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Why we have to get those pictures off our computers!!!

One of the greatest technological advancements and pure gifts in my generation is digital photography. Because it is accessible to everyone and allows us to document our lives and the lives of our families in an affordable and easy way.

Here’s the thing though. We take pictures. If you’re like me, you take a LOT of pictures. And then what happens? They sit. On our phones. On our card readers. On our computer.

And how crappy would it be if this gem just stayed on my computer where no one could see it and enjoy?!

I am guilty of this as much as anyone. But that’s changing. Right now. And forever.

Because truly, the photographs I take are among the most cherished things I have. Right up there with my husband, my kids, my boat, and my bed. 🙂 If there was only one material thing I could keep in this world, it would be my pictures. Because my pictures are the story of my life. Of my family’s life. It’s what we do. It’s who we are.

But my husband and kids have probably only seen about 7% of the pictures I’ve taken. Because they’re sitting on my computer. That my kids aren’t allowed to touch for fear of death. Or a broken leg. (I’m kidding. You can read here how he scored that cute little cast)

This is the year I have committed to stop thinking about things and start doing things. Starting with the things that are most important. Like photographs. And how to get all four of my kids to sleep through the night. Sigh.

So join me in this quest to get the pictures OFF the computer and OUT where they can make a difference!

Click here for STEP 1.

Great gifts for the photographer in your life

Need some ideas on gifts for the photographer in your life?

Here are a few that would probably make them love you even more than they already do.

1. If they just have a point and shoot or are using their smart phone for pictures, consider getting them a dSLR camera. It will be the BEST investment your family ever makes. I promise that. Well, unless you buy a speed boat. Then that would be the best investment. But a camera would be second. Read here on what kind of camera I recommend.

2. 50mm 1.8 lens or if you really want to go all out, a 50mm 1.4 lens. Click HERE for an explanation on why these lenses are a MUST have for every photographer. These are anywhere from $100 to $350.

3. A camera coat. To keep that camera safe when you don’t want to lug around a huge camera bag because you’re already carrying a million other things (diaper bag, purse, kid, blankie, etc., etc.). Put one of these babies on your camera and you can put it in your diaper bag, stroller, purse and not have to worry about it getting hurt.

photo credit: Camera Coats

4. More SD cards for their camera. I fill my cards up all the time. It’s nice to have extra ones on hand. I recommend not buying anything bigger than 4.0 GB just in case the card fails. Then you don’t lose AS many pictures.

5. Speaking of losing pictures. If you aren’t already backing up your photos, you should be. Buy an external hard drive and maybe consider backing up online as well. Funny how when you ask people if there were a fire in their house, what they would grab. 99% of people would say their photographs. I have no idea what the other 1% would say. (And I completely made up that statistic. But I think most statistics are probably made up so it’s ok.)
Which to me indicates photographs are one of the very most important things in our home. And yet, some of us aren’t backing them up.

6. Buy or make them a custom photo strap. Just google camera strap and tons of options come up. There are also some options to get a camera coat with a matching strap. Or you can find them on Etsy.

7. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This is the book I read to teach myself how to shoot in manual. It’s great for understanding all those terms that seem so confusing.

8. A portable tripod. These just screw into the bottom of your camera so you can take pictures anywhere. AND, so the mom can stay in the picture!!!

For the iphone camera users, you can get an iStabilizer.

9. Project Life for displaying all the photos they take. This is my newest obsession and an amazing solution to getting all of those photos off of our computers and sharing them with others. You can use 40% off coupons on Michaels or Hobby Lobby to get all the supplies. Seriously, these are AWESOME!!! I’ll be posting more about Project Life and my mission to help people get their photos off their dang computers and out where people can see them!!

You can also get the Project Life APP. Just buy an iTunes card and they can download the app and buy extra kits and do all their photo documenting straight from their phone!

10. A gift card to Persnickety Prints to print all the photos they’re taking!

11. Jewelry or clothing related to photography. If you go to ETSY and search for “photography necklace” or “photography t-shirt” you’ll find all sorts of choices.

12. Photo Editing Software. I recommend Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 or Adobe Photoshop Elements 13

And for some fun, quirky photo ideas, check out Photo Jojo.

“The mom stays in the picture”

To all moms.

If you read nothing else in your lifetime (besides God’s scriptures), please, please, puhlease, read this:

“The mom stays in the picture“

I can’t expound too much, because she says it so perfectly. But. I always have something to say.

We send messages to our kids all the time. Intentionally and not intentionally. They’re always watching. Always listening. And always paying attention whether we think they are or not. They say moms have eyes on the back of their heads. Well kids have ears on every inch of their body. And eyes that see and then mimic what they see.

What is the message we send to our kids, girls and boys, when we won’t get in pictures? How do they interpret that?

We tell them to love themselves. To be happy with who they are. To know they are a literal child of God and their soul is worth something. We say, say say. Tell, tell, tell. But what do we DO? What do our actions say to our kids? Because that’s where they’re getting the real message. From what I do. Not usually what I say.

I get it. It’s not always fun to be in a picture. Especially when we’re tired, bloated, feeling gross, and on and on and on. For me, I don’t love asking other people to take a picture of me. I just don’t. It feels weird and kind of embarrassing (even if it’s my own husband). “Hey, I’m awesome, take a picture of me.” But I’m getting SO much better at it. Because I think it is so so so important for our kids to see pictures of us. WITH them. Being a part of their lives. No matter how we look or feel. Because they don’t care. They just want us. Just the way we are.