Photographing Everyday Moments: Soccer and BMX

Soccer and BMX...these are the things I took photos of this weekend.  I like to take pictures of our everyday activities.  I have to say I am better about doing that than capturing big events.

Sports play a big part in our family.  My husband and I are runners.  We both ran in high school and college.  Neither one of us ever played soccer, but for years, that was the sport of choice for our kids.  In the spring and fall, soccer dominated our weekend activities.

This season I will have a lot of different sports to take pictures of.  My oldest son is running track for his high school and playing soccer for a town travel team.  My daughter is playing soccer for a premier team, and my youngest son is playing soccer for a town travel team, and now has decided that he wants to try BMX racing.  It was fun to watch him kicking up the dirt at the BMX track this weekend!

What kinds of everyday things do you take pictures of?

Telling My Story, by Christy Schimanski

A note from Michelle: I am thrilled to hosting several guest bloggers over the next couple of months who will be sharing their experiences with the photos of their lives!  A big thank you to Christy Schimanski who is my very first guest on my blog!

Growing up, my parents did not take a lot of pictures of me or my siblings.  My parents were not well off, and the only camera we had was a Polaroid Instamatic, for which the film cartridges were expensive.  Picture taking was saved for birthdays and Christmas, Halloween and Thanksgiving.  There are huge gaps in the photo documentation of my life.  How sad is it to know that all of my childhood photos can fit in a single shoebox?  Has this happened to you?

Today we have access to so much more technology…from digital cameras, to camera phones and tablet computers.  Picture taking has taken on a new life in the 21^st century…more information is shared now in real time than ever before.

With the rise of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, companies have created new ways to share those photos with those in your media circle. 

I am a mom to an only son.  I have taken more photos than I care to admit to.  Have I gone to the opposite extreme…compensating for my parents’ shortcoming in my pictures?  I don’t think so…and here’s why:

Life isn't just about special moments…birthdays, a holiday celebration, a job well done.  Life is about the little things…things that happen every day.  Documenting what my son’s favorite book is at the time, the length of his hair, a lost tooth…all of these things are important in defining who he is.  I want to capture what is happening in his life while it’s happening.  I want him to look at photos of himself later on in life and remember what his typical day was like.  What his favorite color was in 3^rd grade.  Who his science partner was for dissecting his 1^st worm.  He enjoys looking through his scrapbook albums now, remembering the details of his life, laughing at the goofy poses he struck, smiling as he recalls events in his life.  This is important to him. 

It is also important for me, too.  As the mom of an only child, I realize that someday when I’m gone, these pictures will hold so much meaning for my son.  I choose to tell my story, his story, through those pictures.  Are you telling your story?

So, the next time you think of it, go grab your camera.  Start taking photos of everyday things…the flowers blooming in your garden, the woodpecker at your bird feeder, your child running through the sprinkler.  Start documenting elements that define who you are…and start telling your story through pictures.

*Christy Schimanski is owner and Chief Creative Officer of Just Scrappin’ Happy, a scrapbook company specializing in scrapbook page kits, mini album kits, and handcrafted page embellishments.  In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her husband, son, and their golden retriever, Jake.  She shares her love of photos and scrapbooking with other photo enthusiasts and teaches classes at her local scrapbook store.  You can find her at www.justscrappinhappy.blogspot.com

Week 1 of the 52 Week Photo Project

The assignment for last week's 52 week Photo Project with LensProToGo was a self portrait without you in it...something that represents you. Actually tonight was the last night to upload the photo to Flickr.  I've been thinking about this for the last few days. You wouldn't think this would be such a difficult decision! But there's so many things that define us.

I'm a mom and a wife...
I'm a huge fan of my kids' sports...
I've been a runner for close to 30 years...
I love to read and I love to own books (and have an overflowing bookcase to show for it)...
I'm a sucker for any animal that needs a home and so we now have 6 pets...
I enjoy taking photos, and creating photo books and gifts with them...
What to choose?!

In the end, I went with the cameras.

