As parent or parent-to-be, there exist a multitude of gifts you’ll be able to give your child to ensure that he or she grows up to be the fine young people you wish them to be. Yes, we’re talking about patience, kindness as well as the occasional toy. But, there exists yet another gift you can give that will ensure that the best parts of your child’s life remain immortalized.

Photographs help us appreciate our young lives, especially when we’re older. They remind us of the good moments, the bad and also where we come from.

Below we’ll acquaint you with a couple of essential photography tips and techniques that will help you, as proud parent, to capture all these moments that will, one day, help your child realize just how much you love him or her.

What To Expect

If you’re about to pick up your camera, just hold on, mom, dad. Take some time to think about photography in general: what is it that makes a good picture? Is it great technical ability? Perhaps the intuition needed to recognize a great shot when it presents itself. Or, maybe both?

In our opinion, photography is about a combination of technical skill and composition. You’ll have to learn to use your camera to its fullest extent while, at the same time, know which elements present in the frame will and won’t work.

We’ll give you a bit of advice on both to best prepare you for your photographic journey to come.

Technical Skills

Remember mom, dad: photography is all about light. And if you learn to manipulate the light entering though your camera’s lens, then you’ll be able to weave photographic magic! So let’s look at a couple of basic concepts.

A Little More About Light…

To best understand the motivation behind the fact that some types of light are good, in terms of photography, while others are less so, we have to understand what is meant by the ‘dynamic range’ of a camera.

The dynamic range refers to the differences in light or tone that can be accommodated before some aspects of the image in front of us loses detail. Our eyes have a dynamic range of about 2000:1, while the average camera only has a dynamic range of about 8:1. What this means in terms of lighting is that, when ‘wrong’ types of light are used to illuminate the subject of our photography, it will cast deep shadows that will appear black on film, even though we can make out the detail with the naked eye.

In practical terms, this means that, if you are planning on a bit of outdoor photography, you’ll do well to take your pictures either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cloudy days are also suitable and will provide you with the necessary soft light to bring out your child’s beautiful skin tone.

The Exposure Triangle

Your camera will provide you with a host of settings that will allow you to manipulate light as it enters through the lens. The most prominent among these represent the elements of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ and include ISO, aperture and shutter speed. Let’s take a brief look at each of these separately.

ISO

At this stage we’d like to encourage parents of all very young babies to switch off the flash. Not only will the sudden bright bursts of light startle your child, but it can also be potentially damaging to his or her developing vision.

However, that doesn’t mean you should put your camera down. On the contrary, learn to use the ISO setting of your camera efficiently.

ISO is a term that is used rather loosely and refers to the film speed standard for color-negative film as maintained by the International Standards Organization. Those parents who would like a bit more information can search for ISO 5000:1987 (though be warned: you’ll be greeted with a lot of technical information).

Now while most cameras nowadays don’t use film any more, the standards still apply and is more commonly referred to as the camera’s sensitivity to light.

If you are intent on taking a picture of your baby in a low-light environment, then you’ll want to ensure that you are using a high ISO number, like 800. In a bright environment, the reverse is true: a low ISO number will suffice. Acquaint yourself with this feature of your camera by experimenting.

Aperture

The aperture of your camera is defined as the amount of light that gets admitted onto the sensor and works very much like the pupil of the human eye. We measure the diameter of the aperture in f-stop and indicate it as follows: Fn, F:n or F-n, where n is the aperture size. The higher the f-stop the smaller the aperture.

Shutter Speed

The last element of the ‘Exposure Triangle’ refers to shutter speed, which is measured in fractions of a second and seconds. As the name implies, this function determines how fast the shutter opens and closes.

Shutter speeds between 1/60 (a sixtieth of a second) and 1/000 (a thousandth of a second) and faster will allow you to hold the camera in your hand. Shutter speeds of 1/30 (one thirtieth of a second) and slower will require the use of a tripod to avoid camera shake. However, take note: certain shutter speeds can last second, minutes or even longer and will capture more light as well as movement (that’s the cool trailing effect visible on photographs of highways).

