Nate Berkus: Father's Day Photo Tips from Me Ra Koh

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Father's Day Photo Tips from Me Ra Koh

Expert photographer Me Ra Koh shares Father's Day photos and photo tips for capturing a creative, fun moment of that special dad in your life, no matter what age the kids are!

Baby on Board

Let’s start with the wee ones. If you’ve got a new father in the family, why not try this photo idea! Have dad get in the bed and tuck the sheets around his waist to hide his pants. Put baby right in the middle of dad’s back to show the comparison of how big and strong dad is compared to baby. Stand up on the bed with your camera, straddle baby and dad with one foot on either side of them, and shoot straight down! Voila!

Me Ra Koh Photography
Merakoh.com
Nose to Nose

This is a favorite photo-recipe called “Nose to Nose” from my new book “Your Baby in Pictures”. A couple of the tips you’ll find in this photo-recipe are; have dad and baby face the window light, turn your flash off, and focus on newborn’s nose. For all the ingredients to this photo-recipe, check out the book! You’ll find a few more tips on how to help dad look GOOD!
Daddy's Little Girl

Daddy’s girl! I remember feeling like my baby girl would always be four years old, wearing princess dresses to the grocery store. But now she’s ten years old, and the reality of how fast our babies grow fuels my passion even more for capturing the story of my clients’ lives. Little Ms. Ruby LOVES to take her doll for a walk. Why not have dad join her for a few photos, both holding Ruby’s doll. The best part is that this will not only be dad’s favorite photo but your little ones favorite too!
Rascally Boys

Rascally boys! Over the years, I’ve noticed that my clients LOVE to buy the photos of dad tickling the kids. It doesn’t matter if everyone is looking at the camera, in fact, it is even better if they aren’t! This silly, fun moment is what dad wants on his desk at work. To capture your own, ask dad to squat or sit down, wrap his big arms around the kids, and on the count of three start tickling them without (this is key) letting go of them. You will love your results, and dad will love them even more!
Black-and-White

Consider turning your “Rascally Boys” photo to black-and-white! This will help the emotions pop that much more! People often ask me if I shoot in black-and-white mode. I don’t. I’m always shooting in color and then turning specific photos to black and white, based on the emotions in the photo.
Get Creative

What about a Father’s Day photo of shoes?! Or you could photograph any other objects that both your kids and dad owns; toy lawnmower alongside the real lawn mower, tricycle alongside dad’s bike, toy golf clubs alongside dad’s golf bag, etc. Line up your objects, side-by-side, under or near the window light. Turn off your flash. Shoot away! Get creative with your point-of-view; consider standing on a chair and shoot down or shooting straight on. Even though dad isn’t in the photo, this is still a wonderful, creative way to capture the story of fatherhood and childhood.
Catching Candid Moments

Nobody plays like dad plays! When we were in Thailand, Brian was lifting the kids out of the water with such force that Blaze’s swim trunks were coming right off! I caught myself because I almost called out to Brian. And then my mind said “Me Ra, grab your camera! This is an AWESOME moment, right in front of you!” Grab your camera and look for candid moments that show the crazy, playfulness of dad!
Fathers and Daughters

Whether we are four years old and walking our doll with dad by our side or waiting to have him walk us down the aisle at our wedding, we love our dads. Regardless of what age you are—keep documenting the special bond between you and your dad. There isn’t any other bond like it.
Celebrate Grandpa
<p>If your family is like ours, we like to celebrate grandpas on Father’s Day too. They have been at this “dad job” for a while. Grandpas (and grandmas) can tend to shy away from the camera. But if you give them something to do, an action like holding baby close while kissing baby’s cheek, they feel that much more comfortable. Or, you could have your kids stand next to grandpa and ask him to smile at them instead of the camera. Try to get outside of the box with simple instructions that help set grandpa up for success.</p>
Don't Forget to Have Fun!

Keep it in perspective. If you find yourself getting stressed with your camera or your photos, take a deep breath and keep perspective. This is a photo of me and my dad. When I look at it, I don’t look at it with a photographer mindset; I look at it with the eyes of a daughter. All I see is my dad loving me from the beginning of time. That’s all I need to see. Have fun experimenting with the photo tips I’ve shared, but don’t get to serious about them. At the end of the day, a simple photo of dad’s love for his kids is a priceless gift.

Me Ra Koh Photography
Merakoh.com