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..

The snow has melted, the grass is getting greener, and spring has officially sprung.  Easter is here and that means sweet little bow ties, patent leather shoes, frilly pastel-colored dresses and matching bonnets, precious moments, and chocolate-filled baskets. It’s the perfect holiday to pull out your camera and capture loving moments before church, during an Easter egg hunt, or at a relative’s house visiting with family and loved ones.

In photography it is important to pay attention to your available lighting. The number one place to capture those stand-out portraits or even those classic snapshots will be outside, in the natural light. More often than not we, as photographers, want the light source behind us.  Sometimes, though, this may wash your subject out, and since they will probably be in soft colored clothes that wouldn’t be so good for your picture. Instead of the light source being behind you when you shoot, try to have it coming in from an angle; basically speaking, aim for [the sun] to shine over your right or left shoulder on to your subject. Also, when taking portraits inside strive to take photos near a window, for diffused lighting effect. Posing near a window, using diffused natural light, will give you a soft look to your image; making it look absolutely magical, in a frame, on your wall, or imprinted on a photo book or calendar.

Here are some tips to make your Easter portraits memorable:

• Try not to over-pose. Instead, ask your children to hold hands and follow them as they walk by a row of flowers or take a shot of them walking away from you. This creates a timeless portrait that Grandmas go crazy for.
• Have fun. One fun pose to try is where you have your children lie down, with their heads coming together, and shoot from above. Posing them this way is a different take on traditional portraits.
• Don’t worry about smiles or eye-contact.  Some of the best pictures don’t have either.
• Embrace the mess. Church is over and it’s time to dig into the Easter chocolates; don’t worry about a choco-face.  Snap away and capture the candid fun!

Let’s face it; your life is busy with a baby. You don’t have the time (or energy) that it takes to pack up seven outfits and head to the mall where your local portrait studio is located.    I won’t even mention the cost of some of these places and how you get suckered into buying “the big package.”

Solution:  Put some money into getting a basic DSLR (I recommend a Canon Digital XSi) or nice point-and-shoot camera, and do it yourself.

No one knows your baby, like you do! You know when baby boy is well rested, when he’s eaten, when he’s cranky, when he’s dry, when he’s clean.   And being in the comforts of your home can really make for some wonderful photo sessions.

Tip #1: Use as much natural light as possible.

Set up a shoot by a window, where you know the light comes through nicely, so that you can use it to your advantage.  Or if weather permits, go outside and take some photos of her on a favorite quilt.  Natural light will give you some super soft tones, not to mention bathe your baby’s skin in such a way that you will absolutely love the end result.

Tip #2: Go the non-traditional route.

Focus on a particular body part like sweet baby toes or wrinkly little fingers.  They grow so fast and change so quickly, that you will be thankful for up-close documentations like this.

Tip #3: Don’t worry about setting aside time for a “shoot”.

Just take pictures when baby is rested, fed, happy,  visiting with family, interacting with siblings, sleeping, etc…  Some of the best portraits are candid and not set up or posed.

Tip #4: Keep it simple.

Don’t worry about props and take away any distracting items from the shot.  Focus on your baby and just fill the frame with his precious cheeks.

In this age of digital photography we are afforded the right to take as many pictures without worrying about paying for developing. We can print what we choose to print!   And we all have the ability to document our lives, daily, all-the-while honing in on our very own creative spark. Give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose and only photographic memories to gain!

Whether they are not wanting to come back inside from playtime for a nap or are refusing to take medicine, toddlers can be a tricky bunch. Their mind is set and they can be the most stubborn of creatures. Sometimes we call it the “terrible twos” but maybe we should change that to the “terrible toddler years”.

During these years it seems the hardest thing to do is capture [your toddler] in portraiture. There will be countless studio visits, tantrums during the process, failed shots due to stubborn attitudes and one track minds. However, it’s not completely impossible to capture your toddler and get that shot to hang on the wall or give to the grandparents.

Tips for Photographing Tricky Toddlers:

• Strive to take portraits when your little one is well rested and full bellied.

