One of my priorities is having good photographs of our lives both before and after babies, but we just don’t have the money for frequent sessions with great photographers.  That means that I have to save professional sessions for the really “big” moments and rely on some good ol’ DIY sessions the rest of the time.  Case in point, I really wanted some good pictures of Mr. Blue and me for our holiday cards this year, but it was too early for an official “maternity” photo session.

Let me start by saying that I am so not a photographer, and most of you could take pictures in circles around me.  I have virtually no idea what I’m doing, but I’ve always really loved taking pictures and would love to take some classes someday to really understand what I’m doing.  Until then, I’m on my own trying to improve my photography skills with a lot of trial and error.  Here are some of the very basic lessons I’ve learned.

1. A good camera goes a long way in making you a good photographer.  

A while back I bit the bullet and got a DSLR camera.  I loved my Canon Power Shot for the convenience and picture quality, but I knew I needed to step it up to get higher quality photos. The choices are as limitless as the price ranges in DSLRs, but I opted for the Canon Rebel T1i with a couple different lenses and hoods.  Even using the presets, the photos with this camera blow away any I’ve taken with a point and shoot.  There is a learning curve, and I’ve still got a huge amount to learn.  I’m primarily limited by my refusal to actually read any of the manuals/how-to books I’ve purchased.  #Fail.  I’ve worked my way up to almost exclusively using the creative auto setting, which enables me to have more control without having to fully understand all the technical aspects.  I can change the light exposure, the contrast, and a few other things with just a few clicks.  I foray into the world of the fully programmable settings, but I’m not confident enough to attempt any major picture taking endeavors that way yet.   My point is this:  if you want to improve your photography, buy a DSLR and start playing even if you’re not ready to be fully in control of the settings.  It helps if you have a really patient subject who will stand in said location and let you snap a few test shots, changing settings, etc.

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2.  Natural light is my best friend.  Oh, and flashes suck.  

I LOVE taking pictures outside or anywhere there is a ton of natural light because it makes anyone look like a good photographer.  Evening light is my favorite because it’s softer, but we had to do our photo shoot at noon because, well, frankly, I had to be dressed up for a breakfast event and these days my being dressed up is quite an event.  Mr. Blue and I drove to a nearby park that has lots of trees and I knew it would have great light to help out my lacking skills.  I put my camera on my tripod and looked for pretty backgrounds that had as much soft light as possible.

 Note to self: Start wearing clothes that hug the bump more so I look more pregnant, less tubby.

3.  Try different locations, angles, and poses.

I’m sufficiently novice that I always try multiple locations even if I like the the first set of photos.  The light filters in different ways through different settings, and I’m still learning how to pick out the best places.  The place below was great because it had gorgeous leaves and light, but very little direct light.  That means, no half shadow-half sunny faces.

My favorite from the day.

4.  Take lots and lots and lots of pictures.

I think I took about 100 pictures and kept about 15.  Some were deleted as they were duplicative because I had to use a delay setting since I don’t have a remote.  Some were deleted because there was too much light and the photos were over-exposed.  Some I just didn’t like!  Taking tons of photos gives you choices so you don’t have to go back and try again.  It also lets you look really critically at each photo and helps me learn for the future what to do or not do again.

Mr. Blue’s favorite.

What’s your best tip for taking good photographs?