photography tips for parents

Ask any of us parents about our baby and we’ll gladly pull the Smartphone out or, in some rare cases these days, a stack of photos.

Photographs are one of the few keepsakes of your child’s infancy that are likely to last, and they can help you capture a unique moment in time as well as emotions.

You don’t have to hire an expensive photographer to capture amazing moments with your child. A little practice and a lot of patience will yield stunning photos that you’ll treasure for years.

While Smartphones are great all-rounders they don’t necessarily take photos of the highest quality so it’s worth investing in a decent digital camera.

Choosing a Camera

Expensive cameras can take amazing pictures, but these cameras are used by professionals for a reason: they’re challenging. Don’t get caught up in trying to buy the most expensive camera with the most expensive features. Instead, focus on a few options.

Get a camera with a good zoom function, adjustable flash that you can turn on or off, and auto-focus. If you’re stuck spending time focusing your camera yourself, you’re bound to miss important moments. Generally speaking, higher pixel counts are better, so get the highest pixel count camera you can afford.

Anyone can take amazing shots of their kids with a camera, you just need to master the art of using it. There are some great online photography workshops for moms that teach you how to use your camera to its full potential and capture all those magical moments.

Work with Lighting

Most of us have learned that you should use the flash indoors, but this can actually yield washed-out photos. Try turning the flash off in a well-lit room, you’ll get a much more natural image and your baby won’t be distracted. A light that is filtered through a window in a room with light walls is often the most natural and most flattering.

If you’re shooting outside, shoot in the morning, late afternoon or on a slightly overcast day. Try turning on the flash, which can help highlight your baby’s face and prevent shadows.

Go Candid
Anyone who’s ever worked with children knows that it’s nearly impossible to get them to pose. Use this to your advantage. Instead of trying to capture posed, smiling shots, capture candid moments in the day.

Don’t be afraid to photograph tantrums and bad behavior either. These can serve as excellent and even hilarious photos that capture your child’s unique personality. You will also be able to use some at their eighteenth birthday or 21st!

Fill the Frame
One of the cardinal rules of photography is to fill the frame. Get as close to your subject as possible, and avoid allowing a lot of background clutter. As a bonus, this also makes it possible to take photos in messy or poorly decorated rooms. Background noise detracts from the photo.

Use Digital Services
You don’t have to be a Photoshop expert to touch up your photos. Instead, try cropping, brightening and adding contrast to your photos on your computer. Most Windows computers come with a simple photo editor that can make automatic adjustments or allow you to adjust and add features such as black and white, sepia tones and other effects.

Save Your Photos
Save any photo that is of reasonably decent quality. You might hate the way you look in a photo with your baby now, but in 20 years, you’re likely to treasure it. Invest in albums and photo boxes, and save photos to your computer.

Periodically back up your photos to disc, or use a document back-up service that can ensure your photos are not lost or destroyed even if your computer is. Remember that computers don’t last forever, so you need to have your photos backed up to avoid losing them.