• Don’t place too much emphasis on getting the perfect expression. Sometimes the best expression is one that you would normally dismiss (i.e. a pout.)

• Get in their comfort zone and snap away, with your digital camera, at those playful times.

• Pay attention to the surroundings and the available lighting and nature; use it to your advantage.

• Set the scene. Pull out favorite toys and stuffed friends and get down to their level and shoot. Props can and will be very useful when trying to capture the attention of toddler kids.

• Try to stick with natural light as many toddlers have a big time aversion to flash.

• Follow their lead and just snap as they go. You’ll be surprised with the results.

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Once a year that special day rolls around; the day you celebrate the birth of your baby. No matter how old your child, he or she is forever your baby.  However with each passing year there are many notable changes. While we may take pictures of them all the time, highlighting beautiful life moments, there’s something special to be said for pictures being taken on their actual date of birth. It’s sentimental and really sweet.

There are many ways to commemorate your son or daughter’s birthday. Something interesting might be taking pictures throughout the whole day and creating a photo book or an online journal.  This tradition would prove to be priceless, years down the road.  It would be so extraordinary to have a stack of albums that depict the changes that each year brings. Not only for you to look back on–in remembrance–but for your child(ren) to look back on and share with [his or her] future children.

So when your child’s special day rolls around, pull out your trusty camera, and have fun shooting the day.  Capture the regular aspects life: capture smiles, little tantrums, meals, twinkly eyes, naps, bath-time, play-time, everything. Life is full of these amazing moments for us to highlight and remember!

Some Photo Journaling Tips:

• Plan what you want to photo journal (birthday, party, family outing, etc..)
• Pick a topic that showcases your special day
• Print photos or have photo books made
• Add captions to your photo journal for an extra touch, and
• Have fun documenting your family memories

Birthdays come around once a year and that’s why they are so special to us!   When our children have a birthday we throw elaborate birthday parties, inviting our loved ones to share in our happiness about the age change.  There’s good food, fun decorations, and plenty of opportunities to capture wonderful moments with your camera;  this is the joy of a birthday celebration.

The Guests

Make sure to get pictures of the birthday boy or girl with all the guests.  It will be nice to look back on to remember who was there to celebrate the special day.   A great idea–made popular at wedding receptions–is to buy disposable cameras and place them around the house, so that your guests can become the photographer.   This will provide you with various angles, perspectives and individualistic takes on the day.

The Cake

Don’t forget to get a picture of the cake before the candles are blown out.  Now-a-days cakes are such wonderful pieces of art that not getting a picture of before it is served would be sad.   Maybe you can assign someone to take some pictures of the cake as the traditional Happy Birthday song is sung.  That way you can enjoy the moment, yet it will still be captured on your memory card or film. This also makes for an excellent cover for next years birthday invitation cards!

The Presents

You are sure to get some great, fun-filled shots during the present opening.  It’s especially fun to watch a toddler do everything in his power to get the prize behind the paper.  Snap a lot, in sports mode, to ensure that you get clear shots of the ripping and tearing.    This would also be a good way to document who gave what present for writing out those photo thank you cards.  Or you might even include a print of the birthday girl opening a particular guest’s present.   What a great thank you and sentiment.

The Fun

Whether the fun involves karaoke, dancing, games, or some other kind of activity, it will be totally awesome to capture these moments with your camera.    Don’t forget to get all the interactions of your guests, too, by capturing the laughter, the hugs and kisses, and the playful times.

The Birthday Boy or Girl

More important than all the stuff that makes a birthday party special and beautiful is the birthday boy or girl.  Be sure to get them before the festivities begin,  in their special party outfit, during the party enjoying all the goings on, and at the end when he or she is asleep on the floor or in bed–after the sugar high is crashed!

