Taking Your Own Family Photos

Houston Family Photographer

I’m always saying it goes so fast…but that’s only because its true! Hold on, mama, don’t blink!
And if you are anything like me, you want to try to capture every minute. Does that mean having a professional photo session several times a year? For some, yes. But it’s not always feasible or necessary. You can document your own children in meaningful ways even if you do not have a professional camera.

I do a lot of following my kids around, just trying to freeze time and hold on to moments before they are gone…I want a time capsule dangit!

If you are wanting to try your hand at documenting your kids, I’ve got a few tips for you. You can start in your own home, or go out to a local park. It only takes a few minutes- give yourself some credit, take the pressure off the moment and just have fun.

Here are some of my favorite tips to help you photograph your kiddos in your spare time!

• have patience- don’t put too much pressure on the moment or expect something specific. If your child does something precious that you missed, sometimes you can get them to repeat the action by telling them how much you like what they did or how sweet it was.

• be ready- decide when you want to start taking photos and be in the moment and ready to snap a photo during that dedicated time. Let the rest go.

• get down to their level- interact with them, get down where they are and see the world from their perspective.

• use natural light- think about the time of day you have chosen and make sure your lighting in’t too harsh (tip: avoiding midday outside can help with harsh shadows)

• choose your focus mode carefully- if you have a professional or semi-professional camera, make sure your shutter speed is fast enough for your moving child, and your f-stop is around a 1.4-2.5. I love 2.0 as a sweet spot for photographing just one person.

• be a goofball- get silly with them, engage with them, play with them and be a part of what they are doing. You know your child best and what can get a smile or laugh pretty quickly.

• let them run the session- don’t try and control it or force them to pose. If you have a specific vision, consider creating a structured activity or bringing a specific toy to help facilitate that.

Check out this session that took only about 15 minutes to do. We played, sang songs and just had a blast making memories.