closeup of photo of child playing with lego duplo train

Indoor Photography Tips for Busy Moms: Kid-Friendly Spaces

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I am Neyssa Lee a Seattle area photographer, mom of 6, planning obsessed, and who help you see the beauty, love and joy, in your own family’s chaos. I also use my super power of time management to help fellow photographers take control of their businesses. Learn more by heading to my ABOUT ME page.

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Indoor photography does not have to be intimidating with these three simple tips.

Are your kids tornadoes?

It feels like I’m constantly following behind trying to pick up their trail of destruction. However, I don’t let the fact that my house isn’t “picture perfectly clean” stop me from picking up my camera. (Otherwise, I would never pick up my camera, right?!)

You don’t have to let the clutter stop you either, because these indoor photography tips are for those kid-friendly spaces. In otherwords, it’s for when things are messy or lived in.

First things first, turn off that light and use natural window light. This indoor photography tip is the easiest way to improve your photos. Avoid mixing different colors/tones of light and let that beautiful natural light shine.

All of these photos were taken in our playroom. This is the space where the kids can play upstairs and I don’t have to worry about seeing it all day long. Which means, it is usually a HUGE MESS!

I cannot believe I’m sharing this photo, but I want you to see where all of these photos were taken. I didn’t pick up at all but worked with the light and space

indoor photography tip pullback as example of space using for the rest of this article. Messy playroom with kids playing

The first indoor photography tip is to get in closer.

The simplest way to block out clutter is to get in closer. Frame your shot in tightly to focus on their hands playing with their favorite toy or brushing their baby’s hair. By being closer, you naturally block out that clutter.

This indoor photography tip not only helps block out clutter, it helps you tell more of a story. By getting in closer to your subject, you are showing the viewer exactly what is happening.

closeup of photo of child playing with lego duplo train

Next, adjust your aperture.

I know. I promised simple indoor photography tips, then used the word “aperture.” Aperture is one of those big, scary, photography words. But don’t worry. Aperture is all about creating blur in your images. You don’t want that clutter in focus, so work with your aperture.

If you’re on a smartphone, switch to portrait mode. That will change your aperture for you!

If you’re using a DSLR camera, switch your camera to Aperture Priority Mode. (On Canon this is Av on your settings dial. Sony and Nikon it is A). This allows you to select your Aperture while the camera will select your other settings. It is a great way to get your feet wet with manual mode. Once you’re in that mode make your Aperture (that number with the F before it) as low as it can go.

Move around, take note of the frame and look to remove distractions.

Another simple indoor photography tip is to change your angle.

Move around your kids seeing where you can frame them in a way to have the least amount of clutter. Try shooting from above them, or moving to one side or the other. Keep moving around until you find an angle that works best.

Bonus Indoor Photography Tip: Take a photo and then look at everything in the frame except your subject. Is there anything that pulls your eye and is distracting? If there is, move that one item out of the way and take the photo again. You can also adjust your angle until it is out of the frame if it is something you cannot move.

See, you can still photograph your kids indoors, even when there is clutter. You can breathe easier and stop feeling guilty about not picking up your house and pick up your camera instead. Because sometimes, keeping things clean with littles in the house is an uphill battle (or trying to brush your teeth and eat Oreos at the same time. It’s pointless!).

Looking for more photography tips? Make sure you’re following me over on Instagram! You can also learn how to add depth to your photos by understanding how focus works with my Freebie all about Focus! It’s so much easier than it sounds and it will change the way you look at photography!

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