or burst mode; which allows you to take several photos in quick succession. If you are not interested in learning the settings of your camera, keep on taking advantage of your camera’s automatic modes: most of them will have a sport or action mode. Another advice to be quick: if you feel a moment is about to happen, don’t put your camera down!

3. Choose the best lighting.

Firstly pick the room with the most natural light (usually the one with the largest windows), then if possible pick a window that has sheer curtains to diffuse the light (if you do not have windows with sheer curtains it’s ok, just make sure to pull any colored curtains open so you can let the natural light come in without a tint of color). Make sure to pick the best time of the day, when the room gets lots of light - usually mid-morning works best. Switch off all artificial lights if possible (all lamps basically). If it gets too dark, then don’t worry about it. Then, take your kids near the window and take their portrait there. Again, this can be a pose & smile portrait if you want to, or for more natural portraits simply take some toys near the window and let them play; or set up an activity for them (like painting for example). Taking photographs indoors can be tricky due to the low light, so try to increase your ISO.

4. Focus on the eyes.

“The eyes are the windows to the soul.” This tip is pretty straightforward: focus on the eyes, and if they are not on the same plane, focus on the one closest to the camera. It will make for more powerful portraits. 

5. Keep a clean background.

Another pretty straightforward tip: to keep the focus on your kids and give a more timeless and professional look to your photos, keep the background clean and simple. Use a wide aperture to get a blurry background (or ‘portrait’ mode), which will help keeping the focus on your child.

6. Get down to their level.

This tip will help improve your photos almost immediately. Often, parents will take pictures of their kids from their own adult’s level. Kneel down to their level and engage with them. By getting down to your child’s level, it will allow them to connect with the camera, and the viewer to get a glimpse of their world, the way they see it.

7. Get close.

Another tip that will improve your composition almost straight away: take close-ups. Too often, parents will take all the photos of their kids the same way: head to toes. Try to diversify your images by getting close and fill the frame with their beautiful faces or tiny details. These images will be a fantastic addition to all the full-length portraits you have of them.

8. Try different angles.

Not all photos need to be a smiley one with your kids facing the camera: diversify your collection of images by trying different angles: above, eye level or down. Get down to the ground, take the shot over their shoulders, climb (carefully and safely!) to get a shot from above (always making sure to strap your camera around your neck); or even from behind while they are busy doing something (like rolling their car on the wall, or painting/drawing etc.). Make sure to capture candid portraits of them playing, drawing, dancing etc. These make great memories of who they were during their childhood.

Paris FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER & FILMMAKER

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