5 Tips for Taking Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids This Summer!

Its the summer holidays! So far, so good! The weather has been gorgeous! There is plenty to do to keep the kids out and about outdoors in the sunshine! Of course this almost means that us parents will be there with our phone cameras at the ready, prepared to capture those precious family moments whenever they happen. We want to be able to look back, forever remembering that glorious summer when they were little! Not to mention, curating that enviable instagram feed! (Admit it!!) Unfortunately, most parents, however hard they try, just can't seem to capture that moment they way they want to. The photos ok, but maybe a bit blurry, or off-centered...or maybe they're not quite right and you're not sure why? So, how do you take those gorgeous photos of your kids as they zoom around a beach at full speed? Here are my 6 tips to making sure your holiday photos are amazing! And don't worry about carrying around a huge and expensive DSLR camera on holiday. You can take amazing photos with just your phone camera. Just follow some simple rules!

1. Avoid harsh sunlight!

Natural light is the best for photos, but at the same time, the sun can be the enemy of photographers! Harsh sun ads unflattering shadows to faces, not to mention squinting in the bright light. Try to find some shade, or wait until a cloud covers the sun. The best time for photos is always first thing in the morning and in the evening when the sun is low in the sky.

2. Find those moments that tell your story. A single image can tell a very big story. So, instead of posing your family and asking for false smiles, keep an eye out for those little moments which help tell the story of your families time together. Capturing candid interactions like hugs and laughs are far more intimate and illicit far more emotion than posed images. Often the very best images are taken of people who don't even realize their being photographed.

3. Get down low Very simply, when photographing small children, make sure your take your photo from down at their level and not photographing from above. Its a little thing that makes a huge difference!

4. Keep it simple The one thing that can really hurt an otherwise great photo, is clutter and objects in the background can really detract from your subject. Take a look at what behind your subject. Does it help tell your story or is it just clutter? Keep your photos as clean and as simple as possible.

5. Relax I stopped carrying around my DLSR when I'm out with my kids. I became so occupied with taking that "perfect photo" that I stopped taking the time to actually enjoy the time with my family! Remember, these summer holidays are so short, so just relax and when you see something beautiful, take a photo...or don't! I hope all have a wonderful summer break and that you get some gorgeous photos to remember this summer by! If you'd like more advice, keep a look out for my Photography for Parents workshops happening this autumn!

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