Tips for Photographing your Kiddos at Home

How is everyone holding up? Do you remember the last time you’ve spent this much time with your family? I certainly cannot. Even during summer break and holidays, we've usually found a way to leave the house and spend some quality time apart. That said, this era of sheltering in place does have some advantages. Flattening the curve of infections of Covid-19, for one. It’s also a great time to pick up some new skills, whether that’s baking a loaf of sourdough bread, mastering Animal Crossings or picking up that camera your partner bought you last year for Christmas...yes, I’m looking at you Carol. Sure, I know photographing your family can be intimidating. Kids are especially difficult to photograph as they never seem to stay in the same place for very long. And, if you do get them stationery,  they make these ridiculous faces. Oh, and sometimes, just for fun, they’ll eat dirt right in front of you. DIRT!But, guess what? All of this is okay because your family’s history is important, especially the silly bits. And because of our current “situation”, there really isn’t the time like the present to start documenting what’s happening in your home right now. So, pick up your fancy new camera or the one you have in your pocket (pssst… your smartphone) and get to work. To help you out, I’ve compiled a few tips here that may make it easier making awesome photographs of your humans. While this advice is curated towards photographing kids, many of the strategies can be used when photographing your partner, your roommates and even your pets.

Find the Light

Natural light is always the best light. Even houses with very little natural light do have some light. Open up the windows or your front door and let the sunshine in. If photographing in the evening, allow the ambient light be part of your picture. Mute that on camera flash and use the light you have around you. It’s far less distracting for the kids and looks a lot more natural too.

Britta's Sneaky Trick No. 1

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Settle yourselves by your biggest window and point at things outside. Start a conversation with your kid and snap away as they chat.

MAKE IT FUN

The time photographing your kids should be fun. Try not to force them into doing anything they don’t want to do. Instead, follow their lead or make the photo time a game.  By allowing your kids to be who they are while simultaneously spending quality time with them, you’ll help document great memories with the camera. Bonus? This will make photographing them easier in the future and may even help your kids forget the camera is even there. 

BRITTA'S SNEAKY TRICK NO. 2

For a natural-looking portrait, ask your kiddo to be serious. Then encourage them not to laugh. Egg them on and on and on until they burst into a natural laugh.  

GET TO THEIR LEVEL FIRST AND THEN WORK YOUR ANGLES​

It’s natural for us to want to photograph things from where we are but I cannot encourage you enough to bend your knees and get down to your kid’s level to see the world through their perspective. Aside from being the most honest angle, it’s also a great way to gain trust between your kiddo and you as a photographer. From there, experiment trying different angles from below your kiddos eye level to directly above.

Britta's Sneaky Trick No. 3

In every situation, practice photographing your kids from their level, over their shoulder and directly above. It will give you three entirely different looks and will help tell the story.

Don’t hide behind the camera

Nothing frustrates kiddos more than their parents not paying attention to them. If you feel like you are losing the connection with your kids, focus less on the mechanics of your camera and more on your subject.

BRITTA'S SNEAKY TRICK NO. 4

Glance around your camera and chat with your kids while looking them in the eye. Continue to take photos while you do this.

Be a Shutterbug

We’re lucky to live in a time where taking tons of photos won’t break the bank. So, snap away and don’t worry if you’re taking too many photos. It’s okay if not every image is beautiful. You are practicing, after all! Just make sure to pause every now and again to interact with your child and evaluate your situation. If your child is doing something active, utilize burst mode on your phone or camera then look later to choose your best shot.

Britta's Sneaky Trick No. 5

Immediately after your photo time, look through all the images and tag the best of the best. Either delete or tuck away the rest. This will help limit overwhelm when choosing images later.

Pay attention to your background

For professional looking photos, look to limit the distractions behind your subject. Clean walls work great for portraits. When photographing  candid images in a busy environment, make sure to pay attention to what is behind your subject and move yourself so that it doesn't appear that things are coming out of your subject’s body. Look especially for sharp angles and lines around the head.

BRITTA'S SNEAKY TRICK NO. 6

Do some basic location scouting!  Before your photo time, locate an area in your house (or outside) that's simple and free of distractions. Set up your kiddo there and snap away! 

Embrace the chaos

Perfection is over-rated. Embrace your every-day, messy, imperfect life! Take time to photograph your kiddos in their natural habitat and don’t worry about what your house looks like, what they are wearing or how crazy they seem.  It’s your choice who you share these images with, but having as a record of this time is invaluable. Whether you tuck the images away or share them on instagram, a record of your life right now is precious.

Britta's Sneaky Trick No. 7

Keep your camera (or phone) handy at all times. When that adorable, funny or heartwarming moment happens, you’ll be ready to document it!  

Go outside

Go for a walk, play in the sandbox, bring out the sidewalk chalk, visit a local park. There are so many opportunities for interesting photos outside. Being outside is the perfect distraction for your kiddos and the abundance of natural light will help you get the perfect shot. Plus, plenty of vitamin D and fresh air. WIN!

BRITTA'S SNEAKY TRICK NO. 8

Go for an adventure walk and document your journey. Your kiddos will naturally pay attention to things that interest them. Take the time to care about those things too and snap away as you adventure together.I understand that the stress of being at home right now can feel overwhelming at times, especially as we find ourselves longing for social comfort. Taking the time to photograph your family and your environment can be a productive (and fun) distraction while also being important documentation of history in the making.