Naturally, most mothers would love to take pictures of their kids to record their cute, funny, and precious moments in life. As long as you have your camera or a phone, you can start taking pictures at any time and document their first walk, first day of school, or first swim at the beach. But besides taking photographs, another way you can document your parent-kid moments is by taking selfies. Nowadays, selfies are considered one of the popular ways of self-expression by showing different moods, setups, or backgrounds.
Selfies can also be an excellent way to capture every special time and moment you spend with your little ones. You don’t have to ask someone else to take a picture of you and your kid since you can do it yourself through a selfie. The authentic and raw emotion you portray in a selfie is enough to tell a story and describe the events in that particular picture.
However, taking selfies with kids isn’t always easy as taking selfies alone. And so, this article will show you six tips for taking beautiful selfies with your kids and making it easier than ever.
Find The Right Lighting
Ample lighting is the most crucial factor in a photo, regardless of whether it’s a selfie or not. Without proper lighting, your selfies will look dark, and it’ll be hard to clearly see the faces and the background of your subject. If it’s an indoor selfie, take a few seconds to find a light source and ensure it’s not behind you. For example, you can face the window or at a lightbulb, put your cameras up, and check how the light affects your selfie.
Meanwhile, if you’re taking selfies outside, find the sun and ensure you’re facing its direction. You may also need to shift positions or turn around until you find the best angle with the best lighting. If the sun’s too strong (e.g., noontime), find a shade and try to put the sun behind you and your kids. And with enough light, you won’t have to use a flash, which sometimes messes up your skin tone or ruins the photo’s warmth.
However, if you take a selfie while the lighting is tricky, you can always use a photo-editing app to adjust the lighting and make it prettier, such as facetune, youcam, etc. You can decide whether to use youcam vs facetune, opt for a photo-editing app that’s more user-friendly and offers editing features that allow you to retain the selfie’s natural look.
Consider The Background And The Entire Scene
Many selfies are often ruined by individuals or other objects in the background. So, before you take a selfie with your kids, do a quick check on your background and ensure no one or nothing appears inappropriate (e.g., swear words in graffiti, etc.), especially since you’ll likely show these selfies to your children.
If the background seems too chaotic, you can set the camera to portrait mode and focus the selfie on you and your kids’ faces to blur the background. Meanwhile, if the scene around you adds to the fun and unique memory of the moment, let the background be part of the picture and take a selfie.
Get The Angle Right
The best aspect about selfies is that you get the liberty to choose which angle suits your face best. So, before you get the kids to join the selfie, play around with your angles and switch positions to find your best shots. Thus, taking a picture below your face will only emphasize your double chin, and the results won’t be flattering. Preferably, put the camera above everyone and shoot from there. And remember, don’t put it too high. Otherwise, your tiny kids won’t be able to fit into the frame.
Snuggle And Close The Gap
Sometimes, selfies can look awkward, especially if there’s a noticeable gap or distance between you and the other person in the picture. Thus, when taking selfies with your kids, close that gap and let them snuggle with you for the picture. Taking a selfie while snuggling with your kids will surely look sweet and beautiful and radiate pure bonding. If you’re taking a selfie with more than one kid, you may also pose by piling on top of each other so no face will be blocked off in the picture.
Watch Out For That Arm
You’ve probably seen some selfies that feature the person’s arm holding the camera. Although it can look cute, too much arm on the picture will only take up more space on the frame. You wouldn’t want to keep a selfie that features your arm more than your kids’ faces. So, hold the camera close to your face, leave the arm out, and snuggle close for the shot. The photo will look more beautiful and genuine if your arms are out of the frame.
Let Your Kids Be Kids
There are moments when your kids won’t cooperate if you ask them to smile or do a certain pose for the selfie. However, forcing your kids to stay still and fake a smile won’t make the selfie look genuine. Plus, the selfie-taking experience won’t be fun for them. So, why not embrace their candidness?
Let your kids make faces or be silly when taking selfies. If they’d like to be the one to hold up the camera, then teach them how to click the camera and pose yourself behind them while snuggling them. Remember, the authenticity of emotions will make your selfies with kids more beautiful.
You don’t need to become a professional photographer or go to a studio to achieve a perfect family photo with your kids. By mastering your selfie-gaming, you can capture your favorite moments with your kids anytime and anywhere.