5 Simple Photography Tips for Moms of Toddlers

Don’t be afraid to get down on a different level to take a picture.

Whether you’re taking a picture from the top, underneath, or on the same level, there is beauty in varying your angle. When my camera lens broke and I could only afford a basic 50mm lens, I was forced to get creative with my positioning. I learned to move around and find a great angle that really told a story!

Black and White images can help “fix” your photos if the color or light isn’t right

I used to just pitch photos if I couldn’t fix the color. However, I didn’t realize that a great photo with the improper lighting can look dramatic and beautiful when turned to black and white. This has saved some precious gems that I would have otherwise tossed. And to make sure you’re getting as few of these problem pictures as possible, sign up for an online class to make sure you get some great photography tips and advice.

You don’t need fancy or expensive editing software to make your images even more beautiful.

PicMonkey is an amazing and free website that allows you to adjust your pictures as you need to to make them have an even more professional look. If you already use and know photoshop or other software, that’s great, but if you don’t, you’re not out of luck! And if you want to master the art of editing, Radiate is a great photography resource to help you get quick tutorials to edit photos fast and beautifully. In fact, check out the first chapter absolutely free.

When in doubt, shoot in AV mode.

No, auto is not your best friend. Go ahead and venture out. Switch your camera to AV mode and learn to use your settings a bit more. You can even take a great online photography class to help you learn more about ISO and aperture to make sure you’re getting the best shot possible.

Strategically choose your lighting.

Sit your children underneath a window with great light or under a shady tree to get a soft, but bright effect. Be sure you’re watching out for strange shadows and other things that editing either can’t or would be difficult to mask.

If your camera has manual settings (P, S/Tv, A/Av, M) then you can and will benefit from the class. I do target the class to camera owners with removable lenses (DSLR or mirrorless system owners), so if you’re hoping to take the class with an advanced point and shoot just know that some of the information with lens settings may not be applicable to your camera. There is lots to learn regardless, between light, composition, and technical settings. So if you’re hoping to learn more about those things come join in! 

Oooooo, what a good question! I’ve actually got an entire blog post to help with choosing a camera,  but if I was to make one recommendation to new DSLR owners it would be to keep room in your budget for a 50mm or 35mm 1.8 aperture lens. These will allow you to take more shots indoors without flash. That lens was a game changer for my photography for sure!

That beautiful blurry background is called, bokeh, and you bet I teach it! It’s actually one of the #1 questions I get about photography. There are a number of factors that go into creating that blurry background but first thing to try is keeping a large distance between your subject and background and zooming in close to their face for a portrait shot. There’s more to it technically than that, but this tip will at least get you experimenting!  

I teach a lot about intention in photography, and determining your purpose before you shoot. Are you aiming to capturing a snapshot or a professional quality image? Not every image has to be award winning and it’s ok to pop that flash once in awhile to make a memory. With decent light you can most certainty snap without a flash indoors and get quality shots. But once the sun goes down in the evening those indoor shots can be a challenge. With the proper equipment (like that special lens I talked about in question 2) you can take photos without flash a whole lot more consistently. But sometimes there’s no choice but to use flash when the light stinks.

 

5. I want to take pictures of my kids playing, at sporting events, or running, but they’re always blurry. Can you help?

This is most always a combination of improper use of light and technical settings. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to make some of these images a little easier capture. When the kids are simply playing and running around in an instance where I still have control I’ll direct their actions a bit. I’ll ask them to freeze. Or run in slow motion. The more I can anticipate what’s happening the easier it is to snap the photo when they aren’t moving super fast. Finding decent light is also crucial with action shots because the more light you have the faster your camera can work to freeze motion.