We all watch our children growing fast and we all want to capture and preserve the precious moments before they’re gone! But what is it that we really want to hold onto? What is it that we are going to miss so much and we desperately want to protect from forgetting?
Is it the way our precious children look? Their facial expressions? Certainly!
It’s also much more than just that… We are attached to emotions, personalities and the good feelings that warm our hearts…
This is why my photography is called 'Emotional Photography'. I always aim to capture not only the unique beauty of the person, but also their characters, the family dynamics, feelings and real emotions in the most beautiful way.
YOU TOO CAN LEARN HOW TO TAKE STUNNING PHOTOS OF YOUR KIDS!
You can create images that evoke emotions, not only yours but also others, and share moments on a deeper level…
Most of all, you can take photos that will make you feel exactly the same way as at the time of capturing them! Because emotions, personalities or the way you feel about the subject can be captured!
1. THINK ABOUT THE SUBJECT
Imagine there is a moment when you feel like ‘Wow, I must capture this!'. Please, do not take your camera and shoot with abandon! You will end up with hundreds of photos of the same moment, thinking that you are going to keep the best one that is accidently a tiny bit better then the rest of them. Most of the time however you end up saving all of them, because you simply do not have time for going through them all over and over again, and often you feel too attached to all of the photos. But believe me, other people will not feel the same way about them! They probably won’t tell you this, because they are too nice.
Before you take a shot, think for a split second. Think about your subject, what is it about this moment that makes you feel this way.
Is it the whole room full of other items, eating people, mess in the background? Probably not…
Or is it a special moment, like a child playing with a worm, a baby eating or walking, or is it something about the child at that moment? An emotion perhaps or a frown?
Once you know it, focus on that only.
2. WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF LIGHT
Once you know what your subject is, think about the source of light.
I love light. I think light can evoke emotions on it’s own.
Again, don’t just shot from wherever you are. Think and move around a little bit to see for yourself how does it look like from different angles. If you can move the subject, or if you are planning to take a few shots, move the child to the best lighting conditions! Closer to a large window perhaps, or under a tree... It will make a huge difference! .
3. FRAME THE MOMENT!
Framing or cropping the image is really important. I often get goosebumps from just seeing what difference it makes! It’s mind blowing sometimes!
What it does, it enhances your message!
So again, think about what is it that is making you feel ‘ahhh’ at the moment, and capture exactly that! There is nothing interesting in seeing a wall on half of the photo above someone's head (except if it's a stunning one and that's the whole story). Ignore the rest!
Imagine you see your child greedily eating an ice cream, his face in a mess, but so happy! And you’re like ‘Oh Yeah!’, quickly grab the camera and frame the situation! Ignore the pram, ignore other people, ignore the rest of his body even, anything that distracts an eye from what you loved about that moment. Frame that happy, messy face licking the ice cream.
One more thing about framing. Please, do not place your subject in the centre all the time (and most of the time). Most people do not know this, but this is the place our eye is least attracted to. There are four really strong points and lines that our eye spots first and our brain reads with ease. It’s called ‘The Rule of Thirds’.
Let me demonstrate what it means and the difference it makes.
A beautiful moment caught in a centre. I must admit I still love it, as it focus purely on the connection between the mother and her child...
These 4 points and lines are the strongest ones, that are pleasing to our eyes, These are the ones we notice first.
I usually try to place the most important informations there (such as an eye, a horizon, the main subject)...
I would say that these two, the left ones- top and bottom, are the strongest points for most because our brain has been trained to read from left to right (and top to bottom), unlike in some other countries from right to left (such us Arabic, Hebrew or Syriac), for them two right points would be the strongest. Amazing! I know!
What a cutie! Placed in a centre, nothing interesting in the key points and lines. Still lovely, but could be a lot better.
First of all the main subject is in the strong line position and the two crossing points. One of the points is exactly where I want everyone's eyes to focus, which is the feet. The horizon is also placed with one of the lines, which is pleasing to most.
4. CREATE OPPORTUNITIES!
There are days when you think: ‘Oh gosh, they grow so fast. I must take some photos of them’! Or you would like to take some photos of your kids to send to your family. So you are planning to take a few shots.
Don’t wait for something magical to happen, make it happen!
It’s great, because you can create best possible scenarios. First of all, search for the best, soft light (such as a large window, or take your kids to a park, a beach on a late afternoon, or a shady place). Prepare and clear the space and be creative with props. Think of something your kids will love and stay occupied with. This way they will most likely stay at one spot and you won’t have to pose them! And you don't want to pose them! They don’t have to look at the camera all the time! You can gently call them to look at you once or twice, but please, for goodness sake, don’t say ‘SMILE’ and don't make them say ‘CHEESE’! Their faces look so fake when you do that! Make them smile if you want to, but make them smile for real! Be creative with it. But I find that the photos of children being in a creative, occupied, playing zone are the most beautiful ones.
Obviously there are exceptions to everything, and everyone has different thoughts and ideas, but these four simple tips will help you make conscious decisions when taking photos. You may feel a bit frustrated at first, but it will become easier with time of practicing. And when you will get the importance of subject, light and composition, and once you feel confident in using this knowledge, you become more and more creative...
So from now on, every time you take a photo of your bundle of joy, think of what you are taking a photo of, observe light, frame the moment and take meaningful images. Create opportunities for amazing photos, don’t be afraid to try new things and remember, YOUR IMAGINATION IS YOUR LIMITATION! With new experience come new ideas. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Print the ones you like the most.
Most importantly, ENJOY IT!
Please, let me know if you found the reading useful and feel free to share it. Leave a comment, if you have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them! And share your photos in the comments too! I'd love to see what you come up with! :)
Good luck :)
Emotional Photography
Maja Szumylo