Technology can certainly be a blessing and a curse. One of my favorite things about smartphone technology is the advancement of the camera. People always say the best camera is the one you have available/with you. For most moms and parents, our phones are typically close by. We can capture those sweet candid moments and milestones that happen with our babies and kids so much easier. Here are some of my favorite ways to take pictures at home of my family with a little more creativity. These ideas will make your home photos more fun, and maybe even look more professional! Plus photography is a way for you to be creative! Here are my tips for better family photos at home.

1. Change your angle

Get low get low get low (Lil’ Jon voice) or high! If you have seen me during a family photo session, you may have wondered why sometimes I was army crawling. Or at other times I was towering over you and definitely all up in your bubble. Changing where you are makes your photos that much more engaging and interesting. Getting down low on your kids level adds a fun angle. It feels like you are right there with them, seeing their world. It also helps emphasize their size compared to the rest of their world. Having your camera above your babies or kids is such a sweet way to capture details. Try it out and see what you think!

2. Use portrait and/or live modes (iphone)

You probably already use portrait and live functions. If you don’t use them, they are great options to elevate your photos. In “portrait” mode, you can change the aperture aka the depth of field by clicking on the little “f” circle icon on the top right corner of the screen (you can then change your f-stop/depth with the bottom lines). Lower numbers (I love a 1.8/2.0) means there is less in focus. Whatever you have focused on, the rest of the background or foreground (surrounding) will be blurry. With higher numbers (i.e. 4.0, 5.0), most everything will be in focus for portraits (a lot of times landscape photographers will be up around 8). See below for an example. Pro tip: you can adjust the aperture later if you want. Live mode is a great option for something that is moving or for eyes blinking! You can choose a single frame from a range of facial expressions or movements. Your iPhone will automatically select a frame from your 3 second video clip. However you can go back and manually select your own.

3. Capture natural and candid moments

The more discrete you can be the better. These photos can be just so sweet and cute because they are authentic. As a parent you witness this childhood wonder. The squeals and giggles as your little one runs through the sprinkler. The popsicles dripping down your little ones chin. You can encourage play by saying things like “oh can you show me how you were making that tower?” etc. A lot of kids are used to “cheesing” as a knee jerk response when mom holds up her phone/ camera. If may take either steath mode or some gentle encouragement (that you don’t need that fake smile 😉

4. Edits make it extra! (extra fun, extra creative)

Editing your photos add a more artistic vision or look to your photos. There are a lot of options and they don’t have to be super complicated! You can play around with brightening or darkening the photo (+ or – exposure). Add contrast or crop (make it a smaller section to eliminate distractions or really focus on small little features). You can simply use your iphone editing tools or you can use an editing app/software. Here are some apps I would recommend: VSCO (paid), Lightroom (this is a basic option for editing software that a lot of photographers use, paid); Tezza (film effects), Snapseed.

5. Get close!

Truth be told, this is one of my favorite tips that I use all of the time with my own kids and also as a family photographer. I personally don’t like using the zoom on my iphone much, I would rather get closer when possible. Zooming looks so different than moving yourself closer to your child. If you can’t get closer, you could always crop later!

I truly value the everyday candid moments I can take photos of as a mom. There is something extremely special about the day to day. I hope you took away a tip or two that you will use to capture your own children authentically and creatively!

If you are looking for a family photographer in Iowa City, please check out my family info page.