Sometimes parents forget that one of the best ways to document a child’s growth is by photographing their size difference. This is a fun new way to think about your photos if you are trying to capture your family at different stages. There are several ways you can show size difference in your photos and in this post we will talk about a few easy ways to photograph your children as they grow.
Actionable tips for photographing your children as they grow:
Hands and feet
One of my very favorite photos of my daughter is one where she is holding her grandfather’s hands. This image will forever be a picture of their sweet relationship, her pre-walking stage, and her adventurous spirit. But more than that, the hands show the vast difference in age and size between the two. Hands tend to show age, young and old, in a simple, yet detailed way. Including. Or even focusing, on the hands is a great way to show the size difference between your children and other family members (even each other). Feet is another great way. Take a picture of your child wearing your shoes or your families shoes lined up on the floor. Taking photos of hands and feet in different ways will give you photos that show your child’s size and growth.
Body size
This is an obvious one, but you can do so much with the difference in body size. You could get dad and daughter dancing, parent and child holding hands and walking next to each other, standing next to each other from behind, child on dad’s shoulders. You can be creative here, but almost any photo you take of a parent and a child will show the difference in their body size. Choose an image you love and take something similar every year to show your child’s growth.
Sitting at the table
There is something I love about taking photos of little feet dangling from their chair at the kitchen table. I think it’s because we spend so much time eating. It feels like most of our life is spent at the kitchen table so why not get photos that remind me of these times. Get down to the level of the seats around your table and take a few photos showing everyone’s legs. As your family grows and kids grow this photo will continuously change. It will be fun to look back at each stage in your family, including the changes from high chair to real chair, different tables you purchase along the way, and possibly even a new house or two.
Show the connections/relationships
Of course as your kids grow, one of the most amazing things that happens is their relationships also grow. And at each new stage these relationships will change and develop. We often don’t think about this as a way to show size differences, but capturing relationships will give you some of your most favorite photos of your kids and loved ones. Here are a few ideas of what this might look like; a grandparent sitting with a child and reading, a parent swinging a child around, siblings sitting on the floor and playing together. These are just a few examples, but you can see how each of these moments would show the connection between two people as well as the size difference.
Playing/wrestling
I think it is super important for kids to rough house. You may totally disagree with me on this one and that is okay. We of course set some boundaries for our kids, but they do often wrestle with their dad or each other. This is a great opportunity to take photographs. This photographs not only show their size, but also show their bond and connection with one another.
Looking up or down
When you are photographing your life, get photos of your child looking up at you or a sibling. This might be you taking a picture and getting the view from looking into the moment. Or you might be looking down at your child and taking a picture of your child looking at you as you take the photo from above. Either way, this is a great way to show the size differences.
Generations/siblings/parents
We have kind of touched on this a bit throughout each portion of this post, but I felt it was important to put on it’s own as well. When you are photographing your kids as they grow, be sure to include photos of multiple generations, photos of themselves and siblings, and photos with you. Each of these special relationships will provide a foundation to documenting their life and will be the best depiction of the growth of your family.
Photographing your child as they grow is exciting because they change so much in such a short period of time. Use these tips to help you capture each moment.
What to do now:
Look for opportunities to photograph your children as they grow through their size differences and relationships. You can pin this article for later by clicking the Pinterest icon on the side. My goal for you is that you have fun with photography and make it a part of your every day. Tag me on Instagram (@athomewithkidsblog) and show me your favorite photos.
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