(5 steps to better photos of your kids)
By Rebecca Nash of Rebecca Nash Photography
With the recent surge in Scrapbooking as a
hobby everyone is finding a way to put their own creative spin on their favorite
snapshots, events, and stories.
I'm not here to give you tips on great scrapbook layouts, amazing journalling, or the newest sparkly scrapbooking supplies. Instead I'm here to help you take photos that inspire you to scrapbook, journal, frame, or preserve in anyway. A decent photo with a great story will get the people involved interested, but, a fantastic image that starts telling the story for you will capture the interest of everyone who sees it.
Let's face it, you know the story is great
but does the photo really do it justice?
The following photos were taken at the same
event only moments apart. Which tells more of a story? Which do you want to
know more about?
The image on the left is a classic image of
the couple during their wedding. We love these type of photos but, the image on
the right leaves us asking - what is the bride doing with the ring? Now you
have the readers interest and can tell your story.
When it comes to capturing the moment here
are a few steps to improve the pull of your images.
1) Set the stage for great things.
If you're looking for a new photo of your
son or daughter for their birthday invite don't ask them to look this way and
smile. Trying setting out some props and letting them play - the images will
unfold naturally. Props to try - bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Water table, Watering
can, tent...the list goes on!
2) Be ready to capture whatever may happen.
So you've set out the props...Now you have
to wait for the magic to happen. This doesn't mean you walk away and get a
drink and come back later. You stay close by, watch what's happening and wait
for the magic to happen. Make sure your camera is on and ready cause that
magically moment could happen at any second! Example, this photo below was
taken within the first 5 mins of stepping outside after a rain shower.
3) Don't Put your subject in the centre of
the frame
We all have a habit from years and years of taking photos
that we always put the subject right smack dab in the middle of the frame.
While this ensures you don't lose your subject, it also makes the photo just an
average snap shot. Move your subject to one side or the other of the frame and
it will look better. In photography it's known as the Rule of Thirds. You think
of each image as having the grid below on it and place your subject at one of
the intersections or lines whenever possible. Notice which photo is the more pleasing one
to look at below.
4) Let the subject breathe
This ties into the tip above - when you
move your subject to one of those lines make sure they have 'room to breathe'
in the image. This is about which line you place them on. If I'm taking a photo
of a runner during a race I want to try to keep them on the left hand side
running to the right (or the opposite if they are running the other direction)
so that they don't look like they are running out of the frame. When someone is
moving in a direction or looking in a direction you want to leave the most
space on the side where they are moving toward or looking toward.
See how in the images above the image with
the 'negative space' or empty space on the side where the subject is looking is
more comfortable to look at?
5) Don't settle for the obvious shot
This goes back to the first set of photos I
shared. At a wedding the image of the bride & groom putting on the rings is
a classic shot.
While I love this shot it's not always the best shot. I took the photo but I kept my camera ready waiting for something to happen. Sure enough I was rewarded with the following shot when the bride tried to put the ring on the grooms right hand instead of the left and the officiant had to remind her to switch hands. The bride played it off cool and with sass but if I had settled for the obvious shot I would have already had my camera down and would have missed this!
Another great example - with children the
obvious shot is to take the photo standing up looking straight on at them.
Trying changing your point of view by either getting down to your child's level
or raising yourself up for more of a birds eye view.
There are so many more tips I could share
but these 5 will make the biggest impact on your day to day photos, so what are
you waiting for? Get out and get shooting then let me know which tip helped you
the most.
Thanks for the tips, Rebecca! Visit Rebecca at Rebecca Nash Photography.
