Taking Better Images of your Kids at Home

In the time I’m writing this post, we’re in the middle of a pandemic.

Most of us are ordered to stay home and stay socially distanced. Most jobs are currently on hold, kids are engaging in distance learning and improvised homeschooling, and for many of us, we’re finding that we have a little (or a lot) more idle time on our hands without social events and gatherings.

I hear it all the time, finding the time to plan to have photos taken, particularly in the lifestyle realm, can be challenging. While it’s currently frowned upon and not necessarily safe to have a photographer come into the home to document your stories for you now, this blog post is designated to equip you with employable skills and knowledge to transform the way you personally take photos. Even if all you have for a camera is your iPhone.

Consider angles

Angles can absolutely make or break an image! Be aware of what you’re photographing. Working with children? Crouch down to their level. Wanting newborn images? You have the amazing opportunity to be able to photograph them looking down from above.

Find a natural light source

Photography literally translates to writing or drawing with light. Therefore, lighting can either make or break your images! When photographing inside of your home, windows are your friends. However, rather than photographing your subject with the window behind them, trade places and let the natural light stream in on them. If you do place your subject in front of a window though, you have an opportunity to play with silhouettes.

Get your child to play

Typically when we ask our kids to be photographed, they’re not having it. Rather than trying to coerce them to cooperate and wind up with the inevitable meltdowns or fake smiles, make it a game. Kids crave our attention and obviously love when we play with them. Allow them to lead you into their world. More often than not, I as a photographer will set my camera down for short periods to play along with the kids that I photograph as it builds trust (I’m a stranger unlike parents and caregivers) and children want to be heard. Quality bonding leading to better photographs? Heck. yes.

Trying to edit your photos? Less is more

Filters, filters, filters! We’re obsessed!!! The truth is though, successful images don’t need to be fully masked by layering multiple filters. Those filters that soften up your skin and whiten your teeth? For one, it’s not reality, but it’s usually super noticeable too. Whether you prefer to edit through VSCO, Lightroom mobile (its free, by the way!), or directly through a social media app like Instagram, oftentimes you can make very minor tweaks to your images by adjusting contrast, brightness, and white balance (the slider that is usually yellow and blue that changes the ‘temperature’ of your photo). If you’re still not satisfied though, many photographers out there have presets you can buy to help you make your images consistent. Jenna Kutcher is an excellent resource if you want to venture into the world of Lightroom mobile presets.

I truly hope you find these few tips helpful!