Search Results for: blog getting your kids to smile for the camera

Prepping for Your Baby Bump Shoot

The beginning of the new year is when many professional photographers offer super savings on portrait packages, including sessions for expectant mothers. Since most families take photos during the holidays, studios need to come up with deals to attract customers. If you are planning to give birth in the spring, now is one of the best times to take advantage of drastically reduced portrait packages. As I mentioned in a previous blog, photo sessions for expectant moms are extremely popular these days. However, in order to make the most of your shoot you’ll want to keep the following tips in … Continue reading →

Are You Filling Your Frame?

Tis the season to be snapping photos you want to feature on your holiday greeting. But how do you capture the money shot when your family refuses to cooperate? After all, crying kids and disinterested dogs don’t make for a joyous photo presentation. You are on your own getting your kids to sit for a family portrait; however, I have tips on making the most of the photo op once you are able to wrangle your pint-sized subjects in front of the Christmas tree. For starters, when you are photographing a young child it pays to get as close as … Continue reading →

How to Hold Kids’ Attention

Sometimes you have to get really creative when you are photographing a group of kids. Getting them all to look at the camera at once, let alone smile, can be a nearly impossible task. You would think it would get easier as kids get older, but sometimes it gets harder because you’re not only battling distractions, but boredom and embarrassment as well. The trick is to not only make them smile, but give them a reason to look at the camera and feel comfortable in their own skin. Recently, while photographing a family of six, I ran into the problem … Continue reading →

Tips for Getting Real Smiles

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When I was a teen, I was infamous in my family for flashing fake, forced smiles in my school pictures. Dead eyes, flat brows and an awkward mouth are the result of not knowing how to correctly fake a smile. There are a few ways to improve your spur-of-the-moment grin: raise your eye brows, squint your eyes ever so slightly and try to think about something funny. It’s a good idea to practice in the mirror. Teaching a person to smile isn’t always an option, however. It’s often better to trick the person into producing a real smile. A good … Continue reading →

Snap Photos WITH Your Kids

I’ve been taking pictures of my daughter since she was a few hours old, but rarely do we wield our cameras at the same time. My 6-year-old is a proud owner of her own digital camera, and this summer she has been putting it to good use snapping shots of the hydrangeas that border our patio, kids at the pool and numerous bugs she has collected. She loves getting up close to her subjects and using her body as a tripod. I love it too. Not only is she making the most of a fairly expensive camera, but also, she … Continue reading →

Why You Should Keep Your Toddler’s Picture in Your Wallet

According to a new study, it’s not so that you can show off your tot’s adorably chubby cheeks to family and friends, or to have in case she gets lost at the grocery store and you need a photo to provide to police. Rather, researchers found that if you lose your wallet you have a better chance of getting it back if you have pictures of your young children in it. Recently, a team of scientists dropped 240 wallets in the streets of Scotland, with an even number of the following photos clearly visible: a smiling toddler, a cute puppy, … Continue reading →

Summer Lovin’ With a Digital Camera

Digital cameras get a real workout during the summer months. From family trips to the beach, fireworks displays, backyard barbeques and camping trips, the opportunities to snag super snapshots are virtually unlimited. You don’t need to be a professional to take frame worthy photos of your family having fun in the sun. Rather, simply follow these tips to ensure you’re getting the best shots possible: PRACTICE Practice makes perfect–regardless of whether you are shooting a huge family reunion or an intimate picnic for two. A few days before an important event, spend some time reading your digital camera’s manual. Then, … Continue reading →

Getting Ready to Shoot the Fourth

It doesn’t get more American than a Fourth of July BBQ with friends, family and fireworks. The ultimate summertime holiday is teeming with amazing photo ops from flags to family reunions, parades to pie eating contests. It would be a shame not to make the most of these Independence Day events. So grab your camera, charge up those batteries, go out and splurge on a new memory card (or extra rolls of film) and get ready to snap your loved ones in action as they proudly celebrate our country’s 232nd birthday. Fourth of July Parade I addressed the challenges involved … Continue reading →

More Tips for Photographing Your Pet

In my last blog I told you about my friend who gives new meaning to the term “snap happy parent.” Only her baby has four legs and much larger tongue than most kids. Her fur baby is her new puppy and the amount of pictures she has taken of that pooch is utterly amazing. If you are an overzealous puppy parent you might be swimming in shots as well. I understand that my pal wants to capture her pooch in all her glory so that she can share with the rest of the world how special she feels her dog … Continue reading →

Photographing Your Furry Friends

Remember how I told you I was a snap happy parent? Well, I may have to reconsider my title after seeing my pal’s photo tribute to her new baby. My friend’s newest member of the family has the biggest eyes I have ever seen and smile that will melt your heart. Oh, and did I mention she has four legs and a ton of fur? Yes, my pal’s “baby” is a new puppy and if you thought you had a ton of pictures of your newborn you have not seen the mountains of shots my friend has taken of her … Continue reading →