Slowing down and getting in the picture | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I'm a recovering multitasker and wannabe perfectionist.  I am always making lists and always trying to squeeze in a task to check off my to do list. And though I hear the words "present" and "mindful" more than enough, I'm still learning to slow down and really understand what they mean to me. 

I struggle often with finding a place between doing all the things that make life happen and slowing down to enjoy the moments that make life worth living. I question the necessity of tasks more often, but I still get caught up in the hamster wheel. 

I write this because even though the very act of setting my camera and remote up to take these images made me a little less present in the moment, I want these moments to be the ones I remember when my kids are grown and gone. I want to remember taking the time to stop and giggle even though there's piles of laundry that need to be put away. I want to remember welcoming my oldest son into bed with his younger brother, rather than losing my patience with him for interrupting naptime. 

I fall short of my aspirations all the time. But I find the more of these moments that I have - moments where I'm not focused on all the things, just the people in front of me - the pressure and anxiety to be perfect slip away and I catch glimpses of those oft extolled benefits of presence and mindfulness and remember that none of those other things really matter. The things that really matter are the people right there in front of me and they need me more than neatly folded laundry. 

I've found a lot of inspirations in audiobooks from the library recently.  One of the ones I've really enjoyed is Hands Free Mama.  If you're looking for inspiration to slow down, you'll find plenty here.

This post is part of a collaborative documentary photography blog circle called Around Our Clocks. We're documenting a day in our life over the course of one year.  This month was 11am. Continue the circle by visiting Heather Tully to see her June image.

Nicole Sanchez Photography works with busy parents in Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland to create stress-free photo sessions that take all the loving, fun, and chaotic moments of family life to make beautiful photos and films that families will love looking at year after year. Contact me today to start planning a custom photography experience that's perfect for your family.

Storytellers' Circle September | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

One of my favorite things about documentary family photography is the challenge of telling a story through pictures.  Ideally, the viewer should be able to look at the picture and understand what is taking place and be moved to some emotion.  I love cute pictures of my kids (just check out my Instagram feed!), but my favorite images, and I feel my best images, are the ones I have to work hard for.  A great picture is the result of multiple decisions made by the photographer about how to best show the scene they see and tell the story in a way that emotionally connects with the viewer.  This challenge is what keeps me pulling out my camera on an almost daily basis.

This post is part of the Storytellers blog circle, a group of documentary family photographers from all over the world, who come together monthly to post one image and explain the choices they made that take it from a simple snapshot to more profound storytelling. Continue the circle by checking out Jen Lucas's September image.

I'm sharing one of my favorite recent images today. I love it for several reasons. I'm in it, for one. When one parent is the primary family photographer, they are usually the one least seen in photos. My husband will takes over the camera whenever I ask him, and I do occasionally, but I also love the challenge of a self-portrait with my kids. This one is all the more dear because it shows something about each of their personalities. My oldest's unbounded energy and enthusiasm and my youngest's quiet curiosity.

When I'm considering making an image, I have three key elements in mind: light, composition, and moment.

Composition - In this case, composition was my first consideration. I wanted a wide shot that showed as much of the room as possible. After setting up my tripod, I used the windows and the walls to create a frame for the action.

Moment - My youngest son and I were relatively stationary. I have several sweet shots of the two of us reading and playing on the mattress. But this one is my favorite because of the element of interruption from my eldest. He's mid-stride, both feet suspended in the air and my younger son and I are both turned to watch him, smiling.

Light - While the light is important here, it is a typical light for me. I can rely on the afternoon light coming through these windows and shoot here often for that reason. I love how it catches my son's body and brings my eye to the action first before other elements in the scene.

What would make this image more successful? Part of improving the skill of making storytelling images is noticing what could be better and factoring that into future situations. Here, while I chose a narrow aperture to account for our movement within the frame, we're still not quite in focus. Focus for self-portraits can be a bit hit-or-miss, so choosing a narrow aperture, when possible, helps make missed focus less obvious.

I look forward to sharing more of my process behind making storytelling images next month!

Want to learn how to document your own family's day-to-day?  Check out 4 Steps to Stop Time and Savor the Moment with Your Family.  It's a simple and fun guide to documenting your family's life with beautiful photographs.

Tips for Maternity Self-Portraits | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I don't necessarily mind having my picture taken, although I'm not exactly comfortable in front of the camera. (I wouldn't have room to list all the ways I looked goofy in my school portraits growing up.) But when it comes to my family, and especially my kids, I want to exist in our photos, even when I'm not wearing makeup (and perhaps still in my pajamas.)   

