6 Top Tips For Taking An Awesome Photo of Your Kids

In the Blink of an Eye…

Our little ones grow so quickly and each day there is a change either in personality or looks.
I would always recommend a professional newborn shoot, in whichever style you prefer, as those first few days and weeks are so precious. But the following weeks and months see so many changes and developments too that you don’t want to forget anything. To capture that story is certainly easier than ever what with phones being constantly at hand.
I’m Robyn, owner and photographer (#mumboss) at Bobtale Photography – a wedding and lifestyle photography company. Capturing children and families is such a passion and my philosophy is to capture them in their own environment interacting with each other – capturing moments not poses.
I became a new Mummy myself back in November 2016. After waiting a little longer than we would’ve hoped and with the help of a Disney wish (and some fertility medication!) we were blessed with Ada.
So how can you get those quality shots too? How do you capture those ‘Instagram’ worthy moments? I’m here to share my tips (along with a few photos) for capturing your own little ones…

Pick up a Camera once in a while…

Despite being a photographer, I didn’t pick my camera up to capture Ada for a while after she was born. I can’t pin point why, whether I was busy being a new mummy, enjoying each moment without watching it through a lens, or relaxing knowing I didn’t have to work. But that is a big regret. I had amazing newborn photos done by Matt at Embee Photography (a fellow tog matey) but the rest were all on my phone.
Don’t get me wrong, phones are holding their own with the quality and shot right, in great light and edited, phone photos can be just as great and certainly easier to capture those impromptu moments. But they can often be grainy and inconsistent in quality and look.
I would always recommend investing in a great ‘point and shoot’ entry level camera that would give you the opportunity to capture your moments without much camera knowledge but give you great quality photos.
Once you get your camera, get to know it and do your reading. I hate to hear “you take good photos because you’ve got a good camera” – it helps but if you saw my husband’s photos, you’d realise there is a lot more to it. Knowing your camera and using it to its full potential will result in much better photos.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
Natural Light…
“Do you want the light on?” is a question I get asked a lot when working in people’s homes doing lifestyle photo shoots. Natural light is ALWAYS your friend. I never shoot indoors with lights on. Once you master your camera, light will be your next best friend. Having a camera on ‘manual’ will allow you to crank up your ISO setting if you are working in dimly lit rooms but I try my best to shoot in front of windows or in the lightest rooms at peak times of the day.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
Get in there…
Once in a while, hand the camera over or set a timer and jump right in. I had a great fear (still do at times) that the only photos I would ever feature in would be selfies. The trouble with being the photographer with the camera is that you’re the one behind it. As sad as it is to consider, at some point in our little ones’ lives, a photo of us will be all they have to remember us by – make sure they have plenty. Plenty that capture the love, fun and absolute pride you have for those little people. So I took action, I read up on the timer feature on my cameras (and phone!) and popped my camera on a tripod, I trained my husband up in how to use my kit (I set it up and he points and shoots but it works!) and I make sure I feature.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
Let them Play
When Ada was younger and had mastered sitting up, it was so easy to prop her up, sing a few funny rhymes and boom, the shot was had. Now it’s like photographing a flea – a grumpy flea sometimes. If I expect her to pose or sit for any length of time we both become flustered and worked up and that certainly isn’t going to make a good shot. Instead, I much prefer to photograph her being ‘busy’ doing what she loves to do and being interested in things.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
On their level
It may seem obvious and sometimes the rule doesn’t always apply as I have some great shots of Ada from a higher angle (rules are there to be broken right!) but photographing children requires you to move; get down on their level. Get in the sandpit, sit or even lie on the floor with them. Your photograph will capture them in the world from their level.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
Edit Edit Edit
So the main thing that sets apart a photo from a great photo is the editing. If you look through the successful Instagram accounts all the photos will be edited. Your editing maybe minimal, merely adjusting the lighting or cropping slightly. Or you will edit and manipulate your image to fit with an ongoing look and style. This style involves presets (I’ll explain), editing colours, and creating an atmosphere - CONSISTENTLY.
So what do use to edit? LIGHTROOM! Get it! You won’t regret it. When I photograph using my camera, I upload to my Mac and edit through Lightroom. In Lightroom, there are these little gems called ‘presets’ – slightly like an Instagram filter in the most basic definition but fundamentally they save you a ton of editing time and create a consistent look across your set of photos. You can also sync it to your Lightroom phone app (yes, there is a phone app too – all rejoice!). You can create your own presets or there are a ton of free options to download if you search online.
When photographing on my phone, I use the VSCO app as this again provides a ‘preset’ style editing technique to give you that consistent flow but also providing you with the more technical tools to adjust lighting, contrast, highlights etc.

Photo Credit: Bobtale Photography
I hope these little tips have gone a little way in helping you improve or develop your photography but my message is simply to spend time capturing precious moments through quality images and don’t leave a generation with grainy photos as memories.
Love Robyn x