Photo Tips for Busy Moms

Last Thursday our Luna Moms Club playgroup took a field trip to the Raleigh Rose Garden. Deb Wright, a local photographer, met us there among the lush late-summer blooms. She schooled us in some basic photography tips and sent us out into the garden to put them into action with our sweet kiddos as subjects. Now I need to mention here that it was HOT... SO INCREDIBLY HOT that morning. Therefore it was a brief picture-taking session for us all. But we managed to snap a few good ones. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see some of my attempts at photographing Monty!

Here are a few tips, courtesy of Deb Wright Photography, that we'd like to share with you! Thanks Deb!

Photo Tips for Busy Moms
1. Read your manual... you may find that your camera does a lot more than you think, and it tells you how.
2. Get down on your child's level... put baby in a chair, on the couch, or be prepared to lie down and roll around with the kids (much more fun)!
3. Use a flash! Outside in the sunshine a flash will reduce dark faces and shadows under eyes. Also use it inside when the subject is backlit by a lamp or sunny window.
4. Don't wait for the perfect sunny day... cloudy day lighting is beautiful and much better for portraits.
5. Don't insist on "cheese". Some of the most memorable photos are those that tell a story- a giggle, a pout, a sleeping angel.
6. Stay away from a busy background to allow for more focus on the subject.
7. Play with your camera's modes- portrait, macro, and sports modes.
8. Shoot lots of photos... and print the ones you love and delete the ones you don't.
9. Stay out of the middle... place your subject off center. Focus on their face, press the shutter button halfway down and move the camera slightly, and press it the rest of the way down to take the shot.
10. Keep your camera close by and carry extra batteries and memory cards. Frequently recharge your rechargeable batteries so they are ready for action when you are!
11. Have fun!

If you'd like to schedule a photo shoot with Deb or reach out to her with comments or questions you can find her through her website: http://debwrightphotography.smugmug.com/ or visit her Facebook fan page through this link.