Everyday shooting with your iPhone {May 2015}
I've heard people say "I'm going to put down the camera and enjoy my kids" which never made sense to me until recently. I was at the park, and had just been running around taking pictures of the kids splashing in the fountain. A lady came up next to me, smiling at her 3 gorgeous kids running around having the time of their lives in the water. She naturally wanted a picture to remember the moment, I commend her for that, but what she captured was the opposite of the moment. She stopped them from running, made them line up in front of the water, hold hands and smile. For older kids this may not have been a big deal, but it made me ache to see her trying so hard with "look at mommy! SMILE!" The kids weren't feeling it, and the picture in no way represented the fun they were having. I wasn't about to involve myself, I didn't know her and she may love her pictures. I guess it triggered me to share a few tips on how I photograph our daily life. Which is just as important as the big events ; ) Just a few years ago, I remember carrying the big guns around on every vacation, event, and random things around the house. My iPhone has totally replaced photographing 'everyday' little things that are so important to capture. Apple has brought a whole different level to pictures for me, being able to whip out my phone and beautifully take a picture in 2 seconds flat. I'm able to catch so much more with out disrupting life... Priceless. A friend actually called me a stealth shooter, haha! I send pictures every time I leave her house and she doesn't notice me taking them. ; ) Hopefully these tips will help your pictures bring back more emotion than just a 'we were here' moment.
#1. Keep the phone on silent. There's nothing like a big "cha-ching!" to ruin a moment and completely distract someone or a child from what they are doing. Cue for a fake smile for adults surprisingly as much as kids.
#2. Use the volume button for the shutter. I don't think most people are aware of this, but on your iPhone you can use the up or down volume buttons on the side to take a picture. You can more securely hold the phone this way, and know your finger is on the button without having to look at it.
#3. Don't stare at the phone. The whole point of "putting down the camera to enjoy my kids" is simply because you aren't engaged with them, am I right? So get engaged! I try not to put the camera between me and what's going on if I can help it. I hold it to the side, or whatever needed, and being present with them makes all the difference in the world. For the moment itself, the memory, and the genuine expression you receive... there's nothing like it. Enjoy the moment with them, and for heavens sake, don't ask them to look at the camera and say cheese!
#4. Overshoot always, delete later. Yes, my husband laughs at how I can take thousands of pictures in a matter of weeks, but doing this is less stressful than trying to stage a moment. Take a few extra at the cost of not missing that expression.
It's funny how the things your kids remember are mostly in pictures. Really. Maybe I don't have a good memory, but if my mom where to mention a beach trip when I was 5, I would remember my blue bathing suit and my brother napping on the balcony. Simply because those are pictures from that trip we still have. It's a harsh reality, but what your child is doing right now might never be thought of again. Go take pictures of her riding on her scooter in the driveway, or her favorite plate of blue pancakes, can you imagine how valuable those images will be to her 20 years from now? Pictures can trigger memories, and for kids, help them hold onto they're own memories much longer than if they never thought of a certain vacation again. Homeschooling also reminds me of this, after all the kids can't remember history facts from telling them once, right? We're able to let them relive that experience over and over again. And that makes me smile : )
Now get to it. ; )
