To the mummies on Mothers Day
I am chief in charge of documenting our family history in our house. This is something that I take very seriously and I love to see the images coming together to make up a story of our family life. I know I am not alone in this task… lots of mummys take on this role. It is a great job but it does have it’s drawbacks… in that you are rarely in the frame yourself. Now initially you might think that this is a great thing as if you are anything like me you are not massively keen on being in front of the camera. However…. it has recently become apparent to me that there are gaps in our story… I wonder if Josh will ask me later on down the line where I was when he and Daddy were having such fun together.
So I have made a marked effort to try and get in front of the camera a bit more to record a few memories for myself and of course, more importantly, for Josh. (I have even popped one on my ‘about Jess gallery’ here despite my shyness!) I wondered how many other people face a similar problem. So I thought I would note down a few tips for Mummy’s wanting to feature a little more in family photographs.
Tips for capturing mummy and child portraits for mothers day:
1) Ask someone to take the photograph. Yes I know … sounds obvious and very vain doesn’t it … but it gets easier every time you do it. And remember this is about making some family history for your children – don’t let your own vanity or shyness get in the way!
2) In my opinion the best photographs come when you are interacting with your children so try not to look at the camera too much. Get your child/ children engaged with something you know they love doing or have a lovely quiet snuggle together. Try to get the person who is taking the photograph to give you as much room as possible so the above can happen naturally without the little ones breaking into the biggest cheesy grin you’ve ever seen!
3) Find nice light! Go and find some nice shade somewhere with nice even lighting. I know everyone loves the sunshine but facing into the sun is the least flattering sort of light and causes you to squint. Not good.
4) Keep it simple. You don’t necessarily need to be jumping all around the beach everywhere. For many mummy’s it is all about the interaction and close tender moments. Eye contact can make a break a picture so be mindful of where you are looking. Looking at the horizon can look wistful but it does nothing for creating emotional connections with your child sat next to you! Talk to your children about things that you know that animates them then just let someone take moments.
5) Try to forget the camera. The more absorbed you and your children are in the moment the more natural the images will look and the more likely you will like them.
6) Print them off. Having gone to the trouble of taking them do not leave them on your hard drive to collect dust. Print them off now whilst you think of it! I talk a little more about the importance of printing on my website here.
Feel free to pass these tips on to friends of family who might be able to help you capture some moments by taking over the camera here and there (use the social media icons at the top of the page). There are a few ideas of mother and child photographs that I have taken in the past below. For further inspiration come and have a look at some of my children and families photographs here on my website.
Still a bit daunted?
If you are looking for a very personal gift for the mummy in your life – whether that be your own or your children’s then please do get in touch to have a chat about our children and families sessions here. A chance to create some beautiful artwork of your family. Gift vouchers available.