I’m working with Shutterfly on a sponsored three-part series to share some of my favorite photography tips with you. Over the next few weeks I’ll tell you how to photograph your cute home, and I’ll talk about documenting your baby’s growth like I’ve done with my monthly baby pictures. Today though? It’s all about taking great photos of kids.
First of all, kiddos are short. You’ll get better results if you get down to their level.
Of course, sometimes standing over them can give you an interesting shot. The occasional Dutch angle is good too (just don’t overdo it).
Don’t be afraid to get close.
Closer.
And even if you don’t know a thing about composition, or the technical aspects of photography, you can never fail when capturing emotion.
“I’m not so sure about this…”
“It moves!?”
“This is the best!”
See that? Pure joy! Nothing better.
This content series is brought to you by Shutterfly. Make your photo book just the way you want with the all New Custom Path.
whoorl
May 6, 2011 at 9:54 amWhat a doll!
susan
May 6, 2011 at 9:57 amAlso the best? Her daddy’s hands keeping her safe. Wonderful pictures.
Cat
May 6, 2011 at 10:02 amOh my gosh, I love. I am so bad at it, I love hearing all of your tips!!!
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 10:31 amI hope they help!
Melissa
May 6, 2011 at 10:27 amShe is too precious!!
Sarah
May 6, 2011 at 10:30 amNicole – I LOVE your site and have absolutely nothing against sponsored posts, and you making the profit you deserve for all of your hard work, but for my 2 cents the ratio of sponsored posts (or posts with gifted items) to non sponsored posts (with no gifted items) has been a bit too high these days.
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 10:33 amSarah, thanks for the feedback. I do have a few sponsors lined up right now, and then I don’t have any more for a while after that. I’ve been planning to share these photography tips with everyone though, so I thought this was a natural fit.
Lizzie
May 6, 2011 at 11:44 amAmazing tip Nicole, thanks! We bought our Nikon in 2009 and still are mastering it. Lately we have been using the *child* setting for photos of Liv since she moves for fast.
We are putting together a 1st year book at Shutterfly but I am having the hardest time uploading photos. Have you ever had a problem? I load the pictures and the *Simple Path* page just freezes. I wish it wasn’t so frustrating.
Take Care
P.S. Eleanor looks like she had a great time!
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 12:06 pmI’ve only used Shutterfly for photo prints so far, not a book yet. I’m going to take the time to do one this weekend of Eleanor’s monthly photo shoots now that they’ve come to an end, so hopefully the process goes smoothly.
Danielle
May 6, 2011 at 1:45 pmI did created my wedding album with shutterfly! Our photographer gave us a cd of the pictures. We didn’t have a lot of money for an album. I must say, it came out great! Everyone compliments me on it.
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 1:47 pmSmart!
em
May 6, 2011 at 12:02 pmAs soon as I saw the goat, I knew where you were! So jealous that Eleanor rides the carousel! My daughter is terrified! Great post!
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 12:07 pmIt was her first time! We weren’t sure how she’d react, but she LOVED it.
Erin
May 6, 2011 at 12:16 pmI love your blog! Were did Eleanor’s cute headband come from?
Making it Lovely
May 6, 2011 at 12:18 pmThanks! It was from J.Crew (crewcuts).
Debbie
May 6, 2011 at 2:01 pmFantastic! Looking forward to these posts. Especially since I still haven’t cracked open the other photography book you recommended. Some day soon …
Carla
May 6, 2011 at 2:13 pmVery helpful tips, thanks – I can use all the help I can get!
Susan/Project Balancing Act
May 6, 2011 at 2:34 pmBrookfield Zoo? It is the best!
Making it Lovely
May 7, 2011 at 11:30 pmYes!
Teresa
May 6, 2011 at 2:43 pmStep one should be have a gorgeous kid like Eleanor! Great images, looks like she was having a great day!
RuthE
May 6, 2011 at 8:27 pmBeautiful pictures you are so creative and artistic. I love that you share so much with us.
RuthE
May 6, 2011 at 8:30 pmJust curious do you adjust the color on the photographs? They colors are just so beautiful. Did the 101 photo class change the way you photograph? I am thinking of taking the course myself.
Making it Lovely
May 7, 2011 at 11:32 pmAren’t they vibrant? They were like that without any adjusting! The bright, sunny day helped, and yes the Photo 101 class helped. All of the photos were taken in manual mode, which I wouldn’t have been confident enough to use before!
Anna
May 7, 2011 at 6:32 amLove the photos. What kind of camera are you using?
Making it Lovely
May 7, 2011 at 11:33 pmI used my Canon Rebel XT (it’s a very early model – the newer ones have a different set of letters at the end of the name).
ArticulateArt
May 7, 2011 at 8:37 amVery cute photos!!!!
Your Mother
May 8, 2011 at 1:57 ambeautiful!
Thais
May 8, 2011 at 7:10 pmgreat shots, amazing tips… and OMG, she’s just like brandon now!
Catching up « Busywork
May 9, 2011 at 8:10 am[…] – I have a new camera and so am trying to soak up advice on photography at the moment. Also: taking great photos of kids – taking pictures of people is something I could do with improving […]
Cocotte
May 9, 2011 at 2:55 pmOMG it’s make long time since i haven’t visit your blog and she is so big now what a doll!!
Krissy Rouse Higgins
November 15, 2011 at 11:31 amSo far I have 2 favorites – Merry Montage and Initially Merry. I love the layout and that you can put more then 1 or 2 pics of the family. I like to do one family shot, then one of each of the kids on their own – they all have such different personalities, its nice to let that show on a card, b/c the family recognizes it. I have 3 kids and a step-son so that’s a LOT of personality, lol.