Top 3 Tips for At-Home Family Photography
My two year old, sitting by a window, “playing” the ukulele.
Hi friends!
As a family and newborn photographer, I believe in the value and importance of professional photography. That being said, we’re in the midst of a totally crazy time, and since I can’t be with you in person to document your family right now, I want to help you to feel empowered and confident to capture this moment in time yourself! Enter: my DIY tips for at-home family photography while we’re all quarantined.
Being a photographer in Olympia, WA, where it’s pretty dark and overcast for a lot of the year, I’m used to photographing at-home sessions in all sorts of lighting conditions. We get our fair share of sun as well, and these tips should help you no matter what the weather looks like in the weeks ahead. My aim for every session is to focus on the joy and emotional connection between family members, while also capturing people in the most flattering ways. My hope is that these 3 tips will get you a few steps closer to documenting that as well.
Here’s a photo of me, sitting by a window, tickling and playing with my two year old. The photo is slightly blurry, and he’s making a silly face, and I love both of those things because they add to the true feeling of the moment.
3 Tips for At-Home Photography
Find a window. There’s nothing more beautiful than soft window light on a person’s face (in my opinion, of course). Especially if you’re a newer photographer, you’ll find the most flattering light by a window. Try taking pictures from different angles and positions by the window, and see what you love the most. Important note: If the light coming through is super harsh, diffuse it with a screen or shades, or try again at a different time of day when it’s softer.
Turn off your lights. You might think I’m crazy, especially if your house is pretty dark, but natural light is so perfect, and if you’re sitting next to a window (per tip 1), I promise you, you will be surprised with the results! Also, with the lights OFF, you won’t end up with awkward yellow color casts illuminating you from unflattering angles (like directly above you).
Do something to make your subjects interact. Whether or not you have your camera set up on a tripod or stack of books, or if you’re behind it photographing your kids, get playful. Tickle your little ones, read them a book, make them laugh. Do something that will engage your subjects (even if you are the subject) because that’s the best way to get everyone to loosen up.
I hope these tips will help you on your DIY at-home photo journey, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Before I go, there’s one more tip, which is actually the most important of all: make it fun! Giggle with with your kids while you snap their photos, stack your camera or phone up on books and laugh when you see the crooked photos, embrace the blurry photos that come full of feeling and expression. Getting a perfect photo is not the goal, it’s all about capturing your memories.
Something as simple as documenting lunchtime is totally worth capturing. Your child will show a range of faces and emotions all in the time it takes to eat a sandwich, and it will serve as a memory when you look back at the plates and cups you used when they were little, or the furniture you used to have in your house.
