Dress Up

Pull up a seat. It's story time!

I had just finished some light house cleaning and snack time was approaching as I decided to check in on Kailynn in her play room. She was playing quietly and making a mess of toys as usual, so I set off to prepare her snack. As I'm cutting the grapes in half, I hear Kailynn singing the clean up song followed by the sounds of her rummaging through her toy bins. I was walking out of the kitchen and into the hallway when I noticed a trail of plastic bracelets and beaded necklaces. I followed the trail of jewelry into the play room and noticed that Kailynn had decided to play dress up. She looked at me with a big smile and said, "pretty." I ran to grab my camera and the smile disappeared as soon as she saw it. I had to take a picture regardless just to remember this moment.

This is how I found her dressed...

Say Cheese!

The first and probably the most important tip I have when it comes to photographing children would be to let them be themselves. How many times have you pulled out your camera and told your little one to “say cheese?” Most of the time, they will pose awkwardly and force a smile onto their face. Ideally, a big smile and looking directly into the camera would be a perfect shot. If you have ever tried to get a toddler to sit still for more than just a few seconds, you know how difficult it is to get that “perfect photo.” Well, I have good news for you! They don’t have to be smiling or even looking at the camera for it to be a good photo. Let them run around and have fun. Who knows? They just may cooperate with you if you make it seem like a game and not a task. Just be sure to have your camera at hand and be ready to take a ton of photos.

Just the other day, I took Kailynn outside to play before it started to rain. I sat in the middle of the yard and started snapping away with my camera while she simply played on her tricycle. I took nearly 50 photos. Of those 50, these are my 4 favorites. Notice how she isn’t smiling in any of the photos.

I hope this tip helps you the next time you have your camera out! Be sure to check back for more photography tips!