Quick Tips for Photographing Your Babies at Home

*guest post by Kaitlin Krull

It’s all in the lighting...well, mostly. Check out some tips for photographing kids below.

via Modernize

We all know just how tough it can be to snap a great photo of kids without shelling out hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for a professional photo shoot. Whether you’re an aspiring photographer or can just about manage an iPhone camera, here are a few tips for photographing babies to capture the best shots of your little ones at home.

 

Be prepared

One of our first newborn baby photography tips is be prepared. You never know when the perfect photo opportunity may arise, so make sure you know where your camera is at all times. If you’re using a smartphone, why not set it up so the app is available on your home screen (iPhones do this as standard; simply swipe up from the bottom right hand corner to access the camera).

 

Action bursts

The more photos you take in quick succession, the more likely you are to get an acceptable shot using our newborn baby photography tips. Most cameras and phones these days come with an action burst option, so figure out how to use it and don’t be afraid to take more photographs than you need. Just don’t forget to delete the less than flattering shots to free up memory on your camera for next time.

 

Find the best light

Most cameras are adaptable to a variety of lighting scenarios, but the best, clearest shots come from natural light. One of our tips for photographing babies: if you’re holding a photo shoot in your home, choose the brightest room, stage your shoot during the day, and make sure as much light as possible is coming into the room. For candid and impromptu shots, be aware of your lighting and adapt your settings as needed.

 

Use attention grabbers

We’ve all seen those mall photographers waving maniacally and bouncing toys around to get babies to smile. As crazy as they may seem, their distraction techniques are sometimes good baby photography tips to get the attention of your little ones. You know your own kids best, so do whatever you have to do in order to get the best shot.

 

Get down low

This point may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at the amount of bad shots photographers get when they aren’t on level with their subjects. The same applies for kids: if they’re playing on the floor with Legos, then lie down on the floor next to them. If they’re running in the grass, sit in the grass and capture an action shot. Not the most comfortable of positions, to be sure, but it will definitely yield the best results.

 

Be patient

Probably most important when photographing your kids is to remember that they are kids. Sometimes children will do exactly as you ask when you want them to do it, but more likely they will take their time, mess around, do the opposite, and at some point get around to the task at hand. You’re more likely to get good photographs with candid, spontaneous shots, but if you’re determined to have a staged shoot then remember to relax. Your patience will not go unrewarded.

 

Those are the basic tips for photographing babies or your kids at home. Now all that’s left to do is get clicking!

 

For more ideas and other baby photography tips and tricks, head to Modernize.com.