Everyone takes photos of their kiddos! Your phone is probably comprised of 98% of your kids. One thing Meg & I have constantly gotten asked is how to take photos of their littles that will wow! To really capture those moments before they are gone. That’s why we put together this guide of 7 tips and tricks that will allow you to be more confident with your phone camera and be able to take more creative photos that will have that artistic feel you can be proud of!

The tips we are sharing with you in this guide will make you see yours kiddos in a whole new light through the lens of a photographer and you will start spotting things in your everyday life you wouldn’t have otherwise.

Let’s do this!

1.Change your point of view

Most times, you see your kiddos doing something cute and capture worthy, you grab your phone and take a photo exactly where you are standing. You may even worry you will miss the shot if you move.

But we are letting you know to move around! Try getting closer and stepping away. You will quickly start noticing the difference in your photos.

Your kiddos will be doing the same thing but your angles will be different. This allows you to tell a story with your images!

Take the example below: Every photo is focusing on something different with this girl on the bed: the look on her face, the environment (jumping on the bed), reading a book. Your turn now!

2. Get down to their level!

By kneeling down or even sitting on the ground you are able to get a more intimate image of your little one and they will interact with you in a different way. It will also allow you to capture their facial expressions sometimes better than if you were standing up pointing the camera down at them!

Take above example of the girl in her bedroom. Both are taken at her eye level but one is on the bed and the other on the floor. Both are intimate photos that capture her personality!

3. Find that natural light

Try to stay away from artificial light. Your phone camera will capture any artificial light images with a little yellow tinge which makes your kids skin tone look sallow.

Where you are, look around at where the natural light source is coming from. Then look at how the light drops off the farther from the source, which means the farther away you stand from the light the less light you will see on your kiddos face! So try your best to be near a window, have your kids play closer to the window to get some cute shots of them playing while you snap away….

Outside is even better! Look for ambient light and not direct sunlight! Always backlight your kiddos and have the sun face behind them to avoid those squinty eyes!

4. Don’t say “Cheese”!

This one may be controversial, but we stand by it!

Break with your old habits of shouting ‘Say cheese’ when you want a ‘pretty’ photo of your kids. Fake smiles have never made good pictures.

These types of photos don’t say much about your kiddos apart that they can force a smile upon request. What you really want is their true personality. (Even if its moody or serious!)

Look at the above photos. The one on the left is a forced smile when telling them to ‘Say Cheese’. The other is when you interact with your little one and to get that natural smile (asking if there is a monkey pooping on your head usually does the trick with boys!)

5. Find that Simple Background

Simpler is always better! A great way to get the focus on your children is to look for a background with limited visual distractions and keep the focus on your kiddos instead of a busy background.

At home, look for a blank wall or near a window, and interact with your kiddos while you snap photos. Outside, look for big open spaces with not a lot of people in the background!

6. Always be ready!

The funniest or sweetest moments sometimes happens when we least expect them. As a photographer, you need to anticipate those moments.

You know your children better than anyone else so you know their cheeky habits or the look in the eyes before being silly. Follow your gut and grab your phone camera, ready to ‘trigger’ the shot.

Make sure to have it ready for even the simplest of chores, doing the dishes or laundry with your kids can elicit some beautiful memories to capture!

7. Don’t Give Up!

Finally, but the most important one! We know it gets frustrating when you have a photo in mind that is turning out to be a challenge to capture just right!

Observe your kids patiently and notice when they repeat the same actions. Then get ready.

It usually always comes down to timing. Keep taking photos until you get the right photo with the expression you were hoping to capture.

If you are wanting to capture them in motion, try using the AF Lock on your iPhone. Before they start moving, click and hold on their face until AF Lock appears at the top of your camera screen. Then give your little a countdown and let them go – jump on the bed, have a pillow fight, run towards you in your backyard. As long as you have that focus on just keep snapping photos!

As always, practice makes perfect. Try new angles, new backgrounds and ideas. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box. At the end of it all you will have beautiful moments captured of the most important people in the world to you!

We hope these tips and tricks help and feel confident going out into the world capturing your kiddos as they grow!

We would love to see your photos you take! Please feel free to tag us in IG – @meghanandtracey

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