Mini lesson: they might be quick, but your camera is quicker

If you’re reading this, and you have a kid who is mobile and under the age of 10 you probably have experienced photo frustration.

What exactly is this photo frustration I speak of?

You find photo sessions with your kiddos mentally and sometimes physically exhausting. You come home to find all of your pictures involve backs of heads, crooked smiles, and blurry faces. You’re fed up with you kids, with your camera, with yourself and you’re not quite sure what to do to get the ‘perfect’ picture.

Am I right?

Luckily for you, I have the solution! (well part of it anyway…)

It’s called ‘Continuous Shooting Mode’ and it’s going to be your new best friend after today. Say hello to getting the perfect shot!

See that icon above. That’s the one that switches your camera to ‘Continuous Shooting Mode’. On some camera models, it’s on the top dial with all the other modes. On other cameras you’ll find it hidden in the menu screen somewhere.

Can you find it on your camera?

The wonderful thing about ‘Continuous Shooting’ is that when you push and hold down the shutter button your camera will take a series of multiple shots.

The more available light your camera has the faster it can continuously shoot. So keep in mind, this mode work best outside on a bright day.

Yes, at the end of a shoot you’ll be left with more images to sort through. Continuous shooting = Many many photos. But, more images also increases the likelihood that you’ll to end up with the money shot you’re aiming for! Here’s the proof:

Last week I took Brie to the park and I brought my camera along for the fun. When I began this continuous series Brie had absolutely zero interest in looking my way. The big kids at the park were MUCH more interesting that her mama.

Then daddy got in on the action and called out her name. She turned his way, but he wasn’t standing next to me or near the camera. Now Brie isn’t even looking at the camera and this certainly isn’t the most flattering smile. (but you can still surely tell she loooooooves her daddy!)

The final image in this series tells Brielle’s story perfectly. Even though she isn’t starting straight at the camera I’ve successfully captured a relaxed smile, pure concentration, and the definition of what it means to be a busy 18 month old.

An added bonus of continuous shooting?

If your images turn out in focus and exposed correctly they weave a beautiful story and are the perfect images to fill albums and coffee table books. I am absolutly loving Paper Coterie these days to to create books, albums and physical photo mementos.  Paper Coterie has beautiful, simple, easy to create albums (last weekend I created a photo book in less than an hour!) and I just took advantage of their amazing 40% sale to create the perfect Mother’s Day Gifts for the ‘grandmas’.

Continuous Shooting completely changed the way I approach photos with my busy toddler in a very good way!

Have you turned Continuous Shooting on your camera? Will you? Any tips you have to add to help others to make the most of this mode? Tell me about it and share your experience in the comments below.