After our recent photo session with Stephanie from Moments As Art, I chatted with her about doing some blog posts with photography tips. I know I find it very difficult to get good quality photographs of children, so thankfully Stephanie is here with 5 simple tips on how to best capture the moments.
1) Get down on their level. One good rule of thumb when photographing kids is to take shots at their eye level. It is simply amazing the difference in the appearance of your little one if you are shooting them straight on versus shooting from your natural point of view up above. Also, if you are sitting or kneeling on the floor and shooting directly at them, it is much easier to get a picture where they are connected with the camera and the viewer of the photograph. FYI, the same applies to your pets too!
2) Try new and interesting viewpoints of your children. I know I just said to get down on their level, (which I strongly believe is a great “go-to” position), but getting variety in your shots is important too. For example, try getting down on the floor (yes, I often find myself actually LYING ON THE GROUND for shots) and try shooting upward at the scene you are trying to capture. Then try getting up high, maybe even standing on a chair, and shoot down while your little one is coloring, or the family is playing a game. Photograph them from the side and from behind too because unexpected viewpoints will inevitability add more interest and variety to your photographs.
3) Capture some candid moments. There are so many great shots that you can take in addition to the typical smiling face looking at the camera. Candid photographs are probably my favorites because of the authentic emotion that a candid image can capture. While they are playing, painting, engrossed in a movie, etc pull out your camera and try to catch them in some of those amazing everyday moments you will want to remember.
A photograph capturing a look of surprise, mischief, concentration, or any other face you know so well on your child, can be just as appealing as a photograph with a smile.
4) Be Aware of the Background. Pay attention not just to your child, but to the background and try to avoid shots with too much clutter. In doing so also watch for mergers. Mergers happen when two things that are not touching in real life, appear to be intersecting in a photograph in a bizarre way. Common examples are a tree or street light appearing to grow out of someone’s head. Here you can see a pretty funny example of a merger with a hidden chicken head. This easily could have been avoided by me moving to the left before snapping that photo.
5) A cloudy day is your friend when you are taking pictures. Overcast days can be used to your advantage because they can make for some great pictures! Making sure you have enough light is important, but shots taken outside in direct sunlight can cause harsh shadows and squinty eyes, both of which can be largely avoided with just a little bit of cloud cover. The clouds act as a diffuser casting soft, flattering light on your little ones. The photographs displayed above were taken on a very cloudy day and as you can see there are no harsh shadows, just soft and even light.
~Stephanie
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Stephanie Oster of Moments As Art is a custom lifestyle photographer specializing in family, child, baby, maternity and pet portraiture. Finding and capturing the unique personality and beauty of her clients is the inspiration behind each and every session. Stephanie resides in the Saratoga area with her fiance and their dog (her favorite subject of all)!
