Exercise for “Capturing Details: Small Hands, Small Feet”

1. Take five minutes with a pen and paper and sit down in your kid’s room. Look around at their clothes, shoes, toys, dolls, beds, and make a short list of the details that symbolize who they are at this present age. From that list, work on taking shots of those specific things; maybe it’s their little shoes, hands and feet, mittens, hats, dolls, a princess dress hanging on the back of a bedroom door, a superman cape, etc. (If you’re like me, you often don’t feel like you have five minutes. So I set a timer for myself so I know I’ll only take five minutes and then I’ll get back to my “to do list”.)

2. Try lowering your F-stop to it’s lowest setting (2.8 or lower if your lens is able). The lower F-stop is what creates the blurred background and sharp focus on the single subject.

3. If you have a baby, while you’re nursing or your husband is bottle feeding, take some shots of what their hands are doing. This works great for 6 months olds. I’ve noticed this age is particularly active with their hands while nursing. (little trick; wait 30 minutes longer to feed so they’re extra hungry and more interested in eating than looking at your camera clicking :)).

4. If you have older children, take some photos of their shoes, their bare feet up in the air, or their bare feet poking out from underneath a skirt or rolled up overalls.

5. If you’re pregnant, have a friend, husband, or professional take some photos of your little ones hands on your bare tummy. Classic shot that is so special in years to come.

6. Remember, the trick is to lower your F-stop and use natural light for soft lighting. Happy shooting!

To learn more about me visit My Story.

Click HERE to find out more information on our photography workshops.