5 Tips to Taking Better Photos

If you're behind the camera or in the frame, I hope you find these 5 quick tips helpful!

1. Face away from the sun or find shade.  I was sitting at a restaurant watching two friends document their time together staring straight into the sun silently coaching them from afar.  You want the light behind you or you want shade.  Facing the sun causes harsh shadows on your face and squinty eyes!  Nobody wants that!

2. Stand, don't sit.  "Oh hey a bench!"  No no.  It is generally more flattering for people to stand- standing leads to a more natural posture.  There are ways to position you sitting that are more flattering but it's not usually a natural way to sit for most people.   Sitting also makes it difficult to...

3. SQUISH!  I joke that I need a shirt with this on it.  If I'm posing a family, especially extended or grown kids, everyone gets in close...but never close enough!  That darn personal space bubble we all have - get over it and get in there!   No air or light between you, get your faces as close together as possible!

4. Don't put your armpits on anyone you love.   Men are especially predictable on this go-to-pose.   We swing our arms around our family and friends and CHEESE.   It squishes your lovely friend's hair, it gives you broad and bulky shoulders, and it keeps people from getting in closer (see SQUISH above) ....and it leaves stinky shoulders.  Kidding...maybe...It's Texas Summer after all.

5.  Let kids be kids.  I have the kid that as soon as you try, "say cheese!" his eyes go immediately off to the side somewhere in the distance and he plasters on a huge fake smile and all I end up with everyone frustrated.  So I gave up on that and take photos of him with his head down pushing trucks, hunched over a lego build, or riding his bike.  Talk to them, ask questions, be silly, try funny words, but really - in the truth of the matter, photograph them being them.  You'll treasure the real moment even more than you know now.  

Happy Clicking!

-Nicole