how to take national geographic quality photos (part 3 of 4)

Ok, not really. Actually, this is a far cry from National Geographic... but I got your attention, right? 


This four-part series is for regular moms, just trying to get some decent photos for the family album.


I love taking photos of all sorts of things... but as of eight months ago, my little guy has been dominating my memory cards. I'm sure you can relate. And although I'm no expert, I have learned a few things about photography that I think can help the budding photographer in any mom... 


The way I see it, in this digital age there's no reason we can't be taking hundreds of photos of our kids (or whatever else you like to capture) in hopes for that perfect shot. (And the rest? Delete!) 


Today we're going to look at four tips related to camera settings and techniques that will help you improve your photos. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the previous posts in this mimi-series on lighting and composition. (Tomorrow we will finish up with some simple editing tips.)

Today's focus: Settings

1. Try putting your camera in sequence mode. Even with fast digital cameras, it’s so easy to miss that hilarious expression or gummy grin. By using sequence mode, you can click several photos at once and later choose the one with the best expression. This is especially helpful with babies and young kids because they don't often sit still for longer than a few seconds.

{using sequence mode will help you capture
those priceless fast-changing expressions.}

2. Experiment with different settings. Don’t leave your camera in “auto” all the time. Even simple point-and-shoot cameras have lots of settings to play with these days. Spend a little time just getting familiar with your camera and seeing what the various settings do. Try taking a similar photo in a few different settings so that you can compare and learn. This is something I'm still working on... digital cameras have soooo many options!

{taken with a simple point and shoot camera.}

3. Use a shallow point of focus. Sometimes it's nice to have what's called a deep range of focus - like in a landscape shot where you want the flowers, grass, trees, and far off mountains to all be in focus. But at other times, try using a "shallow" range of focus to draw the eye to a specific point on the shot, letting either the foreground, background, or both fade into a slight blur. Take some time with your camera and just experiment with your focus settings. (Or if it's a DSLR, put it on a low f-stop and experiment with it in manual focus.) Experimentation is the absolute best way to learn what works, what doesn't... and what you like and don't like.

{try using a shallow depth of focus. for example, focus on 
something close to you and let the background blur out of focus.}

{using a shallow depth of focus.}

4. Use motion to create interest. Try moving your camera along with your moving subject (as seen below in the first photo). This will keep your subject in focus while letting the background slightly blur. If you have a D-SLR, try this a few times while you adjust your shutter speed to get different results. Or, alternately, hold your camera still while your subject moves (as seen below in the second photo). Both of these simple techniques work great for action shots to display movement and/or to help invoke emotion, and can be done (to an extent) on a simple point-and-shoot. (For those that have a D-SLR, "shutter speed" is how long the lense is open allowing light to come through and the photo to be recorded. A fast shutter speed takes a "quick" photo and a low shutter speed takes a "slow" photo... once you experiment with shutter speed a little bit, you'll see what I'm talking about. The lower the shutter speed you use, the more movement you will capture.)

{using motion in this shot actually helps create a sense of 
action as well as the feeling of delight as he swings and laughs.}

{although most of the photo is in focus, his right hand and the turning book
pages are blurred - showing his action and giving a sense of motion.}

bonus tips | And if you want to get better?

Two things I recommend:

{ONE} Look at photos – in a magazine, on-line, or wherever – and identify ones that you like. Do this without “thinking” about it too much… just trust your gut. (Magazines work best because you can rip the photos out that you like!) Once you’ve identified some that you like, go back through them and ask yourself a few questions: What are you drawn to first in the photo? Why do you think the photographer used a certain prop or background? What do you notice about the light? What makes the photo pretty or interesting or unusual? How might you be able to “imitate” what you see?

{TWO} Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. Honestly, the best way to learn to take better photos is just to keep shooting. Especially now that we have digital photos and can take as many as we want at no expense, there’s no reason to be a conservative clicker! The more photos you take intentionally, the more you will learn what works and what doesn’t, as well as the nuances of your own camera. {You just have to remember to delete frequently or you’ll be left with a mess!}

I hope these simple photography tips help. Maybe you, too, can have a kid who is “famous on facebook” like mine. {grin}


Dear friends, did you learn anything new today about settings that you'd like to try? Or do you have any other tips to add? If you've taken a photo you're especially proud of, tell us about it in the comments and leave a link so we can be sure to check it out. What makes a photo stand out to you?


filling up memory cards,

P.S. Sorry about the wonky formating in parts of this post. Sometimes I get really irritated with blogger and trying to figure out how to correct the mystery formatting that appears... so I just give up. (Otherwise I might end up throwing my computer out the window... not a good idea.)

