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How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids

Jan 15

**While I’m busy welcoming a new baby into our home *woohoo!* I’m having some of my amazing blogging friends step in and share some rad posts with you all. Please give them some love and enjoy their creative ways!**

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

Well I’ve had the wonderful honor of having Colleen rave about her family images in numerous posts and we’ve had the opportunity to do a fun giveaway together but I haven’t yet taken over for a day ☺ And so today, I get to share with you what makes photography so special to me – documenting my own children. For this example I will be speaking from the stand-point of a parent and using mainly images of my own children.

I can guarantee that some of your New Years Resolution are probably to get more photos of your kids…or maybe to get ‘better’ photos of your kids.

I’m a huge advocate for ‘being present’ and so even though, as a photographer, I spend a lot of time behind a heavy DSLR camera, I don’t look down on anyone who operates a camera phone 100% of the time. As a parent, my phone camera and I have a great relationship and scrolling through my Instagram account, at our family’s adventures, is honestly one of my favorite past times.  So…these won’t be extensive tips on how to operate your DSLR better. If you have one, FANTASTIC…Use it! Now is your time to practice and PS. Reading the manual really does help ;) If you don’t have one, don’t worry, catch those moments with whatever you have – you will cherish them for years to come.

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

1. HAVE FUN

It’s okay to have fun! Taking photos of our kids has actually ended up in an epic game of ‘Chase me around the house’ once (or maybe twice) and since we live in a digital age, I just deleted the blurry shots later on(and even kept one) and kept snapping. And guess what, we had fun. In my mind our photos are simply a way to take us back to that memory so if you had a blurry image of your child giggling from that moment, wouldn’t you enjoy that feeling a few months, or years, later? Now don’t get me wrong, I probably wouldn’t put that image on my wall but I would enjoy the memory.

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

2. DOCUMENT

You don’t always need to hear ‘CHEESE’!! In years from now, wouldn’t you love to see the images of your children building a snowman, even if you can’t see their faces, and remember their laughter?…remember how wonderful that moment[when they were getting along] made you feel.

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

3. MOVE

Sometimes taking a photo from above does help to document that moment…a wider angle will help, so you can take it from standing level, and to encompass the items around your child to tell the story of what they are doing. BUT, most of the time parents forget to move! These bodies God gave us were meant to do just that and sometimes to get the best shot you simply need to WALK to a different spot in the house. Simple, I know but I don’t think some of you know it – get down to their level and catch their smile and facial expression while they are helping you bake cookies…get in front of some furniture or clutter so the you don’t get what’s unnecessary in the shot AND…. Remember you can step back too. You can even RUN – they are kids so don’t expect them to stay still. Move your bodies to frame your shot better.

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

4. LIGHTING

This wouldn’t be complete without something a little technical. Carrying on from above: If you are trying to freeze the movement of your running child, this is best done outdoors (for more than a lighting reason). If you have a DSLR – now is the time to take it off of automatic and experiment. You will need to increase your SHUTTER SPEED to freeze their movement. If you are inside (or in low lighting) and using a point and shoot or camera phone you may have to use a flash. If you are outside, in daylight, turn your flash off. So many automatic settings will instantly pop up your flash but flash, if not truly needed, will make faces looked washed out.

If you are inside, try to face your subject towards the windows and use natural light. Window light, especially in winter when the sky is overcast, is so beautiful and soft.

Look for the best lighting in your house and then set up a craft or cooking baking time!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5 Tips to Help you take better photos of your kids- awesome advice!

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE

If you are travelling, or even just out and about, keep your equipment simple. If you have gotten some new gear for Christmas, don’t feel like you need to take multiple lenses on a vacation – they could easily get ruined or stolen. Keep your load light and take your favorite combination of camera body and lens (or point and shoot) and get familiar with it. Another reason to take less is that sometimes when you are so worried about the equipment and switching lenses, you flat out miss your shot. Stay in the moment, shoot what you see and be part of the action. When we went to California & Mexico last year I took one camera with one lens – a 50mm – and packed it everywhere. Being part of what’s going on is the most fun whether it is on the beach, in the ocean, or at the market….and watching your kids discover new things is priceless.

Troi Crombie is the owner/operator of Troi Crombie Photography, focusing on family lifestyle and storytelling sessions. See more of her work at www.troicrombie.com

Instagram: troicrombie | Facebook: troicrombiephotography | Twitter: troicrombie

Category: LifestyleTag: Guest Post, Kids, Photography, Tips and Tricks
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I’m Colleen: wife; mom to 4 wild ones; and DIY blogger behind Lemon Thistle. You can expect to see rad DIY, modern home decor, renovations, hand lettering and the occasional party on Lemon Thistle. Read More…

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Unless otherwise noted, all content and images are mine. Full posts may not be shared without express written consent. But I love when you share! Feel free to share, without altering, one image with proper credit and a link to the original post. All free printables are for personal use only.

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colleenpastoor

My house is never this clean
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colleen pastoor/lemon thistle
These pillows make the perfect forts and that mean These pillows make the perfect forts and that means they never stay on the couches. But when it’s clean for that 10 minutes it’s so nice 😂
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I rounded up 10+ awesome DIY home decor projects in partnership with @officialCricut #ad over on the blog yesterday, there's some really fun ones from my friends too!
#CricutMade #Cricut
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Even though it didn’t win the vote, I still decided to make this free printable a set instead of just the one!
You can find them plus so many other gorgeous spring printables from some friends of mine over on the blog today!
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Almost half of you don’t know I blog! That’s my job, guys 😂 IG is just a fun little part of that! So tell me... is this new information to you or are you team ‘knew that!’? 

Also... Should I do a blogging Q&A? 🤷🏼‍♀️
Happy Valentine’s Day, friends 🥰 Happy Valentine’s Day, friends 🥰
Anyone else feeling the balance between work and f Anyone else feeling the balance between work and family and rest and keeping your house liveable has all just toppled this year? I keep seeing articles about pandemic fatigue and long term stress and burnout and while it’s totally relatable, I really just want tips on how to actually deal with that. I thought I’d share some things that are helping me if you’re in the same boat... and I’d love if you shared your tips in the comments! We could all use them 🥰
-I’ve been going for a walk every day by myself. Even when it’s freaking cold like today, I just bundle. It’s the only time I get truly to myself with no kiddo asking for something and that I don’t have to try squeeze in an email or something else.
-I’ve been putting the instant pot to work and leaning on cheater meals (local soup mixes are amazing), Costco dinners... whatever
- I’m prioritizing friendships with phone calls, zoom games nights and group chats about the bachelor (with matching snacks!)
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- I’ve realized exactly how much time I’ve been spending on my phone and that it’s become my response to stress. Have you ever looked up your screen time analytics? 🥴 look at how many times you pick it up in your day. I’m setting app limits for myself and trying to break this habit, but I’d really love tips!
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Who has DIY projects on their mind this year?! 

👏🏻CLOSED 👏🏻 congrats @kelseycford ✨
@ryobi_canada and I want to help you start knocking those projects off your list by giving away a new nailer and battery set! #ad 
This tool is what we used for this accent wall and all the trim in our home. It’s the one I used to trim out my built in shelving and add the decorative moulding to my geometric barn door. What I’m saying is this thing is a workhorse and I want you to have one too 😉
To enter:
✨Follow me @colleenpastoor and @ryobi_canada 
✨like and save this photo 
✨ tag some friends who’d love to win in the comments! One tag per comment, each is an entry. 
✨ share to your stories for a bonus 5 entries!

Open to Canadians only this time (sorry US friends!) and not associated with Instagram. Closes Friday Jan 22 at noon PST!
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