School Photography in Austin

I have been lucky enough to photograph students at several Austin area preschools over the past year and boy is it fun! The challenge to capture a variety of expressions from one child and to capture even one photo from another really keeps me on my toes :) I think having 3 kiddos of my own including kids with some out of the ordinary challenges helps me to be able to relate to a broader range of children, personalities, and needs. It is always so rewarding to upload my card and sift through the images only to, each and every time, be so pleasantly surprised by the lovely expressions these little ones give me. Some of my favorite prompts are to ask them to whistle or laugh like Santa - the little pursed lips get me every time!

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Getting sun-drenched images indoors

I love photographing my kiddos in the golden hour. There is nothing more satisfying that capturing that dreamy glow around their sweet faces. Of course, since day light savings ended, all of my kiddos are going to sleep hours before sunset. Sunrise is a lovely option but it has been too chilly even here in Austin for venturing outside to explore the neighborhood and snap some shots. So I have satisfied myself with exploring my indoor light right here at home. The photo below was the first time I had opened these blinds during early morning sesame street viewing (and coffee guzzling). I was so pleasantly surprised with the glowy light streaming through just after sunrise that I snapped several photos of my youngest in her monster jammie bottoms :)

My youngest watching Sesame Street at sunrise

Pleased with the extra attention from Mommy.

Busy cleaning the floor with her wipes...

Hmmm. The wine fridge.... ;)

Camera settings for above photos: ISO 800 | f 2.5 | 1/320 sec. Nikon d750 | 50mm 1.8.

Enjoy capturing your own littles in gorgeous light even at times outdoor shoots aren't feasible!

How to take beautiful photographs of your children

This week in Austin has been March madness aka spring break week for my kiddos. Which means I get to chill (haha) solo with three rambunctious and strong-willed tiny people who think my greatest skills are snack making and remote control finding. To keep myself sane this week I have been photographing our neighborhood adventures and editing after bed which has been so much fun!

Some tips for photographing your kiddos:

1. Symmetry and movement - these are everywhere on playgrounds!

Look for symmetry and movement - my monkeys love swinging so there is no end of opportunity to photograph them without drawing attention to myself.

2. Faceless portraits can capture childhood exploration

Grab a faceless shot that captures childhood exploration! I love the storytelling of shots that capture how small they are now - my older kids would never try to get in this bubble as they are already too big, but the baby is just the right size.

3. Perspective!

Change up your perspective and look at the wonder of the playground from their point of view. This is my 5 year old catching my 1 year old on the slide (her favorite clearly!) and I didn't want to edit him out to really see that this is from near a child's perspective and also capture a bit of the relationship between these two.

4. Light

I admit it - I'm obsessed with sunflares and golden light - but my kids don't always want to go to the playground early in the morning. Use playstructures or trees to block some more direct light so that you still capture the golden feel of the day even with stronger directional light.

5. Get on their level

I know my son feels like a big kid when he scales the climbing structures - I can capture him looking like a giant when I get down to the level of my littlest. I love how she sees her big brother and how he feels so accomplished and grown up!