candid photography

Currently I am in the middle of deleting and organizing my photo files from 2016 and 2017.

Somehow I fell behind 2 complete years. {not funny}

This is a huge job for me since I take probably 20 photos for every 1 photo that the ordinary person shoots.

It's also an enormous job for me because I mostly really like to take photos, but I mostly dislike the editing and organizing that really should follow the shooting.

The fun part about going through all my photo files a year or two later is that I get to relive some of the best and happiest moments of the year.

I also get to congratulate myself on surviving some really difficult moments.

I likewise get to blush again over that silly birthday cake that totally flopped.

I am reminded again of the tremendous gift of health and life while I sort through files that witness that Jesus has faithfully sustained me and my family during times when we felt unsure of what the next few moments held.

During my sorting, I have found that some of my favorite photos from the last two years are the candid shots rather than the carefully staged ones.

My very favorite candid shots from the year are the ones that I have shot early in the morning on my children's birthdays.

I'm not sure when I started this traditional shot, but I'm sold on it and plan to continue

for a long time.

Something about that early-morning-messy-hair-crusty-mouth-birthday-joy just totally slays me.

             (a birthday candle glow photo is another favorite shot I like for documenting birthdays)

As you can easily observe, I struggle with having enough light for these early morning photos.

However,  part of the charm of these pictures is that dark, grainy look that screams "it's my birthday and I'm just too excited to wait for the sun to come up so mom can get top notch documentation of this moment". 

One tip for dealing with low light and low end equipment is to MAXIMIZE the natural light. All of these pictures were shot right inside a window. I have learned to strategically place my children at places in my house that offer the best natural light for opening their birthday gifts.

You may suggest that I use a flash. That's a great idea........if your flash is functional.

Having a dysfunctional flash has forced me to be dependent on natural light.

*I did purchase an external flash about a year ago, but I haven't learned the ropes of using it yet. I enjoy working with natural light and have little ambition for learning to use the flash.


Here's a little sermon mostly for myself concerning candid photography:

1. Don't miss documenting the sweetest moments of your life just because you know that photo quality will be compromised.

2. When my children look through their photo albums, they are looking at memories not my photography skills or lack thereof.

3. A few years from now,  photo quality will matter less to me than the fact that I have documentation of the darling expressions, the tight hugs, the crooked teeth and the dirty faces of these little people that are growing up so quickly.

4. There's not such as thing as taking too many pictures. Just keep them organized.