They Grow Up Fast: How to Photograph Your Kids

Kids are a miracle. It is amazing how enjoyable it can be to watch a child perform even the most simple activities and find joy in them. I love being able to watch my boys smile, laugh and love one another as they pretend and explore together. Some of the most valuable photographs I have of them were taken at simple times when they were playing with each other around our home. Knowing how to capture the best photo of them couldn’t be more important because these kiddos move quick and you could miss the moment.

As an ardent hobbyist and educator of photography, I have learned a lot over the years that has helped me capture those fleeting moments. Let me walk you through a few secrets that I want to share that might help you get those special moments recorded to your own camera.

WORK QUICKLY

As adults, we can be temperamental after we've done something long enough and kids are no exception. While on photo sessions with families that I am photographing, one of the biggest things that I notice is that if I don't fly through and get as much done as humanly possible at the start, I might miss an opportunity. You can bet your buns that I am trying out my best comedy routine and acting as silly as I can just to see the smiles on those kids.

My go to smile guarantee with kids who are old enough to understand is this ... I look the kids straight in the eyes with a little smirk on my face and I say to them, "Don't you dare smile, DON"T YOU DARE SMILE" It works every time. Try it out sometime and see if it works for you!

GET OUTSIDE

I realize that might not always be the easiest, but if you're kids are anything like mine, they absolutely love being outside and are at their happiest when they are muddy, climbing around, and exploring. We say this time and time again, but natural ambient light is clutch. When you are in the shade (outside of direct sunlight), the light is diffused and soft which softens shadows and offers soft edges on your subject matter - this is a good thing.

PLAY WITH THEM

I love tickling and loving up on little kids when I photograph them. Beyond photographing their pleasant smiles, kids are just fun to be around - which is probably why I've been teaching for 12 years :) Little kids are so much more willing to smile for you when you show them that you can have fun too! If you are in an area that has things you can hide behind, then play a game of peek-a-boo while photographing them. Kids love that stuff! Some times those natural smiles are more valuable than anything you could have posed.

Oh yeah, and posing kids? That doesn't always work. Throw out the rule book on that and just remember this ... have fun. Having fun is how little kids roll so be willing to try new things and be goofy.