As hard as this period in our lives is, we are making memories with our families and will keep making those memories until we can venture out into the world again.
We are all celebrating special birthdays and milestones while we are safe at home and even though we can’t commemorate those occasions with photo sessions, it doesn’t mean we can’t have celebratory photos of our children. No matter what the size of your house or the equipment you’re using, there are a few things you can do to improve the milestone photos you take at home.
1) Take your photos near the lowest and largest window in your home (or a patio door). This will ensure you have enough light to take your photos. When there isn’t a lot of light your phone / camera lowers it’s shutter speed and you end up with blurry photos.
2) Rather than using verbal prompts to have your child sit or stand near the source of light, set up enticing activities for them to explore and play with. It’s much easier to take photos of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers when they are having fun with special toys or sensory activities (e.g., a bowl of water with bath toys, play dough, items with different textures).
3) Consider opening your front door and sitting in the door way with your child directly in front of you. You’ll have abundant light and can capture their attention by whatever is going on outside your door (e.g., ask them if they can hear the birds or see the trees blowing in the wind).
4) Avoid taking photos in direct sunlight. Do you need a refresher on finding indirect or diffused light? I have a blog post and video series you can find here.
5) Clear out a small space rather than a whole room. You don’t need to tidy up a whole room for photos! All you need is a small area that’s about 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep that is close to the window you’ve chosen for light. This will help to eliminate any distractions while you’re taking photos. Get close enough to your child or their face.
6) If you want your child to wear a special outfit for photos, consider having them sit on child sized furniture or stand holding onto something. It’s much harder to capture their outfit when they are sitting directly on the floor because our eyes will be drawn to their shoes. If your little one isn’t sitting or standing, lay them on their back and dangle a toy beside your camera while you take photos to discourage them from rolling away.
