Who doesn’t want to take better pictures!? Everyone wants to capture their memories in the best way possible. And you can’t have a professional photographer follow you around 24/7. So I thought I would give you some tips on how to make your family snapshots a little better. Most of us don’t think much about it when we see a picture opportunity. Instead we run and grab the camera really fast and snap away. Right? Well, there’s a few things you can thing about to make each shot you take better.

1.) Get down to their level! For babies and crawlers, often times I lay on my belly and take the pictures. For a busy toddler, I crouch down to their level. Put your subject on a chair or steps to bring them up to higher levels.

2.) Get lots of angles. Walk around your subject and take shots from different angles. Your natural reflex is most likely to take the picture straight on. Changing the angle gives a different perspective and look to the image.

3.) Fill the frame. Zoom in or move closer to your subject. When using your point and shoots flash, stay further away and zoom in on the subject. The flash won’t be as harsh. Filling the frame takes out the distractions in the background. It helps keep the focus on your subject.

4.) Try to stay away from white or extremely light colors for clothing. Yes, I know white polos and khaki’s make for classic shots, but light colors also absorb light much more than darker colors, therefore you lose detail in your shots in bright light. Bright colors usually work best.

5.) Stay away from busy patterns and logos! 500 cars or trucks zooming across a shirt can be very distracting in pictures. It draws your eyes away from your main focus. Don’t get me wrong, some patterns are way cool for pics, such as polka dots, or really cute plaid shorts

6.) And lastly, try to keep you background simple. Look for spots that are kinda plain, or interesting. Simple is good in keeping the focus on your child, and not what’s behind or around them. Tight shots that fill the frame help this a lot. Take a cool barn that has been weathered and fill the frame with the wall, and you’ve got yourself a cool shot!

Hope that helps in making your pictures better when a professional photographer is not their to capture that special moment. If you decide to use the information I have provided you, i’d love to see what you got! Send me your shots using these tips to joy@joyhamiltonphotography.com