Children are some of the most popular subjects in photography yet they are often the most difficult to take. Kids never stop moving, love making goofy faces, and rarely have the time to sit and pose nicely or take a break so you can capture a moment. Getting fantastic pictures of your kids isn’t “mission impossible” but it sometimes can feel like one. Here are 5 tips for taking great pictures of your kids:

Be Sneaky

If there’s one thing that’s true of kids, it’s that they’re incredibly sneaky. Any time it’s quiet in the house, you can bet your kids are up to no good – perhaps hatching a plan to snatch the cookie jar. With that in mind, it’s time to turn the tables. Some of the greatest images are of candid shots when the subject had no idea they were being photographed. Candid photos capture the real essence of a subject’s personality and can make for beautiful moments, so don’t feel bad about being sneaky yourself and getting a few photos when your kids aren’t looking.

Trim it Down

If you want to get some good shots of your kids, then you need to pack light. Special moments are gone in an instant, so you don’t want to miss a single one because your hands were full carrying equipment. If you’re taking pictures of a birthday party or a field trip, make sure to pack light and bring lots of extra batteries or film if you’re using 35mm. Just remember that the more quick and adaptive you are to new situations, the better your pictures will be.

Have Fun

Taking posed pictures of your children can be a bit challenging. Since kids often get bored fast, you want to plan out the photo shoot to be fun and interesting otherwise you’ll lose the kids attention fast. Make your shoot fun and think about bringing extra props like a water gun or anything that will keep the kids engaged and responsive. Real emotions and expressions always look best so rely on fun instead of the traditional forced smile.

Pay Attention

When taking pictures, there are lots of things that can go wrong. If you are familiar with the art of photography, then you should have a good grasp of key elements like composition, framing, depth of field, etc. Just because your kids are doing something cute doesn’t mean you should forget the photo basics and miss a good shot. Nothing ruins a great moment like poor framing or a distracting face in the background, so make sure you’re aware of the background and you never forget your fundamentals.

Get Creative

Get down on the floor for a new angle. Stand on a ladder. Zoom in and focus just on your children’s eyes. Usually the only thing that changes in a family picture frame display or in an album is the age of the subject. You can avoid this by striving to create beautiful and interesting photographs every time you shoot. Use color and black and white to tell different stories. You can also let your kids try taking self-portraits. Make every photo shoot unique and you’ll have lots of fun pictures to enjoy in the end.

Children are always hard to photograph. You’re not always going to get it right. Like with anything, practice makes perfect, so shoot as much as you can. You will always get a few great shots so if you keep the shoot fun everyone will have a good time. One thing you don’t want to forget is to take some pictures of yourself with your child as there is nothing more fun that seeing pictures of your parents when you were a baby!

Author Bio: Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of wooden 4×6 picture frames and metal 5×7 picture frames in a variety of colors and styles. See our picture frames online or call 800-780-0699.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: children pictures,children photos,how to take good pictures