Getting Great Photos of Your Kids: 11 Tips for Parents

By Scott Roeben, Contributing Editor – Photography

Note: The Succulent Wife is honored to welcome an “old” friend & colleague as our first male contributor! Scott is a talented writer and photographer and I am quite excited to be bringing you his articles on photography. He will be providing tips & tools to make the amateur photographer look like a real pro. Thanks Scott!

Capturing great photos of children can be a challenge. But there are simple steps you can take to dramatically improve your photography, virtually overnight. Try these tips, and you’ll be taking great photos of your kids in no time.

1. MAKE IT FUN!

Nothing creates stilted, unsatisfying photos of kids like a parent saying, “Sit still and smile!” It’s time for a new tactic. Have fun! It’s time to give your children permission to just be themselves. That means once you have your photographer hat on, they get to play and be silly and even, yes, misbehave. Why? Because misbehaving makes for wonderful photos! The first rule of photographing children is to always make it fun.

2. GET UP CLOSE AND FILL THE FRAME

Probably the biggest mistake parents, and photographers, make is that they don’t get close enough to their subjects when taking portraits. Getting up close means the eyes take center stage, and that’s the key to images with impact. So, get in close. And when you think you’re close enough, get even closer!

3. MASTER THE RULE OF THIRDS

There’s a technique in photography that can quickly turn a “snapshot” into a “photograph,” and that’s the Rule of Thirds. If you divide an image into thirds, like a tic-tac-toe board, and put something of interest on one of the intersections of the lines, you’ll improve your photos in a big way. It takes some getting used to, but it’s well worth practicing.

4. FIND THE LIGHT

Photography is all about the direction and “quality” of light. Photographers spend lots of money on expensive, “fast” lenses so they can shoot in low-light situations, like in your kitchen or living room. An alternative is just to find the light wherever it is. Move your kids toward the light! Take them outside (the shade is best), or next to a big window (window light is some of the most flattering). You can often determine the best place for photos by holding up your hand and slowly turning in a circle. As you move, the light on your hand will change. It’s not just about the most light, but also if it’s direct or “diffused” (much more flattering).

5. SPEAKING OF LIGHT, TURN OFF THAT FLASH!

It’s tempting in low light to use your camera’s built-in flash, but flash photography is difficult to master, so just turn it off whenever possible. If you must use flash, look into getting a light modifier. For example, the Lightscoop is a device that slips onto your camera and re-directs your flash to the ceiling and walls, creating a soft, flattering light. There are numerous do-it-yourself diffusers, and just about any of them increase your chances of creating better light and decrease your chance of red eye, that most dreaded of photo-spoilers.

6. GET READY TO MOVE

Get more dynamic photos by encouraging your kids to move around. Running, jumping and dancing are photographic gold. Just make sure there’s enough light so your camera can freeze the action, or try panning (following the movement, freezing your subject but creating a blurry background).

7. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Most photos you see of kids are taken from the same perspective. The photographer is standing up, shooting down at the child. Those images can be great, but why not shake things up to add some fun or drama? Images have much more impact if you move to a child’s level. It can be tough on the knees, but it’s well worth it. Shoot from way up high, or from ground level. Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you have a digital camera, it’s just pixels!

8. WORK FAST!

Kids don’t have the patience to pose for you too long, so work fast. People who photograph children often know there’s about a 10-minute window of opportunity for most kids, and after that, they just want to go back to other, more interesting, things. So, snap away, but don’t drag things out. The expressions of your kids will tell you when they’ve had enough. The photos that come thereafter are not likely to be the ones that end up on the holiday card.

9. USE REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY

Kids are smart, but we can still outsmart them! That’s where reverse psychology comes in. What’s the first thing a kid does when you say, “Don’t smile”? Or perhaps, “Whatever you do, don’t kiss your sister!”? What happens if you say, “Don’t you dare make a silly face right now” or “Whatever you do, don’t scream”? Right. The opposite. Fake consternation goes over great with kids, so use it to your advantage! Camera ready. Deep breath. Fake out!

10. CLICK BEFORE YOU SHOULD AND AFTER

One of the best ways to get interesting, surprising, memorable photos is to shoot before you think you should, and after. A child waiting for a photo, fidgeting, rolling their eyes, giggling, tugging at a too-tight tie…all those images are far more fun and interesting than the one with the forced smile and squinty eyes. Same goes for just after a photo is taken. After that “click,’ everyone tends to relax. That is the magic moment, so don’t miss it!

11. BITE THE BULLET AND LEARN A PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM

In the digital age, photography is just one part of creating great images. Having a basic knowledge of photo editing software (Photoshop is the standard, but there are a number of less expensive alternatives) can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos. Adjust colors, remove distracting elements, make eyes brighter, sharpen your images and much more. There’s a learning curve, certainly, but the ability to tweak your photographs is likely to be the key to taking your photos to the next level.

That’s it! If you can take on learning even a few of these tips, you’ll start to see your photographs improving right away.

With kids, nothing’s going to work every time. Bribes of videogames or candy might work one day, but not the next. That’s part of what makes children’s photography so fun, challenging and rewarding.

Get out there and make some camera magic!