It sounds cliche but photography is truly a gift that keeps on giving for generations! As a parent yourself you may have a camera collecting dust somewhere or a desire to purchase a new one so you can document your family as it grows.

In our experience the highs and lows of motherhood have been very real and in the midst of the sleep deprivation (and losing part of your working memory once kids entered the world), we’ve found that the years almost folded into one another and the memories while there, were a bit fuzzy around the edges… a reason we’re both so passionate about helping Mamas document their kids, their motherhood journey and the season of life that they find themselves in. Documenting these precious days are truly the gift that keeps on giving, for yourself, your little ones, right now and for all the days to come.

Wherever you find yourself, we’d love to help you on your photo-takin’ journey and share some pro tips for taking better photos of your kids…

So what makes a good photo? Here are some lighting, composition, and connection tips to help ease you into the process, have some fun with your little ones, and capture a little magic along the way. We hope you enjoy!

LIGHTING TIPS

Photography is sometimes defined poetically as ‘painting with light’, light being the one of the most important things to understand when creating a flattering image.

Tip 1 | Avoid the noon day sun if you can

If you have ever tried photographing around noon on a sunny day, you might’ve had the feeling that it seems very hard to take a great photo. That’s probably because it’s hardest to take outdoor portraits at this time of day. Large shadows appear under the eyes because the sun is an intense, white, overhead direct light source (especially in Australia!).

As photographers we love early morning light and late afternoon light for their softer hues and magical glow, however we know that might not always work with your family rhythms so we suggest hunting out some shade. Shade for your portraits which provides a consistent environment of even lighting with minimal shadows. When looking for shade, try to find an area that does not have dappled light such as the shade from trees, where sunlight finds its way in-between the leaves and sometimes casts strange unflattering shadows.

Cloudy days are also really flattering for portraits, as the sun has been diffused and we are left with a gentle, cool light that is fairly even from all directions and makes for soft, beautiful portraits.

Tip 2 | Experiment with backlight

Put simply, backlight is when the sun lights your subject from behind, instead of directly upon their face and as professional photographers, this is a true love of ours. When the sun is low and is behind your subject, and at the right time of day, your subjects can be bathed in a golden glow, creating golden highlights through the hair, and giving their outline luminescent definition. You’ll find the trick to using this kind of light is to make sure something in your scene is blocking the sun so that you don’t get direct sunlight going through your lens causing unwanted glare or washing out your image.

Tip 3 | Embrace the light indoors

As long as you have windows, there will always be wonderful opportunities for creating images indoors. Window light is often angled (depending on the position of the sun) and slightly diffused through the material of the glass. If you have sheer blinds, pull them over and watch the light soften and act like a giant diffuser through which you can use to photograph portraits of your littles ones. You can position them directly in the line of light, or pull back the blinds and let the light bounce around the room. You’ll find observation is key, knowing when the sun comes through which windows of your home at what time of day will help you make the most of every opportunity!

COMPOSITION TIPS

We’ll start by saying there are no hard and fast rules for composition. A story is what you make it, images are meaningful when they mean something to you, and beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. That said, we’re sharing some simple composition guidelines and we hope they will help you quickly and easily lift your photography game!

Tip 1 | Remember the rule of thirds

You’ll notice that the focus of most photographs follow this principle (or even advertisements, movie posters, and paintings, if you take a moment to observe them). If you divide a frame into thirds—both horizontally and vertically, you’ll find that your points of interest tend towards those lines and intersection points. You might like to place your subject's eyes at one of these intersecting points if you were creating a close portrait, or consider how you can place your child against an open landscape to create interest and impact.

Tip 2 | Don't be afraid to leave some space

Occasionally you’ll have wide open spaces, or an area where you can isolate your subject to a smaller portion of the frame. These empty backgrounds filling up the majority of the frame is called negative space. Often you might feel inclined to keep filling the frame with your subject up close, but stepping back and using space as a balancing element means there is nothing else in the whole image to focus on except your subject and, depending how you use it, you can gain a feeling of distance, or calm, or even freedom, and also the ability to tell more of a story through your frame.

Tip 3 | Get curious

Sometimes moving to an unusual (and sometimes uncomfortable) position can open up a new perspective you might not have previously discovered. Maybe the scene isn’t out of the ordinary—just the way you’re looking at it. Eye level often, especially with eye contact, often brings greater connection as you enter their world. A perspective from below tends to emphasise size or height, while a birds-eye view from above tends to create the feel of being an observer.

CONNECTION TIPS

We know that getting those natural looking images can be a challenge, especially when we are photographing our own kids [and you just want them to do what they’re told!]!

Three simple tips for taking natural looking images of your kids…

Tip 1 | Keep it fun!

Keep it fun and quick, and we mean try shooting in short bursts of 5 minutes or less. You don’t want your child to start associating the camera with negative emotions so keeping it light, fun and snappy is key and will set you up for many more successful photo opportunities.

Tip 2 | Enjoy an activity together

Before you get your camera out try and set your kids up with a fun activity they enjoy like collecting flowers from around the garden, filling up tubs of water, bouncing on the trampoline or some kind of sensory play or quiet connection that they really enjoy (and is a bit special for them) as this will hold their attention and they won’t be so focused on your camera, allowing you to capture those in between natural moments of wonder and joy.

Tip 3 | Bring on the giggles

Time to pull out the funny, cheeky or silly jokes! Toilet humor always works a treat or if your child is younger, all those funny noises that make them smile and pay attention. Don’t go overboard though… one or two funny jokes or noise in between whatever activity they are enjoying will be enough to get that winning photo [and also not giveaway all your funny material for next time]!