Tips for Getting in More Photos with Your Kids

Time goes faster than you think. I know we always mean to get those family pictures done or get someone to snap a picture of us with our kids at a special event,  but how often do we actually get it done? How many photos do you actually have of you with your kids?

It’s so, so , important, for you and your children, that you Mom are in those photos too!

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What better time to get yourself in the picture than Mother’s Day? We’ve made it an annual tradition of sorts so my kids know full well for the entire month of May (or at least until Mother’s Day) Mom is going to be jumping in some photos with them.  At this point they go along with me because they know it’s the only thing I really want for Mother’s Day.

This tradition started years ago with me simply wanting to get one photo of myself with my kids on Mother’s Day. Hubby would kindly oblige. But, I’m greedy… haha…. so one photo wasn’t enough for long. With a little practice I have learned to include myself in the photos of our day to day lives. And I love it!

Here’s a tip!

Use Mother’s Day as an annual reminder to take a few photos with your kids. This way you can be assured that you will make the time for it at least once a year. The images don’t have to be technically perfect. (Although a little good lighting never hurts anyone). When it’s you and your kids in the frame how can you really go wrong?

(All three photos above were taken using a tripod and a remote shutter)

If you are not in the habit of getting into photos with your kids let this Mother’s Day be the time to start! At the very least ask someone to snap a picture of you with your children to mark the day. I promise you it’s fun to look at the photographs year after year and see not only their growth, but how you’ve changed right along with them.

If you’d like to try your hand at getting in the frame with your kiddos,  here are a few helpful tips.

Helpful Tips for Getting in Photos with Your Kids

1. If your camera has a Self Timer,  learn how to use it! My kids have a blast watching me run into the shot before the shutter fires. It inevitably ends up with fits of giggles and in the end it makes for some super fun images. (Don’t forget to show them the results on the back of the camera as you go along).
2. Try using a Selfie Stick.
3. Ask someone take the picture for you.
4. If you have a DSLR consider purchasing a Remote Shutter.  For the photos I take of myself with the kids, 99% of the time I am using my tripod and remote shutter.  The bonus is my kids are so intrigued by the remote shutter that they will sit for pictures if I promise to let them have a turn with the “clicker”.  Often times my favorites end up being the ones they’ve taken!
5. Tripods are great, I couldn’t live without mine, but if you don’t have one, improvise. Prop your camera up on a (sturdy) chair, table, bookcase or even a stack of books to get it at the right height for your shot.
6. Get a Gorilla Pod. I recently purchased THIS ONE for my iPhone and so far it’s proven to be priceless.  I can see us using this all summer for fun family shots on the go. They make gorilla pods suitable for point & shoots, DSLRs & smart phones.
7. Did you know your iPhone camera even has a self timer? We’ve taken some fun shots using the self timer on the iPhone combined with the gorilla pod. The kids think it’s awesome because they can see themselves on the screen and watch the timer countdown before it snaps the picture.

The two images below were taken using an iPhone and the gorilla pod. All I did was set the gorilla pod on the kitchen counter and use the self timer on the iPhone set to 10 seconds. They are not traditional portraits or anything close to technically perfect but I love them because they represent my kids & I in our day to day lives, being silly and having fun. They may not make it on the wall but they will definitely make it into our annual photo books.

So what do you think? I challenge you. Go get a photo (or two, or three) of you and your children this Mother’s Day. Then.. print them out! (But that’s for another post) 😀