#DocumentYourFamily

It’s a familiar situation: the baby shares his first big smile. The toddler comes downstairs dressed… All by herself. That sweet boy brings you a cookie with only one bite taken out of it. She prances around the house in your heels.

What do you reach for? Your Canon Rebel t3i 55-250mm lens? Your favorite family photographer?

No.

If you’re like the majority of Americans, you grab your phone. Complete with built-in camera, video, and editing capabilities. And you hope to God it still has storage. Or battery. Or both!

And there you are, recording that precious moment without ever realizing just how much it is going to mean to you in a year, or ten years, or beyond.

It’s yet unknown just how strong of an impact digital media is going to have on the generations of tomorrow, but I know that the one box of pictures left behind when my grandparents passed away were gold to me. How much more of our lives and stories will be passed on simply because the ability to record daily life was literally right at our fingertips?

The question is not, “are we capturing the memories?” The question is, “are we being intentional about how we capture and use them?!”

Which is where Sarah McAffry‘s iPhonography Mom’s Night Out completely transformed the way I think about the role of my phone in my family. I read blogs all the time about how we should put our phones down to be present in our lives. But there are times when it’s really not such a bad thing.  And let’s face it… If you are going to use that camera (and you are) you might as well be intentional about it.  Do it right.  Capture what is really important.

Sarah made the excellent point that your camera is going to be next to you to capture those day-to-day interactions with your family. The things you will want to remember for years to come.

For me, it’s the way he smiles so big at her when she slows down enough to look at him. Or how she loves to make the toast and set everything on the floor when she’s “helping.” It’s capturing her princess phase and her love for the biggest “Bibles” on the shelf (and they’re all “Bibles”).

These natural moments will never be captured by a professional photographer and will probably not last long enough for you to run and get your big fancy camera.

Thankfully Sarah shared some great tips and apps for making the most out of your phone, and I’m gonna do my best to pass a few on to you.

#1. Be aware of your lighting! Turn off overhead lights, open the blinds or move closer to windows to let natural light in, and know the tricks on your phone to automatically adjust the exposure. If you’re really passionate about capturing great photos in your home, Sarah also recommends painting your entire house white! Up to you, though.

#2. Get your hands on some foolproof editing software. And we’re not talking $100 lightroom or photoshop. We’re talking $1.99 apps that guide you in creating the perfectly edited photo. I’ve shared some of our favorites below.

#3. PRINT YOUR PHOTOS! If I’ve learned anything from following Sarah’s blog the last two years it’s that you have to print your photos. They are doing no one any good just stuck on that phone or lost somewhere down that Facebook wall. Even Instagram, while great, is not gonna help Grandma see your pictures when she comes over. The cool thing is, phones today take higher resolution photos than all of the small digital cameras I’ve ever owned… combined! (My husband says that might be an exaggeration) But seriously, don’t be afraid that your printed photos won’t be good quality. They’ll be fine… Because they’ll be yours!

#4. Finally, she touched on this point specifically, but I actually heard it permeate everything she said: Shoot Everyday Life.  Family photos are wonderful and we have a number of fabulous local photographers who would love to help you create some special memories. But in ten years you’re also going to want to remember those kicking legs on the changing table. The way she’d curl up in your bed in the mornings. How much he loved the mobile you made him. The lion she tucked in for you. And that beautiful three-year-old expressiveness… with eyebrows and knee raised! Don’t worry, Mom. You’re not just hiding behind your phone, you’re documenting your family. Unedited. Unplanned. Unfiltered. Just the way it happened. Messy hair, messy house, and all. That’s what you’ll want to remember when the years fly by too quickly.

So right now I want to challenge you to get out your phone. (Read up on it if you need to) and start documenting your family. Take pictures of the little things. Try a new angle. Don’t make the kids look at you and say cheese, just catch them doing what they do best. Be intentional about catching those unintentional moments and you may actually find yourself being more present and more aware of all the little things that make your family special…

And worth remembering.

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Sarah McAffry is hosting a Shoot Creative class in early February designed specifically for moms!  You can register at www.sarahmcaffry.com.  No fancy camera required!

If you have any favorite apps or photo printing services that you love, share in the comments.  And if this post has inspired you, hashtag your Facebook or Instagram images using #DocumentYourFamilyKMB.  We’d love to see your favorite memories!

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Some Fun Photo Editing Apps for your Phone:

PicTapGo, Mextures, InstaQuote, PhotoGrid

Storage Options (for when your phone is full!):

Dropbox, SmugMug, OneDrive

Printing Options:

Chatbooks, f/32, mpix, Artifact Uprising