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One of my favorite things is seeing moms in photos with their kids. But sometimes even the most well-meaning spouses can be…not great behind the camera. So! In partnership with Aura Frames — just in time for Mother’s Day — here are 12 tips for taking beautiful snapshots of the mothers in your life…
1. Look out for candid moments. The quickest way to become a great photographer is just to keep an eye out for sweet moments. Kids move quickly, so don’t hesitate: grab your phone and take a shot.
2. You don’t always need faces. Photos of feet or hands or people from the back can be so charming and tell a story on their own.
3. Take a LOT of photos. Seriously, take 30. One is bound to be good, and then she can pick her favorite. You can also use “live photo” mode. It will capture a few seconds before and after you snap. You can go back later and pick the best frame — aka the one where no one was blinking.
4. Take photos of views. If there’s a view, pull that camera out. Every. Single. Time.
5. Move the camera around. Positioning your camera above eye level often makes faces look brighter (think: fewer shadows) and more engaging. Also, move around while snapping photos. Different angles can make a big difference!
6. Remember the cuddles. “When I lost my mom, I realized I had a finite number of photos with her,” my friend Liz Libré once told me. “I want pictures of my arms around my own children, my body touching them. I want to be represented in my camera roll.” Same, oh my gosh.
7. Capture the daily routine, too. Photographing activities she does all the time — running errands, taking a kid to school, helping tie shoelaces — can feel real and beautiful.
8. Play around with light. Golden hour — in the morning or evening — is always soft and magical. If you’re indoors, switch off the overheads and move toward natural light by the windows.
9. Try black and white. If the lighting is wonky or the colors feel off, switch to black and white — it instantly looks classic. We especially do this on photos taken at night.
10. Offer to take photos with mom friends. Parenting takes a village, and it’s so nice to look back on times you were raising your children together.
11. Perfection isn’t necessary. Even a blurry photo can become an all-time favorite.
12. Enjoy the photos! Don’t let them waste away on your phone, soak up all the beauty with her. I’d highly recommend Aura digital frames, which let you easily share photos from multiple phones (you can invite friends and relatives through the app) and display them in an ever-changing carousel. My mom, my dad, my sister, my aunt, my cousin, and I all have Aura frames in our homes, and they help us feel like part of each other’s everyday lives. The frames are one of those things that bring so much joy, and they’d make a really meaningful Mother’s Day gift, don’t you think? xoxo
Bonus for all readers: Get $25 off this Aura frame with code CUPOFJO, good through May 13th.
Now, what would you add? We’d love to hear your photo tips. Thank you, Aura! xo
(Photos in this post from Joanna Goddard, Alison Piepmeyer, Selena Ma, Erin Jang, Julia Robbs, Merie Subryan, Leah Fink, and Jenny Rosenstrach. Aura frame photos at the end by Julia Robbs. This post was sponsored by Aura Frames, whose digital picture frames we’d loved and used for years. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)
