everyday life Archives - Page 3 of 7

Why it’s so hard to take “good” pictures of your own kids

There’s a reason, well several reasons, why professional photographers tell you not to attempt taking certain types of photos of your own kids.

The every day stuff is one thing. But when you try to gather them in one place and have them look semi-normal and do what you ask them to do, that’s entirely different.

My kids will never behave for me like they would for someone else. And my guess is, yours won’t either.

These photos should speak for themselves.

My kids:

Her kids:

Next time I’m hiring a professional. 🙂

More details on the reason behind these Funbooth photos in a future post.

3 tips to improve your phone photography.

A few tips to improve your phone photography.

First, when you open up your camera to take a picture, a little box lights up. That’s where the camera chooses to focus AND how it sets your exposure.

If you touch somewhere on the screen, that box moves and that is where the camera focus’s and sets its exposure.

Examples.

In the picture below, I touched the screen on the phone where my daughter was standing. In the middle of her body. So the camera exposed for HER.

In the picture below, I touched the screen on the phone where the window is. Up on the waves of the ocean. So the camera exposed for the WAVES outside in the bright sun (and underexposed everything inside)

Here I touched the screen on the phone where the sun was. So it exposed for the bright sun and left my kids dark.

And here I touched the screen on my phone where my kids were standing. So it exposed for the kids and over-exposed the setting sun (which is why it’s so bright and you can’t even see the sun setting). But you can see the surfers which were so fun to watch.

Another tip. The camera on the back of your phone (the one intended for taking photos) has MORE megapixels than the forward facing camera on your phone (the one intended for facetime). So when you take “selfies” or pictures with your kids where the phone is facing you, they will be lower quality (so you can’t print them as big) than they would be if you took them with the camera on the back of the phone. So whenever possible, use the camera on the back of the phone.

And the last tip. You can use the volume control on headphones to act as a remote for your camera. Plug the headphones in and press the + or – button on the headphones and it will take a picture. No more gumby arms.

And. A bonus tip. If you get the Camera + app, it has a timer option so the mom can stay in the picture!

For some tips on improving your photography in general, check out this post.

Sorrow that the eye can’t see.

Here’s something I’m sure of. Everyone has their “thing”. Or multiple things. Those things that make their life hard. Everyone’s life is hard. Life itself is hard.

And one person’s “thing” isn’t any more significant than another person’s thing (or things). We all suffer. We all grieve. We all hurt. We all struggle.

We all long for connection and love and acceptance.

In a discussion about suffering with my friend, Natalie, she said:

“God doesn’t ask us all to walk the same paths or suffer in the same ways. He only asks that we walk in unison, together, bearing another’s burdens that they may be light.”

In one of my favorite hymns we sing at my church it says:

“Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can’t see”

We all suffer. We all grieve. We all hurt. And more often than not, we can’t always see that suffering in others. But it’s there. I promise you that. Sometime’s we think someone has it all together, or their life is easier than ours. Or we don’t understand why people act the way they do, or say the things they say. But I’m sure they have their “things”. And they don’t have it all together. And they don’t have an easy life. We all have sorrow that no one sees.

So we walk together. And lift each other up. And bear each other’s burdens and lighten the load. Because whether we see it or not, it’s there. Sorrow, that the eye can’t see.

It never gets old.

Sometimes if we’re having a particularly grumpy day, we have the Monday blues, or we just need a good laugh, we play around on the Photo Booth on my computer.

I die laughing every time.
It never gets old.

Best advice I’ve ever heard about parenting

Today was one of those mom days. I was tired. And frustrated. And discouraged. And even the sound of a kid talking to me made my ears want to explode. Yes, I typed that out loud.

I just wasn’t up for the whole mom gig today.

Then while sitting in the splash zone of my 2 year olds bath, I found myself reading one of two blogs I follow and I was irritated (which has never happened before with that blog) and even more discouraged. Because she had the perfect pictures and the perfect experiences and the perfect words to describe her life.

And it made me think of how hyper-aware we are, with this Internet/technology connected world, of what all the other parents are doing. And the adventures they take. And the perfect days they have. And the messes they let their kids make. And the cruises they go on. And the games they all play together. And the huge trophy their ridiculously talented child just won. And the schedule they keep. And the meals they prepare. And the dream jobs they have.

But after I tucked my kids into bed, rocked my baby to sleep (and hid in his room for a few minutes), assured my 9 year old her pinkie would indeed not fall off in the night from severe pain, and my 7 year old would not starve before breakfast, I sat for a second and thought how lucky my kids are. And how lucky I am to be their mom.

They are loved. They are told they are loved. They are shown they are loved.

They are fed. They are adored. They have a warm place to sleep, clothes to wear, food to eat. Parents that think about their needs and futures all day long. Extended family that loves them. Books to read. Schools to go to. Great teachers and leaders who love them. Tons and tons of friends. And on and on and on.

And then I thought about the best thing I’ve ever heard (in multiple places) about being a parent. And something I think about nearly every single day. Multiple times.

God was intentional about where he placed his children and who their parents would be. And He gave me MY kids. For. A. Reason.

So when a neighbor, relative, friend, teacher, parent, stranger tells me my 3 year old shouldn’t have a binkie, I should let my kids “cry it out” to teach themselves to sleep, my kids have anxiety because I don’t leave them enough, I spend too much time exercising, I shouldn’t let her eat ice cream, I’m too patient, I should never let a child sleep in my bed, I can’t believe you let them…., you should be engaged with your child every.single.minute, you shouldn’t feed them that kind of food, you hold your babies too much, I think to myself:

“That’s why they’re mine and not yours.”

And occasionally I actually say it out loud to people who think they need to correct my parenting.

Because it’s true.

My kids are mine. And they need what I have to give. The real me. Not the imitation me. Not the me trying to be like other moms. But the me who can give them what I can give them. And do what I can do. And love them the way no other mom can. Because I am their mom.

So momma’s everywhere. May we all try a little harder to encourage one another more instead of discourage. And build each other up instead of tear each other down. And recognize we can give our kids something no other mom can. And may we all try a little harder to step up and be the kind of mom WE want to be and know we can be. Not the kind of mom others tell us to be.

And may we always remember we all love our kids. And we’re all doing the best we can with what we have. And doing what we think is best for OUR children. And what I do may not work for you. And what you do may not work for me. And THAT’S OKAY!!!

Instead of comparing and despairing (I totally just made that up), let us celebrate each other’s success’s. And remember to celebrate our OWN.

You. You, momma, are doing a good job. (I’m shouting that at you) Just keep showing up. Your kids are yours for a reason. Please don’t ever, ever forget that.

And as my friend, Glennon, would say “Carry on, warrior” momma’s, carry on.