Be Your Own Family Photographer

During 2021 I didn’t have much to do as a Hong Kong portrait photographer, so I spent a few months making resources for parents so they could learn how to photograph their own kids. I did, and still do, think that most families don’t have enough great photos of their kids growing up. But so many parents have better cameras than me, they should learn to use them!

I also made a short series of videos. I know, my editing skills are suspect, but the info in these videos is actually pretty solid. In the first one here, I lay out the simple case for photographing your own kids. More videos below, but first is a free copy of the e-Book I wrote on kids photography.

Never Say Cheese: How to Take Great Photos of Your Kids (And Why You Should)

I wrote the ultimate book to teach parents how to photograph their families. It’s A RIDICULOUSLY straightforward approach to becoming a photographer

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Download a Free Copy Here

Normally Ten Bucks, Enter the Code Below at Checkout for a FREE COPY!

kids-being-kids

This guide doesn’t need to be read in sequence. You can skip or skim the technical sections if you already know your way around camera settings and basic use.

We’ll walk through the process:

• Camera and lenses

• How to control depth of field and freeze motion

• Looking for and using light

• Location ideas and considerations

• Activities and situations to photograph

• How to make family photos fun for kids

This next video goes over the skills you need to be a decent children’s photographer. When you break it all down into simple steps, it’s not actually that difficult to learn. But like anything, you need to learn in the correct manner, following a logical number of steps.

As always the Number One Rule of kids photography is to keep the entire process fun and moving along!  

Windows can provide perfect light. Look at editorial portraits in magazines; many are quick, simple natural light photos using windows. That’s because most pro photographers understand how to use windows, especially when they only have a couple of minutes to make a portrait. The ideal window is large and north or south-facing, you simply use it as a huge soft light source. Window light can create subtle shading, or modelling’. (You’ll see the telltale shadow on one side of the nose.) Below is my attempt to explain the use of window light in a short video.

Hats can be fun wardrobe, but they sometimes risk blocking the light in the eyes. And it’s true that “the eyes are the window to the soul”, at least in my type of portrait photography. In this little vid, I show how to photo kidlets in hats. Whether on an outdoor family photoshoot in Hong Kong, or an indoor photo session anywhere, some of these tips will definitely help.

The 135mm lens is a sleeper focal length among portrait photographers, although it has become much more popular in the past few years. Where before most options were quite expensive, now there are plenty of cheaper Third Party options. I used the popular Canon 135/f2 for many years before discovering the amazing, (but heavy!), Sigma 135/f1.8. In this little video I demonstrate how to work with this long-ish lens.

Here is the definitive list of things most pros know that the average mom or dad with a camera might not.

• They know their gear inside and out.

• Can find, or create, light and know how to use it.

• The use of post-production to enhance images.

And obviously, they’ve taken a lot of photos.

That’s why when you hire a pro; they get more great photos of your kids in an hour than you do in a year. But some of the best photographers I know are hobbyists, so it’s possible to become accomplished.

Of Course the Ultimate Goal is to Turn Your Kids Into Photographers

Kid Learns to Use My Rolleiflex!