Better Photos of Your Kids at
Play
Have
you ever seen the pure joy on the face of your child playing at home and
thought, "I need a picture of this", only to capture a dark grainy
picture of your happy child standing perfectly still glaring at you? Here are five steps to capturing those moments on camera, without any photography jargon.
If
your kids are anything like mine then you don't often find them happily dancing
in front of the large picture window in a clean room dressed in cute clothes
with their hair looking recently groomed. If this ever miracle ever occurred
(which I assure you it will not, at least in my house), I can safely say that
there would be four meals worth of dirty dishes on the kitchen counter, piles of
unorganized paperwork and craft supplies sitting out in the office and mounds
of laundry waiting to be folded on the floor. IF I could even find my camera in
that mess to take a picture of this imaginary moment, I can assure you that one
of those messes would be captured in every photo!
Here’s
what my house and my kiddos look like on a regular day…I’m being brave here, so
no judgement! Haha!
So,
when that urge to get some photos of your kids strikes you, follow these steps and
snap away some photos that make you look like the super organized
mother-of-the-year that we know you are!
1.
Find Your Home's Sweet Spot
You
are looking for a spot in front of some windows, with open space for your kids
to play, with as little distracting clutter as you can find, and with enough
room for you to back up far enough to snap a photo. Turn off the overhead
lights and just let the window light take over because it is much more
flattering. In my house, the formal living room is the best place for this. We
have a large west facing window in a room with very little furniture to
distract from the photo. Every room will have it challenges though, so don't
get caught up on those, just go with what you've got.
2.
De-clutter!
The
more stuff you have in your home, the more stuff there will be in your photos
to distract your eye from your bouncing child. So when you get the itch to take
a few pictures indoors, take a minute to pick up the toys, hide the basket of
awaiting laundry and slide the dirty dishes into the sink. I am not suggesting
that you actually clean, that would be way too much work. Instead, just hide
the mess!
3.
Play Dress Up
So
you know those clothes that you spent a fortune on at the mall because they
were just too cute to pass up? Find those clothes and put your kids in them!
I'm not talking about dressing them up like they are headed to Easter Services,
but at least find some clothes that you would actually like documented for
eternity! In my house this means changing them out of their pajamas (as
documented in the photos above), into my most recent Baby Gap purchase and
finding a matching pair of shoes from my ridiculous collection of toddler foot
apparel. I admit, it's my obsession. I can't resist a tiny pair of cute shoes!
And then, no matter how much they hate it, insist that they run a brush through
their hair.
4.
Set Your Stage
As
you can see, this takes some planning and these candid shots aren't really going
to be as spontaneous as you might think. Call it planned spontaneity, if you
will! Think of a game your kids will genuinely enjoy: jamming out to a
"Kids Bop" cd, playing with a toy train track, or a good ol’
wrestling match will always do the trick. Find what you need for this activity
and set it up in your home's de-cluttered sweet spot. Then find your camera,
turn it on, take off the lens cap, change it to your desired setting (even if
that is just trusty 'ol auto), and set it down somewhere near the game you have
set up for the kids.
5.
Play, Click, Repeat
Before you
can capture those fun candid moments you have to get your kids in a fun mood.
Play with them, get them laughing, take them over to your "stage" and
show them the game you have set up. This is important; don't touch your camera
for at least five minutes. If your kids are like mine, they can sense a camera
and they immediately either clam up or start posing when they see it. So just
play for a while, and then when they are really into their game grab that
camera and snap a quick photo. Then play some more, snap a photo and repeat. I
typically snap one or two quick photos then sit the camera down on the floor
behind my back, play for a minute and then snap one more photo. This way, the
kids stay more interested in their game than in your camera.
Tiffani
Jedlicka is an Omaha area photographer specializing in newborns and senior
portraits. She and her husband Scott are parents to 2-year-twins and expecting
another child in September. To view more of Tiffani’s photography work, visit
her website at http://tiffanijedlickaphotography.com/site/#/gallery/newborn/1/ .
Enjoy Tiffani's photos? You can win $100 off a newborn session for yourself, a friend, or family member! Please see rules and regulations for specific details. There are lots of ways to enter! Good luck.
