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We’ve all been there. If you’ve thought to yourself, my kid is doing something remarkable and I better take a picture of it, only to see that picture turn out blah and not social media-worthy, you’re not alone. Having either the latest iPhone camera or DSLR isn’t a guarantee you’ll take great pictures. The photographer makes the camera, not the other way around, so just like with any tool, it takes time, effort, and a lot of failing to master the craft.
The good news is a path exists for making great, eye-popping images of your children as they grow up, the kind you’ll want to look at 20 years from now to get all the feels. Six years ago, before anyone hired me as a wedding or portrait photographer, I was just a dad with a DSLR from Best Buy, acting as our family’s documentarian, snapping pictures of every seemingly adorable thing our newborn did. And, frankly, those pictures are terrible: poorly lit, terribly composed, and in many cases uninteresting. I’m glad I took them but embarrassed to show them off now.
Along the journey I’ve learned a few things about photographing children in their daily lives that anyone can use. These tips can help you take what’s in your mind’s eye, the photo you wish you could take, and turn it into reality.
Go Low. The world seems infinite to a child. From the moment you’re born until adolescence, everything from your house to your neighborhood to your parents appears towering and expansive. That’s one reason why it’s important that you and your camera get to a child’s eye level. Lay on your belly or bend a knee and see the world from their perspective.
Speaking of Eyes. Try to focus your camera on them. Think about how we make emotional connections in life; one of the strongest is to look at each other in the eye. When the eyes are in focus in an image, we can make an instant connection with the person in the photograph. We immediately get a read on their mood or a sense of who they are. When the eyes are out of focus, we lose one of the prime connectors to the subject.
Window Light. At its core, photography captures the flirtations between light and shadows, and when it comes to light, generally speaking, you have a spectrum between soft and harsh. Think about it. You squint without sunglasses when you’re on the beach without any shade and a full sun bearing down on you. That’s bright, harsh light.
Have you ever noticed, however, the beauty and softness of light right next to a window either on a cloudy day or on the shady side of your home? Wedding photographers seek this light out because it’s among the most pleasing and flattering natural light you can find.
Give this a try sometime: Place your child next to a window where the sun isn’t shining through directly. Make sure their face is angled toward the window, and then look at their face and the way the light illuminates the color of their eyes. Gorgeous, isn’t it?
Rent lenses. If you own a DSLR camera, the kind where you can put a lens on or take one off, then one surefire way to unlock your creativity and start taking more interesting images is to try different lenses. Your camera from Best Buy or Target probably came with what’s called a kit lens, but that kit lens is pretty limiting, which means you can use better quality lenses that are more dynamic.
Try a wide angle like a 16- to 35-millimeter to make images of your children while showing off their environment, like your backyard or the beach. Or go for an 85-millimeter and watch how you can create a portrait of your child with an amazing, out-of-focus background that looks like a painting.
Now, a word of caution here. Putting on a professional-grade lens does not guarantee great images; like I said before, the photographer makes the camera, not the other way around. Learn how to use various lenses properly. There are plenty of resources online, or you can take an educational course from a professional photographer.
But give different lenses a try by renting from a local store like Perfect Image Camera or from an online outlet like BorrowLenses.com. Then practice, practice, practice. You can’t become a better photographer if you don’t try.
These tips are meant as something for you to try, but if you’re truly dedicated to upping your photography game, look for two things. First, find a Facebook or MeetUp group you can join; there are plenty out there, they’re open to newbies, and they get together regularly for things like photo walks and seminars.
Second, whether you consume every how-to video on YouTube or read every photo book you can find, nothing takes the place of having a mentor. I’d never be where I am today if I only relied on what I could find online. I enrolled in 2015 in a week-long photography school in Cape May, and afterwards our instructor became a friend and sensei, and it’s his voice I hear in my conscience whenever I raise the camera to take a photograph. Whether it’s an experienced neighbor or a professional instructor, having someone critique your work while you keep an open mind will only make you a better photo taker.