Capturing Heartfelt Images of Your Children by Milin Kassim

One of the rules – if not the number one rule - to create beautiful pictures of children is to fall in love with them.  Hence the person who is at the most advantage when it comes to photographing your children is YOU.  Do you know that the strong bond that you have with your children will actually help you to come out with amazing pictures of your little ones?

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As parents, you have the advantage of knowing them in and out.  But how do you go about photographing them?  Pay attention and lean on your feelings.  Yes, those incredible feelings that you have for them can actually be transferred into capturing images of LOVE.  Isn’t that what we feel for our children?  We can’t help but always be head over heels with every little thing that they do and every little expression that they make.

Thus anticipation for the moment is important.  Always make sure your camera is at your disposal.  You will never know when your child will start cracking a joke or showing off her antics resulting into a heart-warming situation that make everyone burst into laughter.

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Yet again, sometime it is also important for you to actually plan ahead prior to photographing your little ones.  This is to avoid frustration that you may have had experience.  Does this sound familiar to you?  The moment is there but you were not satisfied with the whole picture due to the background, poor lighting or even their clothing.

Planning doesn’t mean that you have to make a complicated or thorough preparation for the picture taking.  It can be as simple as getting your children to play in a place where the light is abundant, the background is clean and you have made sure they are dressed nicely and comfortably.  Go to the backyard or front yard.  For more adventure, bring them to a park or playground.  Children just love to roam around in a big field.

Let them be kids and play as much as they want.  Most important they will be very happy for the idea, and you will get your dream picture!  Once the trigger is released, not only you will get to capture a priceless moment, but everything else in the picture is beautiful as well; the background is lovely and they look great in their favourite outfit!

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Be with them or even join them while you anticipate the moment.  And don’t forget, pay attention to their expressions!  This is the time for you to fuel those feelings that you have for your children into heartfelt images.  And if you need to get your belly down to the ground, go ahead if that is what it takes to get the best view of your child!

Do remember this though.  As much as we want them to smile for the camera, never force or coax them to do so.  Keep in mind we are looking for those emotions that are expressed genuinely.  Let them smile naturally because when they do, those smiles are definitely going to melt your heart.  And that’s the kind of smile we want to capture, and treasure for a lifetime.

Photographing your children is also a psychological game.  Asking your children to pose, especially for a long time, without them willing to do so can make them feel uneasy.  Enforcing them to pose certain ways will actually make your children stiff and tense.  You too do not want those stiffness and tenseness to be seen in the picture, right?

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All in all, picture taking should be an activity that we and our children both enjoy having.  I know it’s pretty hard sometime – we are so eager to have our little precious in the picture!  In spite of that, always try to avoid from turning it into some imposed situations, making your children to think of the camera as a silly little box!

Make it as natural as possible.  Let it be a pursuit of love to your children.  Hence, when they see you with the camera they know that you are there for them, paying attention and cherishing every moment of their childhood.

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Warmest Thoughts,

Milin Kassim, capturedbymilin.blogspot.com