Taking photos of kids in the pool

When the baby arrives, mum and dad get a «photo fever», which never stops shaking them.

I am one of them. Like most parents, I’m trying to catch every single moment by taking photos both in the sand and in the water. A new step, turn, smile, jump.. It is so true that time flies so quickly from diapers to swimming suit, from their first step to the first stroke. This is why every single nice shot taken at the pool makes me happy and brings those magical moments back.

This is my amateur experience about taking photos and swimming. It is not about the professionals with the latest photo equipment, but parents, mums and dads wanting to memorise the moments spent with their kids at the pool.

Taking photos and swimming: 5 tips from the perspective of the Swimming Dad:

Babies in the pool know how to strike a pose: Back during the baby swimming lessons, I started recording every single moment mums and dads spend with their babies in the water. I also did it with my kids, both at the pool and under water. Don’t worry, the babies won’t choke or drink water if they dive. I can tell you they’re rather easy for cooperation and for taking photos in the water, especially when they’re not hungry or sleepy. It’s much easier then to catch the moment of growing up, even in the pool.

Of course, underwater photos are always the most effective and interesting one, not only because of the faces babies make, but also because of the smiles of their parents. These photos

always bring a lot of emotions. And they really don’t require an expensive waterproof photo camera. I’ve made mine with my children with a Nikon (waterproof 10m/33ft, shockproof 1.5m/5ft full HD).

Entertain your kids in the pool: As all children feel much safer on their feet and more aware of the world around them, it is hard to catch them, and catch the desired moment with a camera or a phone. Especially when they are in the pool. What to do to keep their attention? The things I usually do with my kinds is to organise an activity for them to do, to play or improvise whit some props in their hands or on their heads. When you give them the main role in the «film», then it’s much easier to work with them.

Of course, there are those cases then kids realise exactly what you want, especially if you find it important, so then they make faces on purpose… the thing is even worse if there two or more of them, then the fun is great, but not for you. Equip yourself with patience, hoping it will end soon. The best thing is when someone else from the side catches the moment of you «bending over backwards» to get a good photo. To be honest, I like it most when we all watch that video after some time and we all laugh at the things we did.

Observe and be quiet: When you succeed in entertaining the kids, move yourself away from them slowly, observe them and try to catch the desired moment in silence. It’s unbelievable how many shots you need to make to choose the good ones, especially when you take the underwater photos. Even the amateur ones. Patience and timing are your only friends in these situations.

Morning is an ally: On the other hand, spontaneous photos are always the best ones. For such

photos, the morning turned out to be a good ally to my kids, before 9 a.m. After it, they lose interest in every aspect and become «a torture» for everyone. However, there are also those morning moments when nothing can help. Don’t give up. Try again in the afternoon after 5 p.m. when the sun is not that high, which also means a slight reflection of light and shadows in the pool.

Video instead of photos: Kids will be kids, and sometimes so active, sometimes a bit stubborn, even when you entertain them. They are always on pins and needles. Then I don’t take photos, but I record videos. When they’re done with their stunts I try to freeze a moment from the video and make a photo out of it. There might be lots of interesting contents. It’s true that the quality is not as good as in a photo, but it can be quite enough for mum and dad to keep the memory of it.

You always get something else from what you initially wanted to get from a photo, from what you imagined, wanted.. sometimes it’s beyond expectations, something amazing, and sometimes it’s a disaster. Regardless of the quality, we make a selection of best 20 photos every three months and we print them. Some are in the albums, but most of them are on the wall. After all, the growing-up moment you catch, and the child’s smile in the pool is all that matters, at least for me.