Tips for Taking Better Pictures

So, you’re stuck inside with your kids for at least the next two weeks. Why not use this time to work on your camera skills and take some great pictures of your little darlings? I’ve put together some tips to help you get started!

• Read. The. Manual. This may seem simple, but it’s all in there. What does that button do? Read the manual. Where does the memory card go? READ THE MANUAL. You don’t have to read the whole thing, in fact, sometimes the graphics are the most helpful. They have pictures of your camera marking all of the fun buttons and dials for easy reference. If all else fails, YouTube is incredible resource  for the beginner photographer. Just search for videos about your specific camera. 

• Get a good camera strap. Forget the strap that comes with the camera. You really want something hanging around your neck like an oversized necklace? It’s just awkward and those straps are too thin. If you insist on wearing your camera around your neck, that’s fine, but find a strap that’s wider and padded at the back so it’s not digging into your skin. For myself, I wear one that goes across my body so it’s not bouncing around while I walk. I can swing it to the side and out of the way when I’m posing a family and there’s no danger of smacking someone in the head with my camera if I’m standing over them. I even have a holster that allows me to wear my camera on hip so I’m totally hands-free when I’m not shooting. Whatever your preference, it’s a good idea to get a camera strap you are comfortable with especially if travel with your camera.

• Practice. Seriously. You can’t learn if the camera is in the box. Take it out and start shooting. Take pictures of everything and get familiar with the different settings. You probably have a dial on top of the camera on the left that has little pictures on of a flower, a mountain and a silhouette of a person. These are different shootings modes and the camera changes your settings depending on which mode you are in what you are shooting. Again, this is all in the manual, but have fun shooting flowers up close on the macro setting. Turn the dial to the silhouette and take a portrait of your pet or switch to sports mode and take pictures at your kid’s next game. Pay attention to have the pictures come out so you can see what the different modes offer.

• Find the Light. Now that you’ve read the manual and done some practice, it’s time to consider the most important part of photography: light. It can make or break a photo so it’s best to know how to work with it. If you’re shooting outside, the optimal time to shoot is an hour after sunrise or an hour or two before sunset for what we call “the golden the hour.” During this time the light is soft, it’s getting low and it’s warm instead of being straight overhead and harsh. If you have to shoot when it’s really bright out, say around noon, look for pockets of “open shade” which can be found in front of large buildings under a favorite old tree (but be careful of dappling which can cast shadows on your subject from leaves and branches.)
• If you’re shooting inside your home, turn off the auto-flash and shoot in the room that gets the most light during the time of day that you’re shooting. Think big bay windows or sliding glass doors. Position yourself in front of the windows so that the light is at your back or at your side so that it fills the camera. If you try and put your subject in front of bright light, you won’t be able to see them and your background will get “blown out.” Let the light fall onto your subject but make sure it’s not too much. Play with position and distance from the light source.

• Mix it up. There’s no better way to add variety to your photos then to shoot them at different angles. Try laying down on the floor in front of your kids or standing on a chair above them. Crouch down to their level to see things from their prospective. Have your child play peek-a-boo around a tree or push them high in a swing and shoot them as they go back and forth to capture their joy. You’ll find your kids are having fun and you’re taking great pictures.

• And finally, don’t forget the details. Take your subject “in parts” focusing on just the eyes or the toes or the hands. When I go into a client’s house, I also like to capture what makes their house a home – pictures on the wall, toys on the floor, etc. Put them all together and your photos will tell a story. 
• Did I say finally? I lied. One more. And I am as guilty of this as anyone. PRINT YOUR PHOTOS. Get them off your memory cards and phones.  Make an album, a calendar, whatever. Put pictures up all around the house not just on Facebook. I often get asked where I print my pictures and while I use a professional print lab, I point my clients toward MPIX.com. 

Have fun! 

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