Children are active little people; always growing or on the move! If you have special children in your life, you probably want to capture great photos of them, and have discovered it can be tricky! Many people rely on the camera on their phones to take photos, and that has quickly become a great option. Cell phone technology has surpassed the speed and quality of many ‘point and shoot’ cameras! Regardless of whether you are using your cell phone to take photos, a ‘point and shoot’ camera, or a digital SLR camera with a specific lens, it’s possible to get fantastic shots with a few tips to help you! I will be enlisting the help of my two daughters to illustrate each idea (they spend a lot of time in front of my camera)!
We love our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and want to capture those precious expressions in our photos. The trick to this is to go low! Try to get on eye level with them while you shoot. Not only will you have a good view of those lovely faces, you will hold their attention longer if you are trying to capture a portrait style image. In this photo, I did not use the flash even though I was inside. When possible, try turning off the flash on your cell phone or camera, and using the natural light from a nearby window.
Children’s faces are amazing sights, full of wonder and expression! For some photos, try getting up closer, using the zoom function on your camera, or getting closer to the subject. It will help you remove a distracting background and focus on those sweet features you love!
You don’t have to become a professional photographer to start using some of the settings on your camera to your advantage! In the image below, my older daughter and her friend are riding a fast moving ride at a carnival. I captured this image using manual settings on my DSLR camera, but the ‘sports’ auto setting is also great for catching fast-moving objects (or kids)! The sports setting is great for children because it allows you to take a lot of photos quickly without a delay, and reduces blur. If you have a point and shoot or DSLR camera, experiment with the automatic settings for ‘portrait’, ‘sports’, ‘nighttime’, and other options in your photography. If you are interested in learning more, there are many great online beginning photography classes that can help you start using the camera settings to your advantage.
Posed portrait photography can be beautiful, but it’s important to try to create memories that capture your child’s personality at play! Photographing kids at play in the park or the backyard can create images that will quickly become your favorites. In the image below, my daughter is wearing dirty play clothes and her hair is tousled, but it will forever be one of my favorite photos because of her joyful expression as she runs down the path (without someone telling her to be still)!
My last suggestion is my favorite one: whenever possible, go outside! Natural light creates the most natural images, and removes that discoloration that a flash can add. The best times to take photos outside are early morning and late afternoon, but it’s possible to get great outdoor photos any time of the day. The one below was taken in the early afternoon, in a shady area of our yard, while my daughter chased her shadow.
Speaking of photography, have you heard about our style-sharing photo contest? Ruby Rd. is offering one winner this fabulous Americana inspired jewelry set! All you have to do to enter to take a photo of yourself in your favorite Ruby Rd. style, and post it to our contest post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag, #myRubyRdstyle. Complete contest rules can be found on our contest post on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/rubyrdfashion. The contest ends Monday, June 27th, 2016. Come join in the style sharing!
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