Taking photos of children without professional equipment may seem like an impossible task. If you are a parent with hundreds of blurry motion photos or closed eyed shots of your child, you may that way. What if I told you there are ways to improve your skills for taking candid shots of your kids easily? Read on for some fool-proof tips of getting those elusive candid photos of your kids!
Follow the Rule of Thirds
This is photography 101. When composing your photo, imagine that the screen is divided into 9 equal sections. Position such that your kid is in any of the sections instead of the middle ones. Taking an off-centered photo helps to draw the eye to the subject, which makes for a more interesting photo.
While Taking A Nap
This is a good start for parents who are beginners at photography. Children not only look their most angelic and vulnerable whilst asleep, they are also still and not moving. This works out best for parents trying to get a non-blurry shot of your child.
Encourage Them To Be Themselves
Is your child super athletic? Do they enjoy the outdoors? Is there a toy they absolutely love? A wonderful way to capture beautiful candid yet meaningful moments of your child is when they are doing something they love. Bring along a camera or phone when they are engaging in a sport or activity they love - and standby with your finger on the shutter.
Additional tip: Use the burst mode on your phones or faster shutter speeds to capture your kids running about quickly.
Include A Friend or Sibling
Another interesting way of capturing your child is to photograph their natural interactions with their friend or sibling. Propose fun poses that they can do together - it could be less awkward for them in front of the camera if it seems like a game. For example, ask them to see who can jump higher, to give each other a hug, give each other a tickle or race each other etc.
Prepare An Activity
If you find it impossible to get your kids to pose for a picture, don't push it! There are many other ways to get them settled down enough to capture on your phone or camera - no blurry shots.
Use slow paced activities that require a certain level of concentration to help distract them while you capture their most earnest and focused expressions. For example, puzzles, painting, board games and even folding their clothes.
Use Natural Light Indoors
To get naturally lit photos, always use natural light when shooting indoors. Avoid harsh artificial lighting (such as spotlights or fluorescent light). Position your kids near a natural source of light (either a large window or door) instead. Do your best to avoid using flash on your phone or camera to avoid unnatural lighting in the shot.
When Outdoors, Shoot During The Golden Hours
If you're looking to capture your kids while outdoors, do your best to pick the golden hours - morning or early evening. The natural lighting during these times don't cast harsh shadows, so your subjects - the kids will look beautifully lit up! If you happen to shoot during the harsher lighting circumstances, try to find some light shade to diffuse the light.
Use The Zoom
Using the zoom function (on the phone) or a longer lens, helps you to observe and capture them from afar. It is one of the most effective methods to capture your child's most natural behavior - when they don't feel like they are being watched. You will be surprised by the candid moments you will be able to capture with this method!
For more inspirations on styled children milestone photoshoots, head over to our Pinterest board.
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Thanks for reading through our simple tips and tricks to take better candid photos of your children!
If you would like to create a photo keepsake with the photos you have taken and would like to learn more about our bespoke photo keepsakes (albums, photobooks and canvases), please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@lovestills.sg or Whatsapp and we will be more than happy to speak with you.
We are looking forward to creating a one of a kind keepsake for you!