I’ve thrown around the idea for a while of offering photography classes to moms, dads and anyone else interested in taking better photos of their kids, dogs and family. Later this week I’ll announce the details on these workshops. To lead up to that, this week I’m going to share some basic tips on how to take better pictures. It doesn’t matter what style of camera you have … how expensive that camera is … or what brand of camera it is. These tips are for anyone looking to take better photos. Stop by each day and learn something new.
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Today I’m going to talk about some really simple rules to follow to take better photos of your kids (or dogs). These rules are really so simple that anyone, with any kind of camera, can implement them immediately and you’ll be pleased with the results.
#1 Go Low
If you are photographing kids or dogs, get down on their level and take their photos. The benefit of this is that a) it will give you a different perspective on your subject and b) it will allow you to connect better with your subject. Simple ways to do this are to sit on the floor, lay on your belly, or you can even “cheat” a little bit and just hold your camera down at their level and snap away.
#2 Let Them Play
Do your kids run from the room every time they see you take out your camera? If you want your kids to be more cooperative when you take their photos, don’t make them “pose” or always have to look at the camera. Just let them play. You’ll be able to capture them as they truly are because they will completely forget you (and your camera) are there. The goal here is to make the camera “invisible”.
#3 Patience. Patience. Patience.
When photographing kids or dogs, there is one thing that is absolutely essential: patience … and LOTS of it. If you want good photos of your kids or pets, you just have to be patient; there is no way around it. If your kids (or dogs) aren’t in the “mood” for photos, you might have to put your camera away and try another time. Or, you might have to keep snapping to eventually get the picture you want. That’s the good thing about digital cameras; once you’ve invested in the memory card, the photos are basically “free”.
When you put them all together….
I took these two photos today, just after naptime. My daughter is at that age when photos are just about near impossible. But, I followed my three rules above and I now have two of my favorite photos. I sat on the floor of her room, let her play, and kept snapping. I took just over 50 photos and have probably 5 that are keepers; and two that I love.
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If you like what you see in this week long series, you might be interested in taking one of my workshops. Stay tuned for more details on the workshops as the week goes on.
