How To Photograph Your Kids, Part Two

Back in March, I did a "how to photograph your kids" post that seemed to be a favorite. As you may know, I work as a second shooter for Amy Parsons, a very talented photographer in the county. I have been helping her for almost a year now, so I consider myself quite the talented faker when it comes to photography. Seriously, there is so much that I don't know, and won't figure out for a while. So what's a gal with a nice camera and very little photographic knowledge to do? Why, teach all of you everything I know, of course! So this will be a very short post.

Here is Part Two of How To Photograph Your Kids: Outdoor Edition!

First, as was proven in my last photography post, four kids is a lot when you are trying to get natural shots. This particular photoshoot happened when Emma was gone, and it was just me and the three boys.

One of the best things you can do to get great shots outdoors is to be in the shade. This is particularly good if you are like us, and your whole yard is shade. Not only is is flattering light, but grass does not grow well, leaving you with green moss that is nice and soft between the toes and requires little mowing, looking great in your photographs.

Getting some good baby shots is a great thing to do while the twins are running around. Because, the one-on-one time will not last long before your older kids will position themselves right where they think they need to be and yell "Cheeeeese!" As loud as they can. Do you think we do this photoshoot thing often?

It can be difficult to get everyone's attention held and get the baby smiling at the same time. It is a great idea to utilize whatever is available to you at the time. In this shot, the cat walking by was very helpful in getting the children's undivided attention and keeping them focused. Now if only I could train the cat to walk in the right direction.
"Ok, now give your brother some love!" May or may not be a good idea. Stay within arm's reach so as to not allow then to love the baby toooooo much.
But occasionally, you might get just the right moment, and prove that there really is brotherly love amongst all the chaos in our house.
Taking advantage of their naturally competitive side can work to your advantage. I really truly did not ask them to do this, this was their way of proving that they both loved their Baby Drew as much as the other one.
Alas, the twins being two, their attention cannot be held for long, before they try to drive their tractors into the Hydrangea and get them stuck. Men. Sheesh. But how adorable are the big boy undies? And yes, Ben is pants-free because he had an accident and I was to lazy tired of doing laundry to put another pair of shorts on him.

And then, you must capture the moments where the bush is attacking the child. Yelling, "Watch out, Grant! The monster is eating you!" is entirely optional.

Remember that when they pick flowers, asking then to "Show me!" may not work the way you think. They don't quite get that concept yet.

A little boy who wants to tuck a dandelion behind his Mother's ear is the sweetest thing. But two little boys who want to be just like Mommy are absolutely adorable.


Your focus on the other kids might create a situation where the baby starts to feel neglected and roll off his blanket onto the grass the moss. Removing the bits of moss off his drool-covered face is always a good safety tip, but he might glare at you because he wanted to save them for later.
That's the end of today's photography lesson, I hope you all learned some useful tips!