Through a Mothers Eyes

My little artist

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.   What you have caught on film is captured forever...It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."  - Aaron Siskind

This Winter while it’s been a bit too chilly outside to get out much with my camera I have done a lot of photographing my kids at home.  I love at home images of my kids – I think these are true everyday lifestyle images capturing them in their happy place.  I am a total home bird and love being cosy and warm at home in the winter, as do my kids and I love to capture this.

This Year I am taking part in a photography challenge where every month we focus on a different skill. In January the theme was low light. Personally I am drawn to low light in my photography anyway and find myself shooting low light images a lot of the time… If you check out my personal Instagram gallery you will see I’m not a light and airy kind of girl! This is the case especially around my house where most of my indoor work would be considered low light. I thought I would share here some of my recent personal images taken with the low light theme in mind.

Each month I am also taking part in a blog circle with some amazing female photographer friends.  At the end of my blog I link to Taneill Davis of Hucklebee Photography who is blogging about a recent newborn session.

keep scrolling for that link and I am also going to share a couple of my tips and tricks for capturing artistic lifestyle images of your children at home.

I am a natural light photographer and totally light obsessed.  I am drawn to the play of light and shadow and the more dramatic feel this can lend to an image. Light and shadow can make an otherwise ordinary image interesting

A couple of tips for capturing your kids at home.

• Get to know the light in your home and experiment with it. I know where the light falls in my home at different times of day and I am constantly challenging myself with different ways to use that light. Window light is my favourite type.  Place your child near a window and make sure all artificial light is turned off.  You can also use your hand to study light – hold it up, move it around and see how the shadows fall across it.  You could try manipulating the light by closing some curtains or blinds and leaving a small gap to create more direct light.  You don’t need a fancy camera to get great images of your kids.  I’m no phone camera expert but I’ve seen people do amazing things with phone cameras so don’t be put off.  They don’t have to be professional quality photographs every time they are your moments and memories and that’s special enough.

• Ok the tricky part – getting your kids to be willing subjects. Well honestly mine rarely are which is again why I love lifestyle photography. Like in my professional work I aim to capture natural organic moments. That said, sometimes natural organic moments I want to capture aren’t happening in the right light… I have to intervene a little to get my kids where I want them. If I want to set up a shot I will decide what I want to capture (usually inspired by something my kids are already doing) I’ll set my exposure and white balance so I’m good to go and then perhaps put a toy I know my 1-year-old likes in my chosen nice light. With my 5 y/o it’s a little trickier. If we are baking for example I make sure to place her near a window and take a few shots. In some images with more dramatic light I do ask her to put her face in the light and she usually obliges if she is in the mood but I have to be quick as she doesn’t stay there for more than a couple seconds…she is 5 and has her own agenda:).

Photographing young kids is not easy especially when they are YOUR kids, (I find photographing other people’s kids much easier) it’s so worth it though as you are capturing their childhood for them to look back on and remember… Little everyday moments and habits they may have otherwise forgotten.  Only you can capture your children’s childhood through a mothers eyes…

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older”

I am now booking in-home lifestyle sessions check out my website North East Family Photographer to view my work and learn more. I am going to write a separate blog all about my in-home lifestyle sessions but below is a taster of an in-home childhood session.

Now I am going to link you to the lovely Taneill who is a Newborn Photographer in Medicine Hat.  Her work is just stunning…Enjoy!

Thanks for being here.

Love and light Fi xxx

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All images on this blog are copyright: Fiona Saxton Photography