How to... take pictures of your littles!

When it comes to capturing photos of your littles, it can be a challenge right? I’ve been there, shouting, “Jax! Jax! Look at mama! Jax, say cheese!” Between their little wiggly bodies and their sense of independence, there is just no way they will stay still for a photo. But, I am telling y’all today, you CAN capture photos of your children and it DOES NOT have to end in with you or your child having a meltdown.

Let’s break down some of our family tips for capturing photos of your littles.

1. Let go of any and all expectations. Yes, I said ALL expectation! I know, take a deep breath… it will be ok. Your photo may not look exactly like the inspo photo you saved on Pinterest or Instagram. And you know what? That’s ok! Let go of what you think the photo is supposed to look like. When you don’t have any expectation you’d be surprised at the little surprise moments that you’ll capture!

2. Find the light! Natural light is your bestie! If you’re home, open the windows and turn off the lights! If you’re outside, find the shade. If you still don’t know where the light is the best, here’s a good trick. Hold up your hand like you’re about to give a high five. Rotate it 90° and watch the light change on your hand. If the light is still harsh, or you have weird shadows crossing it, keep rotating. You want the most even looking light as possible. When you find the direction where the sun is the best, face your child that way! If you child is squinting, that’s a sure sign that you just need to turn them 180°. Also, keep in mind that early morning sun and golden hour (an hour before the sun is setting) light is really going to be your fav.

3. Now that you know how to find the best light, let’s talk about shutter speed! Your kids are wiggly and your photos are always blurry. Getting your child to sit still is just never going to happen. Y’all that’s ok! Remember, tip #1 no expectations. If you’re using a fancy DSLR camera you need to have your shutter speed set to capture action! That means it will be around 1/125-1/500. Also, while you’re at it make sure you have your camera set to continuously shoot. This goes for you trusty iphone as well. Use the burst option y’all! If you didn’t know, you can hold down the capture button and it will rapid fire. Be sure to first focus on your little! You’ll end up with hundreds of candid options! Some may still end up blurry but you’ll at least have options.

4. Stay safe but let your littles wander! If you’re following tip #1 than this tip should be a breeze. Some of my favorite photos of Jax are when he is just wandering around and discovering things. He’ll point to the cars, pick up a rock or, already have a toy in his hand. You never know what that little face of discovery will do. You best believe I am there with my camera to capture it. Or like the other week, he’ll choose to sit on the steps by himself and give me a moment or two where he is just chilling. Instead of stressing myself out calling his name, trying to get him to look at the lens, or even to smile… I just let him do his thing. Candid childhood moments are really the best ones anyways.

5. If you don’t get a good photo it’s ok. This is something that I have had to work through a lot! (just keeping it real.) With the day and age that we live in posting images almost daily on social media platforms we almost feel like we need to have something to post. But y’all, it’s ok if you don’t! And let’s take it another step further, no one but you knows that you wanted to post something anyways! Your relationship with your little and their safety is more important than the likes and the follows. If you don’t end up catching the most gram-able photo of your little, let it go, enjoy the memories and move on. There will be plenty of moments for you to whip out your camera!

6. Bonus Tip: HAVE FUN! If you and your littles are having too much fun, just enjoy and embrace the moment. Remember it for what it is and don’t disturb the memory by trying to capture it in a photo. Your child will appreciate you being there with them more than they’ll appreciate the photo later or how many likes you got on it.

How do you take photos of your littles? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve? Share em with us! And share with us your social handles! We want to put faces with names and show your feeds some love!