The best part about being a photographer is that I’m literally supposed to spend my time being creative and trying new things. It can be hard to not get into a rut though, when you create client work that must be consistent, and you as an ADD creative are so sick of yourself and your work that you could puke. Luckily, I have kids who are willing to let me photograph them every once in a while. I get to try all my ideas and edit however the hell I want to, which is liberating.

One afternoon, my daughter was hanging out in my office and telling me about her day at school, when I noticed beautiful light coming in. I made her squat down on my treadmill desk and make some funny faces. The light was coming in on a slant and I wanted to try out one of my fun lenses, so I stuck my daughter on my walking treadmill and made her humor me for just moment. They key with photographing your kids is to keep it quick and light. We spent maybe 5 minutes taking these shots and I asked her to make funny faces or slide into the light for different shots. Here are a few more basic tips for photographing your kids:

1. Carry your camera or phone (like this is a tough one) around with you whenever you’re with your kids. Sometimes the best shots happen in the most mundane situations.

2. Pay attention to when the light is nice in your house or when an interesting pocket of light peers in from the window or blinds. Set up one of your kids there, with an activity like bubbles or coloring book, and snap some pics while he or she isn’t even paying attention to you.

3. Shoot from different angles- above with a bird’s eye view, the side, or (my favorite) from below so that your kids fill the frame.

4. Have fun editing your pics. You can use Instagram’s built-in filters, but there are a number you can buy online that are created by photographers and/or you can edit your own pics with LR desktop or mobile versions.

5. Have fun! I have never regretted a shot I took of my kids when I look back at it a few years later. We think we will remember all these moments, but trust me, you won’t, unless you document them.

Even if you don’t own a camera, you can still have fun photographing your kids with your phone. I have a course on photographing your kids that you can grab right here by signing up for my education email list.