Your kiddos are finally not screaming.

You grab your camera and think, “I only get one shot. Once they hear that little ‘click,’ the calmness turns to chaos.” You take a chance — click — chaos ensues.

Sadly though, your picture isn’t quite how you imagined it. Maybe it is too dark or too bright or it’s all fuzzy. Let’s fix that.

Here are some tips and tricks to taking better pictures of your kiddos:

Always be prepared

Having your camera with you at all times (with totally charged batteries and empty memory cards) is key.

You never know when those “special moments” will happen!

One rule for most photographers is quantity then quality. Take lots and lots of pictures to ensure that you get one that is just right.

Make a date with your camera

Set aside some time to go over the manual and the camera together. Read and practice at the same time.

Knowing how your camera works always helps when you want to take a picture.

Find the light

Photography is all about lighting and finding the best light is key to getting amazing images.

For most photographs, you want soft lighting. To avoid shadows popping up in images, make sure that there are no bright sunbeams shining onto your subject.

When you are outdoors, find some open shade instead of direct sunlight. This will make a world of difference in your final images.

Take the time to focus

It is imperative that you take the time to focus on the image you want to capture.

On most cameras this means pushing the shutter button half-way and letting the camera do its thing.

Once you’re happy, push the button the rest of the way down and wait until you hear the click.

When focusing for portraits, make sure that your focus point is placed on the subject’s eye.

Think outside the box

Once you find the best light for the image you’re looking to get, just get your subject in it and YOU do the moving around.

Get lots of different angles and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes an off-centre image is more intriguing than a straight-on one.

Variety is important

When you look back at your images you want to remember all the tiny details about your little one, you also won’t want all your images to look the same.

Don’t forget about babies’ little feet and hands, tiny noses, and squishy lips!