If you’re a parent or around kiddos at all, odds are you find yourself wanting to capture the events of their day-to-day. While a quick snapshot here and there definitely helps to preserve the memories being made, often these aren’t the best ‘photos’ you could get from a situation.
The scene isn’t captured great, the lighting looks harsh and so on. At first, it might seem as though you need a super fancy camera in order to get the best shots.
False! You don’t!
Usually, these details can all be ‘fixed’ with a few simple composition adjustments.
As a professional photographer, whenever I see photos of kids being taken I always find myself wanting to offer a few simple composition tips. Usually, I restrain myself and don’t jump into a moment that I’m not a part of, but if I did, I would share the following 4 simple composition tips.
Easy and simple composition tips that can transform your photos!
Guess what? These simple composition tips won’t cost you anything extra and can be applied to almost every situation! You won’t need that big fancy camera or have to upgrade your equipment like you were possibly considering above.
You just need to change how YOU are adjusting your shot!
Whether you find yourself at Walt Disney World trying to capture the most magical moments ever or just trying to freeze time at home, the following tips will help. Most important of all, these tips can be completed by anyone. It won’t matter if you have just picked up a camera for the first time or have been taking photos for your entire life.
Anyone can follow the following simple composition tips for taking photos of kids!
Get Down Low
My favorite tip when it comes to composing a photo comprised of kiddos is to get down low.
Yes, this tip takes a little bit of work because we usually have to move from wherever we are, but it’s totally worth it.
When we shoot from our point of view (aka usually up higher than kiddos), it appears as though we are looking down at our kiddos in the shot. While this vantage point is beneficial at times, to show scale or depict a scene, it’s not the best.
Instead, you want to get down low and shoot from a kid’s height. Shooting down low helps to show the world through the kiddo your photographing eyes. Kids suddenly become large and in charge, and a whole new perspective is shown through the photo.
Don’t Go Too Low
If shooting low is good, wouldn’t shooting even lower be better?
One would think, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. If you get too low, you start getting the dreaded up the nose shot or creating double chins.
Now, double chins on kids are actually really cute, but seeing all those boogers, not so much. I don’t think that’s anyone’s cup of tea. (Although a few booger shots might help you preserve this booger filled time in your kiddo’s life! ha!).
Instead of going too low, shoot right at eye level of your kiddo. Or at just a little above eye level, but with your camera body and lens angled downward, helping you to get a little more of the kiddo’s body in.
Shooting at just above eye level is one of my favorite ways to capture a little one. Give it a try and leave a comment if you have any questions!
Double chins missed, boogers alleviated and mission accomplished!
Don’t Have Them Look into the Sun
Some adults can make it appear as though the sun isn’t too harsh in photos even when they are looking right at it. However, kids aren’t going to pretend at all. If that bright sun is blaring and streaking all over their face, you know it’s going to be a ‘whine-fest’. They aren’t going to sit still for you or for the photo. Nope. They, instead, will turn their backs and either 1) run away or 2) refuse to take another photo for the rest of their life!!
Okay, maybe number 2 is a little dramatic. Yet, there is a little truth tied to it. If you make your kiddo uncomfortable in photos, over and over again, they will learn not to like them. Plus, they might start refusing to take them.
Shoot Wide Open
If you happen to have a DSLR, shoot with a wide aperture. Shooting wide open, or having a wide aperture is how photographers achieve that creamy background, but keep their subject in focus.
With kids, shooting wide open is super helpful as it blurs out your background and any distractions that might be present. Just make sure to have the focus point on your subject’s eye if you’re photographing their face. Having that in focus helps the picture look best.
If you don’t have a DSLR, but happen to have a camera phone that has portrait mode, go ahead and use it! Portrait mode is your camera phone’s way of blurring out the background and focusing on your subject. Makes for some pretty sweet photos!
If you decide you want more of the background in the shot to tell the full story, then do it! Don’t use portraiture mode and don’t shoot all the way open.
Conclusion for 4 Best Simple Composition Tips for Photos of Kids
There ya go! Four super simple composition tips to help you get the best photos of your kids ever! These tips can apply to photos being taken at Walt Disney World or at home and don’t require the use of fancy equipment. Your location doesn’t matter, just how you position yourself and use your gear. If you give any of these tips a try, be sure to leave a comment below.
Finding yourself at Walt Disney World and want more great photo tips? Be sure to check out how to get crowd-free castle photos and learn about the number one most important tip for taking photos at Walt Disney World here.
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