MOMography: Park Photo Ideas

Hey there Mamas!

The weather is getting nicer and chances are you are spending more of your days outside with your little sweeties.  I know I am! Miss Monster and I are loving it!  Taking walks, playing in the backyard, but most of all visiting the park.

Now, I don’t always tote my camera around with me but I do think it’s important to photograph my little girl growing up!  I’m currently working on my MOMography, you know, my photography as a Mom…  trying to capture those special moments in my child’s life in the most precious way possible. I want to remember all the little (and BIG) things that go on and have photographs WORTH showing her in years to come.  I don’t want snapshots.  I want photographs!  There IS a difference!

So, as I take my MOMography journey, I’m bringing you with me.  To teach you what I am learning along the way.  You are practicing YOUR MOMography too, aren’t you?!  I hope so. If you don’t think it’s important now… you will in 10 years, when you have wonderful pictures, full of emotion that you will cherish for a lifetime!  Not just a box full of snapshots.

Okay, let’s get on with today’s post, Park Photo Ideas.  On Monday, Aunt Tiff, Aunt Melissa and I took our little Monster to two parks.  We played, took plenty of pictures and each had a turn on the swings.  I’m going to share with you some of the best pictures that I took.  I’ll tell you why I think they were the best and hopefully it will help you the next time you take your MOMography to the park.

THE SWINGS:

I don’t know about you but the swings are where my kid runs first.  There is just something about them that makes my girl light up.  Some of my best pictures came from her swinging.  The joy on her face was constant.  The wind in her hair was fantastic and it was easy to photograph.  Besides working with the motion of the swing, you have your child in one spot.  Much easier than trying to chase them around begging them to look at you.  If you position yourself right up front getting a face shot is easy.  Make sure you move around too though, you never know what angle might work the best for you.

THE SLIDE:

The slide ranks #2, after the swings.  Monster can slide down a thousand times and not get bored.  Which is great when I’m trying to get some nice shots because if I don’t get a good picture the first time I can try to get it on the second or thirteenth time down the slide.  And every time down seems as fun as the first so you can almost guarantee your little angel will be smiling.  My favorite angle is from the bottom of the slide looking up.  It’s like Monster is sliding right into the camera.  I did work other angles, and some came out okay but from the bottom, waiting for her, I was able to capture that playful excitement straight on.

RUNNING:

Kids want to run… so let them!  I got some great shots of Miss Monster running toward me.  Her hair blew back out of her face and  I was able to capture the pure joy.  The running shots I liked the most from the day was when I knelt down and shot on her level.  I got better shots of her face and it seemed like she was running straight into the camera.  So let your pint size pal run around but don’t shoot standing.  Squat down and photograph them running toward you.

THE TUNNEL:

Okay, this “tunnel” is a tunnel-slide, but many parks have those tunnel tubes kids love. You know what I’m talking about, right?  Photos in those tunnels come out pretty awesome.  I love the  composition of these photos.  The way the child is encompassed inside the tube.  It makes for an interesting photograph.  So when you’re at the park and your sweetie-pie hides inside the tunnel, try to get some shots in there.  Make sure your camera is close enough inside that the tunnel hits all corners of the frame.  It should seem as if you are inside with them.

IN ACTION:

When your little explorer is running about playing, inspecting, climbing… shoot away.  You never know what shots you are going to get.  The shots below are important to me because….

It shows Monster’s size in relation to the swing.  She is almost on her tip-toes.  My little girl won’t be this small forever so I know a picture like this will make me smile in a few years.  I can almost hear me saying…. “Awe, look how small she was”! 😉

Again, her size.  She carefully took one step at a time.  Before I know it she’ll be flying up these steps in three giant leaps.  I saw the “big kids” zooming up them and admired my little one’s cautious approach.

My sweet Monster was so proud when she put the bunny together.  It was the first time I saw her slow down and pay enough attention to “build” an animal.  These types of park puzzles have never really interested my girl before.  I guess she’s growing up. {tear}  I am glad I documented this moment.  It was special and now I have the photographs to cherish it forever.

OKAY Mamas, there you have it… my  park photography ideas.  What do you think?  You could totally do this, right?!  OF COURSE YOU CAN!!  In fact, I bet some of you already have some of these shots.  Maybe they weren’t taken at the park but really, they don’t have to be.  Most of my suggestions can be applied in other places.  They are MOMography tips you can take with you and use anywhere.  I hope you find at least a few helpful and that they assist you in taking some great photos of your adorable little one.

xx,

Heather