12 Tips To Getting Beautiful Photos Of Kids With Your iPhone

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Photographing kids as we all know, can be quite a challenging task, as kids do not want to stay in a place posing for photographs. There is no rule to adhere to when photographing children, but there are certain strategies and techniques one can use to get better images of children.

With iPhone photography becoming extremely popular, the techniques for getting a good photograph using an iPhone are also pretty straightforward. The advantages of using an iPhone for capturing beautiful moments of your children are two-fold:

  1. The iPhone (or any mobile phone really) is always with you, so you won't miss out on any action or fun moments.
  2. Children are not intimidated by your iPhone, as they would be with a camera, making it a better device to photograph kids.
girl
Image by Bess-Hamiti

In this article, we will be looking at 12 tips on how to get beautiful shots of kids with an iPhone.

1. Be Spontaneous:

With kids, you never know when they will portray memorable moments and you need to be really quick with getting your iPhone and accessing your camera app in order to get that shot. The native camera app can be accessed quickly with a swipe on your screen and it is the best option in terms of being instantaneous.

2. Record Candid Moments:

Kids are always moving around and in action and so it is always nice to get shots of the candid moments they display. You could be discreet and let the kids do what they are doing and capture the beautiful moments, but with an iPhone, even if the kids notice you, it should not be a problem.

Some kids can actually show interest in getting photographed if you show them some of the beautiful images you have captured of them. Or, you can let them be with their favorite pet or toys to get shots of how they interact with them.

3. Get Down To Their Level:

This is a general rule when photographing kids and the same applies whatever gear you use to photograph children. You should always get down to the kids’ level to get their images as this helps with beautiful backgrounds and more importantly, you see their world through the camera from the kids’ point of view.

farm
Image by 12019

4. Use Burst Mode:

Kids are constantly moving or doing something. There could also be times when they are playing to taking part in an activity or event or doing something where you want to capture the details or each moment of what is going on. Single shots can be a near miss on most action shots and so in situations like these, make use of the burst mode on your iPhone to capture a series of shots so you can sort out the frames that you need later on.

girl
Image by SkitterPhoto

Note: If you do not know how to take a burst shot – compose and focus on your subject. Tap and hold your finger on the shutter button constantly and the camera will continue taking images until you lift your finger. You can later review the shots, pick up the best ones and delete the rest.

5. Are You Shooting Portraits? Focus On Their Eyes:

As with any portraits, if you need the image to be engaging and powerful, then you need to focus on the eyes of the kids. Tap the screen where the eye is in the frame to focus on the eye and then get the shot.

baby
Image by Berzin

6. Plan Your Shoot:

If you are looking for a seasonal shoot or a themed shoot, then plan the location, props, and costumes accordingly to get the best out of the shoot. Choose what your kids love to do and plan the locations accordingly – outdoor fields especially during spring, summer and autumn, can be a great place to get dreamy images of your children. This way, you can let them do what they are interested in doing and make beautiful candid shots.

7. Look for the Light and Compose Carefully:

Very similar to photographing with a camera, it is important to look for the direction of light when composing your images with an iPhone. The golden hour can be the best time to shoot beautiful dreamy images as the light is soft, has a warm glow and illuminates everything beautifully during that time.

It is also best to wisely choose backgrounds and keep the composition simple so your subject can stand out and draw the viewer’s attention into what you are trying to show in the image. Simple compositional guidelines like the rule of thirds, negative space, contrast colours, leading lines, lights and shadows, frames, etc. can be used to compose compelling shots using an iPhone.

child
Image by Seaq68

8. Photograph From Different Perspectives:

We discussed earlier about getting down to the kids’ level. While this is necessary for getting the best shots, you do not have to necessarily stick to this always. Depending on where you are, where your child is and what they are doing, you may want to use different perspectives like shooting from a very low or higher perspective to get creative images of your children.

9. Try Portrait Mode:

If you are using a version of the iPhone that supports portrait mode, do not forget to get a few portraits using this shooting mode if you can get your kids to stay still. These images can be used to portray your child’s features in detail, make your subject stand out by avoid distracting backgrounds as this feature blurs the background more than it would in normal mode.

This does not mean that you should not try portraits if your iPhone does not support portrait mode. Close portraits made using iPhones and any smartphones can be quite intriguing as the perspective is very different from those taken with a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

10. Most Of All – Have Fun:

Remember, do not take this task as a duty, but let the kids have fun and you too have fun with them so that these moments and photographs can be cherished as beautiful memories. Make sure you also record details of the activities they are performing.

11. Use Your Favourite Apps To Post Process The Images:

Do not stop with just taking images. Once you are done with the shots, use one of your favourite apps to post process the images. There are so many out there like VSCO, Snapseed, LR mobile, Photoshop, RNI Films, Mextures, Lenslight, Pixelmator, etc.

Remember, you cannot get a good photo from a bad one by post processing it using fancy apps. Light, composition, focus are keys to a good photograph and post processing apps are a tool to make slight adjustments to make your already good images look better.

rni films img b f bed bb d e
Edited using RNI Films Image by Sathyatripodi

12. Try Black and White:

Depending on the mood and theme that you have chosen to shoot images of your kids, some images could look better in black and white. This way, you leave out everything in the frame (avoid any distractions) and bring focus on the main subject, that is, your kid and what they are doing. There are many apps to post process your images in black and white. Carbon, Snapseed, VSCO, Lightroom Mobile, Photoshop are a few of them.

Final Thoughts

The tips above are not for just iPhone users. Anyone who has a smartphone with a decent camera can benefit from the tips above to make decent shots of their kids.

Have you photographed kids before using your iPhone or smartphone? If so, what tricks and techniques did you use to get the best shot? If you have any tips that would help, please share them with us in the comments section below.

If you have a favourite photo of your kid taken with an iPhone or any smartphone, you can share them with the community at Light Stalking. We have a Mobile Monday Challenge every week where members share beautiful images taken with their smartphones. Do not forget to check that out!

Further Resources:

  1. 7 Quick Tips On Photographing Kids
  2. Mastering The iPhone 8 As a Photographer or Filmmaker
  3. The Secret To Long Exposure Photos With Your iPhone
  4. 5 Simple Tips for Better Photos of Kids
  5. Have Friends Gasping With Amazement at Your Photos of Kids
  6. How to Photograph Kids and Get Gorgeous Shots
 

About Author

Dahlia is a stock photographer and full time educator at Light Stalking. You can find her on Gurushots and see some of her more popular articles at The American Society of Media Photographers. Get to know her better here.

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