4 Easy Ways to Jazz Up Your Family Photos!

By Jen Wednesday March 9, 2011

Take your point and shoot and achieve better candid photos of your kids!

Good photos give tribute to wonderful memories. Why not take the best photos possible! Today you’ll learn four quick and easy principles that will change your photos from mere snapshots, to expressive representations of those special moments.

If you are not a creative, or just haven’t honed your skill, this post is for you! You can easily benefit from these tips, and so will your kids as they look back on these photos so wonderfully depicting your precious times.

Of course this will not instantly make you a professional photographer. There is a lot more that goes into good photography. BUT, this is a good place to start to take your home photos to the next level.

LIGHTING – good lighting will enhance a painting like you wouldn’t believe!

Do’s: The idea is to have a SHADOW SIDE and a LIGHT SIDE.

You can easily create this by setting your kids up by a window during the day, or recruiting a lamp to set on the side of your child. (NOT straight in from of them) If using light from a window try to keep it diagonal from them, so the light is shining on 3/4 of their face.

Don’ts: Try to avoid multiple light sources. Example, do not set up a lamp on each side of your child, along with a ceiling light. If there is a light source that is unavoidable, like a window, then set up the lamp from the same direction. Do not try to light up the shadow. We love shadows. Shadows are beautiful.

General rule of thumb…flash is bad. NOW, obviously if it’s so dark you just can’t get a clear photo with out using the flash, then by all means. Better a photo with flash than a black, grainy image. But ideally, use natural light when possible.

PERSPECTIVE – good perspective will make a more dynamic photo!

Do’s: Get down on their level! …and I don’t mean “look down” at them!

The idea is to literally get down on their level to take a photo. If they have to look up to see you, that’s not ideal. Of course there’s always a time to break these rules, but for the sake of argument, let’s just stay down on their level, ok?!

Don’ts: They DON’T have to be looking directly at the camera, smiling. Make it natural. Moments caught in photos are much more appealing than staged photos.

General rule of thumb…don’t stand to take the photo. Experiment! Crouch down, take some up close shots, take some further away. Do you have any “props”? a palette? a toy? a baseball mitt? crayons? Have the “prop” in the foreground and the kid in the background! Then switch it around. Try some different angles! Make your kid feel like a star!

MAKE IT FUN – have your child take some photos if they want!

Take some photos with them while you both make funny faces! THAT will get the giggles going!

Take many photos, then edit out the bad ones. You can always delete digital photos, but you can’t recreate that moment.

DRESS IT UP – accessories, even oversized accessories, give it that “extra awesome” factor.

Big sunglasses, scarves, hats, aprons, pearls, a backward baseball cap, and even the more natural accessories like boys messy hair, or girls pig tails…these details will make fantastic additions to your photos and will make it more fun for your kids.