Composition

In terms of composition, there are a lot of things that can be said and a lot of rules to be expelled. But in the end, good photographic composition is a skill mastered only by practice, practice and then some more, practice.

All we’ll be able to do is to give you a couple of pointers of things to look out for that will help you recognize certain elements that will help you on the journey to photographic excellence.

Texture & Lines

Take a look around you. What do you see? All physical objects have a texture, and they have lines, too.

The edges of said objects, if not the patterns on them, will fill each photograph you take with a variety of shapes. To excel in your photographic journey, you’ll have to train yourself to pay attention to these lines, shapes and textures. Have a look at your child (if he or she has already been born) and carefully study them for the aforementioned characteristics.

When its time for another photography spell, try to employ the following guidelines:

• - Converging lines will supply your picture with a sense of depth and distance
• - Curved lines or swirls will convey a sense of calm
• - Slanting lines, on the other hand, can imply direction or action

That being said, we’d also like you to pay attention to the various colors that fill the frame of your camera. Photography 101 states that colors that belong to the same tonal range will make for a better photograph than those that seem out of odds with one another.

An Interesting Angle

Last but not least in our mini parent photography course is something present in all brilliant photographs: a good angle. Whether you take a picture over your baby’s shoulder to show what he or she was looking at the time, or whether you find it fitting to show them in a special type of light or way, it’s often the unique angle that draws us to a picture.

Remember: all photographs should tell a story that’s what sets them apart from mere pictures.

About The Author: Betty A. Muscott is an accomplished child photographer who provides tips on how to photograph children outdoors to create beautiful images and some personalized photo gift hints. She provides a review of a great Canon starter digital camera, ideas on how to create amazing babies photos onto canvas and personalized photo gift ideas..

When we use our children as photography subjects we are faced with a wide array of challenges. Maybe it’s those tricky toddlers or maybe it’s the weather that won’t comply? Whatever the challenge, though, there are ways to overcome various photography hurdles. Pictures don’t have to be perfect to be well received and treasured for years to come. It’s all about the emotion a photo evokes. Jumping the hurdles is easy, you just have to try.

• You have a child who just won’t smile or when he does smile it’s all forced and fake?
  • How about capturing him when he’s not looking. Get him drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, blowing bubbles, or jumping on the trampoline.

• The rain is relentless and you haven’t taken a picture for days because you are most interested in naturally lit photographs.
  • How about popping that flash and just snapping. You could be missing the best shots ever because you don’t want to use your flash.
    

• You have multiple children and there is always one who looks away or closes her eyes. You just want one great picture of all of them together.
  • How about following them as they walk hand-in-hand on the beach, or you get them all playing together in the yard, or swimming in their kiddie pool? There aren’t any rules that say you must have them all looking and smiling.
    

• The tantrums are plentiful and your fear is that you won’t get a decent picture of your terribly terrific toddler.
  • How about you put that bubble machine to use and capture some shots of your child playing amidst them, or maybe bath-time is a happy time and will yield some big smiles. Pick out times that your child is happy and get snappy!

Pictures that will be treasured don’t need to be posed. In this era of the digital camera we are afforded the option of taking as many pictures as our memory cards can hold. Keep those cameras within reach and start photographing the little moments, those ordinary –yet extraordinary– moments!

A sleeping baby is a heavenly sight.  When my husband and I had our first baby we would often find ourselves standing over his crib, watching him sleep.  I found myself looking at our perfect baby boy, then at my husband, and a feeling of peace and serenity soon washed over me.   Three months later we were pregnant with our daughter.    A sleeping baby is indeed pure perfection.

One of my favorite things has always been taking pictures of our babies while they slept.    At night it’s hard to do because of the flash, so I reserved these shots for morning and during naptime.     I could take a variety of shots with my  DSLR camera and even if I had to use my point-and-shoot I would be able to turn off the flash to get some great daytime shots.   My favorite pictures are the close-ups of baby sleeping.   Most recently we used a shot of our baby sleeping for his birth announcement.   I still get compliments on that photo, to this day, and he’s almost three!

