There are many, many reasons why I am happy to be a woman alive now, rather than in any other period in history. They veer on the serious (lower maternal and infant mortality, relatively equal rights, longer life expectancy) but there’s also one important one which is perhaps a little more frivolous. I love, love, love living in a time of digital photography. Taking millions of pictures of my family and being able to edit them is a wonderful luxury which I constantly give thanks for.

Here is me, taken with our new Christmas camera, performing ‘A Chubby Little Snowman’ with the girls!

I’ve asked Tamsin, our dear Bb London social marketing specialist, mum of two and brilliant photographer to write this blog entry. I thought it would be useful for her to share some tips on how to take good photos of children (hers are always fantastic although maybe it does help to have two photogenic boys who are sons of an actor so are very confident in front of a camera!)

The only extra one I would add is advice I once received from a super-creative creative director friend of mine (Marksteen) who said to me ‘just take LOTS of photos’. The brilliance of digital means you can do that and you’re much more likely then to capture a great one!

Photography Thoughts by Tamsin: Top Ten Tips for Children’s Shots
A lot of people will have been given a super-duper all-singing all-dancing SLR camera for Christmas this year. I’m lucky enough to already have one, and I like to look at other people’s cameras when I get the chance!

As a budding professional photographer, and someone who has spent more than her fair share of time behind the camera in TV production, I’ve seen many of these cameras being mis-used, or simply not being used to their full potential. I find it amazing how many people have wonderful cameras, boast about having been on several Photography Courses – and then don’t seem to be able to produce good photographs.

Here are my top tips for getting good shots with your lovely camera.

Firstly, get someone who knows about your camera – even if it is the man in the shop, to set your Auto Focus (AF) with a reasonable aperture and f-stop. This means that – in most lights, you can take a pretty good shot.

Don’t worry about trying to manipulate the focus manually until you know more about the camera. Use AF and start shooting straight away. The beauty of a digital camera is you can keep shooting and you won’t waste any film.

Before you get your camera out – decide what it is you basically want to shoot that day. If I’m going to a party, I decide ahead of time what I know I want to come home with – close up shots of people’s faces, or wide shots taking in the whole party? Your camera will do it all. If you are going to a Wedding, for example – it’s always wise to think about what combinations of people you’d like to get together. We’ve all come home and said ‘oh, we didn’t get one of so-and-so and so-and-so together’ etc, haven’t we?! Don’t be afraid to be slightly bossy, too – it can really pay off!

If you want to do a series of posed close-up shots of children then here are some rules:
1. Always, always look at your lighting first. If it is a bright sunny day, you don’t want the child to be blinking into the sun, so try to position yourself where the sun is behind the child. Alternatively – take them into the shade. Equally, if it is a very windy day and you’re shooting outside – think of finding a location that is more protected.

2. HAVE FUN. Children, especially (and even babies!) – will pick-up if you are anxious or bossy, or not happy. If you laugh and have a play with them, sit back and wait – they’ll give you some gems back.

3. One of the most common mistakes I see is people don’t look at the background when they take a shot. Try not to take a shot of a child in front of the dustbins, for example. It’s an amazingly simple and common mistake to make! I often look at the background first, then deliberately get my subject comfortable where I need them.

4. Before ‘clicking’ always double-check the framing of the shot. This makes the WORLD of a difference. If you take that 1 extra second to think ‘can I come in closer?’ or ‘do I need the tree in shot too?’ or ‘would this be better if I could see the puppy in her lap too?’ – it makes editing the shot afterwards so much simpler.

5. Ask the parent to make sure the child is dressed nicely – and always bring a change of clothes. You may find that the only background you can find is white – and horror, the child is dressed in white and will be a ‘floating head’. This would be a good time to suggest that they change into something a little more colourful!

6. Give them a toy that they love, something familiar.

7. If you can – put on their favourite music. I always make sure I have music or if we’re outside – bubbles, for little children.

8. Once the child is happy and relaxed, put a long lens on the camera, stand back and shoot.

9. If the child is very young, make sure that Mum is close by. You may have to take shots of the child in his or her parent’s arms.

10. Always remember that with all children – you have a finite amount of time before it becomes a chore. So shoot for a short time, then know when to put the camera down and relax.

Let us know what you think of the tips and if you have any more for us.