How To Take Better Pictures of Your Kids

Babies, toddlers and little children can do the cutest things! Who doesn't like to take pictures of their children? But have you taken pictures of your kids when they are doing something really cute, and the pictures just haven’t come out like you wanted them to? Taking really good pictures of little children is no easy task. Here are a few tips on how to take better pictures of your kids.

First of all, you want to keep you camera in a handy location. You never know when those little ones are going to do something adorable and you don’t want to miss that great shot because you can’t find your camera. You also want to be sure that you keep your battery charged up and have plenty of room on your memory card or plenty of film on hand. Once you get started taking pictures of your kids, (or grandkids, in my case), it’s hard to stop!

It's very difficult to get little children to be still long enough for you to try to pose them for pictures. When you try to make them be still, there is usually where the problem begins. You are trying to make them sit still, but they don't want to be still, and now they do not have on their "happy face"! You usually want pictures of your kids when they are happy and smiling, so that is what were are going to take care of here. Some of your best shots are going to be candid shots. Give them something they like to play with. Give them their favorite toy or stuffed animal. Bubbles are a great idea for kids of almost any age! You can have them play with the family pet if you have one. Have someone standing off to the side a little making faces or noises that will make them laugh. These are just a few ways to keep them happy and are smiling!

How many times have you started to take a picture of your child and said, “Look at mommy.” Of course you want some of these pictures, but remember, some of your better shots are going to be those where they are not looking directly at you. Take some pictures while they are looking at something other than the camera. See if you can get somewhere between full face and profile shot. Take them to look out the window or a door. The lighting will more natural and they will probably find something to smile about.

I think one of the most common errors in taking photographs of kids is not getting in close enough. You don’t always have to get their entire body in the picture. Get in a little closer. Try some shots from the waist up. Then get in a little closer still, shoot from the chest up. Get those pictures that really show their facial expressions. If you have a zoom lens, use it. They are great for taking pictures of your kids. A zoom lense will allow you to get a close up shot but you won't be so close that you are “in their way”. Stand back a little and use your zoom. Focus on their eyes. Their expression is what you are really trying to capture.

Really look through the view-finder before you snap that picture. Look at the background and see what else is in the picture. You don't want a "busy" background as it will take away from your subject. If you need to move around some to get a better backgound, do it. Then ,try to crop out, what I call, the “junk” in the picture. By zooming in close, you will also be able to blur out most of the background, which will make your subject stand out. Don't put your subject against a background of the same color. If they are wearing white, don't put them against a white background. Look for some contrast in color. Look at the lighting too. If there is a really bright light in the background, such as a window or a mirror reflecting bright light, the foreground will probably come out too dark. Try to keep the lighting in the picture fairly even. If you are taking pictures inside, you are probably going to be using a flash. Be sure there is nothing in the picture that is going to reflect the flash.

Using some simple props can make great pictures! You don’t need to run out and buy a lot of “stuff” to use as props. Keep it simple. Big bright bows for the girls, or maybe you have a frilly hat or scarf. Maybe they have a big stuffed animal they can be sitting beside. Put them in a pretty chair or drape a nice throw or sheet over a chair for a backdrop. For the boys, try one of daddy’s caps or hats. Little boys are always adorable in an over sized cowboy hat or maybe a Halloween costume costume you have in the closet. What does your husband like to do? Does he golf, put a golf club in the picture, or a baseball bat and ball. Simple props can be really easy to find.

Just keep clicking that camera and take lots of pictures! I know this is not going to be hard to do. Move around and get shots from different angles. Get down on their level. Get down on your knees and get eye level with them. Lie down on the floor and take some pictures looking up at them. Take some horizontally, those would be the ones from the chest up. The vertical shots will be those full body shots, from the feet up. Shoot, shoot, shoot! The more pictures you take the better the chance you have of getting those photos that you are going to look at and say “WOW”!

I hope I have given you some helpful advice on how to take better pictures of your kids. Now, go have some fun with your kids! Taking pictures can be a great time to inter-act with your children and spend some quality time together!