There’s a lot of life that happens between photography sessions and you want to document it and if you’re like me, you want to document and document it well. So here’s a few tips for getting great photos of your kids at home with whatever camera you’re using.

Also, just remember. Don’t miss the moment or memory because it’s not perfect. It’s more important to capture the memories. This goes for pictures of you with your kids, too. Sure, we might not post the one of our 4 day greasy hair on the internet (or maybe you do, like me) when your baby is acting so cute and funny, but that’s not the point. The point is to create lasting memories for you and your children and your children’s children to remember you by! They don’t care that your hair was dirty, they care that you were there.

Place them near a window

You don’t want direct sunlight coming through the window but good, soft light is perfect! Put your kid facing the window for the most even light. Don’t be afraid to move furniture (like cribs or chairs) around to get them facing the right direction.

Don’t rely on your overhead lights or lamps

Ever wonder why your pictures have such weird colors when you’re relying on the lights in your house for light? It’s because they cause color casts that are really hard to edit out. Instead, turn off the lights and stick to natural light when you can.

For the best smiles

For babies I find the best smiles come from playing peek a boo, shaking a toy directly on top of the camera or playing a favorite song!

For older kid’s, instead of asking your child to smile, ask them to say “ha ha” which will bring about a more natural looking smile. Or ask them to make a silly face and then catch the natural smile afterwards. If you’ve ever been in a photo session with me, you know that sometimes I ask you to do silly things and it’s almost never about the silly thing but about the natural smile and laughs that come afterwards. This trick is even more applicable to kids.

The front porch

Or other covered outdoor area is usually really great source of soft light. Why? Because it creates what’s considered open shade. Open shade is really nice soft light and avoids any harsh shadows or squinty eyes from the bright sun.

Can’t tell where the best light is where you are?

Take out your camera and walk around your subject until it looks well lit in your camera. Boom. Usually that means the sun is behind you taking the picture but shaded by something (a tree, the house, etc). If there is direct sun on someone move them to a shaded spot but still facing the sun.

Time of day

Rested and fed is always best. End of story.

Don’t force a pose

It’s my personal opinion that while a perfect smiling pose on the chair is nice, what you will really want to remember is how they crawled around, how they loved reading books, how they loved sticks. Work with your kids. Let them have the toy they want or be willing to chase them around in between trying to get them to do what you want. You might get what you were hoping for or you might just get some great memories. Either way, you win!

I hope this helps and I’d love to see your cute pictures so please share them with me!!