Tips for Photographing Your Kiddos this Christmas!

Hi there! Today's post is authored by design team member, Shannon Garrity. As noted in her design team profile, photography is one of Shannon's passions. Since the holidays bring a lot of photo opportunities, we thought these tips for photographing your kiddos would be very appropriate. Hope you find them helpful.

To learn more about Shannon's photography, you can click on the title of this post and link to her site. You can also read more about Shannon in her profile posted on www.scrapbuglane.com, and watch for her favorite shots in her layouts, coming to our gallery very soon. A special thanks to Shannon for being out guest writer today. Hope you enjoy what she put together for you.

Lisa

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Tips for Photographing Your Kiddos this Christmas

The holidays are a magical time of year. A time for us to gather together with our friends and families and share in the joy of the season. Here are a few tips to turn your average posed holiday photos of children into “visual” keepsakes to scrapbook and share with generations to come.

One of my personal favorite subjects to photograph is my daughters. Each time I am able to capture an emotion, a moment or a second of their lives with my camera I know that when they are able to look back in my scrapbooks they will see just how much I loved them and cherished their part in my life. Below are some of my favorite photo tips for shooting pictures of children.

• Let the kids hang out and play for a little bit before the camera comes out. That way they will be more at ease and will not notice you’re snapping the pictures.
• Encourage the kids to say funny words or make funny faces at you when you are ready to shoot, it will bring out a natural smile more than not as you are letting them be silly.
• Always remember to take several pictures of the same scene when it comes to shooting children, some may be a little off center or blurry but you may have a gem in the middle of them all. Remember a child hardly ever sits still.
• Always try and shoot children at their eye level. It may mean that you have to get down on your knees to get the shot but the results will be worth it.
• Try and be creative by catching a child upside down on a swing set or in the middle of a yell as they are swinging on a swing. The more you and your camera do not interfere, the more you are likely to catch a child’s true personality on film.
• The use of a soft focus filter can add a romantic feel to your shots of children, especially babies and are available at a low cost. You can make one yourself with a UV or skylight filter and some Vaseline.
• Children are always moving and their moods and emotions are forever changing so if you get a child that does not want to cooperate, just put it off until tomorrow as it will not be worth it to force them to pose.

Fun props to use with shooting pictures of kids:

• A favorite toy or your child’s favorite blanket not only makes them feel safe but you will be able to catch a genuine look of love when they give it a hug.
• A mirror is always a fun prop to use when shooting pictures of children. They love to see their reflection and will enjoy making faces or smiles for the camera into the mirror.
• Hats are a usually a big hit with kids. When shooting babies and toddlers with hats you might need to snap a picture quickly before they decide to pull it off but it should make for a great picture even if the hat is half way off their head.
• Sports equipment are fun props to put in pictures. They make the child feel as though they are in the middle of a game.
• Flowers and ribbons are fun props to make a picture have a “girly” feel to it.
• Santa hats, presents, oranaments and more can add to your holiday pictures and the children will have fun with them.