Slumbering Newborn

Newborns sleep a lot!  This is a great time to take pictures of their sweet little ears, or their pursed lips, or their crinkly fingers and toes.  They change so quickly and demand much while they are awake, that taking a sleeping portrait will give you a great document of this phase.

Stroller Sleeping

On the go, babies will fall asleep.  This would be another chance to pull out your handy-dandy digital camera and snap away.    Taking pictures, on the go, like this will also give a great documentation of daily and weekly events.  Time passes by so quickly and ventures out get forgotten.   Recording through photography is a great way to look back and remember.

When Sleep Comes

Babies have a knack for falling asleep when-ever and where-ever; that might be on the floor in a pile of toys or in her highchair eating lunch.    No matter where sleep comes there’s just another opportunity to capture that adorable sleeping shot of your little one.

The average size of a newborn baby is anywhere from six to eight pounds, give or take.  That’s pretty small considering how big that little baby will grow.  Soon he’ll be a toddler getting into everything, then a highly inquisitive preschooler following you around asking “why?” non-stop, and suddenly you find you’re having conversations about current events or her favorite Twilight character.  Time flies by and that sweet little baby, that you held in the crook of your arm, is almost as tall as you.

We hear it all the time from moms, “Why do they grow up so fast?”

In order to remember various stages and phases we take a billion pictures of our children.  We make prints to hang on our walls.  We put together photo and scrapbooks.   We post them online to share them with family and friends.   We continuously pick up our cameras to document these changes that seemingly happen all too fast.

An interesting way to document minute changes is to use close-up photography.  Zooming in and focusing on a particular part of your child’s face–such as his extra long eyelashes, or one of her sweet scrumptious ears, or his cute-as-a-button nose,  or her big gummy grin–is a unique way to remember their features at various stages.    Focusing on the face isn’t the only way, though; don’t forget to take close ups of fingers, toes, and that cute little belly button!

Tips for taking great close-up shots of your children:

• Fill the entire frame with your close-up subject,
• Your camera should have a nice, sharp focus,
• Shoot from different angles,
• Use the macro setting on your digital camera,
• Don’t be afraid to use flash if the lighting isn’t adequate enough,
• Have fun and get creative; that’s the beauty of digital photography!

Children grow up way too fast.  One day they are cooing in your arms, the next they master crawling and before you know it they are taking those miraculous first steps. It’s bittersweet when it happens, too. That’s why documenting those precious baby milestones, with your camera, is so vital. It’s important to preserve the stage he or she is in because in the blink of an eye it’s over.

At three months of age your baby is able to hold her head up and she may even smile at you. She might not even mind tummy time. Lay out her special blanket, place her on her tummy, get down in front of her, and snap away. Trying different angles and perspectives will add character to this type of portrait and a digital camera will afford you the ability to shoot over and over again until you get the best shot.

At six months of age your little baby boy can sit up or “tripod” on his own or  he may have started to learn how to crawl. This is a great time to document his developmental milestones. Sitting up and playing with his toys or lunging forward while trying to crawl or concentrating on stacking his plush block; it’s all so exciting and well worth pulling out your trusty digital camera.  Sometimes it’s the little things that mark development that we forget. A picture can help you relive these short lived times.

At nine months of age your daughter is standing and possibly cruising the furniture. She’s eating all kinds of new foods and might even be feeding herself while in her highchair.  Playtime includes peek-a-boo, looking at big picture books, and maybe a push walker toy that helps stimulate the next phase.  These are all prime times to mark with a picture or two!

The months fly by and suddenly your baby boy is a one year old.  This is an extra special time because the possibilities are endless. He’s walking, talking, and learning something new everyday. Making sure to record these marvels will ensure that the busy days of growing up aren’t forgotten or lost. You can look back on this time and be amazed that your little boy has met all these wonderful milestones, and then some.

Photographing all the various developmental phases allows us as parents to look back and cherish those special times. Those special times that are all too fleeting, but oh-so spectacular when you reflect upon them. And with all the photo print deals going on these days, be sure to snap as many as you can!

