I had a great chat this morning with Laura Rawlings on BBC Radio Bristol, all about how to capture those important, but fleeting, moments of family life.
I love photos that show personality, dynamics, movement and interactions: Real moments that tell a story. Sometimes a photo needs a few words (“That was your favourite toy, the one we couldn’t leave home without”; “That’s the hat granny brought back from Australia for you”…), but they also speak volumes all by themselves.
It’s a subject very close to my own heart, and I could wax lyrical for hours about it! Instead, I thought it might be more useful to come up with a handy list. This list works well whether you’re wielding a smart phone, or a fancy DSLR.
Find good light (either outside or by a window)
Make sure your lens is clean (especially if you use a smart phone which is usually chucked in a bag with all the kiddie snacks or being “borrowed” by a sticky fingered toddler)
Relax and have fun. The best photos capture a natural moment – quiet time colouring in, crazy time chasing bubbles and leaping up to pop them, a caring interaction between family members
Avoid posing as there’s the tendency for even the most enthusiastic person to look like a Thunderbird (wooden). (When I’m doing my more formal style of photography for businesses, I factor in regular “shake your hands about and loosen up” periods).
The world is already overly full of SAY CHEESE photos. This is also a recipe for disaster with young children, as it’s usually their cue to strike the most unnatural and grotesque of poses, hide behind a tree, or start crying.
Try prompting! This is great whether the child is 2 or 82, and is a fantastic way to create some special moments whilst having fun and encouraging your family to forget there’s a camera pointed at them. Here are my favourites:
Get in the photos – whether you set a timer, use a remote control trigger or ask your partner or passer-by to take a picture. Don’t forget – you’re a vital part of Right Now too!
Get your photos printed! All too often, our photos stay in digital format until our phones become obsolete or the hard drive crashes. And then how we wish we’d printed them.
Christmas is coming up – why not make a 2020 calendar with your favourite photos from this year? Or put together a photobook of your summer adventures so you can remember what it was like before the wind and rain set in again! I have a shelf of photobooks and albums that I’ve put together, which my 5 year old has great fun flicking through. He gets his own mini photobook each Christmas too, which he absolutely loves, and treasures throughout the year.
So what’s your excuse? Get out there, get snapping, and above all, have fun!!
For the interview with Laura Rawlings on BBC Radio Bristol, click here (15:00 minutes in)
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