Amping up our photo skills with Cara Marie

Woman wearing a DUO Backpack holding her pregnant belly, standing in field.

Have phone, take great photos. If only it was that easy! 

Now that we're able to get out and about again, there are memories to capture. But somehow, our pics often disappoint ... especially when trying to wrangle the littles into the shot. So, we reached out to a pro -- our friend, mama-to-be and amazing lifestyle photographer Cara Marie (@its.caramarie), who offers a few simple tips to help capture those special, candid moments with your little ones....

  • Get in the frame! Don't be shy about stepping into the frame with your little ones. All too often, we (moms especially!) shy away from the camera. We’re quick to find excuses to hide, when in reality we need to step in! Babies don't keep and you'll be so grateful in 5, 10, 20 years when you have photos to look back on highlighting those tender moments between you and your babe. So prop up your phone, set up a tripod, or have your partner snap away while snuggling those precious little kiddos of yours. You'll even find that it's much easier to grab great shots when you're there to sneak a few kisses and tickles! Go ahead mamas, GET IN! 
  • Step Back and Observe! I often find that some of my favorite shots at family and newborn sessions come when I step back and silently observe. It's in those moments that I see a dad loving so tenderly on mom as she nuzzles into her babe or the rambunctious 2yr old settles down and lets their personality shine.  When you’re able to relax, your kiddos pick up on that energy and you'll start to see those organic moments unfold.  So take a deep breath, relax, and let the littles do their thing and try capturing them in their element versus forcing them to sit still (which we all know is HARD!). I promise you'll nail some great shots and a bit of personality, too!
  • Interact, Play, and be SILLY! One of the first things I tell clients when they arrive at a session with me is that I'll do a few of the posed "look at the camera" shots, but for the most part I want to see you interact, love on each other, play with the kiddos, and just be YOU! Kids don't like to sit still, so why force them to? When you look back at these photos, you'll find much more joy in the ones where your littles are grinning from ear to ear as they're being attacked by the tickle monster or you're dancing with your little princess in her favorite twirly dress. So I always encourage you to be silly, run around, give hugs and kisses and focus on creating memories -- the photos will unfold naturally as a result and you'll have much happier and more engaged kiddos to wrangle than if you’re trying to coerce them to sit still for you. 
  • Don't Overthink It! With social media these days, we all too often overthink our images -- is this good enough to post? Does this work with my feed? Forget all of that! Post what you love; after all these are your memories and your images to look back on. Sometimes the blurry, out of focus ones are the best and most emotive shots, so don't put pressure on yourself to always capture that "Instagram worthy" photo.  I promise you that in years time you will look back and laugh at some of your favorite shots being the ones where your little man is making a silly face or your little girl is giving you sass!   

To see these tips in action, follow @its.caramarie or visit her website at www.caramariephotography.com.

Mom with CarryAll Tote crouching on sandy beach with little girl playing. 
Mom in floral dress wearing DUO Backpack lifting her baby in the air on the beach.