Just before every holiday season, families will flock to portrait studios to get the perfect picture to send in their holiday greeting cards. It’s a tricky process. Sometimes the kids won’t cooperate, sometimes dad is just not into being in a small studio with a bunch of screaming children, and sometimes you really luck out and get that college kid who’s only working at the portrait studio for some some pocket change and really doesn’t know the first thing about taking good portraits. Any way you look at it, this can be really stressful. There are alternatives, though, and one of those is to take your own holiday portraits this year.

Find a Location

Maybe your town has a nice park that has some wonderful fall foliage that you can set up a shot in. Or maybe there’s a place that is special to you that is also beautiful, like a waterfall or rock formation. No matter where you go to obtain the shot, try to scope it out ahead of time to make sure that it’s accessible, easy to maneuver, and shoot at easily.

Prepare Yourself

If the whole family is going to be in the photo, you will need a tripod, and possibly a wireless remote switch for your camera. Most cameras have a self-timer for these instances. Practice at home, beforehand, inside or out to get comfortable with using your equipment. You never know, your test run might yield that perfect photograph. Make sure our memory card is clear and ready to fill, and you should familiarize yourself with how your flash works, as well as the red-eye reduction feature. These are important things to consider when doing your own portraiture.

What to Wear

Think simple. Avoid busy patterns or graphics and try to match colors on everyone as much as possible. If you want a theme think about what you want your family to look like, and plan it out. Keep in mind that busy clothes will detract from the subject matter of the portrait.

Be a Poser

Look around the web at various family and child portraiture sites, and familiarize yourself with various poses for your photograph. This will help make you feel comfortable with doing your own session. You’ll gain inspiration and maybe even be able to come up with your own ideas from it.

If at First You Don’t Succeed

Try and try again. Whether you are taking your portaits in your home, in your back yard, at a local park , or on Main Street USA, the best bit of advice would be to keep shooting and having fun until you get that perfect picture to print and include in your holiday cards. If you get multiple shots that you love, you could go for a variety of prints or create an interesting storyboard for your cards. There are tons of options for printing and you are bound to find something that suits you and your family.

Halloween is such a fun occasion to photograph; every year holds something different for your little ghosts and goblins.  From fun family parties filled with apple bobbing, powdered donut consumption, and apple cider to hayrides at the local cornmaze, there are bound to be plenty of moments that you will want to capture with your camera this fall.

Here are five tips to make your photography really pop this Halloween:

#1: Document Your Fieldtrips

There are pumpkin patches to visit, corn mazes to find your way through, hayrides to bump along on, and apple orchards from which to fill your bushels.  No matter where you and your family go this fall, there are some great opportunities for candid and posed pictures alike.  Use natural light to your advantage and remember to get creative with those angles and perspectives.

#2: Photograph the Process

It’s always fun to dress up.  Halloween is a favorite for that factor.  So, wouldn’t it be fun to watch the progress or you can do before and after shots of the little ones you are dressing up.   This is especially fun if your son or daughter is getting made up.  You could take a picture before the make up, during the process, and then the finished face;  showcasing a great transformation of character.   Move in close for an up-close and creative shot and tell the story.

#3:  Catch Your Trick-or-Treaters

Be prepared to snap pictures of the neighborhood children as they approach your door.  This would be interesting to share with your neighbors, making the pictures available to them for print.  Or maybe you and your little ones would like to give them prints as a little post Halloween treat.   No matter what you do it woul be a nice way to remember the time by creating a special album.  Don’t forget to use your night-time setting on your camera!

#4:  Having a Party?  Be a Photographer

Costume parties are a great place to capture some fun.  Maybe you are having an all kid party, or maybe you are having an adult themed costume party?   Regardless, make sure you keep your trusty digital camera handy to snap those great moments.   Bobbing for apples, a costume karaoke contest,  a splendid Halloween craft session, what have you… be sure to remember it all by being the photographer.

#5:  Set the Mood

You can get creative and use some lighting to set the mood of posed pictures.   Also, don’t forget to take pictures of your carved jack-o-lanterns which will make a great prop for your posed pictures, too.   When photographing your little ones that are old enough to ham it up, ask them to really do so.  Tell them to get into their character whether it be a doctor, a zombie, or a pop star.

Just remember to have fun in capturing all the fun!