Life - Love - Lens Wednesday: Top 3 Tips for Moms with a Camera {Richmond Photographer, Photography Tips}

First of all, I’d like to make sure there is a disclaimer here. I do not consider myself an expert on all things photography. I do, however, spend a lot of time and effort educating myself and learning everything I can on whatever I am most interested in at the moment. :) I feel confident in the things I DO know, and that is what this blog will be about.....what I know, and what I do. So, with that said, here are my top 3 tips for all of you ‘moms with a camera.’


1. Take your camera with you everywhere - even if it’s just your iPhone. Take it everywhere and make sure to take at least a few snap shots. You will never regret having a picture of your loved ones, but you might regret NOT having one when an opportunity/event/somethin’ special arises.

This was shot at my son's field trip to Children's Museum of Richmond. I LOVE his curls, AND his kindergarten handwriting!

2. Look for the light. It’s simple, but often overlooked. If you have a window, door, skylight or anything that let’s in natural light you want to see the light and use it properly.  TURN OFF YOUR FLASH and use whatever natural light you have. Face your subject towards the light, but not directly IN a ray of sunshine and you will tend to get the best results. This may require some experimentation, but at least start looking for the light. You will be amazed at the things you notice when you look at light instead of specific objects. 

The images below were taken in my home studio where I have some ah-mazing light (3 walls of sliding glass doors.) 

BUT You don’t have to have a room with tons of windows to get great light, one little window will do, as in the shot below. This was shot in a clients house with one window to the left of the baby.

So, just look around your house during different times of that day and make some mental notes, then practice, practice, practice!

3.  Look for emotion - timing is everything! I’ll be the first to admit that when I started my business I did NOT have the best technical skills, but what I did have was a desire (together with some skill and luck) to capture emotion and an ‘eye’ for composition. I would rather have a (less than perfect) shot of my kids laughing or looking like ‘themselves’, than a technically perfect portrait where they have a fake smile and some silly prop in their hand, wouldn’t you?

I will be writing another post on the best ways to ‘catch’ just the right moment, but I think it is important to know that you need to LOOK for it, and most importantly anticipate it.

So, those are my top 3 tips. Yes, they are VERY basic, but I hope they will make you look at things a little (just a little) differently.

If you have any questions, I would love to hear them and add them to my next {Life-Love-Lens} Wednesday post. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! ;)

xoxo,

Kerry