Summer Photo Tips While The Kids Are Still Around

We’re about 1/4 of the way through summer and in about 6 weeks, school may be getting into gear or at least almost there. So while you still have these precious everyday moments left, make sure you’re capturing this summer’s memories and not letting another one pass you by!

After all, the summer should be about ease, right?

Here are some thoughts to help with your summer photos:

1) USE YOUR SMARTPHONE

Don’t worry if you don’t own a “fancy camera.” Now is not the time to get one unless it’s key for a special trip. Use your Smartphone! As of May 2013, Pew Internet reported that 91% of American adults have a cell phone. Breaking that down a little further, that’s 56% of American adults with a Smartphone: 28% with Androids and 25% with iPhones.

So while your kids are cooling off at the beach, under the sprinklers or in the pool, remember that you can capture their memories without risking your DSLR’s heatstroke or drowning! Your Smartphone or point-and-shoot are great! After all, that’s what they’re made for – and by the time your fumble through the settings on your DSLR, your photo-op might be gone!

Summertime is about capturing those moments in your child's life - whether serene or playful! Photo taken on an iPhone 4S and edited with Photoshop Express

2) GET IN CLOSE / ZOOM!

My mother captured our childhood on film with her “big camera,” as we used to call it. She had a Canon and then a Minolta. By the time I developed the photo bug, her biggest rule of thumb was, “Get in close!”

With those 3 little words, your photos will drastically change!

Instead of cropping afterwards, get as close as you can to capture your children’s expression as they build that sandcastle to remember. Another option would be to zoom, so you’re not interrupting their creative time. With lots of light, your photos can be printed and framed or included in your summer photo album.

3) NEVER SAY “CHEESE”

You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s really true. The best photos are not those where you’ve asked your little ones to repeat “cheese,” thus opening their mouths to reveal a toothy grin that in the end doesn’t reveal their natural personality. You’ll only tire of the numerous times you repeat “cheese,” “cheese,” “cheese,”… while they grin and bear it.

Their moments of uninhibited play are likely your favorites – so capture those and leave the “cheese” for their afternoon snack! They’ll give you a smile if they’re feeling it and you’ll frame the one that reveals them to you! The best photos from some of my clients are when they tell me stories or play with their children! The natural laughs are the photos that get the frames!

Capture your little one's playtime expression - there's no need to say "cheese." Photo taken on a D-SLR

4) EDIT ON THE GO

Your Smartphone has basic editing tools built right in that you can use to edit without the hassle of uploading to your computer. If you’re looking for something a little more, the list of photo editing apps is a mile long. You can go from fun filters to more advanced sharpening and red-eye reduction, depending on the app.

Sometimes a little more exposure can go a long way – especially if you want to print the photo.

We’re all busy parents and while we can’t carry around a professional photographer, we can certainly employ some simple tips to enhance our photo-taking skills. Summertime photos are your personal memories and often transitional periods for you and your family to look back at one day and “remember when…” So make sure it’s a nostalgic happy memory and not ” remember when my camera fell in the pool…”

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Garlia Cornelia Jones-Ly is a photographer, playwright, social media consultant and mother. If you liked her tips, check out more on her Photography blog.

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The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.

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