Top 10 Photography Tips for Moms – Capture the Spirit of Ramadan Photo Contest

This seems like such an exciting project, as I always marveled at great photos, especially when attempting to “Capture the Spirit of Ramadan”–at least through my camera lens. :-/ So, as I’ve always marveled at dear Amnah’s fabulous photos (mashaAllah, she’s extremely modest and insists she’s not-a-Pro); below are her Top 10 Photography Tips for us Wannabe-not-a-Pro-like-Amnah (mashaAllah) Modest-Mommy Photographers. [Note: In doubt whether you should enter the contest? Note, I definitely will not. However, I think Amnah should, mashaAllah. ]

3. Take many pictures. The blessing of a digital camera is that there is no price for taking a lot of pictures. Our digital “film” rarely runs out. While you may take an image that appears to look perfect on your tiny LCD, it may be quite different on your 15+ inch computer screen. If possible, take multiple images with a few seconds in between allowing the people in the images to relax a bit or for you to be able to slow down to steady your hand. I try to utilize burst mode or the “action” feature which quickly takes consecutive shots which is ideal when photographing antsy little children. Again, reference your manual to learn how to utilize those features. There goes that manual again. Taking multiple images of unmoving objects is just as important. It allows you to pick the one with the best composition and angle. I will touch on the subject of composition later.

5. Capture the moment. As a mother of two incredibly energetic little girls, I gave up fairly quickly on “Look at Mama”, “Look! Look! Look!”, “Just one more. Please!”. I found myself and the girls getting frustrated and nearly ruining the entire moment. I began to think about what I really wanted to remember instead of forcing fake memories. While getting that head on image of our children smiling directly at the camera is what we may want, imagine a picture that tells a story instead. Where years later that image will invoke the special memories and feelings you felt that day.

6. Consider your subject. Composition and angle are very important when it comes to producing a memorable image that stands out from the rest.  Look through your viewfinder and look beyond your subject. Is the background distracting?  How  is the image framed? If possible move around to capture a more pleasing image.  If moving yourself or the subject isn’t an option, consider your angle or crop out any distracting elements.  Utilizing the Rule of Thirds is very helpful.  Imagine splitting an image into thirds, vertically and horizontally, creating a nine part grid.  The goal is to line up your subject at the points of intersection or along the lines  in order to compose an image that is balanced and interesting.

When photographing children, we tend to point the camera down towards them.  Instead, come down to their level for a more realistic perspective.  Their height and size will be more proportionate to things around them thus helping us look back on how tiny they really used to be.  Have even more fun by experimenting with an angle or perspective you may have never considered before.  Don’t be afraid to try new things.

equipment on DSLR and point and shoot cameras. However, I understand and have been in many situations when flash is a must.  If you own a DSLR, I would suggest investing in an external flash that attaches to the camera that bounces the light off of other surfaces thus diffusing the flash.  Point and shoot cameras have improved in some cases with models that fire the flash twice for one image, lighting the background and the foreground.  Sometimes, if I am sure my subject will remain still, I use the night shot function with good results.

9. When all else fails, edit. The goal of every photographer, amateur or professional, is to produce the perfect image with the camera alone.  But rest assure that every photographer, amateur and professional, now edits majority of their images.  Whether it’s a color touch up, a fun effect, or even better cropping, chances are the final images you’ve ever seen have been edited.  It is not necessary to edit every single image you wish to print, only the ones you’d like to really stand out.

While I own professional editing software, I actually use a great service online.  I edit all of my images through Picnik.com.  It’s incredibly easy to use and very affordable compared to some of the digital editing software available.  It’s perfect for moms that don’t want to spend a lot of time or money editing their  images.

10.  Embrace the “bad” pictures. As moms, we know that not every moment is perfect.  Not every hair will be in place and clothes always tidy.  Our kids won’t always smile or look.   Our kids will just be themselves.  The “bad” pictures or the outtakes will be just as memorable as the perfect images.  “Look J, this is the time you refused to take a single picture during our first visit to Yosemite. You were so rebellious back then. I should have seen it coming!”  Looking back on our own pictures as kids, we tend to linger and laugh more at the pictures that weren’t perfect. The pictures that told the real story or shed light on our true personalities.  Don’t get upset if you can’t get an image for every single milestone, event, or cute moment of your child’s life.   That won’t mean that it never happened, each person will just remember it differently.

If you decide to enter the Ramadan 2011 photo contest please blog about it, and link to this post so we can share our support. If you’re interested but have too many pictures to pick from. Blog about, let us know and we’ll help pick what we think you should enter. Are you like me, Ponn, a novice and just grateful, alhumdulilah, that I have the top tips to start learning to capture pictures better, inshaAllah. Either way, please kindly share your thoughts, ideas and comments below.