[part of the Monday for Moms blog series – small tips and tricks that will make big changes in photos of your children]

If I think about some of my favorite things to get lost in admiring, the first things that come to mind are my kids’ eyelashes, nose, lips, and toes.  So tiny, precious, and perfect.  I often get caught up in the details and these are details that I want to remember forever.

Ever tried to capture those tiny details on camera?  The task can be quite difficult.  When we photograph these things, we tend to get really close – we don’t want distractions in the image.  Most lenses aren’t made to focus that close to an object.  To do this, we need to shoot with a macro lens.

Great.  Go get one of those! 😉  Well, actually, a good macro lens will run you a couple hundred dollars. If you have an extra hundred laying around, go ahead and buy one (or send the extra hundred over to me 🙂 ).  Seriously, though, macro lenses are great!  If you plan to do lots of macro shooting (insects, flowers, food, etc) they are most definitely worth the investment.

But,  there is another (much cheaper!) option.  I am IN LOVE with my Polaroid Macro Filters.  For about $35 these filters magnify the lens you already have to shoot macro images.  These are perfect for capturing those precious tiny features of your young ones!  Another one of my favorite uses is food shots.

A few tips: Use manual focus to get these to work well.  Be sure to check the THREAD SIZE of your lens before ordering.  It should be somewhere between 37-77mm and is listed on the rim of your lens.  I recommend taking these up close and personal detail pictures while your child is asleep or before they are mobile.  When I tried to take some example pictures on my awake 2 year old test subject, it was quite the joke! 😉

Happy shooting! 🙂

Have a topic you’d like me to discuss? I love to hear from you! Comment below.

– Nikki

Virginia Photographer | Harrisonburg Photographer | Charlottesville Photographer | Staunton Photographer | Luray Photographer