So I have actually been struggling with taking photos of my family during this time. Homeschooling is hard and it is exhausting to me, having a balance between having structure and letting things go, all the tears and fighting.....oh the fighting, it can really take a toll on me...so by the time I put the kids to bed I'm just wanting to veg on the couch, hello wine and chocolate!! During the day I don't always take the time to grab my camera to take photos of this journey, I'm hoping this post will encourage me, and you to take more photos.
Some of my favourite photos are when I just take a step back and let things unfold naturally. I just take pictures of them doing their thing....Kaysen has been getting a little annoyed at me when I do pull out the ol' camera. Oh well, anyways, so here are some quick little tips I can give you to get the best at home photos of your family.
1) Get the details - Taking pictures of the details help tell your story. It captures and gives focus to what your family is doing, compared to just getting the whole shot which can take away from the story sometimes. This can be a picture of a ladybug in your child's hand, or them stirring the muffin batter. Children grow up so fast and capturing them doing the little things, is just how we remember their innocence and treasure their childhood.
2) Change perspective - Another way to capture your family in an interesting way is to change your perspective. Shoot from above or get right down to the ground. It is amazing how a simple change of position can really change the feel of your photos. So try standing on a chair or the bed to get an above angle or get down on your belly and get down and dirty!! Experiment, you may find a different perspective you really like.
3) Lighting - This is a major component to awesome photos. You are sitting at home, notice how the light changes during the day. Pull up your blinds and let the natural light in, turn off all your other lights in the room. See how much light you have coming in your room.....if it still isn't enough, get your subject right by the window, you will probably get the eye catching reflection in the pupil. Also position your kids or whoever you are taking photos of, towards the light....so they should be facing the window. Ever try taking a photo and your subject is really dark and the window behind them is bright?? This is your camera trying to expose you photo correctly.....so to fix this have them face the window, and voila, you have a beautifully exposed photo.
4) Find the beauty in the chaos - By this I just mean take pictures of it all....are your kids dog pilled up on top of each other, take a picture, did they make a play dough master piece, take a picture, or just making lunch....capture everything and anything. I used to put out a puzzle and make a situation happen....now I just go with the flow....I find that lowering my expectations, and just letting things naturally pan out while they play, they surprise me with how creative they can be. This is such an unknown time so lets document it!
5) Keep your camera/phone out - This is another game changer.....sometimes I miss a sweet moment if I have to dig out my camera....so now, it sits out on a side table in the living room. Then I can catch sweet moments like this.
I hope you get some inspiration from this!! I would love to see the photos you take of your family, so add them to the comments of this post. Every family deserves to be documented, and I can not wait to be able to document your family in your home....someday soon!!!!
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