I just wrapped up my very last vacation for the year, and as much as I love new experiences, I am glad to be back home. School is in full swing and the kids’ schedules keep us running hard right on through Winter Break, which means the house is a bit quieter during the day. In my spare time (what is that?), I have always prioritized printing photographs from our summer excursions to hang on the fridge and on our travel walls as a reminder of all the awesomeness we experienced together. Most people carry thousands of photographs on their phones of their most favorite moments, but I can’t begin to count the number of clients who have confessed that they never print them, sometimes forget to back them up, and many of them have been a victim to losing them in an unfortunate phone accident. Here is your gentle, friendly reminder to get those babies backed-up and printed off!
I mentioned vacation phone photos. I have to admit that I always pack my Canon, but the vast majority of my vacation photos are on my phone. The best camera, my friends, is the one you have on ya! I don’t know about you, but I have the worst memory in the world, so photographic evidence is necessary. Aside from that, I have really found deep joy lately in documenting my gratitude through photography. Every small moment that gives my heart a little jolt of excitement gets photographed immediately. It has truly become a beautiful practice for me. On Saturdays, I post a reel of my week’s top ten, and it is always a profound reminder of how good life is. Side benefit, I love when my past vacation photos pop up on social media and remind me of special moments that were long forgotten.
{All of these images were taken with my cell phone on vacation.}
Want to give it a try? Here are 5 tips for getting some of the best images…
Composition is everything for me. I am meticulous in my photography (and in life) about what I allow to be in focus. Sometimes it is totally worth it to pause and rearrange your subjects to get a more interesting set-up. Other times, it means waiting for the perfect moment to get the composition you can’t control just right.
2. Get creative with perspective. Sometimes you need to turn your lens upside down, squat, lie on the floor, or play with stretching an item out in front of you.
3. Negative space is often my best friend. I love offsetting my subject with a lot of open space around it to make that focal point stand out.
4. Humans LOVE predictable patterns and repetition. The world we have created around us is chock full of predictability. It always photographs beautifully.
5. If you want to get really creative, plan a shoot. It doesn’t have to be challenging. Research the place you plan on visiting, and pack a few small things you may want to incorporate. Each vacation, one of my kids gets a special photoshoot. One year, I knew we were going to the beach, so we brought a newspaper to make a paper hat out of and a spyglass. This year, I knew it would be a misty, rocky beach so we packed galoshes and an umbrella. The important thing is that you have fun doing it.
No vacation in the near future? No worries. You can start practicing from wherever you find yourself today. The weekly gratitude journaling through photographs is a whole lot of fun. Take a photo walk with a friend. Give a small child your phone and let them photograph life from their perspective too. One of the many benefits is that all of this will allow you to be more present in the moment, to appreciate the design and creation in the world around you, and it will help you to find joy in the everyday while you are waiting on that amazing trip you booked.
Peace, Love, and Creative Vibes coming your way!