Each evening as we begin our regular bedtime rituals…bath time, brushing teeth, PJs on, read two stories…I tell my almost 4 year old two words that I have been taking to heart lately.
“Stop Growing”
She giggles and smiles and cups her hands around my cheeks and says, “Your’re silly mommy.”
And she’s right. It’s silly for me to tell her to stop doing something she can’t control. But, as Brielle rounds the corner of closer to 4 than 3, it’s never been more apparent that she’s no longer baby or toddler.
She’s finally too heavy for me to carry, she starts lengthy conversations about deep topics I’m not quite ready for, and she even went to her first ‘prom’ this month (!!!).
So right now I’m trying really hard not to push her forward and simply filling in our free time with snuggles, bear hugs, and imaginative play. Because those are the things that remind me that she is still little and isn’t growing as fast as I think.
I used to long for all of the early milestones to whiz by. I wanted to see her take charge of her own independence by talking, walking, going potty, using utensils, etc…
But now I want nothing more than to slow it all down.
How does this story translate into an unconventional photography lesson?
Today I want you to stop growing.
To set an intention to stop rushing your photographic learning.
I want you to make the desire to slow down your photography journey just as important your desire to slow down your child’s life.
We all want to rush ahead to mastering the technical ‘stuff’ so we can finally take amazing professional quality photos, but by getting there too quickly we begin to realize we missed out on some super important early milestones that can stall our growth and progress if we don’t stop to soak them all in.
Today I want you to “Stop Growing” by going back to basics with 8 non-technical photography skills you should work on mastering BEFORE even attempting to tackle the exposure triangle and manual mode.
1) Light
Moms are amazed at how focusing their energies on this ONE single little ingredient can make a huge impact in their images. Want help ‘finding the light’ in your photography? I’ve got you covered here.
2) Location
I may or may not be known for spot cleaning my house before taking pictures. Meaning I throw all the toys and clutter onto one side of the room so that the side where I’m taking photos is clean and clear. It gives the illusion that I’m on top of my housework and organized when in reality that’s the farthest thing from the truth
3) Texture
How can you make your photo backdrops interesting? Can you coordinate outfits with you child’s toys or the room they are playing in? Is there a park with long grass, trees, or flowers that you can use as a backdrop? What can you do to make your photos pop more and come to life?
4) Scheduling
The beauty of digital photography is that it gives us permission to make mistakes! I only really keep/edit about 20% of the photos I take. The rest are throw away shots that I wouldn’t want anyone to see! It’s also important to schedule in time to take photos where your 100% OK with failing. Those ‘bad’ photos will teach you SO MUCH about what you can do next time when you’re in a ‘must get good a photo’ type of situation such as a holiday, birthday, vacation, etc…
5) Play
The more you can do to have FUN while you photograph the better. Period. Find a new art project to try, game to play, or activity to enjoy. While you’re at it pick up the camera and snap a few images while you enjoy quality time together.
6) Focus
That little red light that lights up inside your camera when you push the shutter button down holds a lot more power than you realize! If you’ve ever had a photo where your kids end up a total blur but the trees and plants and everything else around them is in crisp clear focus then you need to give this article about focus points a read.
7) Chimping
I used to be a click and go photographer. I’d snap hundreds of photos and then I wouldn’t take time to review them until I arrived at home at the end of the session. BAD IDEA! I’d come home deflated when none of the photos turned out right. I now know to ‘chimp’ which is just a fancy pro term for ‘checking your playback screen’ here and there as you shoot. I typically test out settings and light, take a few shots, and then peek at them and make adjustments to my settings as needed.
8) Mindset
I was asked recently when I officially felt less like an amateur and more like pro with my photography and what one thing helped me get to that place. And honestly there was never any technical ingredient that brought me to a place of feeling more ‘pro’. It was my level of confidence in myself and my abilities that truly brought me to a place of feeling like my photos were good enough. I had to do the inner work with my own mindset and from there everything else fell into place.
Want to continue working on these ingredients together AND layer in the technical stuff to truly build a recipe that has you embracing the confident mindset you’re after behind the lens? My next session of Momtographie begins very soon and I’d absolutely LOVE for you to be there. Get a free sneak peek by registering for a completely free week long lesson RIGHT HERE.
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