5 tips to take better snapshots at home :)

Having professional photos is wonderful, but sometimes its nice just to capture everyday moments. Those can be some of the most fun times! So I thought I would give you some tips on how to make those snapshots  better. :) (I'm also going to share some awful photos with you I have took, don't judge...they are just snapshots!!)

1) Always keep your horizon straight. In the photo below, it would have looked better if the baseboard was a straight line. Also, I hung a piece of fabric on the wall. Its wrinkly, and those lines are not straight either. This was a "prize photo" of my daughter from an online pageant we did which used to be the only reason I took photos and what inspired me to become a better photographer. :)

2) Watch your background. Having objects protruding from your child's head can be weird or unattractive. Look for things such as tree's, phone poles, and anything else that can look strange coming out of your child's head lol. The photo below is just a cell phone photo, but it could have been better if I would have stood left of him a little bit. Cut the toy on his left out a little and got the handle of the car out of his head. 

3) Shoot in the shade. Open shade. Taking photos in direct sunlight can wash out the face and create lots of shadows. Even in the photo above, Landon's face could have been a lot better if I had the option to shoot in the shade. There is a large shadow on the right side of his face but the left side is blown out. Shade creates lots of even lighting. Even lighting is good unless you are going for a dramatic artistic look. 

4) Get down on your subjects level! Lots of times we take photos and we just stand above our kids and snap away. Getting down on their level creates a better composure. I took the photo below at the Children's museum in Indy. I happened to be sitting down near her. If I would have been standing, you might not have been able to see that way too cute smile. :)

5)Watch about cutting off limbs and the tops of heads. Try to stand far enough away that you get all of those limbs and all of your babies head in the photo. It looks better and it keeps it from looking like the limb ends there, like the child is missing part of their body. 

With some even lighting and good composure, you can have all your friends checking out your photos swooning. :) 

Never forget!!! Safety first!!! Do not try to attempt these shots at home. They were edited this way, babies cannot really pose themselves on their arms. Their arms are NOT strong enough to hold their heads up!!

Also, in the first shot, mom was right there. Be careful in attempting a shot like this. You would NEVER want the older child to decide to stand up and go play dumping the newborn on the ground!!! Safety before fun photos! No picture is worth risking a life!!!

But never forget to have nice, professional photos taken too! There is still a lot more to taking photos than good composure and good lighting. With my photos, personally, I have invested in a lot of nice props, a good camera, Photoshop, and lots and lots of time and energy on learning how to properly use my camera which is one of the most important parts of being a professional photographer. For more information on my pricing, click here. To book me for a session, you can check out my Facebook page. Thanks for stopping by! Hope to work with you sometime soon. :)