November Photo Tips

Tips for taking better photos and to step out of the box... a little.

I am not the best photographer and have just began to dwell into what my camera can do but I wanted to share these photo tips that I have learned with you. If you have some good tips too please share along in the comments section or on the message board. I am always looking for new things to try. These tips are good for everyday shots and even some Holiday shots I hope.

For Tip #1 when taking close ups of people set your camera to Aperture priority (A) or the portrait or child mode. This will allow for the background to be blurry which is ideal in a portrait. If shooting in Aperture Priority you want a Low F number which is a shallow depth of field, I usually use something around 4-5. It seems to work best for me and is about as low as my lens will allow me to go. If shooting in the child mode the camera usually will adjust the setting for you so you have a low F number and generally same with the Portrait mode. You will just have to play with your camera and see what happens. While taking the close ups try to get as many angles as possible; above, below, profile, just there eyes, even try tilting your camera a little. I love this photo of Sydney and her hazel eyes. I tried to make the focus of the photo on her eyes not worrying about if I was cutting off part of her head or not. I even tilted the camera slightly to give it a little different angle then just straight on. The second one I was just right in her face snapping photos until I got one with a smile. My aperture was set a 4.4 and I love how the background looks so pretty and blurred but she is in focus.

For Tip #2 if your subject will just not sit still (which if they are like my kid at all then they won’t) then get them involved in the photo shoot. Have them run around, act crazy and have a good time. This will ensure that you get some fun, action filled photos and your kid as themselves instead of just saying cheese. Don’t be afraid to chase after them, run ahead of them or continue to take shots even if they are still far away. There has been plenty of time that I took a shot far away only to zoom it in later and see that it was actually on of my favorites. If your camera is at least 5 megapixels you shouldn’t have a problem cropping your photos unless you are planning on printing them poster size. Both of these photos were cropped later. I love how the first one looks like you are right in front of the action while the second one captures her at just the perfect moment and she doesn’t even know it.

That brings me to tip #3 don’t be afraid to try new things. There are a million shots out there waiting to be taken you just got to try them. There has been plenty times I have taken a shot only to find out later that it didn’t really work but other times when I ended up loving them. You don’t always have to shoot your subject from the front or when they are looking at you sometimes the little details are what matter most. Try shooting them walking away, their backside, their new shoes, the side of their face, a close up of their toes, anything.

I mean who could have thought her booty could be so cute.

Or here I love how my sister Anna captured the side of her son’s face. I never thought a profile picture could be so cute, even though most of the picture is of his hair and ear.

So I challenge you to get out there and shoot some photos. Take lots, lay on the ground, get above and below your subject, take some shots you wouldn’t normally take and play around with the aperture and settings on your camera. Have fun and if you get some awesome shots share them here in the comments or the Photography section of the TTT Message Board. We would love to see what you come up with! Happy Shooting!