When I first got into photography, I remember staring at pictures of children frolicking in wildflowers, having tea parties in enchanted forests, and rolling in lush rolling meadows. I wanted those images until I realized that that wasn’t real life (at least for me). Most days my life is mired in typical suburbia with its neat little development of homes and the occasional trip to the park, or even better Target!  While those pictures I mentioned earlier were amazing (and I will take some one day!!), I also wanted to take photos of my kids’ actual lives and not the ones I dreamed up for them. I started to look at how I could take my real world life and try to embrace and create something lovely out of the mundane, the routine, the everyday which truly is our lives.  Here are some of the things I’ve learned.

Light

Light truly is what separates a beautiful photo from an ok photo. I have learned to watch and study the light and how it falls in my home. First thing in the morning in both Drake and Juliet’s room the light is really lovely, so I often try to walk in with camera in hand to catch them in it. It’s also is fun to catch them doing whatever they do before I go in to get them in the morning.

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Different Angles

When I first started photography I always shot at the same angle, almost always head on, and then I started to learn to move around to try different angles — up, down, sideways… you get the idea.  When you are shooting in a small cluttered home (like I am!)  changing the angle not only can help in hiding messes you don’t want seen but also adds depth and variety to your images that can add a new layer of beauty you didn’t realize was there.

Take Your Camera Everywhere

I take my camera literally everywhere. It’s like my 3rd child when I get ready to leave the house; it never gets left behind. The way I see it the park, Target, even McDonalds is a treat for us. It’s getting out of our home for a little and while it might not be a lush meadow, there are adventures and discoveries waiting to be found just the same. After all in the eyes of a child, the world is bright and amazing and always a wonder.

Details

Details are some of my favorite shots because I’ve learned that they can truly tell a story, and they let you blur out the background to really focus on something.  Make sure when you are doing detail shots to really let the subject be the focus and present everything you want it to convey.  When done right, details shots are my favorite and you can’t even tell where they are when you are shooting whether it’s a field of flowers or just a small patch by the roadside.

Let the Mess Add to the Story

I really like clean frames when it comes to shooting, meaning that I tend to shoot on blank slates with minimal background distractions… or at least I try.  Sometimes real life just has a way of always being in the frame no matter how much you want to remove it, so if you just embrace it it can add to the story and give it more depth and realism.

Birthday aftermath

Part of me wishes I could remove those balloons from the shot… the other part likes that it reminds me this was right around when Drake turned 4

I know none of this advice is new to anyone, but I wanted to let other moms know that you can take beautiful pictures of your children in your messy home. It took me a long time to realize this myself when I would get frustrated that my life didn’t look like a Pottery Barn catalog. Staged shoots can be amazing but so you can real life if you look. I think there is a balance between shooting art and shooting reality, but when the two merge you will be thrilled with what you find in your own home and life just as it is!