Top 10 tips to getting nice IPhone photos of your kids!

Spring is here! It’s still a bit chilly outside, but the warm weather is coming. The air will be changing, more people will be outside, the flowers will bloom, and more activities will be available. During the winters we tend to feel cooped up indoors, our kids get antsy and we just wish away for the warm weather and ice cream days. It’s all coming!

Spring is a great time to run around with the kids, take photos, and soak up some much needed sun. What is the best way to capture some cute photos of your kids? Most people use their phones nowadays and don’t pull out the big DSLR unless they are a professional photographer, so how can you take nice photos with your iPhone?

Here are my top 10 tips:

Tip # 1

Still or burst mode: Try to take a photo when they are sitting or standing still, ask them to sit on a chair or if you are outside, something like a bench or tree stump. With iPhones the shutter speed is usually not fast enough to capture motion and so it will create a blur. Let’s face it kids won’t always sit; you can try to use burst mode with your iPhone by holding your finger down. From there you can choose the best shot and delete the rest.

Tip # 2

Focus on the eyes: Press the screen where the eyes are to keep them in focus. The most important part of most photos is that the eyes are in focus; they are the ones that tell the story and bring character to photos.

Tip # 3

Get down low: Make sure to get down to your child’s level. In order to create less distortion and make the photo interesting, get lower. (Hey, it gives you a good workout right?!)

Tip # 4

Location: Take photos in fun locations! Are you at the beach? In a field of flowers? Maybe you have some cool trees in your backyard? Check out fun locations to capture cool creative memories of your kids.

Tip # 5

Download snapseed: it’s a cool app where you can adjust the brightness of your photos, add some more color, remove bumps, and some other fun tricks! Try black and white for a more emotional feel.

Tip # 6

Lighting: If you’re indoors, use window light for a nice dramatic feel or for a natural soft light. Try photographing from different positions to see where the best light is. For outdoors, cloudy days are usually favorable.

Tip #7

Skip the flash: Flashes on phones or even directly on camera are not ideal and can cause harsh shadows and red eye. Try to find the best natural light when using your phone.

Tip # 8

Turn on HDR: In your camera settings, you have a choice of auto HDR. “HDR blends the best parts of three separate exposures into a single photo.”

Tip # 9

Let the children explore: Yes as stated above, you can get your kids to possibly sit for a couple of more “posed” type shots, but don’t forget to capture the candids; the moments where they may not be looking at the camera, where their personalities are shining through, in turn creating the most memorable memories.

Tip # 10

Lastly, enjoy yourself. Don’t stress over it. Don’t tell them to say cheese. Don’t even tell them to smile. Let them be, tell them a joke, or say you’re going to tickle their “cheesy feet”.

Have fun and show me some of those new photographs!