Tips to Help you Document your Summer Memories | Long Island Family Photographer
Like most New Yorkers, I eagerly await the arrival of Summer all year long. It is my favorite time of year and because the season is so fleeting, I try my best to enjoy every second of those eight precious weeks of warm weather and care free fun. Like most of you, I am busy building memories with my little ones and as a family photographer, I try my best to document as many of these memories as possible to authentically document the story of our summer vacation together.
A great way to capture the essence of the Summer season before it slips away again is to focus on taking photos that help to tell the story of your family's summer vacation. Then, at the end of summer you can create a beautiful photo album that depicts the story of your Summer adventures. Here are some tips to help you to document your story, as opposed to simply just taking photos of your children.
1) Catch the Action While a little posing is great once in a while, try to avoid posing every photo. Capture the wonder and joy on your children's faces as they’re exploring, playing and socializing. After you capture those images, you can ask them to pause, look at the camera, and say cheese; I guarantee you that you will prefer your action photos to the posed.
2) Capture the Summer Traditions When I think of Summer, I think of pools, the beach, ice cream, and lazy days. Capture it all. Bring your camera out at least once to each of these annual traditions. We spend most of our time at the beach, so I try to bring my camera with us at least once a week.
3)Capture the imperfections. Our days have been filled to the brim with outdoor activities. Snap photos of those messy chocolate ice cream faces, sandy feet, wind blown hair, and even those end of the day tears from melt downs.
4) Always be ready. Your kids won’t wait for you to run back to the car if you forgot your camera! Moments come and go quickly, so if you’re on an adventure that you’d like to document, have your camera nearby so that you can snap away in an instant. When I am home, my camera is always on my kitchen island...not the safest place for my camera, but it is within arms reach to capture those moments that come and go so quickly.
5) Resist the Selfie. Maybe I am showing my age, but I am not a fan of the selfie. These photos are just plain odd to me....people's heads are awkwardly cropped out, the people behind you are typically photo bombing you, and some women feel the need to duck lip their smile. Well, there is another way! Did you know that your iPhone has a self timer? Yes, that is right! You can set up the shot the way you want it and then snap away without having to ask a stranger to take your photo or be reduced to the awkward selfie. Snap a whole bunch and there are bound to be some great ones. You can do this with the timer on your iPhone and if you have the iWatch, it makes taking self portraits even easier. If you have a DSLR, consider purchasing a remote. I have a whole library of self portraits with my girls that I take myself with just a camera remote.
5)Don’t forget to enjoy the moment! This is a lesson that is very hard for me to accept. For me, I have to choose when I will bring my camera. Often times, I get so caught up in taking pictures, that I am unable to be present in the moment. This tip is especially important when you are on a family vacation.