This weeks tip is about selecting the best area to photograph your child indoors.
Some of the things I brought up last week about photographing outdoors can apply indoors as well.
If you can avoid using your flash, you will have a better image, but you have to use available light and that can be tricky with most point and shoot cameras. Even when you flash is used, it will only compensate for whatever light is not there, so use the best and most light you can when indoors to eliminate as much flash light as you can.
Remember to look at the light on your child's face and position them near windows or doors. With small children it is easy to set up a play area by the light, but just be aware of where your light is coming from. Light from the front or side is the best. Overhead is the worst. Light from behind your subject will create silhouettes easily, and throw your exposure off.
Digital cameras can be so tricky with focus, even with all this "facial recognition" and such. Always be sure to focus on the face.
Focus is so important, blurry photos will make you sad :(
Watch your background, the less busy it is the better. Solid walls, doors, cabinets, anything simple and clean. If you can't change that, change your angle. Look through your viewfinder and see how you can change what you see...change your angle, walk around, get above your subject, or lower....zoom in or get close. You want the least distractions as possible.
With kids, don't be afraid to get close and zoom in, it is their face you love.
Shoot at eye level...no matter what your subject, children, adults, pets.... Get down on the floor with pets and babies.
Last, and most important, make it fun. When kids come to me, we play, talk, engage, make jokes. I rarely tell them to smile. When you tell a kid to smile or say cheese, you will get a fake or "cheesy" smile. Just have fun with them, the smiles will follow.
There are always going to be moments and times you just grab the camera and capture, those are the candid moments of your life. When you are playing, or you kids are in a good mood or you just want to get the camera out and mess around, this is when you should follow some tips for better photos.
If you have questions you would like answered, send them to me (contact info at the top right of the blog) or post them here, I will answer them here on the blog on Friday's when I can.
