Thank you to Tania for introducing me to a great blog The Handmade Home, and in particular, this blog post (it’s no coincidence that this is another Tania who is smart, humorous and awesome).

The tips below come from Martin Harris of Britsnap Photography and are practical and clever – some of them are common sense, while others you’ll probably kick yourself for not thinking of sooner.

1) Get at your child’s level. This is so easy to do! Instead of standing up and
reaching for your camera and quickly firing away, take the time to crouch
down to your child’s eye level and engage them. Maybe ask them a question
or get them to show you something they are playing with. This way, instead
of having a ‘view from a grownup’ you are able to capture more of who they
are.

2) Don’t forget about the details. Your child’s favorite toy, favorite pair of boots
or pink toenails…these are the details you will love to look back on and
remember when they are grown. Don’t worry about getting all of your child
in the picture. Often just a shot of their feet with boots on is good enough.
Concentrating on a particular detail or prop can help create an interesting
portrait. The eyes are always a great place to focus on.

3) Shoot in the shade. If you are outside and playing, move your child to a shade
spot. This prevents harsh shadows on the face or eyes. Forget the old rule
of ‘having the sun behind you’ when you are shooting. When taking portraits
of your children, all this does is create the shadows or make them squint!

4) Show your children the pictures as you are taking them. Children are
fascinated with seeing themselves in the back of the screen and often will be
excited to try something fun or a different facial expression if they know they
can see it once you have taken the picture.

5) Play tricks to keep your child still. One of the greatest challenges is stopping
a moving child from being a blur in the camera. Try this tip: Have your child
stand still and tell them to close their eyes (most children will stay still when
you tell them to do this). Quickly tell them to open then close their eyes, they
will love the game and play along, and normally give you a smile at the same
time. All you have to do is to be ready for when they open their eyes.

6) Try giving your child a prop or something to play with. This will give them something to occupy their mind, something to focus on, and that simple gesture could distract them from the attention you are providing. It will relax them, giving you the opportunity to take a photograph as if you were not there.

7) Let your children wear clothing that they are comfortable in, something that
they are used to wearing. This often encourages them to act normally. If you
do have a special outfit that you want them to dress in, then let them wear it
a couple of times before to make sure it fits and is not irritating.

Weren’t these great tips? Were you reading this in a British accent? I always do, but I’m easily humored like that. So seemingly simple, but when I’m trying to get shots of my children, I usually fly into a spazoid frenzy and all method is out the window. A nice little reminder when I want to growl at them to smile for me with clenched teeth and bulging eyes. No judging-I know you can relate. Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Martin! These are simple, tried and true methods that if applied, will be a great tool no matter what the camera.

For more on the technical side of DSLR photography, check out some of Martin’s great posts on the subject, here. You can find more great advice and examples of work on his website, and his Facebook page, so be sure to hop on over and pay him a visit.