Inside: Learn the biggest mistake most parents make when taking pictures of kids. Plus, learn how to start taking better photos of your kids today.
I grew up with a camera in my face.
And not just during the birthdays, holidays, and special events. That’s when cameras usually come off the dusty shelves in hopes of capturing a few special memories.
But this was different.
My mom had an obsession with taking pictures of the smallest most mundane activities. Growing up, I would get so frustrated… “Mom, do we really need a picture of THIS. “
It wasn’t an important occasion, we were just hanging out in the living room, playing board games… nothing special.
I always thought it was because my mom was a professional photographer that kept a camera in her hands. I thought it was to stay sharp and keep her skills top notch.
Never in a million years did I realize the real reason behind the constant presence of a camera in my life.
Until a few weeks ago.
I was sitting on the cold storage room floor, rifling through old tattered cardboard boxes filled to the brim with photo after photo. As my fingers thumbed through the thousands of photos of mundane and ordinary days recorded on film, tears started to fill my eyes.
And then I found it, the most innocent of photos.
I had to be about 18 months old (I was still almost bald). It was a normal day, me in my striped red pjs kneeling on the floor playing and laying beside me, propped up by her elbows, was my mom.
She was so happy.
Her eyes glistened and twinkled into the camera, but you could tell the glimmer of joy was not from being photographed… it was from playing on the floor with me.
It’s not a professional photo by any means, but it is clear it was taken with a fancy 35mm camera. I can picture my mom handing off the camera, “Here, take a picture. I want to remember this.”
THIS.
The Real Reason to Take Pictures of Our Kids
This is why my mom had always kept a camera close by.
As the years would pass, I would grow to love taking photos just as much as my mother, although I had this dirty little secret no one knew…
I was not a professional. I learned just enough to get by and that “just enough” made it easy for me to record small mundane moments just as my mother had done my whole life.
My mom always taught me…
If you can get good lighting, and good composition (this is how the picture is set up), the rest will fall into place when taking pictures of kids.
You really only need to know a few simple things on the camera itself to take amazing photos.
Staring at this photo of me and my mom, tears rolling down my face, I am forever thankful that my mom took the time to capture these small moments, these moments that captured her pure joy and our love for one another.
Because now that she is gone, these are all I have to hold on to.
In the last few weeks, since my mother passing unexpectedly, I have thought a lot about the constant lens in my face, and the habits my mom had that used to drive me crazy.
I get it now.
My mom wanted to savor every happy moment, every stage of life, every simple beauty her family possessed.
And now I want that for my family.
I want that for your family.
I know not all of us have…
… moms that could give them tidbits and pointers about fancy cameras.
…. a love for photography.
… the time to learn something new and complicated like taking “fancy” pictures.
But I do know that we all love our families.
I do know that we want to…
… cherish the stages of life.
… capture the small moments of joy and love.
… create a legacy our children can fall back on when we fade away.
Taking pictures of kids: a step-by-step guide.
I’ve teamed up with my dear friend, Courtney, at Click it Up a Notch.
Courtney is brilliant with a DSLR and knows how to make it seem like second nature to pick up a camera, use it like a total pro, and feel confident in the camera so that you never miss another mundane and ordinary moment.
She has agreed to co-host a LIVE online class with me on Thursday at 1 pm ceastern time so that she can teach you these tips too!
Courtney is the force behind Click it Up a Notch which was named by the Huffington Post as one of the Top 5 Blogs for Momtographers (moms who photograph their families). She helps over 40,000 photographers each week learn how to capture their life, beautifully, and now she’s taking those tips and making them accessible to everyday moms like you and me!
Click here to save your seat to 5 actionable tips to better everyday photos!
Here’s what you will learn:
- How to use your images to tell the story of their childhood
- The one piece of equipment I wish I hadn’t wasted my money on (and what you should buy instead)
- Importance of light in your photo for drawing your viewer to your subject and how to rock it
- 3 simple things you need to do each time you pick up your camera
…and so much more!
The webclass will be Thursday at 1 PM EST/10 AM PST.
Show up live…
Because we know the importance of investing in yourself we want to encourage you to show up live. will be doing a super fun giveaway for those who attend live. But really, we want you there live because when you say to yourself that learning is important that is when you start to see the change in your photos and start capturing memories to stand the test of time.
Remember when it comes to taking pictures with kids, we’re in this together,
Dayna
PS: Click here to join us and stop feeling frustrated with your camera and start capturing moments today.
