With the restrictions in place to #flattenthecurve of COVID-19, photographers are unable to do our jobs during the most beautiful, blooming season of the year. I have seen several posts in mom's groups and the like, about families attempting their own Easter and other Spring photos of their children. Now is a wonderful time to get outside, commemorate this beautiful season and holiday, and capture memories that will surely last a lifetime. No matter what type of camera you have, here are 7 tips for how to take beautiful photos of your children right now.
1. Keep It Simple
For Easter photos, you may be tempted to try to create an elaborate set-up filled with Easter bunnies, eggs, plastic grass and candy. I am not a fan of photo props or themed set-ups, to the point where I don't even have an "Easter" set-up to show as an example! If you want to incorporate some objects to show the holiday, less is more. Stick to one or two items: a simple basket of colored eggs held by, or placed near your children, or a stuffed animal bunny or colorful egg for your baby to hold. Having too much clutter can take the focus away from your subject and often causes more stress if your child doesn't sit perfectly within your set up. So if Coronavirus has you low on Easter supplies, don't give up...get out there and take photos anyway!
2. Get Down On Their Level.
When we view something from above, it changes the proportions of what we are photographing and their relationship to the background. If you stand 3 feet taller than your toddler, all you will see is the floor in the background, his legs will look too small compared to his head, and her eyes will be straining upwards to see you! So, bend your knees, and squat down to their eye level, or better yet, lay down on the ground to get a wider view and capture the whole scene. For this photo, I was literally laying on the grass, (next to dog poop, if you must know...be careful where you lay! I think it was worth it.)
3. Find Open Shade.
Have you ever noticed the harsh shadows that full-on sunlight makes on a person's face? Really bright sun can cause parts of your subject to be too bright, while other parts are too dark, and you lose important details. In addition, bright sun (understandbaly) causes lots of squinting! Place your children in what we call "open shade": Find a shady spot under a tree and try having your them sit or stand right at the edge, so that they are looking out toward the sky, but the light doesn't hit them directly. This creates beautiful, even light! Another great way to find even light: take photos on an overcast day!
4. Separate Your Subject From The Background.
You know those professional photos with the soft, blurred backgrounds? Thats called "bokeh" or background compression. It really helps the subject stand out and take center stage. Learning to use your DSLR in manual will give you the ability to control the way light comes into the lens, which helps create this effect, but there are ways to do it with your cell phone camera too. One way would be to create distance between your subject and the background. If there is a cool brick wall you love, by all means, take your child's picture in front of it. But don't put the subject leaning right up against the wall. Separate them a few feet away from it, so that when you tap on your subject, the camera focuses on them and allows the background to blur a bit. Another great way to achieve this blurred look is to use your phone's portrait mode feature. This creates an artificial blurred background to give you that professional portrait effect.
5. Don't Ask Them To Smile.
Kids naturally want to do the exact opposite of what they are told to do. If you ask a child to smile for a picture, you are likely to find them turning or running away in refusal, or giving you an exaggerated, disingenuous smile worthy of an Oscar.
Instead, aim for lifestyle photos, photos that document your child doing what makes them happy without asking them to stop or look or pose. Play a game, have a conversation, or just let them play and take some candid-stye photos. For these pictures, I caught her genuine smile while playing peek-a-boo, and got a shot of her walking through flowers without looking at the camera.
6. Let Them Interact
Some of the best sibling photos are captured when they are simply interacting with each other. Have them hold hands and play "Ring Around the Rosie," or (my personal favorite) tell them to whisper something gross in their sibling's ear. Always gets a genuine reaction! Interacting with one another invites movement into the photo, and the authenticity and emotion of the moment will shine through, rather than forced, stiff poses.
7. Don't Drag It Out, Imperfect is Okay!
In my time photographing children and families, I have found that after 5 minutes of shooting, a child's attention and patience for photo-taking quickly goes downhill. Try your more "posed" photos right away. Sometimes the very first picture is the winner. Once you have what you are looking for, cut them loose and focus on the more candid, lifestyle-type photos described above. And if it isn't working, call it quits and try again tomorrow!
This photo was the first shot we tried on the blanket. I don't think we got any more "posed" shots after this. In hindsight, I wish I could go back and fix the blanket, or move them closer together. But doing that might just have ruined my opportunity. And that's ok! It's genuine and they are happy.
Get out there and try some of these tips for a more enjoyable photo-taking experience! Your professional photographer is patiently awaiting the day when we can come out and take photos for you and your children! But don't wait until then. Go out and capture some memories. I promise you will be happy you did!