How I Take Photos with My Children!

 

I am thrilled to share how I take photos with my little ones. It’s a question that has come up so often I felt this would be the easiest way to explain. From set up to take down this shoot took twenty-five minutes! I took ten timer photos, and five video clips.

1.    Keep it organic + stress free!

One thing my children are great at is being themselves, so I honor that. I don’t force poses and smiles. Typically, my kids are occupied with something, so I capture their personality in those moments. For example, above, my older daughter, is playing with pinecones. I didn’t ask her to smile, she’s just doing her thing.

2.    Get a tripod.

My friend gifted me my tripod. It comes in handy being a military spouse I spend a lot of time alone, and don’t always have extra hands to capture moments with me involved. I just set the tripod up and use a timer on my phone. (It also attaches with my camera, which I mainly use for brand work.)

This is the tripod I have. *

3.    Record

This tip I would not recommend if you wanted a high-quality photo. I happen to love the grainy vibe though. I often just record us out hanging and screenshot a picture later. It works great for days you just want to be in the present moment. Here’s a screenshot I took from the video above.

4.    Take a Test Photo

This really cuts down on time and keeps my kids happy.

I take a test shot to ensure I have the lighting and angle I want.

I don’t like to take more than ten photos. That’s been my rule. Not only does it help keep us in the moment it keeps me from overanalyzing the photos. I think sometimes we criticize ourselves harshly and I don’t like to fall victim to that.

Here’s an example of how I test shot.

5.    Discernment

This one goes without saying but just in case you need to hear it. The photos are not worth disrupting sweet moments. If your children or you aren’t in a photo taking mood don’t force it. When my littles decline photos and I am not about it, I take a photo of the setting to remember the day.

Thanks so much for reading! If y’all have any more questions about how I take photos for brand work or memories just leave me a comment.

XO,

*This is an affiliate link, where I make a small commission.