A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to guest speak at my daughter’s school. I was so honored and very thrilled! The subject would be to help parents & teachers of the PTO, improve their photos using a few quick tips and tricks. I sat down and mulled over ideas, asked my fellow photographer girlfriends, and randomly wrote down thoughts as they came to me throughout the weeks. Below, is the list that I compiled, printed, and handed out at the meeting.
1. Myths: Just Smile, Sit Still, Don’t Move, No Silly Faces
| ☐ | Kids will be kids. That’s why we love them. Celebrate their characters with candid photos. |
| ☐ | Silly photos are the BEST (and great bribery; “One silly photo if you give me one smiling photo”)! |
| ☐ | Adjusting your camera settings will allow you to capture your children in motion. Look for the running man icon if you’re shooting automatic. |
| ☐ | Ideas: on the playground, in their room, eating their favorite food, snuggling with their “lovie”. |
| ☐ | Take photos of their favorite toys. |
| ☐ | Well-rested children (and husbands) with full bellies take the best photos! |
I love when photos reflect the child’s personality. I think that is the true beauty of photography- capturing those special, silly moments full of emotion.
2. Tips and Tricks
| ☐ | When photographing children, get on their level. |
| ☐ | Jokes, silly dances, character voices & favorite songs work amazing. |
| ☐ | Posing: the closest thing to the camera will appear the largest. If it bends, bend it. |
| ☐ | Posing: arrange in a stacked triangle for multiples, interact candidly. SCHNUGGLE! |
| ☐ | Don’t say “CHEESE!”. Think happy thoughts, instead. |
| ☐ | Take pictures of the details. |
Detail shot of my daughter on her bike. It was the first time that she rode her bike without training wheels.
3. Lighting, Lighting, Lighting
| ☐ | Lighting and photography is equivalent to butter and Paula Dean. It’s everything. |
| ☐ | Go for natural lighting whether it’s outdoors or in front of a window/sliding glass door. |
| ☐ | If shooting outdoors, look for shady areas and avoid direct, overhead sun. Cloudy days are the best! |
| ☐ | Shiny Sun Shades for your car windshield make great reflectors. |
I’m totally in love with this yummy light!
4. Your Best Selfie
| ☐ | Angle down, not up. Much more flattering. |
| ☐ | Face the light for a soft natural look. |
| ☐ | Forehead forward, chin down. |
| ☐ | No duck face. For the love of God, no duck face. |
| ☐ | Easy on the filters, you’re not a Barbie doll. |
SOOC (straight out of the camera), unedited, selfie. Standing in front a window, I captured this shot using a 35mm lens. Lighting is everything!
For your next photography session: Be on time. PLEASE, be on time. Relax. Listen to your photographer, he/she is the professional. Bring snacks for the kids (Smarties and Puffs are AWESOME). No, we’re not going to give you unedited photos (that’s insulting) and PLEASE don’t re-edit our photos (with Instagram filters, etc) and plaster them all over social media (that, too, is insulting). Let your children be children and don’t yell at them the whole time. ENJOY THE MOMENT!
love, Love, LOVE!!!!
Thank you, Mommy. 🙂 I LOVE you!!