How to Frame Better Photos of Your Kids: 3 Composition Tips from a Huntington, NY Family Photographer

Better Composition Makes a Big Difference in Everyday Photos

Kids being adorable? Your partner having a great hair day? Or maybe the scenery is just too pretty not to capture? Before you snap, here are a few simple tips to elevate your everyday photos and frame them like a pro.

Special thanks to Teddy for helping me model these examples…

Tip #1 - Keep Heads in the Frame

It might sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly common to accidentally crop out someone’s head—especially when you're snapping quickly. Always give a little breathing room above your subject's noggin. Cropping too tight at the top can feel awkward and cut off the emotional connection of the image.

Pro tip: Use your phone's grid to help keep everything balanced.

Tip #2 - Avoid Cropping at Joints

Feet, hands, knees, tails!—be mindful of where your frame ends. Cropping right at joints (like ankles or elbows) can look jarring or unnatural. If you're taking a full-body shot, make sure you include the entire body or crop purposefully at mid-thigh or mid-torso instead.

Tip #3 - Focus on the Eyes

Once your framing is good, don’t forget to nail your focus. Especially when photographing kids, sharp focus on the eyes makes all the difference. Blurry subjects (even in beautiful light) can feel like a missed moment.

Pro Tip: Tap your screen where you want the camera to focus—most smartphones will adjust focus and exposure based on that point.

Success!

Bonus Tip - Frame Within A Frame

Once you've nailed those tips, experiment with using other things in your environment that frame your subject in an unexpected way.

You might try out angles like getting low to the ground or shooting from above. Or you might look for natural frames—branches, leaves or other people if you’re outdoors— to lead our eye to your subject in an interesting way.

Final Thoughts

To elevate your everyday photos, remember these quick tips:
📸 Leave room around heads and feet
📸 Watch your crops
📸 Focus on your subject
📸 Then, get creative!

I hope these help and that you love capturing your own family moments.

If you’d prefer someone else to do the thinking about framing and focus while you enjoy the moment, you know where to find me…

How does your Family Photographer approach a photo session?

TRADITIONAL. LIFESTYLE. DOCUMENTARY.

A family photographer might use one of these words to describe their approach to a session ... but what do they mean?

If you ever wondered about the difference between traditional, documentary, and lifestyle family photography, you’re not alone!

These words are meant to highlight a photographer’s approach to a session, which ends up being your experience of that session. It also tells you what type of images you will get in your gallery.

It’s important to pick a photographer that matches the experience and style of photo you want from your session.

Let’s look at examples …

TRADITIONAL

If a photographer’s approach is traditional, they’ll approach a session by giving lots of direction like where family members should stand and position their bodies. They’ll aim to get everyone looking at the camera and smiling for images.

You’re likely to find posed portraits in a gallery from a traditional family photographer.

DOCUMENTARY

If a photographer’s approach is documentary, they will approach a session almost like a journalist, capturing real moments as they unfold with an emphasis on storytelling and moments that are unscripted.

You’re likely to find candid images in a gallery from a documentary family photographer.

LIFESTYLE

If a photographer’s approach is lifestyle, they will approach a session with a mix of traditional and documentary style. They’ll give light direction into poses, and guided prompts to inspire authentic connection.

You’re likely to find posed and candid images in a gallery from a lifestyle family photographer.

IN SUMMARY

When you’re considering working with a family photographer, learn about their approach to sessions to get a clear idea of what to expect during your experience with them, and what images you’ll get in your gallery. I hope one of these inspired your own opinion about what approach to photography you might prefer.

The approach used by Mitzi and Rose is Lifestyle Family Photography. You can see this reflected with the images in our portfolio.

Got more questions, requests for Tips, or want to chat? Hit the button below.

Family Photoshoot in Huntington, New York

Summer Family Photos in Suffolk County

Late summer on Long Island is one of the most ideal times for a family photo session. Before schedules get crazy with school and activity, before the sun sets in the afternoon … when there’s still a warm glow in the evening, and maybe you’re glowing too fresh off a vacation?

The Town of Huntington has lovely parks and beaches for family sessions, and golden hour natural light photography captures that magic well.

Take a peek at this family’s session if you’d like. While summer temperatures have mostly retired for this year, Fall Family Sessions on Long Island are in full swing. You can click the link, or send me a note here if you’d like to learn more about my family photography offerings.

Sunset Family Photoshoot at West Neck Beach in Lloyd Harbor, New York

I recently had the pleasure of photographying the Kocis Family at West Neck Beach in Lloyd Harbor, New York. The sunset that evening gave us beautiful, soft beachy light for the entire shoot.

Watching this family interact was a delight and they were all playful and present during our session. We let the kids lead, played a games, and got some images all together and individually. I really love the close-ups of kids, and that we got some great images of just mom and dad, too.

I felt like I was capturing their real, everyday connection and enjoyed every bit of the playfulness, laughs, and sweet moments they shared with one another. Their relaxed approach to the session and the beauty of Long Island combined to make for some really special photos that I’m excited to share.

Family Photo Session, Long Island, New York

My visit to the Malon Family’s on Long Island was a special and intentional session capturing the mother-daughter bond that unfolded during Thais’s maternity leave. This milestone session honored both mom and baby, and we took our time in different parts of the home where they spend the most time together.

Often families will think of doing maternity photos and newborn photos, but a milestone photoshoot when your child is a bit older also offers charming and unique moments because your baby is likely to be awake and interactive for the duration of the photo session.

Filled with sweet kisses, and lots of cuddles and songs, in-home sessions are an opportunity for photos in the space families are most comfortable.

In-Home Session, Long Island, New York

I witnessed the snooziest, sweetest cuddles when I visited the Hinrich’s Family for their in-home newborn session. In this lifestyle in-home session were lucky to capture Nicholas when he was both awake and asleep, and I think his little yawns might just be my favorite.

Unlike a studio session, doing an at-home newborn session gives us flexibility around your baby’s sleep-wake-feed schedule and keep all your child’s comforts within arms reach. My approach in these sessions is to use the natural available light in your home to beautifully and softly capture your growing family — inside at your favorite spots, and outside if it makes sense for your family, too.

Little Nicholas was a pro at his session, and I think you can see the love this family has for one another in the images they have together. I’m so grateful to be able to capture moments like these …