I am definitely a shutterbug.  I take pictures of anything and everything.  I love taking photos of scenes around town, and I make a calendar of those photos every year.  I enjoy taking pictures on vacations, and at holidays, at the beach and on the ski slopes.  A camera goes with me pretty much everywhere.  I love sports photography...much of the time I find myself watching a game from behind a lens.  And I take a lot of photos of my kids' friends and their teammates as well.  

Some months back I was driving the soccer carpool with a car full of preteen girls and I asked them a couple questions about what they liked about having photos.  The girls were really quick to respond that they love having photos and really like looking back through old photos of themselves too because then they have fun remembering things that happened.  The one comment that really hit home though was..."When I grow up, I am going to take lots of pictures of my kids, just like you do."  

WOW.  That comment made my day.  Kids may not always appreciate the pictures at the moment you're taking them, but they will appreciate them later!  And you will too!  

So for me, choosing the cameras made the most sense.  They seem to be a part of my life more days than not, and taking photos gives me joy!

If you're doing the 52 Week Photo Project, what did you pick to represent yourself?  

New Year's Photo Resolutions

Photos are powerful...they're key to memory preservation.  So...to kick off the New Year, I thought I would suggest a few "Photo Resolutions!"

Don't forget your camera.  The best camera is the one you have with you.  Make sure you have a way to record memories as they happen, whether its with your camera phone or another camera of choice!

Use your camera manual.  Your camera manual is a wealth of information, including how to set your date properly!   Knowing the date the photo was taken may be important when you are telling "your stories" as well.  Understanding your camera's functions can also help you become a better photographer. If you've misplaced it, I highly recommend going online and printing yourself a copy.  I refer back to mine all the time!

Download those photos.  Interestingly enough, many people see the memory cards as storage and don't actually download their photos.  Memory cards can fail, and aren't considered a good way to store your photos.  It also can get expensive to continually buy new memory cards.  Download your photos as soon as possible after taking the pictures.

Delete the bad photos right away.  Take the time for a quick run through and delete the duplicate and bad photos right away.  If you wait till you have months worth of photos (or even years), it then becomes an overwhelming task. Plus, there's no point in saving pictures you don't need on your computer, taking up valuable space.

Back up!  Backing up is an often forgotten step until your hard drive crashes and its too late.  I suggest backing up in at least 3 places.  Of course your printed photo is your best backup, but other great choices include external hard drives, Picture Keeper or cloud storage such as Linea. 

• Picture Keeper is a USB device with software already installed that simply goes and finds your photo files on its own.  Future backups are easy, because it only copies your newly added photos, or those you have made changes to. 
• Linea is a photo organizing and photosharing app that allows you store your photos in the cloud (and retrieve them at any time) and share them with family and friends safely and securely.  Your family and friends can even add photos to lines you have shared with them, allowing you to keep all your photos from the same event in one place!

Make your memories part of your everyday life!  Resolve to enjoy your memories more.  How many of us take the pictures and then just let them sit on our computer, never to be looked at again?  Print some out and put them in frames, make a photo collage or a photo book, or even a calendar.  We just got Apple tv and we let the photos scroll on our television during the day sometimes.  The kids love walking by and seeing themselves on the screen!

Take a class.  If you'd like to improve your photography skills, consider taking a class like the ones offered from Big Picture Classes.  Here's one that recently caught my eye! Get Great Photos with Any Camera 

Get help if you need it.  If you are struggling with what to do with your photos, memorabilia and other media, consider hiring a personal photo organizer.  A PPO can help you find the right solutions to meet your needs, whether its simply sitting down with you and teaching you the steps to get organized or actually creating keepsakes for you.  Check out The Association of Personal Photo Organizers to find an organizer near you.  If you're the type of person who is always helping others with their photos, you may want to consider a career as a photo organizer.  APPO offers training, support, a well developed website, individual profile pages for its members, marketing expertise, and more.

Here's to enjoying your memories in 2012!  Happy New Year everyone!