Customer Reviews

Mom's Little Book of Photo Tips

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(2)
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I just got this book yesterday and I love it! It's a nice small hardcover book packed full of great tips. The sections are short but to-the-point and show great examples. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves taking pictures...especially of their kids!

If you find yourself wishing that the photos you take of your family were better at capturing the events and personalities, this is a great book to turn to for help. In a straightforward, organized manner, the authors demonstrate photographic techniques along with ideas for unique family shots. From chapters entitled "Your Beautiful Children" to "Fun and Games," there are many ideas for new ways to capture your family on film. The photos that accompany each technique or suggestion are ones that were taken by real moms, with regular point and shoot cameras. Even the ones that line the family up to say "cheese" have a fresh way about them. Follow the advice in this book, and your trips to the photofinisher should be much more satisfying.

This book is good not only for the lighting suggestions (the most exotic lighting equipment suggested was a white tablecloth or posterboard) but for the ideas on WHAT to take pictures of. This book gives ideas of how to photograph your kids doing everyday things and having fun(as well as the fun prop shots) instead of having the glum, formal Mom-making-me sit-still-for-a-picture look or the fake cheesy smiles. The most helpful part of the book for me was on posing group shots - different ways to get the kids in order and not looking like a police line-up. The photos alone without reading the accompanying text can give you a lot of ideas to try, while reading the text gives you info on how the shot was set up (or advice on how to corral the kids for the picture). This book shows what you can do in photography with basic equipment.

I received this book shortly after my daughter was born and it has proved to be a great reference. It's not overly technical and is written in language anyone can understand. The advice and tips work just as well with a point and shoot camera than with a more complex one. You'll find yourself reading this book several times and picking up a new tip each time. A great investment!

I was looking forward to getting some helpful insight on photographing children from this scarpbooking guru but I was disappointed in the quality of the book. The copyright of the book is 1999, however, the photographs that were used as examples looked very outdated- maybe even from 25 years ago if I had to guess. This book is VERY VERY BASIC. It talks about using flash, coordinating outfits, taking candid shots, using backgrounds, etc. If you are looking for ways to use the great pictures of your children or making the most of your camera this is NOT the book for you! Spend a few extra bucks and get "DESIGNING WITH PHOTOS" instead.

If the pictures you take of your children usually end up looking unnaturally posed or all seem to look alike, then this book is for you! It's packed full of tips for taking childrens' pictures that tell stories. Beyond the "say cheese" photos, you will find ideas such as using props, framing your subjects, fun and/or unusual poses, action shots, and how to use lighting in a general way. There is no technical jargon and all ideas can be used with a basic point and shoot camera. With a little practice and this handy little guide, you will be creating eye candy for your albums in no time!

I read through this book (or skimmed, mostly) in about 2 hours. It's just too basic in my opinion. It gives tips like, "Dress your children in basic patterns!" Oh really?! WOW! It also consistently advises using the flash on your camera, which is the most terrible, horrible, no-good idea. Nobody needs more Facebook pictures of a brightly-lit baby's face and a big shadow behind it. Do yourself a favor and learn to work with natural light.

Each page has a "tip" on it and elaborates a little with sample pictures, but what I was looking for was REAL tips on how to take great pictures. Some of them are so basic I rolled my eyes and most aren't very useful. In this batch of books I also purchased "Your Baby in Pictures" by Me Ra Koh and was completely blown away. Check that out if you're a new parent looking for some real meat-and-potatoes ideas and tips on taking pictures of your kid.

I agree, too, that the pictures seem really outdated for the copyright date. I suggest checking it out from the public library, reading through it, and returning it.

This book is a helpful inspiration to moms who want to improve the pics they're taking of their kids. It's not bogged down with technical jargon but practical and fun.