i once took a photography class in my summer abroad program in college. it was in the “film” days, where you had to actually develop the photographs in the dark room to see them. i still think it may be best to learn in that fashion. the class was for photojournalism while traveling through Europe…and there was definitely a lot of “content” to work with. we had a little photo gallery at the end of the course in a flat and i was given a B. it is definitely more skill than one likes to think with all the talk of aperture and shutter speed. what i learned most (other than the need to clean my dad’s vintage SLR prior to the class) was how enjoyable it was capturing a memory or something beautiful.

fast forward to the present. i am, like many of you, a busy parent. shuffling my children to and fro all the while running a new company. and like many of you, i am not always inspired by my surroundings (although i am more inspired recently with the move to a new city). so in a sense we need to rethink the content that inspires us. when i say “inspire” i simply mean “something that brings us joy, something that catches our eye, something that inspires us to think or feel in a certain way.” what inspires me? my children first and foremost- their faces as they grow and change, their silliness, their creativity. also inspiring: nature, old buildings and vintage details, cooking, new surroundings, emotions and people in general.

i do own a fancy digital SLR with a few extras and know photoshop. i wish i was better with my SLR, but honestly if the lighting isn’t right, i usually am not satisfied with my outcome and rely on the professionals. i just can’t wrap my brain around all the settings that i could control. i also am a minimalist while toting my kids around the city and am not known to carry a large bag (hello joyababy clutch) to accommodate the big camera. so how do i capture all the simple moments in my day to day? the iphone. there are many creative apps that allow you to highlight your daily inspiration and essentially create art. i use and love the following apps: camera bag, old camera, toy camera, shake it photo, camera flash, camera zoom and crop n’ frame. here is a sample of my own images all taken with my iphone:

a new coffee cup, vintage bottles, birthday cake for my husband. apps used: toy camera, camera bag

portraits. apps used: old camera

rainy day walk. color. nature. apps used: camera bag, lolo

this old house. vintage, architecture. app used: old camera

color. emotion. new surroundings- little india. apps used: toy camera

you have your camera, you are inspired, now what? tips from a professional! i called on friend and photographer extraordinaire, Dave K Cooper, (also a father of two) and asked him to share some expert advise that would help amateur photographers like me, and you perhaps. Here is what he shared:

As a professional photographer, I get lots of questions from friends and family about camera gear. What I almost never get asked, is how to take better photos. If I had a nickel for every time someone saw one of my photos and commented “Wow, that’s a nice camera!” Let’s say I’d have enough nickels to retire. I promise you it’s not about the camera—or at least it’s not ONLY about the camera.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when taking photos of your kids and family.

PHOTOGRAPHING KIDS
Get low. When shooting kids, get down on their level. Go ahead and bend those legs! Most people take all their photos from the standing position. This not only doesn’t make for a particularly interesting photo, it also means that all your photos will look the same: boring. So get down on your knees and snap away!

Widen the angle. Using your camera’s widest angle (what you might call “zoomed out”) provides an interesting perspective. Make sure to capture some of the environment around the subject to tell a better story with your photo(s).

Stop the motion. Use faster shutter speeds to capture children that are running, playing sports, or just bouncing all over the place. 1/200 of a second and faster should do it. If you’re using a point-n-shoot camera there are usually settings for action.

PHOTOGRAPHING ADULTS
I have yet to meet someone who loves having their photo taken—OK, maybe my daughter. Adults, almost universally hate it. Here are two tips that upon seeing the photos of themselves, may have them feeling less anxious about it.

Zoom in, stand back. Wide-angle camera lenses really will add 10 lbs. Maybe more. The reason is basically that a wide-angle lens is distorting reality making the objects stretch horizontally in the frame. However, when you zoom in, it can have the opposite effect of making a person look thinner than they are. Almost no one is going to complain about that!

Don’t say cheese. Rather than give that same cheesy grin you’ve been using since you were a kid, try this. Don’t smile with your top and bottom teeth touching. Separate your teeth by just a bit. Maybe a 1/4″ or so, as if you were photographed mid-laugh. The result will be a much more natural look. Who knows? You may wind up having a new profile pic for Facebook.

And finally, you don’t need a professional level camera to take great photos. There are several sub $500 cameras out there capable of taking amazing photographs. What may need improvement, is you. With a little effort and practice, you can make vast improvements in your family album. Remember, it’s not the arrows, it’s the archer.

Happy Shooting!

to find out more about dave, and to view his work visit www.davekcooper.com

now go get creative and take some photographs! maybe even make time to print them and  put together a personal coffee table book? What inspires you in your day to day?

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT OF JOYABABY c.2010