What you have: A Garage
What you want: Studio Quality Pictures
Mesh them together and FLAM-BAM, you have studio lighting right inside your home…well, right outside. Your garage offers that yummy light for a large portion of the day and best part is it’s just the right price, FREE! Take a look at this photo: 
Look at the beautiful catch light (or twinkle) in his eyes. I didn’t do anything in Photoshop to make his eyes pop. It is just awesome lighting (and a beautiful child).
I have seen some photographers use seamless paper and a backdrop stand to set-up studio setting. Well, I don’t have seamless paper or a stand, but I do have A LOT of fabric lying around. So, I opened my van’s trunk and taped one end of the fabric to the top of the trunk and let the rest flow to the ground. Nice, unwrinkled fabric is best. You can also use sheets. Here is my set-up:
Ignore the swimming floaty in the background and admire my JoTote bag. But pretty simple right. I call it “Ghetto Cool”.
Now, set your kids on the fabric and let them interact.
Tip #1: Do capture pure emotion. This picture made you smile didn’t it. 
Tip #2: Pictures are better when they show the real personality or habits of the subject. This is my baby. He is always chewing on his thumb. This picture will mean more to me in a few years when it reminds me of this cute habit than maybe a simple smile would. 
Tip #3: Eye contact of one person and emotion from another in the shot conveys a message. Can’t you just see the love in my older son’s eyes. He adores his baby brother. And, the baby’s eye contact connects the you, the viewer, with the picture. 
Tip #4: Do hand the camera to your kids and let them take a picture of you. You deserve to be remembered! (Caution: make sure they wear the camera strap!)
Now go out there and take some great pictures. If you try it, I want to know about it. Send me a link.
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