While I’m hanging out at The Creative Connection, I asked my friend Kristen to stop by and share a few tips to take fabulous photos like she does.
Hello readers of The Shabby Creek Cottage! My name is Kristen Duke and I am a portrait photographer in Austin, Texas who also happens to LOVE crafts & DIY home projects. Gina asked me to share a few photo tips today….we are doing a sort of blog swap, as she posted last week in my series, Decorating with Portraits. I have a passion for getting those family pictures up on the wall and out in the open for your family to see and adore by integrating them into our home decor. All month long in September, I have different contributors sharing how THEY decorate their homes with portraits. Gina posted here, and you can see many others from photographers, home decor, and DIY bloggers. Come join in on the fun (and link up how you decorate with portraits on October 1st)! Today, I’ve got a few quick photo tips.
Tip #1 Flattering pose First off, as a mom who doesn’t get her pictures taken TOO often, I have to think of the proper way to stand when doing so. Here are some pointers. When having YOUR picture taken, always remember to do 3 things:
1) Turn the hips 2) Pop the knee 3) Bend the arms
Looks much better on the right, eh? Straight on, the hips look so much wider than when I turn to the side. Also, to have a separation of the legs by lifting one heel and popping the knee, helps slim as well. Lastly, giving the arms something to do besides just hang there looks so much more relaxed.
Tip #2 Think Creatively Don’t just take straight on pictures of your subjects, Get creative with photography, and find unique ways to frame your shot. Using angles and depth of field to our advantage can make a shot go from great to WOW. When I took my daughter out for her one year pics, I posted a bunch on my blog and asked to hear favorites (because she is my child, they are all my favorites and I couldn’t decifer objectively). So many people said this was their favorite shot:
Pictures don’t always have to have people in them. Details tell a story, or say something about you/your family. Line up all your shoes and take a picture. Snap a shot at the back of your kids head as they watch their favorite movie. A close up of the cake at a special event. But do all this in a creative way. Don’t just take a picture of the cake, but get at an angle, crop creatively, using the rule of thirds, blurring out some of the other details. If that’s too much, just capture the details. Do you think that down the road it will be fun to see what you had in your pantry or how you have arranged your kitchen cabinets? Have you ever thought to take a picture of that? What fun to look back on! I’d love to see the pantry shelves of my grandmother when she was a young mom like me. Do you want to see my pantry??? I feel so exposed, but here we go…. As is, late in the night, and even with a flash.
Don’t hate me because my pantry ROCKS. I completely love it, and it is the one place my daughter likes to show everyone when they visit our home because she loves to see the jaws drop and the gasps of air flowing from the mouths of said visitors. I know, its ridiculously cool. One of the top 5 reasons we picked this house. My hubby even temporarily parks his baby in there (bike on left). What about my spice organization done my my lovely sis in law, Kim? She labeled them on top and the sides for me.
What about gathering your childs favorite toys in a pile and snapping a shot there? Photograph the MESS that is your childs room, or the organization you are so proud of. With people, you don’t always have to get their faces…So think about the details. Think about things you’d like to remember that you might not think to record ordinarily. In order to remember YOU or your family, the details are important. I hope these tips help you in documenting your life. Remember to come check out the Decorating with Portraits series on my blog, Kristen Duke Photography.com. Also, if you have a fancy DSLR camera, but always use it on the AUTO settings, I have a solution for you on the sidebar of my blog…a little book that has changed photography for many…go check it out;)
Click on the picture for more details:
Happy Snapping!
They Call Me Martha says
Thanks so much for the tips. Kinda funny but my post for today is on photography. The very amateur sort. These tips with come in handy In the TJ Maxx photo booth. ;0)
Coley says
Great tips, thank you!
June@I will craft says
Great tips – thanks!
Marianne@Songbird says
Great tips! Especially the ones on how to pose in front of a camera. I always see so many blogger look fab in their group foto’s, I have not mastered that skill yet. So I’ll try to get in front of the camera more myself and apply your tips! Me and my future pictures thank you.
areiasdejade says
Beautiful!
Nely