Tips for documenting your family’s summer!
There’s something so dreamy and nostalgic about summer vacation as a kid. I remember staying up late and playing with the neighbor kids in the cul-de-sac in the everlasting Alaskan daylight, or climbing into my sleeping bag still sticky with s’more goo, or riding my bike with a little transistor radio duct-taped to the handle bars. The list of quintessential summer images could go on and on— and thinking of your own images that come up for you is a great place to start when thinking about photographing your own family.
Documenting your family can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. The first thing I want to remind you is that whatever you manage to capture will be greatly cherished one day! Seriously! I look back at previous years of doing this and just can’t believe how much they’ve changed, which interests are holding strong, and honestly— I look back at myself with so much more grace. But enough about all of that— let’s dive into some tips that will hopefully set you up for success this summer.
First,
get a plan!
I love a plan. It doesn’t have to be anything insanely specific (and honestly, flexible is better because… you know… life), but it’s good to think about what is your goal for this project. Is it taking a photo every day? Is it learning to use your camera better? Is it using your phone more thoughtfully? Is it documenting a day start to finish? Is it capturing little details that you’re worried you’ll forget? Is it all of these!? Doing some soul-searching helps.
Some years I’ve committed to taking a photo with my good camera every day. Last year, I didn’t feel like I wanted to schlep my camera around with me, so I did a one-second a day video on my phone. This year, I’m hoping to arm my kids with their Camp Snap cameras and camcorder and have them help me document our summer.
If you’re feeling like you’ll struggle to remember to take photos, there are some cool apps that can help with this. I just joined an app called “Minutiae” that’s pretty fun. The app sends you a notification that you have one minute to take a photo— and everyone in the world using the app is sent the notification at the same time. It reinforces finding the beauty in your every day because you don’t have time to curate your image to something perfect. (Bonus- you get matched up with someone else in the world each time so you can see what someone else’s world looked like in that moment.) If you’re interested in putting together a one-second a day video, the app I used for that is called “1SE” (or “1-second everyday). Not sponsored by any of these things— just think they’re cool.
Make a Summer Bucket List!
Every summer, I make a bucket list of things I want to do for summer. (This was our plan from last year and now that my kids are a little older, they help with the list.) It originally started as things I wanted to photograph, but now I just write down activities we want to do. This really helps guide me though as to what the big highlight moments are for my kids— and once you know those, it’s easy to know when to haul out the camera, camcorder, phone, disposable camera, etc.
I also use this list to help decide what we’re going to do on days when they don’t have camps or I don’t have sessions. Sometimes the photo I want to capture will determine our activity— and others it will be just hanging out doing what we’re already doing. (I’ve also found if I head outside and take 15 minutes to take photos of my kids on their bike it really fills their cup and gets out all the “Mom! Watch this!” they have in them.)
This list is also amazing when August is rolling around faster than you expected—because you can do a check-in and see what would still fill your kids’ cup.
The fastest way to elevate your photos? Light!
Light can be tricky during Alaskan summers. Our round-the-clock daylight can be so awesome, but it also means you’re having high-noon sun until late in the day. And when you have little kids, chances are they’re not staying up until the light softens late at night.
Here’s a couple things you can do:
If your kids are early risers, take advantage of the less-harsh morning light. I took this photo at a playground at probably about 7am.
Is there anything you can filter the light behind like trees or buildings? If so, you can get a nice backlit image.
Don’t let the mid-day sun dissuade you. Playing around with it enough will teach you what kind of light you like. Finding pockets of open shade will also help with evening out harsh light on skin.
Don’t forget about documenting in your house!! You spend so much time here and there are so many cool little light pockets!
Here’s an example of embracing bright mid-day sun. You can find cool light pockets and shadows! Your colors will be vibrant. The light totally makes this photo because it definitely wouldn’t be as interesting without the leafy shadows.
Don’t forget about details!
Details add so much to the story of your summer! Get in close! Not every photo needs faces.
Things I’m an absolute sucker for in photos:
hands (especially if they are chubby little hands!)
band-aids and scraped knees (so many stories behind those images)
berries (the colors are so vibrant! One reason I love this photo so much is it has all three of my top faves!)
watermelon and ice cream (usually so messy with kids and that makes for some really fun photos!)
flowers (especially if it’s a dandelion bouquet!)
your kids’ favorite toys (bonus if they’re in a huge mess and you can say “my kid was here!”)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start at home or in your yard.
One of the good things about documenting your days in and around your house is you are so familiar with your spot! You can predict what the light will be like and what your kids will want to be doing. I always recommend starting here. It’s easier to just observe your kids in their natural element here (rather than keeping tabs on them in a public space) and you’ll get more authentic images.
An easy exercise to start with is to give your kids something to do that will keep them busy for a little bit like playing with chalk, bubbles, or super-soakers. Let them run wild and your job is just to stay out of the way and document them without interfering. By not telling them what to do or to smile and look at the camera, you’re able to focus on not only what’s really happening, but also the technical side of things. (This is especially helpful if one of your goals is learning how to use a DSLR camera.)
These documentary-style images usually aren’t my “wow” images in the moment, but they are always the ones that transport me back to that age faster than any others.
Get in the frame!
This one isn’t always easy. This photo is from almost seven years ago, and that’s probably one of the last times I took the time to set up a tripod and do self-portraits. :/ (Okay that’s an exaggeration, but probably not by much.) It’s important though to get in photos with your kids and this is one of my goals to do more of this summer. (I’ve been heavily targeted on instagram lately about how fast this all goes and I’m in my feels about it.)
Here are some ways to make sure you show up in your family photos:
Hand the camera/phone to a partner/friend/stranger. Don’t rely on someone thinking of taking a photo of you in a cute moment. You’re going to have to ask for it.
I’ve started trying to capture my presence in other ways. Maybe I’m taking a photo of my kid brushing their teeth and I am in the bathroom mirror. Maybe it’s a photo of all of our Xtra-tuf feet in the water.
Never underestimate the phone selfie. Force yourself to not get caught up in deleting any until some time has passed. And if that doesn’t work for you, get an instax film or disposable film camera and you’ll be forced to turn off your perfectionism.
You can definitely set up a tri-pod and use a remote! It takes some patience and some trial and error, but that can be such a great way to learn. (Of course, you can always book a session too with a photographer and I’m always down for some summer magic!)
Just remember…
However you choose to document your days, you’ll be happy you did. No pressure to be perfect or have every image be a stunner. Just think of it as a love letter to your life, and one day your kids will cherish it too! You can choose to share them online, print a photo book for just yourself, of print them for your walls. I’m planning on putting together a slideshow with the videos and photos I take this year and having an end-of-summer film festival! We’ll see how it goes!
Reach out if you have any questions— I always love to chat about stuff like this!