Hello there! It’s been a while since I have written a blog post. Honestly, I have never been very scheduled with writing posts. Juggling being a wife, a mother, work and my son’s schedule with therapy, and school the last few years, hasn’t left me much time to set aside for my blog.

I am going to change that starting this month.  Each Thursday, I will post my “Thursday Thoughts.”  It may be photography tips for parents, a recent session, what is going on in my life, baby life, food, clothes, or whatever happens that week.  I hope you will check it out! I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and comments each week.

This Thursday will be my first of my weekly posts, and it will be something that is very personal.  For now, though, I will leave you with a few tips to photographing your children at home.  I have had so many comments and messages about my personal images that I post on my Instagram that I thought I would leave some tips, or suggestions, for parents each week.  I have just recently began posting the images I take of my family, and I have been so surprised at the positive reaction to them all.  I usually only post my images from my session, but I think I will start mixing it up a bit.

This image below is one of my son on his first day of school. It is very rare that I can capture my children sleeping because they are very light sleepers. This morning he moved a bit when I opened the curtain slightly and his expression changed from completely relaxed to slightly serious. However, he stayed asleep, which made me one happy momma. I love photographing my children awake, just being themselves, and playing; but I just get giddy when I can capture them sleeping.  Give it a try!

Tips For Photographing Your Child:

• Have Patience and Be Ready
  Photographing your own child can be pretty challenging. I know first hand. Just have patience. Don’t rush and don’t force it.  If you miss that shot you were looking for, chances are, it may happen again. If it doesn’t, another one will be right around the corner.  Just play and interact with your child. Or patiently stand off to the side giving them their space. Just watch and be ready for anything. Have the camera set with the proper settings. With children, always expect the unexpected.
• Lighting
  Most of the time, I shoot with only natural light. Look around your home, and take a few minutes one day to find out where the light is. Note what time of day the light is best in each room.  For example, my bedroom is best to photograph in around 2:00pm until sunset everyday.  The light is bright, yet soft. Let the light always fall on your child’s face, unless your are shooting a backlit photo. Typically though, you want that light on their face and the catch light in their eyes.
• Catch Light
  A catch light is best defined as the light or glimmer that reflects in the eyes of a subject. It is a reflection off the surface of the subject’s eye. Basically, this reflection comes from an external light source. I believe it adds life to your subjects face. I always try to look for the catch light when shooting.
• Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
  If your home looks anything like mine right now, most rooms are a mess.  At times, the mess and toys help tell a story. At others, it can be very distracting.  If your child is playing and just being his or herself, and you want to capture that moment, take a glance at what is around. If there is a laundry basket in the background, just take a moment to move it without interrupting your child’s play.
• Get Down To Their Level
  Try to be at their level as much as possible.  It is a simple but powerful way to create a connection and a wonderful image.If you are interested in working with me in person to learn more about photographing your children with hands on experience, please take a look at the Soul Session Workshop.