Other posts in this mini-series:

• Part 1: Lighting - How to use light to take the best photos possible. 
• Part 2: Composition - How background, framing, and placement of your subject effects your photos.
• Part 3: Settings - How adjusting your camera settings can create different effects and feelings in your photos.
• Part 4: Editing - How using simple editing tools can help your photos go from good to great. (A guest post by Mandy from A Sorta Fairytale.)

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

hey moms, do you want to improve your photography? (part 2 of 4)

I'm convinced that anyone who wants to learn can dramatically improve their photos. Yesterday I gave four simple tips about lighting and how it effects your photos. Today I want to give you five easy tips about composition.

Today's focus: Composition

1. Consider your background. Think about what you want to communicate through the background you use. Also make sure there aren't things that can cause a distraction. Often we are so focused on how cute our child is that we don’t notice the background. We can easily ruin a great picture by having a plant growing out the back of your child’s head, or an arm growing out of their neck, or a car “sitting” on their shoulder. When taking a photo, have a quick look beyond your subject and make sure nothing is “growing” out of it. Usually it only takes a half step to the side or to bend down a few inches enough to change your angle and solve your problem. Your background should always add to your photo, not distract from your subject.

{for this photo i made sure that the background wasn't cluttered, but
i did purposely leave the couch in the shot... i wanted it to be obvious
that we were at home in our living room. this works because the colors
of the couch blend in nicely and don't draw focus away from the child.}

{the photo on the left is cropped for no background distractions...
whereas the one on the right  is taken purposefully with the tent showing
in order to give context and show that we were camping.}

2. Fill your frame. Especially for portrait photography, an easy tip to take a better photo is to let your child fill up your frame. Instead of having a bunch of “wasted” space around it, crop out that television, dining room table, and playpen and let the child fill the frame. You can either take it this way or edit it later... I tend to try and shoot this way for two reasons: 1) being deliberate helps train me as a better photographer; and 2) it saves on editing time later.

{fill your frame carefully - either when you
take the photo or when you edit it later.}

{fill as much of the frame as possible
to cut out any other distractions.}

3. Try different angles. Experiment with shooting from different angles. I love getting on the floor to photograph my son from his level. One of the ways I will sometimes highlight his big eyes is to stand straight above him with him looking up at me. Get creative and see what you come up with.

{although it's cute, there's nothing special about this photo.}

{a different angle makes it a little more fun/interesting.}

{a different angle and filling the frame makes it even better.}

4. Use the law of thirds. This is commonly—both deliberately and instinctively—used by artists in all mediums to add interest to a piece. Imagine your “canvas” divided into thirds horizontally and vertically. Then try to place your main point of interest (say your child’s head, or if very close up, your child’s eyes) in one of the thirds – the top third, the left third, etc. or close to one of the intersections. 

{imagine lines dividing your frame into thirds vertically and horizontally
and then place your focal point near one of the intersections.}

{after a while you will use the law of thirds
often, without even thinking about it.}

5. Use symmetry. Personally I don't use symmetry in photos all that often because I think it can get boring. But experiment with it - sometimes it will make for an incredible shot, especially if you are not going for detail in a photo but rather the over-all look and feel. There's something really satisfying about nice symmetry used every once and a while.

{using symmetry creates a great focal point if done deliberately. this is one of my faves!}

Other posts in this mini-series:

• Part 1: Lighting - How to use light to take the best photos possible. 
• Part 2: Composition - How background, framing, and placement of your subject effects your photos.
• Part 3: Settings - How adjusting your camera settings can create different effects and feelings in your photos.
• Part 4: Editing - How using simple editing tools can help your photos go from good to great. (A guest post by Mandy from A Sorta Fairytale.)

