5 Instant Ways to Improve Taking Family Photos

5waystoimprovephotos I'm a big advocate of 'manual mode'. Depth of field is my life. Composition, framing and lead in lines are something I'll go over at a later date, but these things take time to learn and most people don't get the DSLR out every trip out. That's what an iPhone is for, after all. 

So I've got 5 very easy, instant ways to improve photos of your family and friends. (Even on an iPhone!)


 

1. Keep an eye on the background
I'm not talking about finding a gorgeous landscape every time you take a photo, I mean a quick check to see if there are lampshades sticking out of Granddad's head or a tree branch through the ear of your daughter.

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2. Go Outside!!
Obviously (and especially in England) outdoors aren't always viable, but when you want to take cute photos of your child's newest milestone, outdoors is the way to go. Natural lights beats tungsten every time.

3. Morning or Evening
Midday is boring, in photos especially. Light is above your head, there's nothing dramatic or pretty about it. I love when the sun is setting or rising. Super beautiful, warm colours. It doesn't have to be drastic, like 6am or anything, just avoid the sun's highest point.

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4. Tuck in your elbows
 Sounds silly, but it's a real rule for us. You'll rarely see a pro photographer with their elbows sticking out in all directions (unless they're in a weird position which is totally not uncommon).

It's not because I'm worried you're going to knock someone out, it's for stabilizing your camera. Any camera, probably especially a compact camera, needs to be stable to take a pin-sharp photo. You can't practically carry a tripod around everywhere so this is the next best thing. 

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5. Be Patient
We tend to tell Mums this before a photoshoot, but if you're not patient, neither is your subject.

If calling their name and making faces isn't working, just stop for three or four minutes. We like to give our reluctant subjects the time to get used to their surroundings, to look around and to enjoy the moment. Sometimes they turn back to us with the cutest smile ever, sometimes we have to gently remind them we're there. It can be slower than you want, but it's always better than a frowny face.

It's more for younger subjects than anyone, but your teenager isn't going to look very happy if you are demanding they smile. Have some fun with them instead and then snap a photo.

So there you have it!! What are you waiting for, go take amazing photos :) :)

Love, Georgee xx

 

8 comments

  1. Aww, these are really good points! I must admit I am terrible with a camera, no where near as good as I would like to be. I'd never even considered most of these! Especially the elbows and the sun thing!
    I'mma try these out next time I'm taking pics and see if there's any improvement!
    Thanks for sharing! <3

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    1. Thanks :) It's always the little things that make a photo work,

      Georgee x

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  2. Great tips and great photos! I'll definitely try tucking my elbows next time I hold a camera, keeping it stable has always been hard for me :)

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    1. Me too, I always tend to think about what's coming next instead of focusing on the photo I'm taking,

      Thanks for commenting,
      Georgee x

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  3. This is such great advice!! Thanks so much for sharing. The photos are amazing, and your family look wonderful! :)

    http://julianachow.com

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  4. What wonderful tips and great photos. Some of the tricks are so simple but ones I never think of. Thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. Thanks :) It's the little things that really work for some photos, especially families and kids.

      Georgee x

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