It's that time of the year!!! Rain, more rain and PUDDLES!! I don't know about you, but I love puddle jumping season. Watching my kids face fill with joy while they splash in every puddle they see is priceless! Not to mention, it keeps them busy outside for at least an hour. Sure, they get wet and messy but that's the other part I love! It's no secret that letting your kids get dirty has proven to be beneficial!
*Dirty Kids Have Healthier Immune Systems - Dirt is filled with all sorts of healthy microbes, and when kids are exposed to them it strengthens their immune systems which helps to prevent chronic conditions like asthma, allergies, diabetes and obesity.
*Dirty Kids Are Happier - When kids spend time outside they are less stressed, anxious and depressed. In fact, within minutes of being outside around nature kids start feeling relaxed.
*Dirty Kids Are More Active - Outdoor play, with all it’s dirt and mud, keeps kids moving. It’s been shown that kids run, climb and jump outside much more than they do inside, even compared to indoor sports. All this movement helps kids maintain a healthier body weight which prevent chronic health issues like diabetes.
*Dirty Kids Have Healthier Sensory Systems - As kids spend more and more time indoors, sensory processing issues are sky rocketing. Many children are developing over or under sensitive senses and while genetics is a factor so is the lack of free outdoor play. When kids go outside all of their senses are stimulated. There’s so much for them to see, touch, smell and hear outdoors which helps their brain grow and make connections. Letting kids walk barefoot through the woods, scoop up mud with their hands and roll down a grassy hill are not only fun but helps them develop a healthy sensory system.
*Dirty Kids Are Smarter - Kids that play outside and get dirty are better at solving problems and are more creative too. Time outside not only improves children’s memory, concentration and attention span it also helps them develop emotional and social intelligence.
5 Tips For Capturing Puddle Pictures!
1. Get low to the ground, try different angles & get creative.
Getting low to the ground and closer to the puddle lets the puddle be the focus of you attention which is perfect for catching those wowing puddle shots. But be sure to mix it up a bit, some lower shots(picture 1, 3 & 4), some far away full framed shots(picture 5) & some close up shots(picture 2). Get creative by adding a pop of color, flowers, a friend or sibling, shooting/puddle splashing at golden hour (1 hour prior to sunset), etc.
2. Don’t be afraid to get wet, but keep your camera/phone safe.
Getting close up pictures might result in a little back splash, but that's OK. Have a little towel on hand or put a plastic bag over your camera to protect it. I promise the up close shots will be worth all the mud in your hair and on your face!
3. Make sure your shutter speed is high & f-stop is not too shallow.
If you are using a DSLR, make sure your shutter speed is high enough to capture those fast moving water droplets(anything above 250). Also, be sure to have your f-stop at or above 3.2. This will ensure everything is in focus, especially when shooting up close shots.
If you are using a cell phone, try pressing and holding while taking a picture, this will do a continuous shoot capturing more pictures faster, hopefully to give you a nice still water shot.
4. Have fun!!
Careful!!!! - Mud play & puddle jumping may cause a tremendous amount of fun and laughter, try at your own risk!
Let those kids get as messy and wet as they can. Nothing a bath/shower can't fix :)
Jump in with them!!!
Don't worry about the gear! Barefoot or rain boots, rain suit or shorts, it doesn't matter, just have fun!
5. Enhance colors and details in post editing.
Post editing can be done with iPhone pictures or DSLR.
If you don't already, download the Lightroom app on your phone (it's free!)
When editing in Lightroom, up that clarity!!! Play around with the other settings to see what you like best. I usually bump up my shadows a little, tone down the highlights, up the dehazer slider and lower the black point a tad.
If you want tones like the pictures below, check out my Lightroom mobile Presets
Check out these great photos for more inspiration:
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