“How do you take such amazing photos of your kids?”
I get asked this question SO MANY TIMES.

I’m lucky with Nina. She is a natural. Well, in all honesty, Yanik used to love the camera too when he was little! Teenage years and mama’s photos don’t really mix. On the rare occasions that I do manage to get him in a snap however, he always looks poised and handsome!

However, it’s not just about the kids enjoying being in front of the lens.
Mainly, taking better photos of your kids boils down to a few things.

None rocket science however.

Read on, and see for yourself!

How to take amazing photos of your kids

1. Study the light

Photography is all about light.
The best time to take photos are early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not so strong. Malta’s sun is so strong that it tends to wash out the colours when you take photos bang in the middle of the day. This is true especially in summer.
If it’s a cloudy day, you’re in luck! The clouds act as a diffuser and in turn the light is softened, which is the ideal.
On another note, look at your child to make sure that they’re either standing in full shade, or full sun. Half a face in the sun, and the other half in the shade will result in either an overexposed half face, or pitch black.

2. Consider the background

How many times have you managed to get a great photo of your child, only to realise when you’re having a second look at it that your eye is drawn to something else? It might be a cluttered table, a bright yellow bag in the distance, a stranger walking past…you probably know this too well.
You need to quickly take stock of the surroundings and clear the clutter or move to a different angle to exclude whatever it is that’s distracting. Doesn’t your photo look a hundred times better now?

3. Capture the natural shots

Instead of asking your kids to pose, take photos when they are unbeknownst to you. They might be playing together, chattering away to a doll, or even frowning to themselves whilst tackling a challenging task. There is a great beauty to these raw shots.

4. Take lots of photos

We’re lucky to be in the digital age, where you can take as many photos as your heart desires! You can never take enough photos when kids are concerned. Their expressions and movements are so fast-paced, that you can only capture the perfect shot if you take tens of it!

5. Get down

You’d be surprised what results this tip reaps. Get down on your hands and knees, tummy if need be, and shoot from their perspective.

6. Use a dedicated camera

Granted, your phone is great for capturing snapshots, and very good ones at that. However, no mobile phone can beat a great camera.
A good camera will give you professional-looking, sharp images, and can out-perform your phone when presented with challenging lighting conditions.
You are also able to take fast-paced photos of your children. A good quality camera is designed to keep up with more movement, and you can also play around with different effects.
I cannot not mention the countless times my phone has run out of battery (my last phone used to run out of memory too!), and having a dedicated camera ensures I do not disappoint myself at the last minute.
My camera of choice is the Canon Powershot G7XII. It is small but mighty; pocketable, yet powerful enough to give me exceptional quality even in the lowest of lights.
I also have a Canon DSLR and a couple of lenses, but I do prefer the G7XII due to the excellent combination of portability and quality.

This weekend, try my tips out! Let me know how it goes!

Love,

Nakita xxx