Documenting Family Memories

Family Memories are Precious

From the very beginning, I've always been one of those moms whose had a camera in hand.  From the time my children came out of the womb, I was taking every picture I could possible take.  Whether it was eating at a restaurant, hiding under the kitchen table, or running around the house, I have photographed it. I'm sure there are many Mom like this; maybe even you.  I literally have tons of pictures.  For me, it comes in handy when they have little projects from school and they need a picture.  I can go inside my picture box and let them pick out their favorite snapshot. 

No matter the activity or location, I want to be able to have a printed picture of that activity.   I don't want to take the chance of my digital memories getting corrupted or lost in the mass amounts of pictures I take.  Once I have the images printed, I have them labeled and box appropriately based on child and year.

The picture to the left is one of my favorites from the eldest son first year of life.  He was running around the house having fun and hiding from me.  Of course he had the biggest smile when mom found him.  I'm so glad I had my camera in hand and was able to capture such a great moment.  Periodically, my husband and I bring out pictures of us as a family just to show them what they looked like as a baby and they are always amazed and tickled.  It's like a running timeline of their life.  Even silly moment is captured.  I think he'll be begging me to never show the picture below to his friends.

If you're a parent, I encourage you to look around and turn every moment into a time to photograph your kid's childhood.  Whether their eating breakfast, playing a game, taking a nap or throwing snow in the front yard, every moment is special.  It can be turned into a time to photograph a memory and to document the things they like to do most, their favorite face to make, or the only stuffed animal they'll want when it's bedtime.

Here are some easy ways to get started with capturing your kid's childhood.

• Seasonal Festival/Farms
  

Fall season has just started and their are several fall festival, apple and pumpkin farms opening there doors.  This is a great opportunity to capture their free spirits in action.  Two of my favorite local Northern Virginia farms is Cox Farms and Great Country Farms.

Arnett Farms is a great location in Los Angeles for fresh produce (Set up on Wednesday).

Underwood Family Farms is another location in the Los Angeles area great for pick your own fruits and vegetables. A few weeks ago we went a handpicked potatoes, celery, strawberries, and more.

• Play a game
  

Playing a game is the most relaxing; at least for my kids.  They were thrilled if they won.

• Eat something that will make a mess
  

Fruit or ice cream are just two examples.  The possibilities are endless.  Once they get going, make sure you have the camera ready.  You'll be surprised with the images you capture.

Try my family's recipe for Frozen Fruit Sherbet.

• Visit a monument
  

Traveling is a great opportunity to document your child's exploration of a new environment and location.  We love traveling and that's a perfect moment to capture those scenic locations and beautiful smiles.

A board the USS Alabama in Mobile, AL.

Other possibilities to photograph your children:

• Reading
  
• Playing Outside with Friends
• Shopping at your local grocery store
• Walking in your neighborhood

Conclusion

As a Mom, I encourage other Moms to turn every possible moment into an opportunity to photograph your children. When your children are grown, they will cherish these photographic memories.  The key is just capturing your child's true emotion.  Look to be a fly on the wall when photographing your child and not for it to be a "look at the camera" moment.  Just have fun taking pictures of your child.

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Tamieka Smith

Tamieka Smith is a family, headshot and military event photographer in Los Angeles and Northern Virginia.  Helping families create tangible portrait memories of the people they love most.