I get compliments on the pictures I post of Princess all the time. It surprises me because I’m not even close to being a professional photographer. I wouldn’t count my stint as a one-man-band journalist (aka video journalist) early in my career expert worthy. But, I do have a knack for taking a decent photo.
Before upgrading to a Canon T2i, I used the regular point and shoot Sony digital camera. If you check out some of Princess’s earlier pics, you’ll may notice a slight difference from then to now. All of her pics can be found under the Princess Pics tab. I really don’t have a secret to taking great images. I just remember seeing my childhood snapshots and wonder why the person who took the shot so was far away. I think pictures should be taken up close, especially when the subject is a child.
These are just a few things I keep in mind when taking snapshots of little ones:
1. You can never get too close. Tight shots are much better to look at that wide pictures. When there’s all kinds of stuff in the background, how are you suppose to see who’s in the photo? No what I mean?
2. Get down. Once in a while I like to experiment with different angles. But for the most part- whenever I take pics of Princess, I get down to her level.
3. Get rid of all distractions. To piggy back off of my first point, it’s important to avoid distracting objects that may take your attention away from the subject.
4. Lighting, Lighting, Lighting! Some may consider me a lighting bee-otch. But, I could care less. Nothing irritates me more than bad lighting. I’m far from being a lighting guru, but I’ve been a victim of horrible lighting. I’m not talking about using the flash. Actually, natural sunlight makes my images turn out 10 times better than any ‘ol flash. If you’re outside, it’s best if you pick a side. Either shoot in the sun or the shade. When there’s a combo of the two, the outcome can be a bit funky. I love shooting on a day when there’s a bit of an overcast, which makes fighting the sun’s glare so much easier.
5. Finally, the key to taking great pics is to have fun. I don’t force Princess to take pics. We just have a blast! It’s about making funny faces, singing songs, and just acting a fool. If your little one is having fun, you’ll notice the difference in the photos.
Here are some recent shots. If you have any great tips, please share!
P.S. If your images are still a hot mess, you can also spruce them up by using sites like photobucket and flickr.
Weather Anchor Mama
