Hi, I’m Erin and I’m a Mom turned Photographer. Almost 5 years ago after the birth of my first child, my appreciation for capturing “life” really hit home. As I watched my son roll over for the first time, then sit up and crawl across the room almost overnight; and when those gummy grins turned into smiles with little white teeth peeking out, I realized the only way I could make time stand still was to document all of these “Mama Treasures” with my camera.
Once I learned that I simply could not afford to hire a professional photographer as much as my little heart desired each month {week…..day!}, we made the investment into my first digital SLR camera. Like many Moms today, we have “nice” cameras. And yes, having a “nice” camera, lens, equipment, etc. does help, however it is only the starting point to taking great pictures.
I took a photography workshop one afternoon, learned how to use my camera in manual mode {which I believe is the absolute KEY for taking great pictures} and through snapping thousands upon thousands of images, I began to see what went into making a beautiful image.
Now I can’t go into all of that here, but what I can do is give you somewhere to start! There are numerous, EASY tips I can share that will make a HUGE difference in photographing your little loves.
Today I will share just a few and if you’d like, I can do a follow up post with some more!
1} When photographing children, get down at their level. This completely changes the perspective….try this at home and see how taking a picture from each angle can dramatically change the look of your images. A special “thank you” to my fabulous husband for taking these images of me “in action”.
2} Do not be afraid of color. In general, color photographs really well. People like the contrast in color, so I always suggest having my clients “coordinate” outfits verses “matching”. Jen has fantastic style and I love what she came up with for her family session a few weeks ago.
3} Anyone have a child who runs from the camera? 2 year olds anyone? I do!!! Don’t be afraid to incorporate a fun prop. Food works great…..bright cupcakes and big lollipops are usually great motivators and also can be fun to use in pictures! You can also try incorporating your child’s favorite toy. Thomas the Train “blue” photographs great! Here is a picture of my favorite two year old, he never stands still for me so I had him “show” me his frog art project while I snapped away 
4} Make sure your frame {aka your real estate} tells a story. So many times my students will show me photographs where the subject takes up the smallest part of the frame. It does not hurt to “fill the frame”. If it is part of your frame, be sure it assists in telling the “story” of the image.
5} Lighting is truly everything. Poor lighting can ruin even the best of shots. The key to finding good lighting is finding enough evenly diffused light. Easiest way to do this is to step outside on a cloudy day Or find a spot with good shade coverage.
{this 4th of July dress is from SheSheMade, one of our FAVORITE boutiques for high quality children’s clothing. She has a ton of coordinating outfits that photograph so well!}
So now you have a few new “photography tricks” to try out, here is your homework until next time:
~Grab a willing subject, preferably one that does not move or likes to pose for pictures
~Head outside either at dawn or dusk or find a spot that has good, consistent, shade coverage.
~Take pictures of your subject from 5 different perspectives {crouching down at their level, from up high, lying on the ground, from the side, etc.}
~Upload your images and note what you liked and didn’t like about each one. Try and repeat what you liked next time!
That is all for now…..happy shooting
If you are in the Charlotte, NC area and would like to take part of my upcoming Mom’s Photography Class on June 16th, please contact the studio at madisonlanephotographyinfo{at}gmail{dot}com to find out how to reserve your seat.
Erin Jackson is a sought out Family, Children and Newborn Lifestyle Photographer in the Charlotte, NC and Fort Mill, SC areas. She is founder of Madison Lane Photography, a boutique studio focusing on the custom photography experience. Her goal is to provide her clients with first class service and attention to detail. Erin’s style is clean and timeless, yet fun! She has a passion for helping other Mom’s take better pictures of their loved ones and regularly offers a “Mom’s Photography Class”. Erin is currently working on taking this class online to reach Moms all over the world. Married to her Southern Gentleman, and known as “Mommy” to 3 children ages 4 and under, Erin loves all things Southern, boutique clothing and sweet tea/lemonade combos from Chick Fil A. She is completely in awe, overwhelmed and humbled by what God is doing in her life!