Guest Author - Susan Thompson

The holidays will soon be approaching, and it is the time of year when most parents think of taking pictures.

There is nothing worse than taking a whole role of film only to find out that most of your pictures are blurry or off center. Thank heaven for digital cameras! Read on for some helpful hints on taking great pictures of your kids.

For infants and babies who are not yet mobile, set up your own studio. Before you begin, be sure there is plenty of daylight in the room. Lay blanket on the floor as the background. Lay the baby down on the blanket, and kneel at the edge of the blanket by baby’s feet. Point the camera so you are looking down at the baby. Snap the picture. Change camera position and take several pictures from different angles. If you are having trouble getting the baby to look in your direction, use a rattle or other toy to get their attention. To get the best cooperation, try to pick a time of day when the baby is not hungry or tired.

If baby is able to sit, you can position them in several different ways in order to create great photos. Think of unusual objects that the advertising companies use as long as they are safe for baby. Wagons are great props. Fill the wagon with stuffed animals and place baby in the center of the animals. For a great fall picture, fill the wagon with hay or leaves, or even a few pumpkins and click away. For best results, position yourself at eye level of the baby so you are not looking down in every picture.

If you have more than one child, to position them, you would have the oldest hold the youngest and arrange other children around them. One fun idea is to use the slide at the local play ground or in your back yard. Have the biggest child sit on the bottom of the slide and then you can have the children slide down behind them in size order.

If your children play sports or are involved in other activities, of course you want to get great pictures of these events. Practice is key to the art of taking action shots. You want to get close enough or zoom in close enough to see that it is your child. For sports photos, make sure there are no fences or spectators in the way before you take the picture. If your child is in a play or recital, make sure you have the flash on. You also want to check that no scenery or decorations are in the way.

Of course, everyone takes birthday party pictures. Always take a picture of the birthday boy/girl with the cake, and don’t forget the guests. I have dozens of pictures of my kids’ birthday parties, but I barely took any pictures of the guests. I have since learned from my mistakes and make sure there are plenty of pictures of the guests with the guest of honor.

Hope these tips help to ensure many years of successful picture taking. Here’s to many scrapbooks full of happy memories!