My Secrets to Having Fun While Photographing Kids!

If you've been around me long enough, you know I absolutely love taking photographs! I love watching people and capturing smiles, looks, shy glances, relationships, laughter, having fun and everything else life offers. Attending events and such makes for lots of photos of all of the above. I walk around with my camera (and sometimes flash) and it gives this introvert an air of confidence to ask for photos and take them of people I don't know.

My favorite things to photograph are flowers, animals, real estate and landscapes. I don't have to ask them anything... 

A very close second would be kids. Kids are fun, animated, engaging and also stubborn, obstinate, shy and usually slightly bothered by having a camera pointed at them. At least that is what some parents share with me. While I could cajole and encourage children to allow me to photograph them with their families, I much preferred to completely change tactics and allow them to just have fun!

I would always bring some kind of prop, depending on where we were going - a fun umbrella or parasol, books, a wagon and bubbles were some of my favorites. Not only have I used most of these with other children, but more recently with my own grandson. 

Somehow he has been taught to say "cheese" when getting his picture taken and he did not learn that from me! (PS...that will never give you the smile or look you want - just sayin!) In order to get away from that look - you know what I'm talking about - we play!

I love the expressions and personality that come out of photos taken while simply playing or talking. These are the moments I want to remember. This is how I photographed my children as they grew and I filled our home with the images and memories.

I can't wait to get some of these up on the walls around here. He'll love the one with the BIG bubble because that is what he so wanted to accomplish!

I can't say this enough Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas... take lots of photos of your children and grandchildren. Pick your favorites and have them printed well - PLEASE - and then put them out for all to see! If you want some suggestions on where I get my photos printed, reach out and I'll share. There is nothing worse than photos stuck on a hard drive that then crashes and you are left with nothing and that includes your phone!

Until next time... Diane