Take it Like it's Film

I took part in a photography challenge this week that required me to choose a single ISO.  For my non-photography friends a simple definition of ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera. I chose ISO 200 which I knew be great for outdoor photos (great for bright light), but make my indoor shots a little more challenging. We also could only take 36 photos just like if we were using a film camera.

I didn't do too bad with the ISO, but I totally failed at only taking 36 photos.  I realized how quickly my finger fires that shutter.  I was taking multiple shots without even realizing it.  About 1/3 of the way through my "roll of 36" it dawned on me what I was doing.  I went through and deleted and gave myself another chance. HOWEVER... even when I thought I was paying closer attention to what I was doing, I still was taking too many photos.  I miraculously ended up with 53 photos on my roll of film.

What a great learning experience to SLOW it DOWN.  This taught me that I have an itchy trigger finger.  I need to be more intentional about what I am shooting and take that extra second to get it right the first time.

Following are my favorite 12 photos out of my "roll".

The In Between

The tween years can be good, crazy, emotional, hard, and Oh so very precious. Way too often these are the years that aren't documented.  Our children are out of the cute baby, toddler, preschool, young elementary school stage and some how in the whirl wind of this thing called life, we forget to capture who are tweens are and who they are becoming.

It is so important to take the time to photograph these days of in between.  We don't really want to forget who our children were and the story of each stage of their lives.

I take photos of my daughter daily so that I can remember who she was at 11.  Sometimes they are just everyday photos of her riding her bike or playing with her dolls.  Other days it is a more like the photos below.

I love this set of photos, because she was pretty disgusted.  Her dress was too short and it was frustrating her immensely.  She was immediately launched into a MOOD. And that is so common these days. These are days of frustration and extreme emotions, but I don't want to forget them.  I want to remember that we made it through, we persevered and we learned.

100 Days of Summer- JUNE favorites

“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.”
― Maud Hart Lovelace

June went by is a swirl of color and sunshine.  These fleeting summer days always make me stop and pause.  They move so quickly in their sweet, showy display.  Gladly will I take hundreds of photos of this time just so I have ingrained in my memory their beauty.

100 days of Summer is a personal project that I am doing to document the summer of 2017.  Each day for 100 days I am taking a photo.  Already June is finished and July is in full swing.  The photos below feature some of my favorites from the month of June. This blog post is part of a blog circle that features other photographers who are also doing a 100 days of Summer project make sure to click through the circle to see all the beauty of June captured in the lens of other photographers in this group.

Head on over to fantastically talented Cynthia's blog to see more photos that capture the essence of summer!

The Camera You Have With You

It's been said, "The best camera is the one you have with you".

I couldn't agree more!  We aren't always going to lug a slr camera around with us or even a mirrorless camera.  Sometimes we don't have our purses or bags with us, but if you are like most people you will probably have your phone.

This past weekend we celebrated my nieces high school graduation.  I didn't want to carry my camera all around their front yard, so I left it and my purse at home .  I tucked my phone in the front pocket of my skirt in case someone needed to get a hold of me and looked forward to sitting and relaxing for a bit.

I wasn't even planning on taking any photos, I was photo saturated at the moment and tired.  The idea of taking pictures didn't bring joy to my heart. I was ready for a break. My plan was to eat and enjoy visiting with friends and family.

Then all cuteness broke out.

My husband, Joel, gave our nephews cake and pop.  It was a huge treat for them that only Uncle Joel has clearance to do.  There is a long story behind that, but in short when we first started having children my sister was about 11 years old.  Through the years she did things like draw chest hair in permanent marker on our boys and gave them all kinds of treats and goodies because she could.

When she began having her own babies, Joel returned the kindness. He now treats her boys and girl to all kinds of surgery sweetness then packs them off for home.

I was so glad I at least had my phone camera to capture this moment of Uncle Joel inducing a sugar high.

This is our family, our love, our moments.

It may be a bit crazy and wild and topped with sugar overdoses, but it's what I want to remember.  It's what I want every child in our family to remember.

 Just a little encouragement...
All these images were also edited on my phone.  You can get good images with your phone. It can be done!

