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For MANY more
helpful tips and ideas on capturing your child's special charm
in a photograph, visit
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How To Take Great Pictures
of Your Children
by Sheila Somerlock Ruth
 My son has a birthday this month, and I can't believe that he is turning 5 already. It doesn't seem like five years since I held him in my arms and nursed him. Somehow my baby is already riding a bike (with training wheels), reading, and growing at a rapid rate. Every parent knows that children grow up so quickly; that the time can seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. And while we can't stop them from growing and changing (nor would we want to), we can capture those magical moments in pictures that we can treasure forever.
I studied photography when I was younger; at one time I thought that I would be a professional photographer. And while I never went down that path, my experience taking pictures has come in handy as a parent. But you don't have to be a professional to take good pictures; anyone can take good pictures if they learn a few simple principles and practice, practice, practice!
Get close!
One of the biggest mistakes amateur photographers make is to take a picture from too far away. Any subject looks much more dramatic when it fills the picture. This is especially true of people. In most cases, you don't need to get the whole body in a picture. When we look at a person, we focus on their face. When you take a picture, you should do the same. Faces reflect our feelings and personality. Try taking a picture close enough that your child's face fills most of the frame. You'll be surprised at how this simple trick makes your pictures much more interesting and full of personality. If you are taking a picture of two people who differ greatly in height, such as an adult and child, try arranging them so that their faces are close together. Have the adult sit down, or have the child stand on a stool or sit on the adult's lap.
If you are taking a picture of your child doing something, then you will need to capture more than just the face. But you should still try to take the picture close enough to make it interesting. Suppose, for example, that you are taking a picture of your child riding a bike for the first time. Do you really need to capture the entire child and bike, or would a close up picture of the child framed by the handlebars, showing the excited expression on the child's face, be more dramatic and memorable?
Forget the cheese
Nothing ruins a picture faster than, "Say Cheese!" When you say these magic words, people paste on their most artificial picture-taking smile. Kids seem to learn how to make a "picture face" very early, so if you want to capture your children's personality in the picture, don't ever say those words. Try to take pictures of your children when they are relaxed and natural. Don't worry about whether they are smiling; try instead to capture their personality and mood.
If you are taking a posed picture, try to set your subject at ease and create a relaxed atmosphere. Get them talking about something that interests them, and their face will light up naturally. Or,if you have a knack for making people laugh, tell jokes or act silly to get them loosened up. Encourage your kids to be silly too; sometimes these can be the most interesting pictures.
Frame the subject
Pay attention to the background of your picture; you don't want to take a picture of the subject in front of a loud or busy background that will distract the eye from what is important. If you are taking a posed picture, try to find a simple, neutral background. If you are taking a candid or spontaneous picture, sometimes you can get a better angle just by moving yourself a little to the left or right. Or, you can try stooping down for a more natural view of a child. Sometimes you can find a branch or other similar object to form a natural "frame" around the subject.
Rule of thirds
Most people center the subject in the picture, but centered pictures are the least interesting pictures visually. Professional photographers use the "rule of thirds" as a guide when composing pictures. Divide the image mentally into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. Put the most important parts of your pictures, such as faces, at the intersections of these mental lines.
Pay attention to the light
Today's cameras make it so easy to take pictures that you forget to notice things like light. But light can make a big difference between a good picture and a mediocre or bad picture. There are so many different aspects of light to consider that I can't cover them all here, nor would you want me to! But it's important to train yourself to look at the light and think about how it will make the final picture look. Are there a lot of shadows, or is the lighting flat? Where is the light coming from? You want to make sure that the light is not behind your subject, unless you are trying to take a special effects picture. Backlighting can fool the light meter in a camera and cause the subject to appear as a silhouette.
One technique that can improve your pictures is to use fill-in flash. Even if there is enough light, using a flash can fill in the shadows and overcome problems like backlighting. Many cameras have a way to force the flash on regardless of the lighting.
Take lots of pictures
The best way to take good pictures is to take lots of pictures. Even professional photographers often take the same picture more than once, often with different lighting or other changes, to make sure that they get a good one. And the more pictures you take, the more practice you will get and the better you will become.
Of course, pictures use film and film and processing cost money. My husband has always been annoyed at how much money I spend on film and processing, until I got a digital camera! Now I can take as many pictures as I want to, and the only expense is batteries! I can preview the pictures on my computer, and only print the best ones.
Whatever camera you use, have fun taking pictures of your kids. If you have fun, they'll have fun, and you'll create truly memorable pictures that you can treasure for years to come.
Sheila Somerlock Ruth
MyCinnamonToast.com
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