Written by: Amy Tripple and Heidi Peters
Being your family’s journalist
I’ve always believed that one of the biggest privileges of owning a decent camera is the opportunity to capture my children’s lives. In fact, a number of years ago I deemed myself the “Family Journalist” and began to look for opportunities to capture the life of our little clan. Of course, I’m always sure to document the big events and special occasions, but deep down I think the most important part of my self-prescribed role is the way I can document the “everyday” beauty of our family’s existence.
It’s easy to lose motivation in this role, however, because the everyday is just that: every day. Often, we’re uninspired by the things that are constantly around us: another day eating breakfast at the kitchen counter, squirming through homework after school, playing in the sprinkler on hot summer days, brushing teeth and getting ready for bed… and yet…
As a mom of a ten, nine, and six year old, I can now say with 100% certainty that those seemingly endless days of footie pajamas, baby food in the high chair, preschool pick-up, and evening tubbies do, in fact, have an end. I can also guarantee that you’ll be grateful for every single photo you took of those everyday events.
When I’m having a hard time finding motivation to fill my role of “Family Journalist”, I find that there are a few things that help get me back on track:
Change it up
Sometimes, I switch my focus from the kids to their things. Your children’s special things (their lovies, rooms, craft sets, collections, etc…) are important to them and represent a part of their childhood. Pictures of these everyday objects will evoke warm feelings for them years from now… it’s an amazing gift to give each of them!
Change perspective
If you tend to shoot from eye level, try capturing things from an aerial view. If you like to shoot close-up, step back and tell the story from a more epic perspective. You’ll enjoy the shift and you might just find the challenge motivating.
Pull out old pictures
When all else fails, it’s time to excavate some pictures from the past. Take time to revel in the changes your children have made in the short time between now and then. It’s a powerful reminder that our everyday moments grow exponentially in value as the years go by… and there’s no better motivation than that!
