Take Better Photos of Your Kids

She was outside playing with some recently fallen leaves. The air was crisp, and the sky was overcast. Fall is here. This morning I caught the evidence of it in my backyard and my daughter wanted to go looking for different color leaves. She found one she especially liked, turned to me and called out, "Look at this leaf, Mommy!" The weather was wonderful. with a slight chill in the air characteristic of Autumn in North Carolina. The lighting was perfect even though it was late morning, the colors and my daughters smiles were too inspiring to pass up. I happened to have my camera on hand so I began shooting despite the fact she was still in her pajama shirt, she had changed into pink leggings, and her hair was still in that "just got out of bed" state. She was so into our little impromptu photo session I decided to see if she would still be in the mood if I fixed her up a bit. I was hopeful that she would still have some smiles left in her but, of course, the moment had passed. She was back in play mode. I didn't give up though. I just took a step back, let her play, and kept shooting. This is the result of that photo session. I feel I got the best expression with her in her pjs, but that's ok. That's what our baby girl looks like in the morning. I captured a lovely memory of playing outside on a crisp autumn morning.

Sometimes these photos in black and white make for great lifestyle photography.

In this photo she literally told me she was taking a break.

It's not the first time it happens, and it certainly won't be the last. I know that it can be frustrating to try to get even one smile from our kids for a nice photo, much less any eye contact. So I put together a list of tips for getting those cute photos full of personality.

1. Be spontaneous.

My little photo session proves that sometime the best images are taken in the moment. Always keep your camera handy, fully charged, and know your camera settings so you don't have to fiddle with it when the right moment presents itself.

2. Let them be themselves.

Sometimes we have to just sit back and let kids be kids. The best way to really capture their personalities is to let them be themselves. Let them play and record the moments of their childhood that you want to remember for ever; sucking on their thumb with their blankies, playing with their favorite car, cuddling with the family pet.

3. Don't worry if you don't get eye contact.

Eye contact isn't necessary for a wonderful photo. Sometimes it's better to capture the moment than to disrupt their play. Some of the most precious moments caught on camera are those of our kids exploring their world, interacting with siblings or friends or deeply involved in their pretend worlds. 

5. Know when to quit.

Make a session fun. Talk to them and get them to interact with you. If they are exploring, one easy way to get eye contact is by asking them to show you what they have discovered. There will come a time though that they won't cooperate any longer. You may be able to bribe them into one more smile, but maybe it's time to wrap it up. If you push too hard, and they don't enjoy their moments in front of the camera they will run the other way when they see you pull it out. So, know when to quit, and sit back and just play with them.

In the end, you may not have a shot worthy of putting up on the wall, but you will be left with a great memory of your child to share with family and friends. A memory you can look back at with pleasant nostalgia.

So, always keep your camera handy, and let your kids be kids as you find true inspiration while you capture their lives one image at a time.