What a beautiful baby! Are you one of the proud moms or dads who hears this regularly from friends and family or even strangers in the store or on the street for that matter? Or do you have a photo of your baby that is so unique and special you’d love to share it with the world? If so, you may want to consider entering your precious one’s pic into a Baby Photo Contest. And what better way to show off not only your baby’s adorable face, but their personality as well. Because baby photo contests are not solely focused around ‘beauty’ as is many times the case with pageants and such. Baby Photo Contests are actually much more about expressions of spontaneity, that perfect (unplanned) pose, silly spaghetti smile or first confusing trip to Santa’s lap – anything that you feel has turned out to be a great shot.

There are an abundance of Baby Photo Contests to enter and rules vary amongst them, but for the most part, the initial entry steps are the same – Snap, Submit and Vote. So if you’re interested in a fun way to display your baby’s beautiful, funny or distinctive gaze, following are a few of the more commonly asked questions to help you get started.

Q. Where do I find out about Baby Photo Contests?

A. An online search for ‘Baby Photo Contests’ will bring up a plethora of results. You can also get a little more detailed in your pursuit and search for contests that convey specific holiday themes such as Halloween, Christmas or Valentine’s Day as well as others that relate to a particular season, monthly contests etc.

Offline, there are lots of parenting magazines that hold baby photo contests and even some of the more popular baby clothing and furniture stores in your local area that sponsor them as well.

Q. How do I know that the contests are legitimate?

A. With so many baby photo contests to choose from, the best way to ensure you choose the one that is right for you (and baby) is to read everything on the site pages you choose to explore – especially the small print.

A well-known baby website is your best bet and most of the time, there will be other parent’s testimonials that have entered previous contests for you to read through and get some added peace of mind. Also, many of these reputable sites are backed by national child protection agencies as well as magazines that you already know, read and trust.

Q. Is there a fee for entering a baby photo contest?

A. Depending on the type of media the contest revolves around, e.g., internet, magazines, etc., there is sometimes a small membership fee that can range anywhere from $3 to around $19.95, although there are some that are completely free. But the sites that do request a fee will usually provide you with benefits such as free regular newsletters, access to their parenting forums, coupons and more.

Q. How do I submit my baby’s photo?

A. Once you’ve chosen one or more contests that you’d like to enter, the steps to getting your baby’s photo posted are very easy. You simply fill out a short form on the website and then upload the photo.

In an offline circumstance such as a contest entered through a publication, you can either mail in your photo or go the magazine’s website (if applicable) and upload it there.

The compensation that comes along with winning or placing in baby photo contests are well-worth the effort – prizes include toys, clothes, furniture and even college scholarships! So just make sure you do your research and choose the contests that are best suited for your and your baby.

by Kelly Paal

Content
Even if you feel that you already know what kind of photography you like to do, it’s always a good idea to try your talent at different aspects of photography.

Pictorial, this is a general term but it applies to any photographer who’s goal is simply to create beautiful photos. This breaks down into smaller subsets but the most popular form is landscape and nature photography. This is what I do and it’s tempting to go on and on but I will just say that this form of photography, to me, is a real art. At least that is goal to create art in photographic form. It is the goal of the photographer to use their abilities to capture an image in it’s moment of beauty and simplicity.

Portrait, this can be people and even animals. It also includes wedding photography as well. This is an aspect of photography that can be a lot harder than it seems. Not only do you have to know your basic photo composition but you need to understand what makes each person look their best. You must know how to bring out their personality and character in the shot. If you love working with people this may be your field. It’s fun and challenging.

Photojournalism, now this isn’t just press photography, though that is one aspect of it. It is also documentary photography as well, the latter doesn’t always need an event to occur right in front of you. Either way the purpose is to tell a story. Really good photojournalism shouldn’t need the text below it to tell you what is going on. It should be compelling and storytelling. Composition still plays a part, you can’t tell a story if the story can’t be seen. And while these photos can be beautiful in their technical aspects they aren’t necessarily beautiful images. The story telling is as important.

Abstract, probably not as common of a form of photography but I’m seeing it more and more. This is usually characterized by extreme close ups of detail of something, so much so that you can’t identify the original subject. But in this case that doesn’t matter since the abstract detail or pattern is the subject of the photo. (Color can also be the subject as well.) Basic composition still plays a part, maybe a bigger part in this form of photography.

