This a guest post by writer and photographer Veronica Armstrong of VeronicaArmstrong.com.
I’m passionate about preserving my children’s childhoods with my camera. The kids and I enjoy sifting through our memory box and flipping through photos taken when they were babies. They often ask to see photo slide shows on the computer of relatives who live far away.
Photography is a big deal in our household, but I don’t let it consume me. I don’t want to miss precious moments with my family because I’m fumbling around with lenses or complicated lighting setups. I’m a mother first and cherish this fleeting time with my kids, but photography is my passion. After spending a few years photographing my kids I’ve reached a good balance.
Here are some tips for documenting childhood. Simply. Beautifully.
Let your child be your guide and don’t be a slave to perfection
Most children don’t enjoy regular mom-led photo shoots and artistic direction. You’ll save yourself a ton of frustration if you follow your children’s lead and work around their routines. Keep your camera ready and handy. Fix your settings ahead of time and memorize its location so you’re ready to shoot when the cute moments arise.
Consider capturing your child enjoying a messy meal. The kids on an early evening bike ride. Your children playing with rocks by a creek. Perfection isn’t the goal. Freezing time and preserving memories is our aim. Thirty years from now scuffed shoes won’t matter but the toothless smile on your child’s face will.
Capture the moments worth remembering. Save perfection for the pros.
Think creatively
If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to snap a photo I suggest you stop. Don’t bother. When it comes to taking pictures of children perfection is an exercise in futility. It’s not happening.
Use your imagination to capture your child’s personality. My two-year-old daughter Cameron is always on the move. It’s nearly impossible to get a traditional portrait of her so I have a foolproof trick. I plop her in the swing and watch her face light up. She adores the danger of going “super higher” and I have her safely contained for a few minutes. If I need a smile I pretend she’s kicking me. Cheap thrills, but hilarity ensues. Big smiles for mommy.
Perfectly imperfect photo opp.
Consider nontraditional cropping methods, too. Not every photo of your child requires a big smile and two eyes staring back at you. My son Preston loves picking dandelions for me. My favorite thing about this photo is his puffy cheeks. No smile needed. Sweet simplicity.
Be mindful of light and experiment endlessly
I’m sure you’ve heard a million professional momtogs say that the golden hour, the last hour before sunset, is the best time to shoot. Perhaps, but are your children usually in the mood for a photo shoot around bedtime? There are dinners to make, houses to clean, and teeth to brush. Most of us don’t have the luxury of shooting during the golden hours. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get take some great photographs.
If you have to shoot indoors under household lights check your camera’s white balance settings. You might have the option to switch your settings so your camera counteracts the warm (yellowish tinge) effects of tungsten lights which will result in more natural looking photos. Perhaps you spend most of your time outdoors during the harsh sunlight hours. You might want to experiment shooting in the open shade. You’ll avoid unflattering shadows but still get decent light.
If your kids aren’t interested in playing in the shade take pictures anyway. Try converting them to black and white. Sometimes that helps and if it doesn’t, who cares? They’re fabulous pictures of your kids you’ll treasure forever. You win!
Light is important but it isn’t everything. Depending on your skill level and desire to learn there are plenty of tricks for working in any kind of light. Learn them. Play around. Have a good time.
The key is to have fun while documenting childhood. Don’t lose yourself behind the lens. Learn your camera, study a few techniques that are most helpful to your unique situations, and move on. Enjoy your kids and the time you spend making beautiful memories together.
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Veronica Armstrong is the founder and editor of VeronicaArmstrong.com, a blog she started to write about being an Ivy League wife (her husband is currently pursuing his MBA at Cornell University), and inspire other moms to embrace photography and document their children’s lives. Connect with Veronica on Google+.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post!
I am looking for a good quality camera for Christmas. What would you recommend for a beginner? I also blog, so I would want a camera to use for that purpose.
Thank you!
Hi Keri thank you so much. Well. That’s a super long answer
I shoot with a Canon Rebel T3 which I love but it has its limitations (not so awesome in low light for example but i’ve worked around it for a year and a half). I am adding another camera to my arsenal – the soon to be released Canon 6D. Much better low light capabilities & a bunch of other features that might not appeal to you right now as a beginner.
I think it’s important to balance your current photography level with where you think you’ll end up so you get the most bang for your buck. The entire Rebel series is a great place to start (I love Canons – I feel their interface is way simpler and user friendly) and only buy the body. Get your lens separate. Consider the 50mm 1.8 or 50 mm 1.4.
I could go on for days – actually I wrote a little e book about how to choose a brand new camera if you’d like a free copy shoot me an email at Veronica@VeronicaArmstrong.com – i think you’ll find it really helpful
I would love to know more about your camera choices as well. I would like a nice one for the holidays – but I would like to balance features, price and too much.
Hi Zenoobi!
See my comment above and also feel free to shoot me an email: Veronica@VeronicaArmstrong.com & I’ll send you a copy of the book as well. I wrote it specifically for this question.
I’m not a professional photographer and just use an iPhone so I don’t know if I could ever get the beautiful pics you take! Still, I try to take photos of my son based on what you had said: it’s more about the memories than taking a perfect photo. I can always look back on photos and laugh or reminisce because I remember what had taken place in that photo
Great advice! Loved this article as we just bought a new DSLR camera
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