The Best Locations for Photographing Your Children

Home.

The time and place to capture the most genuine photo of your child is when they are in their own environment. Sneak up on your child when they’re coloring in their bedroom, or flipping through a book, and snap away. Sure you may want to frame a couple fully lit faces smiling at the camera for your parents, or your walls, but what you are going to want to remember years from now is how she twisted her hair while reading, how he only colored with blue crayons, or how they ended lunch time with crusts on their plates and big jelly smiles across their cheeks. A mess of toys behind a child can make a lovely colorful backdrop, and is oh-so-authentic. Capture those moments around your home that are your everyday, because someday they won’t be.

Grass.

Sure I could give you a list of scenic parks around town but really, all you need for a great colorful backdrop is some green grass. Wrestle your kiddo down, tickle his belly and shoot! Or if you have two or more, let them wrestle themselves. Hello natural smiles!

Coffee shops.

I tend to favor the ones with big windows, overstuffed chairs and nice woodwork. Sit close to a window, no one relaxing in a café wants your flash going off. Try to capture your child’s moments of stillness as they sip on hot cocoa, devour an enormous cookie, or stare out an oversized window.

Nature.

We live in the Pacific Northwest, and kids are kids, so chances are yours are pretty happy out in nature. Though hiking among our many forest trails can be dark, if you catch a sunny day you are bound to find areas of gorgeous sunshine bursting through the trees. Head out for a nature walk on Sauvie Island, and in summer go pick berries. Find one of the many parks we have along the river and feed ducks, play in the sand, capture your child’s reflection in the water. In Portland there are endless opportunities for photographing children in nature. Take advantage of that!

The Oregon Coast.

If you live in the area and you haven’t photographed your kids at the coast, put it on your to-do list for 2012.

Libraries.

Books as backdrops! Again, try turning the flash off and shoot near a window. This is a good rule of thumb whenever you are shooting indoors as natural light is almost always more flattering.

Wherever you end up, just try to remember to photograph your children being children and I’m guessing you will love the results. If you don’t love your results, well I think the answer is obvious: Hire a professional to do it for you!

Posy Quarterman is a family and child photographer based in Portland, OR. Posy specializes in on-location and (mostly) natural light lifestyle photography. She would LOVE to capture your children being themselves and loving it up with YOU. Check out more of Posy’s gorgeous work at: www.photoposy.com and keep track of the fun she’s having at ww.photoposy.blogspot.com