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10 Tips for Taking Great Photos of Your Kids & Loved Ones

As a parent, you probably have thousands of photos of your family and children, but how many of those are truly good? If you’re not happy with the results you’re getting from your current skills, don’t worry — help is on the way! With these ten tips, you’ll take better photographs of your family and children in no time.

1. Using close-ups as opposed to using optical zoom

We asked WeShootYou, family photographers in London, for their opinion on how to take a great photo. One of their favorite shots to take of children was close-ups. They stressed the importance that close-ups should be taken by moving closer to the subject as opposed to zooming in optically, as you’ll end up with sharper results this way. See below for a beautiful close-up of a baby.

2. Use leading lines.

Leading lines are simply any lines that lead the viewer’s eye into the photograph—think roads, fences, railway tracks, or even folds in clothing. When used correctly, leading lines can help add depth and interest to your photographs. To use leading lines in your photos of family or children, look for opportunities to incorporate them into the composition. For example, positioning your subjects, so they’re standing on or near a bridge with lines of symmetry. Or near a location with lots of symmetrical objects leading into the distance.

Symmetrical objects
credits to WeShootYou photography.

3. Get a professional camera.

If you’re serious about taking better photographs of your family and children, you need to invest in a professional camera. This doesn’t mean you need to spend thousands of dollars on the latest and greatest DSLR—any good quality DSLR or mirrorless camera will do. But buying a professional camera will give you access to features and controls that aren’t available on most point-and-shoot cameras or smartphones, making it much easier to take great photos. Additionally, consider including a camera lens cleaning kit in your photography gear to maintain the clarity of your lenses, ensuring your photos remain sharp and vibrant. According to Tom’s guide, the Nikon D5600 is an excellent choice that packs decent quality with a good balance for price. 

4. Take pictures from a low angle.

Taking pictures from a low angle can make your subjects appear larger than they actually are and add a sense of power or importance to them. When taking photos of family or children from a low angle, be careful not to include too much sky in the frame. Otherwise, your photo will end up looking unnecessarily top-heavy.

5. Use a wide-angle lens on an iPhone.

Suppose you’ve got an iPhone and want to take advantage of its multiple lenses, especially if you have newer models. To take advantage of the wide-angle lenses, switch to the 0.5 zoom function on the camera app. This should display a zoomed-out image on the screen. This is a fantastic function as it allows more foreground when taking photographs of your family or children without stepping too far back, especially in an environment with little space, like a small flat. 

6. Use the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that suggests dividing an image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, so that you have nine equal parts. This guide is meant to help you place your subject off-center, leading to more eye-catching and interesting results. To use the rule of thirds when taking photographs of your family or children, simply align your subject along one of the lines or intersections. 

7. The HDR function on your phone or camera

Use HDR when taking pictures outside on bright days. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. HDR is an image processing technique that can be used to great effect when taking pictures outside on bright days. It helps reduce contrast and add detail to the photograph’s dark and light areas for more balanced results. The HDR function can generally be found in the settings menu under camera settings for most androids or iPhones. This is usually switched off by default.

8. Add a classical touch with the beautiful B&W 

Try black & white photography black & white photography can help simplify a busy scene by removing color distractions—this can be especially helpful when taking photographs of young children who tend to move around a lot!

A black and white photograph of two children playing on logs.
A black and white photograph of two children playing on logs.

9. Avoid using flash, especially on-camera flash

Don’t use flash. Flash photography tends to produce harsh lighting results that can be unflattering, especially when photographing people. So unless you’re specifically trying to create a dramatic effect, it’s best avoided altogether when shooting family or child portraits.

10. Enjoy yourself because life’s short!

Have fun! Remember that photography is supposed to be enjoyable—so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get perfect results every time out! Just relax, have fun, and let the good times flow with Smoke Bombs for photography as this will create memorable and colorful pictures.

Taking great family photos doesn’t have to be difficult—just follow these ten simple tips, and you’ll be well on your way! And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun while doing it!

Images by WeShootYou Photography.