Six Tips For Better Family Photos

Your kiddos are finally not screaming, and instead are rather calmly sitting together reading a book. You grab your camera and think "I only get one shot, once they hear that little 'click' the calmness turns to chaos." You take a chance—click—chaos ensues.

Sadly though, your picture isn't quite how you imagined it. Maybe it is too dark, or too bright, or it's all fuzzy. Let's fix that.

Here are some tips and tricks to taking better pictures of your kiddos:

Having your camera with you at all times (with charged batteries and empty memory cards) is key. You never know when those "special moments" will happen! By making sure that your memory card is empty (or having a couple extra ones handy) you can take more pictures. One rule for most photographers is quantity then quality. While it's usually opposite for most things, it's necessary to take lots and lots of pictures to ensure that you get one that is just right.

It sounds weird, I know. I'm not talking take your camera out to a romantic dinner and movie here. Just set aside some time to go over the manual and the camera together. Read and practice. Rinse and repeat. Knowing how your camera works always helps when you want to take a picture.

There are times when getting the shot means throwing all the "rules" out the window but most of the time moving around to manipulate the lighting is necessary. Photography is all about lighting and finding the best light is key to getting amazing images. I typically don't use studio lighting or flashes unless it's absolutely necessary so I will be focusing on natural light. For most photographs you want soft lighting, basically you don't want harsh shadows on your subject. To avoid shadows make sure that there are no bright sunbeams shining onto your subject. When you are outdoors find some open shade instead of direct sunlight, this will make a world of difference in your final images.

Whether you have a point and shoot camera or a DSLR this next tip is for everyone. It is imperative that you take the time to focus your image. On most cameras this means pushing the shutter button half-way and letting the camera do its thing, once you're happy, push the button the rest of the way down and wait until you hear the click. When focusing for portraits I tend to make sure that my focus point is placed on the subject's eye, that is because when I look at a photo of someone I always look at their eyes, old or young, your eyes tell a story.

So first let me put this out there, I don't really like posing (except newborns). Of course in my job it needs to be done, but for the most part it's a simple set up and I ask them to place themselves how they feel most comfortable. Once you find the best light for the image you're looking to get, just get your subject in it and YOU do the moving around. Get lots of different angles and don't be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes an off center image is more intriguing than a straight on one. Negative space (extra space around your subject) can greatly add to some images.

When you look back at your images you want to remember all the tiny details about your little one, you also won't want all your images to look the same so be sure to do the following:

For younger babies and infants: Don't forget about their little feet and hands, tiny nose, and squishy lips! Photographing the little things ensures that you will remember them forever (not that you could ever forget of course).

For older babies and kids: While details are still important they can be harder to get once your kiddos become mobile, as I'm sure you know. That said you can still make sure that you get a variety of different images by moving around and getting different angles and include both close-up shots and full body ones.

Happy Clicking!

Six Tips For Better Family Photos

Simple Fixes To Make Your Photos Memorable