Self portraits were not on my list of things to learn when I started my photography journey.  I wanted nice pictures of my son and that naturally included my husband. But as I learned more and got to know other women photographers, I saw the beauty of self portraiture and especially that of women with their children.  I didn't take many bump photos when I was pregnant with my first son, so I resolved to do better when we got pregnant again.  

If you've never tried self-portraits (beyond the selfie feature on your phone), getting in the picture with your kid(s) is a great place to start.  Being with someone else takes away some of the awkwardness and you're naturally most relaxed (and looking your best) when you're with your family.  Once you've done a few self-portraits with your kids, you may find it easier to take some by yourself.

Here are a few tips I learned after nine months of maternity self-portraits (and some of my favorite images). And for a primer on self-portraits, check out these earlier posts on reasons to get in the picture with your kids and tips for getting in front of the camera with your family. 

1. Find the light.  Inspiration, for me, is the one of the hardest parts of taking self-portraits. Coming up with unique ideas can be difficult.  I found that starting with the light can be the easiest way to get inspired.  Find a place with pretty light and go from there.  This could be the morning sun coming in through the bedroom window. Or softer, mid-afternoon light, perhaps in the very same window.  You can change up the perspective to make the images unique.  

Or, it may not even be natural light at all.  You can get creative with artificial light as well.  It helps to have your camera and tripod ready to go any time inspiration strikes.  There were many times I wasn't even planning to take a shot, when I saw the light and just went for it.

Start observing the light in your house throughout the day.  Notice where you see it and how it changes, which brings me to my second tip...  

2. Keep a notebook.  You may not always have the time to stop what you're doing and take a picture, so keep a notebook (I also love using the Evernote app on my phone) and write down ideas as they come to you.  It's especially helpful to note the time of day you see especially nice light. It can change quickly during the day (and with the season too).  Pay attention to others' images you see as well, whether you follow any photographers on social media  (Alice Che is wonderful at self-portraiture) or you're thumbing through a magazine.  Inspiration doesn't have to come from strictly maternity shots, or even self-portraits.  Just look for images that you find appealing and try to make them your own.

3. Be flexible.  You may have an idea for the perfect shot in your mind, but it's just not happening.  Maybe your cat keeps getting in the frame.  Or your child just isn't interested.  Go with the flow.  With my son, I often started with whatever activity he was interested in doing at the time and asked him to do it in a place with good light.  Whether it was reading on the bed or on the couch, or playing Legos on the floor, he was much more interested in (and sometimes not even aware of) taking pictures when we were doing an activity that he was interested in.

4. Keep trying. Not every idea for a shot works out. Sometimes it's a matter of adjusting (waiting for better light or changing the perspective). And sometimes it may not work no matter what you try. I took a lot of shots that I didn't include in this post.  While they may not be share-worthy, they're still keepers and were worth the effort. Because I know my kids will appreciate them despite any flaws I see.

Now that I've had my second son, I'm having fun getting in the picture with him too. I'll be sharing more self-portrait tips in a few weeks, so come back to visit or join my mailing list to receive tips on documenting your family life straight to your inbox.. 

Before & After: A Motherhood Self-Portrait | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Life has been full lately, in a good way. Over the coming weeks, I have some tutorials to share on what I've learned about taking motherhood self-portraits, as well as some fun new client sessions to share. But for this week, I'll keep it short and sweet, so I can go spend some more time with this little guy. ;-)  

I thought it would be fun to post a "before & after" edit. When I began pursuing photography in earnest, I was surprised to learn how much of a difference post-processing an image can make.  Learning to get an image right in-camera is the first step to making a great picture. Developing a style of editing that speaks to you and reflects the story as you see it is the rest of the fun (and work).

I generally love color in the images I take in this room.  (It's one of the few rooms in my house where I like the paint we chose for the walls. ;-) ) But for some images, like this one, I choose to convert to black and white.  In this case, I prefer black and white because I want my son's face to be the emphasis.  Converting an image to black and white is one way to eliminate distractions that aren't important to the subject.  In color, I feel the walls and my hair draw the attention away from his face. But in black and white, the eye is drawn right to the light highlighting his face and arms. 

The rest of the edits involve a bit of experimenting.  Aside from converting to black and white, I've straightened the lines, increased the contrast, bumped up the clarity, and brought down the shadows for more depth.  The majority of my indoor images are shot in low light, so I generally increase the luminance a bit to reduce noise/grain. I edit almost exclusively in Lightroom and use Photoshop occasionally when needed.  

Check back in the coming weeks to learn more about getting in the picture and taking self-portraits with your children.  And sign up for my email list to receive tips about documenting your family!