Photography Tip: Get in the shot!

If you're anything like me, you absolutely LOVE taking pictures of your family. You're the mom (or dad) lugging the camera to the ball games, the birthday parties, the family get-togethers, and everything in between. You see the value in memory keeping, in capturing your family's best and worst moments, and preserving them for years to come.

The only problem with this scenario, is that you are often the one behind the camera, and therefore rarely featured in your family's day to day photographs. Maybe you hand the camera over to a stranger for a couple shots at the beach, or maybe you take one family shot for the Christmas card each year, but how often do you make it a priority to include yourself in the "ordinary" everyday shots: trips to the park, reading bed time stories, baking cookies, playing board games, etc....

I am personally not a huge fan of my camera's self timer. I've tried it before, and the results were less than stellar. I'm also not very good at the whole "self-portrait" thing.......I never could quite master the mysterious/sultry look or a carefree/uncontrived smile. So instead, I've come up with a couple creative ideas to get myself in front of the camera. After all, when my children are older and looking back on our family photo albums, I want them to remember what I looked like, I want them to remember that I laughed and played and got dirty and chased them and pushed them on the swings and cheered them on, I want them to remember that my smile was always the biggest while being with them.

TIP #1: Find a reflective surface and get the whole family in the shot.

Look for pools, lakes, ponds, mirrors, etc...
A few weeks ago, we were playing at the park, and I noticed this giant-reflective-fish-eye-mirror-thing. I immediately made everyone stop playing and pose with me for several (ok, like 25) shots. I'm thinking Christmas card photo in the making :-)

TIP #2: Hand your camera over to one of your children. 

OK, so this one is not always easy for me (my kids are only 3 & 5), and I have a pretty nice camera (and I would like to keep it that way). BUT, I took the time to give a little lesson on camera safety, and I make sure the camera is always within my grasp should it become necessary...........

Exhibit A

After a couple hundred frames, you just might get a few keepers:

Taken by Grant (age 3)

Taken by Sienna (age 5)

I could not love that photo any more!!

So go get in the shot....your family will thank you for it!