June 2017 5-on-5- Getting All Dolled Up

Dance Recital day is a big deal around here and so this year I decided to capture all the ins and outs of getting my girl ready for her big day.
Hair is a biggie.  In the past we have had someone else do a fancy curled bun sort of thingy-m-bob. This year we opted for a braid bun.  Which was well within my hair styling abilities

Next was the make-up.  A big treat for this little girl.  She enjoys getting all dolled up, except for the mascara.  That, well, let's just say after 5 years of dance we are improving.

 If you give a girl a remote, she will take photos.

This last one breaks the black and white theme, but I had to add it.  It was one of the few (okay more like 30) photos that we took together that turned out and black and white didn't do it justice. We were at the end of our hair and make-up routine, and she was ready to shine on stage.

 For more documentary photography that tells a story in just 5 photos head on over to check out the beautiful photography of Amy. She is a Portland, OR Documentary Family Photographer.

February 5-on-5 Documenting the Dancer

Getting ready for dance class has been a weekly routine of ours for five years.  Last week I realized that she has taken over almost all of her dance preparations herself.

I used to help her struggle into her tights (dislike is not a strong enough word for how she feels about those things.)  I would hold her leotard as she stepped into it. I would gather all her dance gear, a snack, and a bottle of water.  We would end our routine with me brushing her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail or bun.

This year things have changed.  She does everything by herself except her hair.  However, of late, she has even taken that job on.

I watched last week and realized rather abruptly of the changes that have so subtly taken place.  Her independence is shining through.  I adore her for it.  And although a part of me misses the days when she needed me a bit more, I wouldn't trade this time for anything.

5-on-5 with a 6th photo as an added bonus, because it was a big part of the story.

 For more amazing documentary photography about life, love, memories, and family head on over to Melissa Kayser: A St. Charles, MO Documentary Family Photographer.

January 5-on-5 Documenting The Everyday

I recently saw a post on a photography Facebook page where a photographer mom was asking for tips on how to document the days and moments of her older children.  My days of raising babies and toddlers is gone, but my days of teaching, loving and living with my "babies" isn't completely non-existent. Here are my tips for great storytelling images with older children.

Know your children's interests:  Is it clothing, makeup, sports, art, dance, Legos, video games, cooking, friends, or cars?  For one of my boys it is hunting.  The other day I followed him and my husband down to their hunting "room" where they keep all of their hunting gear. A part of me got a little itchy when I thought about others seeing my guys (organized to them) mess and our unfinished basement, with sewer pipes and all, but this is storytelling, right?  This is my real, so  I stood back and took photos of him getting ready.  Pretty simple really, but it is a routine that is extremely common for him and something I don't want to forget.

Make it painless:  My boys (20, 17, 15) don't particularly like to have their pictures taken. However, when I ask them if I can take photos of them as they work, play, or learn, they usually will let me.  My 17 year old (pictured below) especially does not like to have his picture taken. For about a year he told me he didn't want any senior portraits taken.  I agreed with him, no portraits.  Instead, I let him get dressed up in his camo and we went out back to our stream. He hunted. I took his senior photos.

Seek them out where they are:  Getting my children all together for a photo at this stage in our lives is close to impossible. I have accepted that.  At this age they often find quiet places to hang out away from the family unit. That doesn't mean they don't want to be with us. It just means they are striving for independence and their own space.  Every so often I will seek them out and take a few photos of them (even if they are on their phone or playing video games).

 Use your heart to see:  Documenting means to take the photos of life as it is. A posed photo will never tell a deep story.  Take the time to open your eyes and heart to what is happening in your children's lives. It may not seem much at the moment to take photos of your sixteen year old with his eyes glued to a screen and a game controller in his hand, but it is reality and it is your life at this moment in time.

Keep it real:  Embrace the mess.  All three of my boys share a room. Enough said.  I need to photograph it. Document it. I need to tell the story of my boys and the life they have now in my home.  Our house is pretty simple.  Just a ranch home nothing fancy.  There have been times I have been reluctant to share my images, because I was playing the comparison game.  If you find yourself playing the same game it's time to STOP!  Documentary photography isn't about the material possessions we don't have.  It's about what we do have, family and memories and love.

Finally,

If it's happening right now, document it!

 5-on-5 is a group of documentary photographers capturing the real in their lives through photos. To continue seeing more storytelling through photos head on over to the talented Melissa Clark an Iowa Documentary Photographer.