I've had some emails and other people ask me for tips on photographing their kids, or other peoples' kids, just kids in general.

Firstly, thanks that's flattering that you would ask me since I don't consider myself a master at this, but since I have three kids, I do get lots of time to practice.

So here goes...some tips on photographing your kids.
1. - Try not to make them "pose" too much, this is unnatural for MOST kids (esp. tween age kids!). I usually just stalk about, watching them until I think the moment is right..if you're not sure when that right moment will be, just keep snapping and I'm sure you'll get one. When you unload your pics to the computer you'll see it!

2. - I usually don't TRY and center my subject in the photo, does this mean that I ALWAYS have photos with no subject in the center..NO. I do all the time, but I don't ONLY take photos like that, in fact I like it a little better when their head is to the side, or in fact I like those close-up where..yup I am going to say this..THEIR HEAD IS CUT OFF!!! omgosh! A lot of people think that cropping off their head = bad picture..well I don't at all!! It just depends on the mood of the pic. If their expression says it all, you don't need to see everything else.

3. - Remember my photos aren't perfect, nobodies are but that's what photoshop is for. Photoshop helps us with those pesky little problems like dirty face, blemishes, junk in the background and other stuff that you don't want to distract your viewer from the subject. Why not spend a little extra time editing, you'll be happy you did. If you don't have photoshop use GIMP, it's great and FREE :) I LOVE IT!

4. - Spend a little time adjusting the curves, contrast and lighting. If you're like me, you don't always have PERFECT lighting conditions and a little bit of lightening up your photo can go a long ways!

5. - I usually always spend some time adding a bit of contrast to their eyes, and whitening the whites of their eyes. You have to be careful with this though, in photos of my daughter for example, her eyes are SOO blue that it is really easy to do too much, this is why sometimes I don't touch her eyes at all.

6. - Have fun with it, if your son/daughter doesn't want to look at the camera and smile, oh well! Capture the moment that his lego castle falls down, or when he get excited because it didn't. Most all children's photos that I love love love..don't involve the child looking. But I have to admit I do love those moments that you catch them looking so what do I do for that??...I have my camera focused and ready and then I quickly say their name...be ready and the moment that he/she looks over SNAP! it's usually an honest cute little expression, it works all the time! With my three year old sometimes that doesn't work, he's learned my tricks! So instead I yell out a word like "candy!" and that is when you get that "happy light up my eyes omgosh" look!

Anyway..I took this photo of Aiden today, he has the cutest little expressions! I am posting my fully edited color, black & whitish, and sooc.