Theme parks offer great opportunities for shooting photos of smiling children for several reasons. First, there are some recognizable landmarks in these parks, things that will be memorable for your family later on when you’re reviewing the photos. Second, the weather is usually great, with plenty of sun, which is perfect for shooting photos. There’s plenty of things to do at a theme park, which means the potential subject matter for your photos is almost endless.
Color
It’s everywhere in parks and pools. Find it and incorporate it into your photos. Rides, food, scenery all make for great photographs.
Eye Catching Spots
Does a rollercoaster or water slide dip over the sidewalk? Stand there when your children pass by, making sure they know to look for you and wave when they do.
Sunlight
For these fast-paced photo opportunities, sunlight makes shooting at faster speeds easier. And when you shoot at faster speeds in optimal light, you’re able to “freeze” a moment without it being blurry.
Nighttime
On the other end of the spectrum is nighttime. These places usually have really colorful lighting illuminating landmarks and attractions. Did somebody say fireworks? Nighttime is not the time to put your camera away, but rather to capture some cool opportunities.
Eye Level
You’ll probably end up with posed photos next to characters. To make the most of this opportunity, bend down to your child’s eye level to take the photo, this makes for noticeably more engaging photos.
Put It Down
Most importantly: remember to make memories. I know you want to capture every moment from behind the lens, but go have some fun! You may remember everything your kids did but you don’t want them to remember your face with a camera attached to it.