Capturing everyday moments like a photojournalist

“Life flies by in seconds”

–Gracie – Ben Folds

Every parent knows that time speeds up the second you have a baby, as time is measured in days, then weeks, then months, and finally years – and before you know it, you’re the one uttering the words that you heard a million times prior to having children, “they grow up so fast.” And they do. SO SO FAST.

We’re currently at the six-week mark for our baby girl, and I feel like I just left the hospital a few days ago. She’s still teeny and I am already feeling the time warp of parenthood – she’s changed so much, mostly due to the Miracle Gro in my breastmilk, which has had a direct impact on the growth of her cheeks.

I love photography, and like many moms, got a DSLR when I had my first child, and have read books, watched videos, followed blogs – it all fascinates me and pushes me to learn more to be a better photographer. Surprisingly, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that great photography is less about the gear and more about lighting and composition. Therefore, photos with my trusty iPhone can be great photos, which I use frequently to take snapshots of our days.

My focus with photography is always to capture the moment, what we are doing – to tell the story of our everyday moments like a photojournalist to remember these seconds that keep flying by.  I compose my shots not only to be artistically a good photo (you know, following the rule of thirds, finding good light, using an uncluttered background, etc.) but also to capture the place, the moment, and the time.

I don’t always try to get my child’s face in the picture. Sometimes, it’s the action I’m trying to capture. Sometimes, it’s a detail. And the photos work together to tell the story – I don’t try to get just one photo to capture it all.

For example, this weekend, we went to the park.

I don’t want to forget that we pretended to be Robin Hood and Lil’ Jon hunting for bad guys with the bow and arrow.

That he kept eating the duck’s bread (which is why we never bring old bread to feed the ducks!)

And that he tried to hold my hand while he was on the scooter and I was on the bicycle (but that was a little precarious and we had to stop hand-holding to avoid a collision).

That he makes friends with other children so easily, and can bond over a love of caterpillars.

And, of course, I had to take a picture of the “caterpillar tree,” which he found fascinating and I found terrifying.

I don’t always have the time to journal or write down these memories, and I’m hoping that by capturing the details on my camera, the photos will tell the story of our days, and I can go back to those seconds that flew by and remember these moments.