watch me! 

Welcome to your first lesson in our Photoparents Summer School !! Before we dive straight in, there is something I wanted to address. 

First I want to talk about YOU.

Yes YOU.

Here is the thing - there are quite a few of you here and you all come from very different points iny our photo journeys - you have different levels of knowledge, different gear, you may be more active in your photography or a bit rusty. I don't know where YOU specifically sit on that spectrum, but I promised you something that will help you get great summer photos, and I intend to deliver. Here is how.

I already mentioned that the topics we cover are - on purpose! - non technical. So even if you know nothing ( or indeed - everything!) about your camera, you can still apply this. I want to focus on retraining your eye, your senses, to give you prompts to take with you and quickly apply those to capture that image that might have otherwise have escaped you or that you may not have even thought about. I want you to expand your range. Variety is the key word here.

Importance of variety :

Scroll through your photos on your phone - how many of them are almost exact replicas of erlier images - just in a different place and time.

WE ALL DO IT

We all have a preference towards a certain kind of shot that's comfortable to capture from our comfortable position, just whip out your camera or phone and click. And all too often we stay rooted in that one position capturing a series of photos with minimal differences between the images. BOOOOORING. 

This week I am banning this - I want you to move around, to consider lots of different angles and perspectives, because when you learn to see the world in many different ways, your world - and your photography - becomes richer.

How to have varied photos - a story of angles, framing and distance

I strongly believe that anything and everything can be photographed well. There is ALWAYS and angle. We just sometimes don't work had enough to find it. I'm here to give you a framework to help you find those. 

And it's as easy as 3 x 3 x 3

I enlisted my daughter for a 10 min session to help show you that even within a very short period of time, if you apply the formla you can get a number of varied images. Let me show you exactly what I mean. 

This framework helps you capture the same moment - the same child, in the same setting -but with nine different shots. It’s a creative nudge. A checklist. A gentle reminder that small shifts in perspective can completely change what your photos feel like.

Let’s break it down: 

3 Different distances to your subject (aka Field of view or Framing)

This is all about how much you include in your frame - and how far you stand from your subjec ( or how much you zoom in! ) 

1. The Big Picture View

Step back. Show the child in their world - the room, the garden, the chaos, the calm. This is about context. It helps tell the where of the story. It adds context. Think of your child as a small piece in a bigger puzzle.

2. All About the Subject

This is your “classic” frame - close enough to fill most of the frame with your child, but still giving a little breathing room. You can see their full body, or maybe waist-up.This shot is about presence. The who.

3. The Close-Up

Now zoom in (with your feet or your lens). Capture a detail. The curl of their hair. The grip on a crayon. Muddy feet. Long lashes. how beautiful their smile is. This shot gives you the small things that we love about our kids or the details that complete the story. 

3 Points of View (aka Camera Height)

Changing your camera height can completely change the tone of your image and change the feel and the story of your image completely

1. Eye-Level

Meet them where they are. Crouch down, kneel, lie on the floor. This creates connection - it puts you in the moment with them. As a viewer, we get to experience the world where they are. 

2. Bird’s Eye View

Look down from above - straight overhead if possible. This simplifies the frame and gives a sense of order, space, or observation. Fantastic if they are already sitting or lying down on the ground. Even better if the ground is actually interesting!

3. Ant’s View

Get low. Really low. Point your camera parallel to the ground or slightly up towards your subject.   This view feels playful, and can bring the focus to what's close to the ground, making us notice things we wouldn't have seen otherwise.  Phone Tip: If you're shooting with your phone, turn it upside down to make the lenses closer to the ground. Trust me, it makes a difference. 

3 Directions (relative to you)

This one’s about where you are in relation to your subject.

1. From the Front

You’re facing your child - capturing expressions, eye contact, personality. The classic portrait. Use this when you want connection or emotion.

2. From Behind

Observing without being seen, noticing the subject and what they are facing. Bonus points if you can capture an over the shoulder shot, with both what the subject are looking at / interacting with and their partial presence in the frame. Always a great one for immersing us in theor world.

3. From the Side

Side-on shots are great for action and interaction - it's usually a good idea to place yourself so that any movement happens from one side of the frame to another. But not only that - side shots show a child without interruption, letting them do what they were doing. 

When in doubt, circle them like a bee. Try all three - you’ll be surprised how different the moment feels from each angle.