Hi everyone! I’m going to start posting more content and I thought a perfect first post would be photography tips! Paying for professional photos isn’t always a reality and trust me, I know that kids are cute every day of the year. So here are my top 5 tips that can improve your photography today!
1. Turn off the flash! Unless you are indoors with low lighting, you do not need the flash. It flattens features and leaves a harsh black line around your subjects. If you are in a low lighting situation, try bumping up your ISO and opening up your f-stop to 5.6 or wider. That helps let as much light into the lens as possible.
While this little girl (my niece!) is adorable, this picture isn’t doing her any favors. Her skin looks dull and that dark shadow under her chin is driving me crazy! She also looks like she has gray hair!
This image is so much nicer! His skin has beautiful tone and color to it and his eyes are clear. If you are indoors, find a window! Window light is some of the most beautiful for photographs.
2. Stop using auto mode! I know it is hard, especially when it is so convenient to let the camera do all the work, but your pictures will benefit so much from getting off auto. If full manual is too intimidating, try using aperture-priority mode or shutter-priority mode. And if you still need help, Google it! The internet is chock full of camera tutorials. My favorite thing to do when I need help with something is to look up a tutorial on YouTube. That way, I can see exactly what I need to do in real time!
3. Play! You can always read the manual, or Google tutorials like I said above, but the way that I learn best is just to play with my camera! Change some settings, take a few pictures, and compare. This is a great way to see what your camera is capable of, but to also see which settings work best for what you are trying to accomplish.
4. If you are photographing your kids, get down on their level! I see so many parents photographing their children from above. This is a very unflattering angle, and it also doesn’t capture a child’s spirit. Kids come alive when you engage with them at their level. So get down and snap away!
5. Get in the picture! This is so important, it should be #1, but you need to get in front of the camera sometimes. A tripod is the best tool for making this happen. When your kids look back on pictures from their childhood, they will want to see their parents. If you are always stuck behind the camera, you are missing from your family’s precious memories.
These are just some basic tips, but I hope they inspire you to get more creative and to learn more about your camera. Happy snapping!