Take Better Pictures Of Your Kids: round 2

coffee break chats- for photographers, Photography

This should have probably been the first post because it’s the most simple in your face statement… but it’s THA TRUTH!

CARRY YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES! Or at least have it accessible!

I totally believe that it doesn’t matter where a picture comes from as long as we capture the story behind it! An image doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be sharp or wonderful or amazing in order to warm the heart and re-create the moment for years and years. It just has to be captured with enough clarity so it casts the feelings of that time! So I believe that anything can do that… point and shoot, polaroid, iphone etc! But if you do invest your money or have invested your money in a nice camera… why wouldn’t you want that to be your top choice?!

I am the worst offender of this rule! Let me just be honest and real here. I used to always have the best intentions to carry my camera around but this thing is HEAVY! I shoot with a Canon Mark iii and it’s got some weight to it! Plus my preferred lens is a big one… so more weight! But I hated missing the moments when Linc and I were out and about. I wanted those moments on the best equipment I had… I wanted to shoot clean and clear and crisp. I also wanted to keep honing my skills and learning and practicing.

So… I needed to figure out a way to camera my camera with me!

Here are a few things that helped me!

1. Find the right bag! Ok so when I first started carrying my camera with me, I was “gently” stuffing it in my purse wrapped in a scarf. I am cringing now as I think about it. But it does work!!! Now I use a shoot sac and that is great for shooting sessions and if I know I’m going to the beach or the park! Shoot sacs are comfortable and they form to your body! They have tons of little pockets so I can carry my wallet, a water bottle (for me and Linc to share) my camera, my lenses, and even a snack or two if I pack it right!

What I really have my eye on though for every day… so I can be a little more fashionable and have some more room to function like a real purse is a Kelly Moore Bag! The Beautiful Mess in particular! It’s a purse, a camera bag, and a diaper bag ALL IN ONE! It’s amazing! Why wouldn’t you want to strap this beautiful baby on with your camera and dive into all sorts of adventures every single day?!

2. Find the right card! Find the right memory card that fits your needs! When I’m not shooting a session the only card in my camera is the Eye-fi card. I did a full post on this card right here ! It’s amazing because I can take pictures with my mark iii and then it will immediately upload them to my iphone! I can share images right away with my family without waiting! It also motivates me to stop and pick up my big camera again for those funny little moments or even those thoughtful moments like the bathtub bubbles!

3. Set goals for learning your gear! If you have invested your money in a nice DSLR camera, don’t ever be satisfied with just taking pictures with it. LEARN IT inside and out. Learn how to shoot manually and then learn and experience difference lighting and lenses and scenarios. People tell me all the time when I’m out shooting around “that’s a great camera, it takes a great picture” and I secretly smile because the camera is just a machine. It’s the person behind the camera telling it what to do that creates the shot and makes it beautiful and unforgettable! It’s amazing what you can create when you learn the settings and functions on your camera. It’s like Aladdin “It’s a whole new world!”

When I was first learning to shoot manually, I would set up little mini weekly projects for myself. I would tackle aperture one week and work on the same subject over and over and over again. I would also create little weekly or monthly projects for myself like “The many faces of Linc” and try and capture all the different expressions he made throughout the week without repeating. There are tons of little challenges or projects like this that you can find and follow online! They really do help you learn and see things in different ways. Plus they force you to dust off the camera and pack it in your bag for the day!

4. Shoot with wild abandon: Take pictures of it all, not just the smiling cheesy moments! Life isn’t all smiles and that is what makes it beautiful. Life is messy and crazy and wonderful and hard! Take pictures of all these moments because you never know what you might want to hold onto later. Take pictures of those contemplative moments your children have! Step back and shoot them when they aren’t looking at the camera with smiles on their faces. Get the camera out when they are happily playing by themselves and see if you can create a fun and dramatic shot! I’ll never forget the moment in the movie Hope Floats where Sandra Bullock’s character is sneakily crawling in the grass to capture her nephew who is just sitting on the grass (kind of sad) all dressed up as a clown and taking off his red nose. It was a very tender moment that brought so many emotions to the surface: sad, beautiful, touching, and overwhelming!

Get close ups of your children when they are sleeping! I know it sounds creepy but catch the light in the their eyelashes and show the details of their cheeks and rose bud lips! We don’t have these moments for long! Just shoot with absolute freedom with the tips from last weeks session and see what you get!

I’m excited to see and if your willing to share, post some in the comment section! I might just have a surprise treat for those brave enough to share their talents with me!!