If you want to take great photos of the kids you need to really capture your child’s personality. With a little practice and lots of patience the results will be worth it. Why not capture some of the magic you get from shots that show your child just being themselves whether it’s at the beach or playing in the garden.

1. Prepare

Make sure the digital camera is fully charged and you have lots of room on your memory card. In the era of the digital age there is no excuse for not taking as many photos as you can, the more photos you take the more likely you are of getting that magic one you have been looking for.

2. Be Patient

The kids are in control for this one so let them be themselves and play naturally. You need to capture the moment as it happens. Make them laugh but don’t ask them to smile a natural giggle is better than a forced smile with baring teeth. It’s much easier to get a good picture when your child is relaxed so get them used to seeing you behind the camera and take pictures often, even if they’re not ones you decide to keep. Choose moments when they are occupied doing something they like or chat to them while you are shooting - you’ll get some great natural expressions that way. Or ask them to pretend to be a tiger or a fairy. Keeping things fun is a sure way to get the shot.

3. Lighting

The flash it not always your friend and can cause washed out faces and redeye. You can eliminate the redeye problem by taking your photos outdoors. Also avoid taking photos in the middle of the day mornings or late afternoons make for a much warmer and less shadowy photo. Try to position yourself so that the light comes from the side. Children will squint if the light is in their faces. If it’s behind them, their faces will be in shadow. Indoors, use your windows to your advantage by using as much natural light as you can if it’s very bright a voile curtain can soften lighting as it comes into a room.

4) No Posing

Forget all that stuff you’ve read about tilted chins and carefully arranged arms and legs. Let your children be themselves and focus on the composition of your photo. Avoid framing them in the middle of your shot go up close and avoid clutter in the background. Always shoot at eye level with your subject so get down on their level. This isn’t aerial photography and shots taken from above will not look good. Get down on your knees or lie on your stomach if you have to.

5) Fill the frame

We all focus on the face when we look at someone and this is the same technique when you are taking a photo. Tight shots of your child’s face are much better than those framed to take in full body. Remember all those awkward childhood photos of kids just standing with their arms at their sides. Use your zoom until the face fills most of the frame you will be surprised at what a difference it makes.

When it comes to taking great photos, the secret to quality is quantity, so get ready to burn up the memory card. They will move suddenly, blink or turn their heads, making things slightly more difficult from you behind the camera. Keep shooting whilst varying the zoom and the angle, just experiment and go crazy with your finger on the trigger. You might take 50 shots and only get 4 or 5 really great ones but thats the beauty of the digital age you can take heaps and just keep the great ones so go wild!