My children are very well photographed, to say the least! At times they tell me “two photos Mom, then we’re done!” To get great photos of the kids I more often really wait for the right moment. In the images below, some took numerous shots to get it right but most were one or two shots. For many many years, I only used film cameras, which meant only 24 images at a time and no preview, so I’m really used to getting it right out of the camera.

Some tips for great natural looking photos:

• Don’t ask them to smile!

• Tell a silly joke, wait until the tail end of the laughter.

• Have them look at their feet and wiggle their toes, then back to you

• Ask them to look through the lens and see if they can see your eye.

• Check the light on their face, under the eyes

• Try to avoid dappled or harsh light on the face

• Use portrait mode on the cell phone

• Make it fun and have them set up poses and settings - and take some photos of you!