2 weeks ago I once again lead over 1,300 friends in a guided class aimed at adding fun back into their photography.
Our fun began by eliminating one pesky ingredient from picture taking, CHEESE; and then replacing it with another simple yet hugely effective ingredient, PLAY!
Both new and veteran momtographers had a great time with this lesson and I loved receiving so many messages of kindness, and so many happy images in my inbox. I’ve spent this past week seeing the world through the eyes of your incredible kiddos. From bed time, story time, technology, parks, and playgrounds galore, you all captured some fabulous memories!
Today I want to honor your work, the time you spent with me, and the time spent playing with your kiddos. Below you’ll find see some of the amazing submissions sent to me from moms all over the globe who participated in One Ingredient Fix.
I was trying to find some new ways to capture my 7 week old baby since there are only so many things a 7 week old can do and so many faces they can pull. Sitting with my camera while he played after waking up in bed allowed me to casually take pictures of him having fun instead of stressing over a proper photo session like i had done previously. The result? His same old cute smile but in a whole new relaxed style which I love. I ignored the fact that we were in my unmade bed and that he was in pj’s and just had fun with him. Now I have a photo which I love to represent him at this age, but also as a memory of our fun hour together instead of memories of stressing to get the perfect shot. ~Hannah
The theme for this week it allowed me to make our activity more fun. I was occupied with taking their pictures and less worried about any potential messes! ~Bunny
Thank you Beryl! I am in love with how photography has really helped me look at little things in our day & truly appreciate the little smiles, giggles, hugs & kisses. ~Jenn
In just one short week, I was able to pick up the camera and actually enjoy taking pictures. ~Lindsay
One Ingredient Fix helped me get more comfortable behind the camera, and really has helped when taking pictures of my active 3 yr old twin toddlers!! I no longer use ”cheese” with them to get a smile. I now engage in fun conversations with them, ask questions, play with them… your mini class has helped tremendously. ~Carole
I also have someone special to share with you today.
A few weeks ago I announced that I’d be hosting my first ever scholarship contest for Momtographie Online. This was my first time doing anything like this. I’d applied for plenty of these types opportunities in the past myself, but I had never offered something like this to someone else.
I wasn’t even quite sure what to expect with entries and I was a bit worried over whether the right person would come forward.
Turns out a lot of right people stepped up. The women who applied were vulnerable as they shared their fears and dreams, their stories of loss and of hope, and their desire to love their life behind the lens.
I had a team of bloggers, photographers, and friends lined up to help me review the entries and choose the scholarship recipient.
We all just wanted to give each and every one of these women a hug. That’s how special each of these entries was. I know it’s cliche, but choosing a winner was no easy task.
In the end, Ally’s entry struck a chord with all of us who watched it.
It’s wonderful to watch how photography can transform the life of a mom and make her feel passionate and purposeful in her family, but when she’s willing to take that skill and use it to also give back to children in her community it’s even more magical.
I can’t wait to watch Ally make magic behind the lens during our class, and share her progress with you as well in the not to distant future.
Are you ready to finally cook up the perfect recipe using your DSLR camera and stop using AUTO mode for good? If you’re a mom who is baffled by the technical settings of your camera and are looking for the perfect recipe to put all those ingredients together, Momtographie Online might just be the class for you! Details and registration are ready and waiting for you right HERE. Registration is open through Friday January 31st and class begins February 3rd. Can’t wait to get cooking with you soon!