Most of us have photo libraries on our phones and computers which are absolutely bursting with photos of everything from special family moments to what we had for dinner last night. Smartphones have made photography accessible to everyone, and most of us take photos every day. But how many of the photos of your family are good? How many family photos do you have where everyone is looking at the camera, smiling and ready for the picture? How many of your photos would you consider special? If you are fed up with looking through photos where someone has their eyes shut, here are some top tips for taking better family photos.
Table of Contents
Take Fewer Photos
Often, we’re told that if we want to get better at something we should do it more often, but most people took better photographs when they were limited by how many shots they had on a roll of film. Take fewer photos and you’ll be more selective and think more about shot composition.
Display Your Photos
Now that we carry our photos around with us, we’re less likely to display them at home. If you want to improve your photography, start framing and hanging some of the pictures. Again, this will help you to think more about what you are shooting.
Ask Your Children
As they get older, your children might not want to have their photos taken. Ask before you click and if they say no, respect their choice. Then, they’ll be more likely to pose nicely for a special picture.
Get On Their Level
If you are standing above your child with a camera, you put yourself and the camera in a position of power. Get down low, so that the camera is at eye level with your child, and you’ll create a much better relationship which will help your child to relax. It will improve their pose, and also the composition of the final shot.
Don’t Say Cheese
Has anyone ever smiled nicely, and naturally, after being told to say cheese? Most of these smiles look fake and forced. For better results, avoid saying anything intended to get a smile and start taking photos of natural expressions.
Don’t Be Scared To Edit
The idea of editing photos of your family might seem strange. You certainly shouldn’t airbrush them, removing spots, slimming bodies, or otherwise changing their appearance. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t edit lighting and colour, alter the background, and make changes to the exposure. If you are a keen family photographer and really want to upgrade the quality of your photos, then investing in a desktop for photo editing can be a great idea.
Smartphones give us all the ability to take more photos. But they don’t make us great photographers, and they certainly don’t make our kids the perfect still models. Part of the beauty of smartphone photography is that you get all of the natural moments. But it does mean that inevitably, not all of your photos will be amazing, and that’s ok.
