Tip #1:

Get slightly above your kiddos. When their faces are turned slightly upwards, they'll get more light on their faces. Try this exercise: take a photo of your child when they're looking down vs. looking up towards the light source. You will see how much better lit their faces are when looking up.

Tip #2:

Clean your camera lens. Your camera lens, especially if it's your phone camera, will have lots of smudges from all your daily use. We often times clean the front of our screen but forget the actual lens. Do a quick wipe to remove any fingerprints or crumbs before photographing your kiddos.

Tip #3:

Find good light indoors. Getting close to a window will provide nice, even lighting. Better yet, having your child look OUT the window will provide even better lighting. Try this exercise in your living room:

• Have your child stand in the middle of the room
• Stand by the window with their back against the window
• Stand by the window with their face looking OUT the window

Which looks the best? The one where they're looking out the window because they'll get good light on their faces. Set up a craft, their legos, or a puzzle by the window and document the fun they're having there.

Tip #4:

Find good light outdoors. On a cloudy day, clouds act like a giant soft-box and provide beautiful, even light. You can take photos wherever you want!

On a bright sunny day, the lighting is trickier and you might have harsh shadows on your face. Finding a patch of shade and taking your child's photos in the shade will provide even lighting. For example, if you're at the beach, taking their portrait under your beach umbrella where there's shade will be more flattering than a portrait under the harsh sun.

Tip #5:

Don't say cheese. Forcing your kids to say cheese creates a strained, inauthentic smile. Instead, tell them, "I'm going to tickle you!" Or ask them to say something really silly like "stinky farts" or "poopy diapers!"

Tip #6:

Capture the in between moments. Your kiddos listening to the waves, having a little dance party, smelling the flowers, playing with rocks and building a sand castle are all moments worth capturing. They don't need to be looking at the camera for it to be a wonderful photo.

Tip #7:

Incorporate movement. Nothing will elicit more carefree joy than getting some wiggles out. Ask your child if they'd like to jump. "Can you jump even higher than mom?!"

Anticipating something exciting will also get the genuine smiles out. "When I count to 3, I want you to spin in a big circle or run towards me! 1....2.............3!"

Tip #8:

Remember allllll the details. The way their nose scrunches, their long eye-lashes, itty bitty teeth and cute Bluey tattoos. I love getting really close to capture these things. It's these little things that will bring you so much joy years from now. "Remember when you had that missing tooth and loved to slurp smoothies through it?" :)

Tip #9:

Get creative and try new things! Frame your child using natural elements in your home or environment. Find a new perspective to capture them in. If they're climbing the playground equipment, get below them and shoot upwards to isolate them from the environment. If they're playing legos, stand on a step stool and shoot downwards to get a birds eye view.

Tip #10:

Get in the frame! Hand your camera phone to someone and tell them what you want captured. Whether it's brushing your kids hair, reading a bedtime story or going in for a cuddle, get someone to document the everyday beauty for you!

Also, at playdates, we moms can make a pact to capture some photos of the other mom with her kids as #proofofmom. At my annual moms-daughters Mt. Rainier trip, we did a photo swap. Win-win for everyone.