Smart Toddler Photoshoot Selfie Tips
As many parents know, a toddler photoshoot can be an expensive, frustrating event. If you’re looking for an alternative, you can cut costs and possibly even spare yourself a few grey hairs by taking fantastic selfies with your child instead.
The following child photography tips and techniques include various ways in which you can improve the quality of the pictures you take with your smartphone. None of the hints are complicated or challenging, rather, they are simple, easy-to-remember tricks that will eventually become second nature.
Find the Best Light
Not always possible, but worth it when you do manage to do it, finding good light will elevate the selfies you take as part of your toddler photoshoot. Try to avoid artificial light whenever possible. The good news is that, if you are indoors, you will not need to go far to find great lighting. All you need to do is to take the photo near a window. Don’t forget the ‘golden hour’ either. As the sun goes down the light is perfect for taking pics, as its soft, warm and directional, and makes everyone look their best – parents included!
Check What Is Behind You
Too many otherwise good selfies have ultimately been spoiled because whoever took them did not take the time to check what was behind them. Thanks to that minor oversight, something in the background, such as a tree or a building, appears to be a rather interesting hat. Before taking your selfie with your toddler, follow this child photography tip technique – take a quick glance behind you and, if you can, take a test photo and make sure it does not look like you have the neighbour’s mailbox on your head.
Keep Your Arm Out Of the Shot
Another tip that Toby and Friends is happy to share should help you keep as much of your arm out of the image as possible. Do this by bringing the camera closer to you and your little one. Your faces will fill more of the frame.
Look Up
When enjoying a selfie toddler photoshoot with your child, it can be tempting to hold your phone at a lower angle and to take the picture with the camera pointed up at your face. While your son or daughter may look fine, there is a good chance you are going to look as though you have a double chin and absolutely cavernous nostrils. A much better option is to hold the phone at a higher angle, and then to look up at it.
Gather Your Chicks
This child photography tip technique is for selfies that include more people than you and your toddler. If your other children, your partner, or others are also be in the picture, I suggest you all snuggle up for the photo. You want to get cosy to ensure you are all in the shot. Then, get the person with the longest arm to snap away, so you get as much depth as possible.
Experiment With HDR
Most smartphone cameras come with a High Dynamic Range or HDR setting. When you activate it, the setting will take three photos in quick succession, which it then combines to produce the best ratio of dark to light. There is a catch, though. You and your child need to sit still. Any movements will spoil the image.
Take More Selfies
Another top tip from Tobybooks.com for a photoshoot with your child is to take more selfies. Practise makes perfect, but that is not what this hint is about. If your phone is capable of continuous shooting, use it to take numerous photos at once, and then go through all of them to find the best one. By taking lots of selfies you’ll also get your child used to the camera, and they may even start to want to pose for the best possible result if they find it fun.
Expect Imperfection
Like any proud parent, you will want your selfie toddler photoshoot to be perfect. Trying to achieve that perfection, however, could end up being an unbearably miserable experience for everyone concerned. The best photos are usually the best because of an imperfection that adds character and interest to the image. Go with the flow, enjoy yourselves, and the result will be worth it. A quirky selfie with character can be just as good as a carefully posed image after all!