Photography - Thinking Ahead

Photography is certainly a passion of mine. I have so much to learn and yet I love the challenge of it all. Photographing children is certainly not an easy task. They are in constant motion and well...so am I trying to keep up with them. Throughout my classes, people have started commenting that my classes have now made them take a different approach to photography. I think that the style in which I scrapbook certainly plays a huge roll in the types of photos that I try to capture. I thought I would share a few tips that work for me when trying to photograph children.

1) When we go somewhere such as the beach or the park, once everybody is settled and doing their "thing", I usually start playing with settings on my camera such as ISO and aperature. I take some practice photos just to make sure that I'm "in the ballpark" with where my settings need to be. I have a lot to learn about my camera but for me...practicing is KEY! It makes me feel more prepared when a photo opportunity comes along.

2) I am constantly trying to anticipate where my children's movement is going to take them. I try to think ahead and get myself in the position that I need to be in to capture the action. The page below is the third page that I demonstrate in Creative Composites. I could see my son was approaching a hill so I rushed to the bottom of the hill so that I could get in position to capture him at full speed. I love this shot because of the look on his face. If I would have taken this shot at the top of the hill, the photo would have probably been much different. I think it is so important to think ahead and anticipate where you are going to be able to catch the best shot.




3) When I am taking photos, I try to capture the action but I am also thinking about how I could use the photos to create. I really like to capture full-length shots of my children because then I have the opportunity to recreate the entire setting on paper in some manner. There are so many amazing tools available in Photoshop and Elements. I think it is so fun to explore these tools and to utilize them in creating a page that sets the mood and captures the heart of your photos.



As I continue to work on my photography, the key phrase is "thinking ahead"....thinking ahead in terms of my camera settings and preparing for opportunities....thinking ahead in terms of where I am going to be able to capture the best photo....thinking ahead in terms of what types of photos I need to create a strong page that captures the heart of my photos. As I continue to work on my photography, these three little factors have certainly played a huge approach to the way I try to capture our lives.



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