If you’re like me, you probably have a million blurry pictures of your kids on your phone or camera! I love taking pictures of my kids, but I just wanted them to turn out…better.

Taking pictures of them on my phone just wasn’t giving me the quality that I wanted. Every picture was coming out blurry or at the wrong angle. If all three of my kids were smiling at once (which is rare) I could hardly capture the moment!

Getting a six-year-old, four-year-old, and two-year-old to all smile at the same time is a lesson in frustration, but I’ve learned that it isn’t impossible. I’ve got 6 tips that can help all of us moms get some better quality pictures of our kids to cherish for years to come.

6 Tips to Get Better Pictures of Your Kids

1. Upgrade your equipment!

I’ve been taking pictures on my smartphone for too long, and so have you! You’ll just never get the quality you want on a smartphone, I don’t care how nice the camera-phone is, it will always lack the features you NEED to take high-speed pictures of your kids.

My favourite camera to use with my kiddos is the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III, it has so many features that help me capture my kids and none of the extra features I don’t really need as an amateur photographer.

The OI.Share app that comes with the camera allows you to transfer photos easily to your computer and social media and the silent shutter mode works great for taking pictures at school events or other quiet locations.

Trust me, the investment is 100% worth it, and that’s why it’s tip number ONE!

2. Capture your kids as they are, forget the poses

I know, I know…but you have a whole Pinterest board of poses you’d like to try out. Hear me out, kids weren’t meant to be posed, that’s a grown-up thing. It’s better to capture children’s images while they’re just being themselves, and if you have the right camera that won’t be a problem!

I love either getting candid shots of my kids or just giving them a tiny bit of coaxing and direction to at least get them to look at the camera. The lower the pressure, the better the results.

3. Get silly!

Have you ever noticed that the more intense you get about taking a picture, the less your kids WANT to take a picture? Kids pick up on the tone of the room, so it’s important to make it a tone they’re comfortable with.

If you’re able to goof around, joke around, or even have a silly conversation that engages them, they’ll be much more likely to give you some photo-worthy moments.

4. Get down to their level

It works for serious conversations and it works for photography! When you’re standing and ordering kids around they start to sense that something formal is going on – that’s not going to get you the pictures you want!

Another favourite feature of mine on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is the tiltable touch screen LCD this allows me to capture images at my child’s level much easier, and it has a touch auto-focus so I can quickly focus on my child’s face!

When you get down to your kids level and really engage with them, they’ll want to have fun with you too. Also, you’re seeing the world from your kid’s eyes and the angle will look more natural!

5. Keep the camera around and capture everything!

If you’ve never pulled out an actual camera before, chances are your kids are going to be a little wary of it. The more often you bring out the camera and get them familiar with it, the better your pictures will be!

The key is persistence and patience, once your kids get used to the camera things will become more natural. You also need to be sure to capture lots of moments, not just birthdays and school events!

Another great feature of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is the high-speed sensor and image processor so you have a WAY higher chance of your pictures coming out crisp and clean even when the kids are running circles around you.

6. YOU get in the picture too!

Your kids will love that you captured their childhood, but what they’ll love even more is having pictures of you together. As a mom, I know how hard it can be to get in front of the lens, but do yourself and your kids a favour and make it a priority.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III has a great feature called wireless control where you can literally set up the camera and take your picture wirelessly – that’s right, mom…no more excuses, it’s your turn to get in the picture!

What are your tips?

Do you have any tips or tricks that you love to use when you take pictures of your kids? I’d love to hear them in the comments! The important thing is to get out there and capture some memories, I just want to be sure you have the right camera for the job and are taking the frustration out of the equation!

When it comes down to it, what your kids really want is more of YOU! Photography can be a great bonding experience between you and your kids when you involve them in what you’re doing, my kids are even turning into budding photographers themselves.

My book is out. Get your copy here!