So, you have a camera, you have kids, why not put two and two together and take some great photos?
It's actually much simpler than you might think, especially if you have a few portrait photography tips to back you up.
The great thing about the techniques for taking portraits that I've outlined below is that you can use them with any camera, be that a mobile phone, a point-and-shoot, or a big DSLR.
Without further ado, let's get to it!
Editor's Tip: Change the way your photos look by turning them into fine art.
Essential Portrait Photography Tip: Let Your Kids Decide What to Wear
When I was growing up, my mother carefully planned every aspect of everyone's outfits for family pictures.
There were times that I was wearing bow ties and sweaters when I wanted to wear my Spiderman t-shirt instead.
It's not like I'm bitter or anything...
If you let your kids decide what they wear in their photos, a couple of things might happen.
First, they might be more excited to have their photo taken, given that they have some say in the process.
And second, years from now when you look back at the photos you take and see your little one wearing his or her favorite shirt or outfit, it will probably be more meaningful to you than to see them stuffed into a little suit or dress that they never wore again.
Learn More:
Head Outside at Sunset
One of the most well-known portrait photography techniques is that the best light of the day occurs at sunset.
You should use that information to your advantage to get the best possible photos of your kids.
The soft, golden light warms up the photos you take, while providing plenty of creative opportunities as well.
Not only can you create fun silhouette shots, but you can also work with backlighting to act like a rim light that highlights your kid's hair.
Sunset is a fun time to be playful and run around, too, so opportunities abound for action shots with brothers and sisters, friends, pets, and so forth.
Editor's Tip: Golden hour lighting is ideal for creating large prints because of its soft, warm glow. See what your photos would look like as a large print.
How to Photograph Your Kids: Create a Collection of Photos
Being a parent is tough work, with little extra time to spend doing things like taking photos.
However, if you can carve out time at different points in the day to take a few shots, you can create a collection of images that tells the story of that day (or that week, month, season, etc.).
Try taking close-up portraits that show details like your child's eyes, lips, fingers, and so forth.
Pair those images with candid shots of your kid playing, building, running, or even sleeping.
Then try group photos with family, friends, and neighbors to capture the relationships that your child has built so far in their life.
The point is that snapshots here and there are perfectly fine - and you should definitely take them - but thinking about how you can take photos in different contexts and how they fit together into a larger narrative will help you create a collection of portraits that document what your child was like at that point in his or her life.
Learn More:
- 3 Beginner Photography Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Photos
- Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
Show Off Your Collection of Photos
I take a lot of photos of my son. A LOT.
And while most of them stay in their digital form on my phone, computer, hard drive, and so forth, I'm sure to get prints made of the special moments that I want to remember.
A few weeks ago, I took my little guy to an air show and probably took as many photos of him as I did of the awesome airplanes that were on display.
I took close-ups, photos of him with planes, environmental shots, and a few selfies of the two of us.
At the end of the day, I had a little collection of images just like what I described in the previous section.
So, I logged onto my account on CanvasHQ, uploaded my photos, entered my billing information, and got the ball rolling with getting a couple of canvas prints.
The amazing thing is that within 15 minutes of uploading my photos, CanvasHQ sent me proofs of my prints. Talk about fast!
And that's not the only impressive thing...
My prints were ready for shipment in just two hours. Yeah...TWO hours!
And I know what you're thinking - how on earth could prints made that quickly be worthy of hanging on the wall?
Well, have a look for yourself below and tell me that the quality of these prints isn't outstanding.
I love how vibrant the colors are in these prints. The contrast of the highlights and shadows really comes out too.
The way that CanvasHQ wrapped the image around the edges of the frame is also beautiful. It gives the prints a bit of heft of the wall that makes them feel even more substantial than they are.
My iPhone photos of these prints simply do not do these things justice, though.
Unpacking prints from CanvasHQ is like Christmas morning. There's a sense of incredible awe the first time you see them. And when you feel the weight of them and the quality of the construction, you can't help but be even more excited because you know your prints were made with care that will help them last for generations.
Don't take my word for it though - see what your photos look like as gorgeous canvas prints from CanvasHQ!