While it says, "Moms," this post is addressed to anyone in the mom role of the family: stepmom, grandma, aunt, foster mom, you name it. I have an unusual husband who actually likes to take pictures, as in being behind the camera. Even still, I'm often the one snapping pictures at special occasions and on trips. Many moms out there are in the same boat and therefore end up with fewer pictures of themselves with their families. You don't think about it at the time, and you don't care much either. You just care about having pictures of your loved ones, and you probably don't like your appearance enough to demand documenting it.
Your families will care one day. A few years ago, my mom hit a milestone birthday for which I created a slideshow. Candid, snapshots of her were more difficult to find because she was usually the one behind the camera. Now, I try to make sure she is in pictures too. :) Last year, I created a photo book for my step-daughter of all the pictures we could find of her with her mom in the eight short years they shared. While we had many, they were fewer in number because she was often behind the camera.
You can't get years and memories back.
We are currently in the mountains of NC on our way home from a week-long road trip. I have a fancy camera that I love to use. But it stayed in my bag most of this trip because I was determined to document my existence in this car too. I'm over every picture having to look professional (though I still enjoy the photographic challenge when the time is appropirate). At each stop, I carried my phone so we could take selfies (or usies, lol). This often led to laughs at trying to get four people in a picture and the landmark at which we had stopped. The second day we stopped for lunch at a mall food court, and someone made the suggestion about a selfie stick, and we were off on a hunt. $12.99+tax later, and I was having the most selfie fun of my life! Haha.
In all seriousness, you don't even have to have a stick. I know you moms of littles don't often have time to attach your phone to the stick before someone runs into the street. Use your arms if you have to, but document your presence in the memories.
Hint from a woman who is totally inexperienced with the front facing camera and having to move everything backward: Get yourself set and the object in the background that you are trying to capture, and THEN let the others jump in. They seem to get less grumpy this way. Otherwise, it takes me ten years to figure out that if I cut someone off on the left, I need to move the camera right...I think. Who knows.
And now, a few selfie highlights from our trip...
Your families will care one day. A few years ago, my mom hit a milestone birthday for which I created a slideshow. Candid, snapshots of her were more difficult to find because she was usually the one behind the camera. Now, I try to make sure she is in pictures too. :) Last year, I created a photo book for my step-daughter of all the pictures we could find of her with her mom in the eight short years they shared. While we had many, they were fewer in number because she was often behind the camera.
You can't get years and memories back.
We are currently in the mountains of NC on our way home from a week-long road trip. I have a fancy camera that I love to use. But it stayed in my bag most of this trip because I was determined to document my existence in this car too. I'm over every picture having to look professional (though I still enjoy the photographic challenge when the time is appropirate). At each stop, I carried my phone so we could take selfies (or usies, lol). This often led to laughs at trying to get four people in a picture and the landmark at which we had stopped. The second day we stopped for lunch at a mall food court, and someone made the suggestion about a selfie stick, and we were off on a hunt. $12.99+tax later, and I was having the most selfie fun of my life! Haha.
In all seriousness, you don't even have to have a stick. I know you moms of littles don't often have time to attach your phone to the stick before someone runs into the street. Use your arms if you have to, but document your presence in the memories.
Hint from a woman who is totally inexperienced with the front facing camera and having to move everything backward: Get yourself set and the object in the background that you are trying to capture, and THEN let the others jump in. They seem to get less grumpy this way. Otherwise, it takes me ten years to figure out that if I cut someone off on the left, I need to move the camera right...I think. Who knows.
And now, a few selfie highlights from our trip...