16 Instagram Ideas For Photographing Kids

Instagram is the new black. That's why it's super important if you've been sitting on the fence with it to up your game this very second. This post will share 16 Ideas for Photographing Kids For Instagram, but you can use lots of these tips for photographing adults too. I'm so hot on IG and my students got me all fired up... We recently wrapped up our online Instagram Bootcamp class and wow, what a great class it was because even the teachers, who have tons of experience and who think we're pros (ah-hem), realized after day one just how broad Instagram really is. We taught 26 lessons that took our students into the deep end of the Instagram pool - no more splashing about in the shallow side thinking that posting photos, any photo, and applying one of the generic filters is enough to engage others.

Instagram is where it's at right now with social media, so don't miss out if you've been wanting to try something new to spice up your work and rekindle the joy you once had blogging. It has actually given bloggers who have a small readership a new lease on their online identities - I know some with a few thousand readers who just started IG and have over 100k followers already. Insane! It's inspiring to see and has been a game changer for so many. If you've felt bummed that you haven't been able to get your blog going, then look to Instagram as your second blog and put your all into it. Instagram is also amazing for established bloggers who want to share more than carefully curate blog content and elaborate stories. It's such a great space for engaging with your friends and fans. We're so passionate about teaching how to rock Instagram that we're coming back in September with Instagram Bootcamp Part Two which will be begin enrolling on August 1st on the Blogging Your Way website.

I thought that I would share a tiny portion of a lesson that one of our teachers, Vicky van Blerck, wrote about how to tastefully, beautifully portray your family life on IG while still maintaining some privacy. With four children, Vicky knows what she's talking about! Lots of moms battle with this, how much is too much? Where do I draw the line? And though this is a personal issue for every family to decide upon before sharing family life on such a public platform, there are so many mothers who do it with no regrets. Here is an excerpt from her lesson highlight 16 Ideas for Photographing Kids For Instagram that I know everyone who takes photos of their little kids will find super helpful.

1. Don't show the front of your home, house number, yard, etc.
2. Never geo-tag your location when you post from home.
3. Instagram has strict policies against nudity (especially of children). While you may think a photo of a cute little bottom is harmless, it could end up offending your followers, making you the target of some weirdos and even more, your IG account may be closed without notice.
4. If you are only posting photos of your children, always check your new followers. If an account has no profile photo, no photos or no followers, this is not a good sign. I block these kinds of accounts because my gut feeling is not right.
5. Treat your kids in a way that you'd want to be treated. Some of us look back on our childhood wishing our parents had done this or that differently. Or felt really hurt by things that they did despite their good intentions because maybe it embarrassed us. Children are sensitive, so consider that someday your tiny son will be older and some of your photos may genuinely cause embarrassment or bullying at school.
6. Always look for the lightest spot in the house or take your photos outside. Light is the best ingredient for a nice photo (no flash!).
7. Capture normal daily life. The best pictures are the ones that aren't overly staged and where the children are not posing.
8. Take photos throughout the day, by the end of the day you'll have at least one good photo if not several.
9. Shoot at different focal lengths - close up, far away, etc. You may want to leave more space around certain scenes so you have more room later on to crop it.
10. Pay attention to clutter. Cluttered backgrounds often look messy and compete with your focus (your child).
11. If you want group family photos, coordinate their clothing.
12. Create some interaction between children and parents so you can see the bond.
13. Tell children a little joke for a cute expression. Remember, you don't always need the typical smile pose, staring into the camera!
14. Give them a favorite toy or something to eat, a piece of candy, a little cookie, a popsicle - it can make a photo so cute and the little crumbs and drips add some life.
15. Shoot at different angles, straight on, a little to the side, behind, over the shoulder. You may want to create a pinboard using Pinterest where you collect favorite poses for children and experiment with some of the angles.
16. Be patient - photographing your children definitely takes loads if it!

And remember... You don't need to put photos in a public place like Instagram to capture and save moments. You can save them to your computer and only share with family members, or print them out and turn into scrapbooks or display them on the wall. You can also just share photos on Facebook with your friends and family there. This is all entirely up to you.

What are some ways you are using Instagram to share family life? Any tips for us? Any privacy issues you've run into? Anything about sharing family photos on Instagram that you don't like? Weigh in below in the comments.

(image: vicky van blerck)