As parents, we want to capture every cheeky, cute and key moment of our children's lives but how do you take your photo game to the next level? Keep reading to find out!
Presets
We all know about filters on Instagram and your usual camera apps, but presets will take your photos to the next level, while still looking natural. Let me introduce you to Lightroom by Adobe. It's kind of like Photoshop but you use it for editing things like lighting, colour, details, etc. The best part is you can have it on your laptop/desktop for a subscription fee or get it for FREE on your mobile phone (note the mobile version has basic features and you will be required to create a free Adobe account). The free mobile version of Lightroom is perfect for editing on the go and will be your best friend.
Sounds great, but how do you use presets? Well, you have three options for presets. The first is using the presets that come with the mobile version of Lightroom. The second is buying presents, it seems nowadays all Instagram 'influencers' are selling them! But there are also some great companies who produce and sell presets. If you do go down this path make sure you do your research! Thirdly, you can create your own presets!
Here is an example of an image I took compared to the same image with a preset that I made.
As you can see the preset lifts brightness of the photo and gives it that popular airy and light look.
Time of day
Have you ever heard of people talking about 'the golden hour'? It refers to the time of day when the sun is coming up or going down. Thanks to the golden hour you can create beautiful photos simply by positioning the sun behind your subject. Your photo will be blessed with all different colours and will have a glow.
Portrait mode
You don't need a fancy camera to take a stunning photo these days. All you need to do is switch your mobile phone camera to 'portrait' mode. Portrait mode blurs the background to give a photo depth, which makes your photos look beautiful and give the illusion you've used a fancy camera!
Don't force a photo
As parents, we know our kids aren't the best at taking directions. It's best to go with the flow and take as many photos as possible. Chances are in the 20 photos to take you'll have a few gems and you'll capture moments that will be authentic.
If you're using a phone or compact camera or even DSLR you can switch your device to 'burst' mode, which will ensure multiple photos are taken. This is also great if your child is moving around!
We hope you enjoyed and learnt from our tips for taking beautiful photos! Please reach out to us if you'd like more information on taking beautiful photos xx