My Best Tips for Taking Pics of Your Kids
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It’s no secret I love taking pics of my girls. But I’d be lying if I said it is easy.
It’s taken years of practice to realize what works and what doesn’t.
After trial and error, here are my best tips for taking pics of your kids.
Remember Your Why
If we’re being honest, there are many times we take pictures on our phones without having an actual reason to.
We are so used to taking pictures of anything and everything that we sometimes forget why we are taking pics in the first place.
Personally, these are my whys:
I want to remember special moments with my girls, such as fun events or award ceremonies.
I want to remember my girls with the people they love.
I want to remember my girls at various ages and stages.
Lower Your Expectations
We live in a picture-perfected curated world that makes it really easy to hold our kids to unattainable standards – especially when it comes to pictures.
Don’t expect your kids to always take perfect pictures!
For every picture you see on your social media feed, remember that the mom took several others and only posted the best one.
Instead, lower your expectations. If you capture your whys, that’s what matters.
Stop Lying to Get the Perfect Pic
I’d be lying if I claimed I never said, “Just one more pic!” to my girls.
However, I have learned (the hard way) that this hurts more than it helps.
Kids know you’re lying when you make this claim.
Instead, choose your words wisely, such as, “Once we get a picture with both of you looking in the same direction, we’ll be finished.”
Let Kids Be Kids
In our quest for perfect pics, we can sometimes try to force our kids to act older than they are.
Don’t do it.
Let kids be kids!
You’ll get much better pictures if you snap some while they are playing rather than forcing them to stand still and pose.
If they want to act silly, it’s okay! Kids are silly!
Don’t Force Smiles
If you try to force a smile, you’ll get a fake smile.
Don’t tell them to say cheese and don’t tell them to smile.
Instead, give them a reason to smile, such as telling a corny joke, and then snap the pic.
Bribery Works, Too
I am not above bribing my girls for a picture now and then.
Since we live in such a picture-heavy society (taking pictures constantly), I try to only use bribery for the pictures I really want, such as holiday pics.
The key is to keep the bribe small and to give clear rules.
For instance, you can’t say, “I’ll give you some M&Ms if you take a pic,” and then try to get kids to take twenty pictures until you get the perfect one.
Tell them what you are looking for, ask their suggestions, and tell them what you’ll give them as a reward.
Make Sure You Print Pictures
After all the hard work of getting the perfect pictures, don’t let them just sit on your phone or your computer.
Print them out and hang them up in your home!
If kids know the pictures you take will actually be used, they’ll be more willing to show off their photogenic personalities.