Dear friends, do you have any photography tips related to composition to add? Have you learned something today and taken a great photo because of it? If so, leave us a link in the comments so we can come and check it out! I hope you're inspired to fill up those hard drives! No doubt your kids will thank you later.

from one happy-snappy mom to another,

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

4 simple tips for taking awesome photos of your kids (part 1 of 4)

My child is famous on facebook.

There’s probably many reasons for this: 1) he’s an incredibly good-looking baby; 2) his mother is a photo-fanatic; 3) his father is almost equally enthusiastic about snapping away; 4) we have a lot of friends in various locations around the world due to our work; and 5) neither my husband or I live near our families so they have to stalk facebook to get their baby fix.

But I also like to think I can take a decent photo.

Truthfully, I was much more confident in my photography back in the days of film {gasp} and I have never really learned—yet—how to edit digital photos beyond a few simple things like adjusting the exposure or contrast or cropping. (But this is one of my goals as soon as I’m able to afford a decent computer to edit on.) 


So that's my disclaimer to say that I’m not pretending to be an expert on this subject! In light of that I’ll leave the technical stuff for someone else to tutor you on and we’ll stick to the basics here.

But I am convinced that anyone—with any camera—is able to take decent photos with just a few little pointers… so let me pass on some of the most useful (and easy) ones I know to you.

Oh, and I should say here that you can take great photos with a small “point-and-shoot” camera. Of course your photos will look better with an SLR camera… and they’ll look waaaay better if you have an SLR camera and a good lens. But even a simple camera can take great shots if you pay attention to lighting, composition, and settings. I will cover these over the next three days, and on the fourth day we'll finish with some editing tips.

Today's focus: Light

1. If you can, turn the flash off. Try to use as much available light as possible without using the flash. Flash photography can make a photo look very “snapshot-ish”, unless the flash is diffused or the photographer really knows how to work it. (In saying that, some cameras have awesome built-in flashes.) Use sunlight, use lamps, use ceiling lights. If you can avoid using that built-in flash… do. BUT, as with anything, experiment. Try taking the same photo with the flash turned on and off and see which one looks better. (Hint: one time not to take this hint is when you’re outside and you’re getting harsh shadows on a face. Turn the “force flash” setting on and let the fill flash make those shadows disappear.)

{although this is a cute photo, the flash makes it look very snap-shot-ish... not so great.}

{compare the flash photo on the left with the natural light photo on the right.}

2. Avoid harsh direct sunlight. If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you may have noticed that a lot of my photos of Levi are in the same places: on the orange and white bedspread, on the white couch in the office, or on the gray carpet in his room. That’s not because these are the most “beautiful” places in my house… it’s because they have the best light. They all have big windows with lots of natural light coming through without harsh overhead light casting bad shadows.

{plenty of natural--but indirect--light causes a nice, soft glow
and creates some light and shade without harsh shadows.}

3. Find a place that will give you good “catch light”. Have you ever seen a photo where the subject’s eyes look a little bit glossy and there’s a speck of light visible right in the eyeball? This is called “catch light”. When you are able to put your child in a place where the light will reflect off their eyes like this, it will instantly add “life” to the photo. (For amateurs like us, this works best when using natural light, not flash photography.)

{catch light will bring life and emotion to a photo - see the "sparkle" in his eye here?}

{catch light brings the eyes alive.}

4. Experiment with different types of lighting. Try turning the lights off and then using one source of light (a window or a lamp) to cast light from only one direction. Or try doing a silhouette with minimal detail. Use your imagination and play with light to give you some different, creative shots.

Look at how natural light is used differently in each of these shots:

{from the side.}

{from behind.}

{from behind and reflected on the wood floor in the front.}

{from the front.}

Other posts in this mini-series:

• Part 1: Lighting - How to use light to take the best photos possible. 
• Part 2: Composition - How background, framing, and placement of your subject effects your photos.
• Part 3: Settings - How adjusting your camera settings can create different effects and feelings in your photos.
• Part 4: Editing - How using simple editing tools can help your photos go from good to great. (A guest post by Mandy from A Sorta Fairytale.)

Dear friends, do you have any photography tips related to lighting to add? Have you learned something today and taken a great photo because of it? If so, leave us a link in the comments so we can come and check it out!

constantly clicking,

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission