My oldest, Kayla, following after her Daddy

If you have kids, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be sticking a camera in their cute mugs every single day. Cataloging their lives is just as important as raising them. Memories are made every day and your kids will appreciate the volume of work as they get older and have kids of their own. Being the only photographer in this group of misfits at Every Other Thursday, I’d figure I’d share some tips on being a rock star when it comes to child photography.

Shooting tips:

1. Like Flow Rida, get low low low: Photography is all about perspective. Get to their level. For example, if you have a 1 year old that’s crawling, get on the floor and shoot from your belly.
2. Don’t always strike a pose: The best pictures of my kids are the ones that are unplanned. Keep your camera close by and as you’re watching them play, quietly snap away.
3. Forget being perfect: You don’t need to always compose your shot based on a 90 degree angle. Try shooting at a 45 degree angle for a different perspective.
4. Eye of the tiger: When composing your shot, the best thing to do is focus on the eyes. Typically, when you look at a photo of a kid, you tend to look at the eyes first. If the eyes are crisp and in focus, it makes the shot that much more compelling.
5. Cropping is ok: You don’t always have to get full body shots. Zoom in closer and capture smiles, the color of your kids eyes, etc.
   

   My youngest daughter, Jordan

6. Dead center isn’t always right: One of the great tricks to a good shot is composing the shot off center. Check out the example on the right out to show you what I’m talking about.
7. Top down is ok too: Just like getting on your belly to shoot, try using your height advantage and shooting down at the kids. You’ll be amazed at how taking the same shot at different angles and heights adds something unique.

Tech Tips:

1. Storage: Do yourself a favor, get an external hard drive and back up your stuff. External hard drives are pretty cheap these days. You can get a terabyte external HD for $100 or less at Newegg.com. Taking all those pictures and losing them will make you sick. Go the extra mile and pay for online storage or send them to a website like Kodak Gallery or Picasa so you have them backed-up online.
2. Don’t forget the extras: If you’re out and about, the worst thing you can do is NOT have back-up batteries and memory. Always carry around a spare battery and memory card.
3. Processing can be just as fun: If you computer literate, invest in Adobe’s Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. You can take the best photograph you’v ever taken and make it even better by spending a little time in post process. If you’re not tech saavy, try Google’s Picasa or any other free photo management software out there to help you create black and white or sepia tone versions of your photos.

Bonus Tip:

1. Let the kids shoot: As you upgrade your equipment, let the kids have at the older point and shoot cameras you might have. Let them shoot stuff around the house, take pictures of you, etc. You’ll be amazed at what their eyes pick up.

So, you camera wielding dads out there. What tips do you have to share? Show off some of your work. Drop in a link in the comments. Here’s mine over at Flickr.

Don is a former grunt for the Boston Globe, turned PR hack and social media geek. Follow him on Twitter @bigguydor email him at don@everyotherthursday.com. If you’re a Yankee or Giants fan, however, don’t bother.

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