How To Capture Those Magic Birthday Party Moments! We Chat To Fabulous Family Photographer Natalie Robinson...

1. Is it best to get kids to pose or try to capture natural shots? I always feel I miss the moment trying to get my camera out!

Go for both posed and natural!  Then you have both bases covered. 

The best approach is to plan in advance a little before your party so that as guests arrive, you are ready to capture each guest with the birthday celebrant one by one!  Once the kids are ‘into’ the party you kind of miss the moment to make this happen.

Consider setting up a ‘photo spot’ somewhere in your home or in the venue where there is good natural light – either outside in the shade or next to a window.  You could use a backdrop of balloons, fringe curtains, banners…add in some photo props and you have an amazing space for your ‘posed’ images!  Use a proper camera, your phone or a Polaroid camera (a cute idea would be to then gift the Polaroid image to the guest in their party bag at the end of the celebration).

Once you have captured the more posed images, you’re free to go natural with your photo-taking; your focus here should be on capturing the main activities before food starts.  For example, kids having fun on a bouncy castle, playing party games, interacting with any party guests you have organised.  Once the kids sit down to eat, take a break from photo taking because photos of kids eating are never going to be flattering or work out that well. 

When it comes to singing Happy Birthday, blowing out candles and cutting the cake – set up a table outside with a little stool for your birthday girl / boy to stand on so that they are at a good angle for leaning over and blowing candles out.  The light is so much better outside and your photos will come out crisper and clearer.  If you’re inside, make sure you and your family are all facing towards the window light (it’s more flattering to have window light falling on your faces than backlighting you).  At this point you’ll need to hand your camera to a friend to capture these moments for you.  It’s so important to document that you were there too!

2. I only have a phone camera - can I still get great pictures with it?

I would like to answer this by asking you; what is the end usage of your photos (what are you going to do with them after the party?).  Are you hoping to create a collate to print?  Are they purely to share on what’s app with family or with friends who came to the party?  Are you posting them on Instagram or Facebook? Are you going to make a photo book? 

If you’re looking to do any of these, then YES your phone camera is the best camera to use!  It’s handy, easy and quick to use, you can shift easily between photos and video, you can hand it to someone else to use during the cake cutting and you don’t have to think about any specific settings as it does all of the ‘work’ for you to get your image looking right. 

Alternatively, if you are hoping to create an annual photo wall of birthday images of your child(ren) at every age, then use a ‘proper’ camera (mirrorless or DSLR).  For example, every year I capture my childrens’ birthday portraits around the date of their birthday; this is the main image that I then share with friends and family on Facebook and the ones I get printed for the wall.

So, in summary, don’t feel pressure to use a proper camera when a phone camera will suffice!   

3. How can we get the kids to feel more relaxed about having photos taken - they either hate it or pull funny faces?!

It’s all about being a “fun parent”!  Hear me out whilst I try to explain this…!!  My own kids don’t mind having their photos taken because we keep it light and have fun whilst doing so.  It’s all about keeping rapport with them, getting down to their level, being funny, being natural, getting them to talk and not just say ‘cheese’ or give you a toothy smile.

For birthday portraits that you capture of them by themselves, try these prompts.  Capture a range of images whilst they are chatting to you.

• “If you were an animal / colour / food etc what would you be?”
• “Tell me something funny that your Daddy / Mummy does”
• “What’s the best thing about turning (age)”

For birthday photos at the party, with one other or a small group of friends, try these prompts: 

• Huddle together like its really cold outside!
• Play pass the whisper – whisper something from one to another – waiting for the moment when they both laugh
• Play ‘jump, jump, freeze’ where they literally jump, jump and then freeze! Encouraging them to jump and freeze close together / with their arms around each other.

It’s also about choosing your moment!  If they are clearly not in the mood, respect it and try another time.

4. How about light - lots of party venues have terrible bright lighting - any tips for making the photos look good?

Great photos are all about the light I’m afraid!  But there are a few things you can do to work around or work with this.

If you’re able to have a choice about party venues then look for ones with good natural light.  For example, Daley Bounce has amazing big windows and it’s beautifully white which bounces the light around the inside of the room naturally.  Oli Oli is another place that has lots of natural light (especially downstairs) AND it’s super colourful so your party photos have a bit more vibrancy with the background. As the weather cools down you might like to choose an outdoor venue; X Park Junior, Al Barari Playground, the park, the beach….all photogenic spots but remember to seek shade when you’re outside so that everyone’s not squinting into the sunshine.

For indoor venues with artificial lighting, its going to come down to your photo editing post-party.  If you’re using the VSCO or Snapseed apps for editing, start by focusing on your white balance (the balance of colour tones).  If your photos are coming out too yellow, bring the warmth down.  Too blue?  Add more yellow.  Too green? Increase the pinks.  Push the shadows sliders up so that shadows are minimised. And remember that if all else fails, black and white is classic and timeless!