Everyday moments make up a life. But, capturing those moments isn’t always easy. The good news is that you don’t need a big fancy camera to get great photos of your family. What you do need are a few tips and tricks for using the camera you have — enter: Everyday Pics!
Everyday Pics is a new series of posts that showcase everyday photos from my life with my son, and perhaps a few with friends and family, too. Some will be season related, some just for fun. All will share ideas to try with your own family.
Ready? Here are a few photos from our visit to Clancy’s Pumpkin Patch in San Francisco, when my little guy was just two.
So, yes, these were shot with the fancy camera — a 5D Mark II and 50mm 1.2 lens. It’s that lens that’s getting us the pretty bokeh (soft focus) in the background.
Fancy setup aside… here are some key takeaways that only require some imagination:
· Shoot a lot of photos! The above 9 resulted from 40 frames shot. The more you shoot, the more you’ll develop your personal style, and the better those photos will be. That said, remember to put the camera down too. Take time to just be present. Pictures are great, but family time on a fun day like this will always mean more to your kids than more photos.
· Less posing & more play! Kids are naturally inclined to play… let them. Walk behind them, run ahead of them, get in close and check out what they are checking out, let them try to do it all by themselves. All of these make for great photo ops.
· Set the stage! Take time to find just the right spot for your posed shots. Look for cool signs, props, and interesting backgrounds that tell the story of where you are.
Okay, that’s a good start. As this series continues, we’ll explore ideas for shoots, shooting technique, editing, and more. I truly believe that the best camera is the one you carry with you, so most of these tutorials will focus on phone photography, and perhaps some videography, too. Cool? I’m excited!
xo.