Hi Everyone, it's Susan here today with a photo tip of sorts to share with you. One of our first thoughts when snapping photos of our kids and family is to capture expressions and faces -- But there is also so much that can be captured in through an image taken from behind the scene.
I got down in the sand (so that I was at the same height level as my youngest son) to snap this shot of my boys and hubby at the beach on vacation. I love that the vantage point of the shot makes you feel like you're right there, walking along with them.
I also love that by snapping a shot like this from behind (without the obvious facial expressions to focus on), that your focus is then drawn to smaller details - like baby feet wading through wet sand! I used this photo on a travel page that was included in my Elmwood Park gallery.
A second example of this photo tip to shoot from behind the action, is another shot of my boys (again taken on the beach! because that is where we spend a big chunk of our time)...
I snapped this as we got to the beach one afternoon, right before they both made a mad dash to the water and as I was sitting down in the sand to keep an eye on them - and I love the fact that it captures their small little shadows, side-by-side. The lack of facial expression in this photo, focuses your attention to their joined hands and cute shadows - details that might be lost otherwise.
I hope this post and these examples inspire you to try to change things up a bit in your own pics!
Love both of these! Incredibly cute!
Posted by: SparklinD | 08/21/2012 at 09:05 AM
This is SUCH a cool tip...thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Stephanie Baxter | 08/21/2012 at 09:13 AM
Thanks Susan and love seeing photo tips on the blog. It is a great reminder as I do tend to focus on faces vs. some of the other details.
Posted by: Hanna | 08/21/2012 at 09:20 AM
You are so right! I have a photo of my daughter walking with my husband on the beach - I was behind them and all you see is my husband from the waist down and my daughter holding on to his pant leg. Melts my heart! Your layouts are so precious!
Posted by: Bobbie Brock | 08/21/2012 at 10:40 AM
This is great Susan! I have given up trying to get a facial shot of my youngest. It's just an impossible feat! ;)
Posted by: Sara Andrews | 08/21/2012 at 10:45 AM
Great tips! And thanks for showing us how to work with enlargments. Inspired by your awesome pages, I've enlarged 2 of my favourite summer pics and scrapbooked them!
Posted by: Janice | 08/21/2012 at 11:41 AM
precious!
Posted by: Diana Waite | 08/21/2012 at 02:18 PM
Thank you so much Susan, I'll definately use your tip!
Posted by: ellen | 08/21/2012 at 03:26 PM
Yes, that is so true. My 4 kids are growing up SO fast (10, 10, 13, & 14 already!), and I do the same thing when the monent is right. Last month I had a rare opportunity to get one at Great America in Gurnee, IL. They were all walking together (imagine THAT!) ahead of me, and TALKING (whoa!)! I got some really cool shots of that awesome moment. Thanks for sharing a great tip!
Posted by: Valerie | 08/22/2012 at 07:18 AM
Great tips, Susan...LOVE the photos you took!! I have been trying to do this more, wish I would have thought of it more when my kids were littler.
Posted by: Crystal | 08/22/2012 at 02:03 PM
I need to keep this in mind.
Your pics make me miss the days when my boys were little.
Thanks
Posted by: Tracy | 08/23/2012 at 10:34 PM