This week’s assignment:
Four rolls of film again. Roll one, pictorial, get outside and try your best using all your abilities to capture moments of beauty and simplicity. Composition is key here. Roll two, portrait, get somebody to volunteer for you. Remember composition but really focus on finding the shots that make that person look their best. Different light, background, camera angles, or even clothes. Roll three, photojournalism, outside or inside anywhere you see stories. This can be as simple as a child playing with their toys. Find the appropriate moment to take a shot that tells the story. Roll four, abstract, details, details, and more details. Get in close, make sure that you can’t identify the subject but find beauty in the color or details of the item.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum.
© 2004 Kelly Paal

About The Author
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography. She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

by Kelly Paal

Basic Composition
Now that you are beginning to understand how your camera works you can begin to understand basic composition. I know that many people that I’ve talked to think that photography is just pointing your camera and taking a photo but it’s more than that. After you understand how your equipment works you can begin to get into the real art of photography and that art is called composition.

Basic principles:

1. Use all of your available space. Fill the image with the image. If the reason that your taking the photo is your daughter’s beautiful face then get closer. If you’re taking an image of the breathtaking valley before you. Fill the frame with the valley. Keep distractions out of the frame. They’re called distractions for a reason.
2. Look at the forms in your image. You almost have to look at the people or the landscape before you in their simplistic geographic forms. A good way to learn form is to practice taking photos of still life objects, that you can arrange into pleasing forms. A good photo is always a beautiful arrangement of form. Whether it’s the beauty of a woman’s face, her features being forms, or a wonderful landscape, trees, rocks, and hills being forms.
3. Line or direction, motion. The direction of the forms in your photos is very important. Never have action or motion moving outside of your image. It will direct the eye away from your image. Diagonal motion lines are good, curves and “s” curves are better. The last two is probably way landscape photography is so popular nature is full of curves. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.
4. Contrast, the difference between black and white. Now it is possible to have a beautiful photo with little contrast if that is your intention, this works best with color. But a lot of shots, some really beautiful shots have a nice balance of black, white, and grays. This can be manipulated for artistic purpose of course, but in the beginning you want to focus on trying to take shots with equal amounts of black, white, and shades of gray. (Shoot a roll of B&W film to really learn this principle.)
5. Color, you may have to familiarize yourself with the color wheel. (See my article Graphic Design Using Color for more information it’s for graphic design but the first couple of paragraphs talk about basic color theory) Whether you’re shooting nature or setting up your own shots in a studio you need to know what colors go together and why. Many of us have an instinct as to what looks good. When in doubt follow your instincts. Start out by taking shots of things that you think have pretty or beautiful colors. Show the photos to others and see if they agree. Photographers learn not only what they think is beautiful but what is universally beautiful as well.

Now the hard part practice all these principles at the same time. It’s not easy! Now you really know why photographers take years to really learn their craft.

This week’s assignment:
Let’s break this down into four assignments. You’ll need four rolls of film. Roll one, fill your available space. Shoot pictures of whatever you like, but get closer. Eliminate distractions from your image. Keep the focus of your image on whatever it was that made you want to take that photo. Roll two, forms. Here’s an old stand by that I did in college. Get out an assortment of vegtables and fruit from your kitchen. Put a sheet down on your table, no distractions, shoot an entire roll of the veggies and fruit making sure that your rearrange with each shot. Make sure you study your results and see which forms looked best. Roll three, Contrast, you can do this in B&W film if you want to. Take a shot of the flower in your garden in the early morning, afternoon, and sunset. Shoot some portraits at the same times, by candlelight too. When you see the results you will be surprised. Roll four, color. Use the vegtables again, this time paying attention to the colors. If you can tell me why a red tomato looks best on a green bed of lettuce or the orange sunset with the purple clouds is so captivating then you’ve figured out some of color theory.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum.
© 2004 Kelly Paal

About The Author
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography. She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.