Say cheese! How many times did you hear that as a kid while mom or dad took pictures that you are so embarrassed to see now? I'm not saying it's easy to photograph wild toddlers, sullen teenagers or husbands who prefer to stay behind the camera. BUT at least they understand the concept. Babies, not so much.
I get a good laugh every time someone comments that Fallon is always so happy when I post her pictures. Of course it appears that way because what you see are the good shots. The ones that took blood, sweat and tears (often literally) to get. Trust me, she cries just as much if not more than your kid. There's a whole lot of unhappy going on in between the smiley pictures so don't feel bad. Days you see a picture on my Instagram feed without Fallon in it? It was either a serene shot of my bed all made up or one of the inside of my daughter's mouth as she wails. But usually I can squeeze in one good smile and that's what I share, that one picture from that one lucky moment.
You can capture those smiles, giggles, and all kinds of other silly faces your little one makes too. It just might take a bit more effort than yelling say cheese! I'm no pro (I shoot on my old iPhone 6!) and I can't offer much in the way of the finer points of photography but I can pass along some tips I've learned about how to snap the happy moments.
Plan Ahead
This is going to sound like a lot of extra work just for some photos and maybe a little ridiculous in general, but humor me. Pay attention to which rooms in your home get the most light at certain times of day. Natural lighting automatically makes a picture look happier! Then decide what you want as your back drop. Do you want a blank wall or do you want to showcase baby in her crib? If have the shot you want in mind it takes the guesswork out of the moment and you can focus on the facial expressions instead of the background.
Know Your Kid
Everybody has a time of the day they like best. If your baby is super happy after a morning nap, use that timeframe. Try to avoid having a photo shoot right before a meal time or bedtime so you don't end up with a meltdown. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Even if the lighting is just perfect, you probably would rather smiling pictures than screaming ones. Be aware of distractions. I know if I want to take pictures of Fallon in her room I cannot have the fan on. She will just keep looking up at it and then over at her mobiles swaying from the breeze.
Practice Makes Perfect
What makes your baby smile, giggle, scrunch up her nose? Get our your phone or camera and do whatever you know usually elicits those faces. Sometimes it's a hell of a lot harder to get the same result when you're trying to play entertainer as well as photographer. Try the favorites out and if they don't work so well, start trying new tactics. We do all kinds of embarrassing things behind the camera to capture the magic. Sing, dance, play peek-a-boo, shake the cat toy, whatever works. And if all else fails I totally bribe her with snacks. Works every time.
The More The Merrier
This one is simple. Take a million shots. In a sea of pictures of baby looking at the dog, trying to crawl away, crying to be held ect. there is likely to be one sweet expression. It's a pain to go back and trash all the outtakes but you may also be pleasantly surprised by how many you find to be perfect. The beauty of digital photography is that we can try until we get it right and just delete the rest.
Happy snapping!
No comments
Post a Comment