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in Episodes on December 20, 2016 by The Mom Hour

How To Take Better Photos of Your Kids: Episode 81

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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All the holiday cards arriving in the mail this month have us thinking about family portraits, taking photos (or having them taken) of our kids, and documenting life with little ones throughout the year. In Episode 81 we talk about how to take better photos of your kids (with the camera you already own), why school pictures are still a thing, when and how we’ve chosen to spring for professional photos, and how we manage to capture events like school plays and birthday parties without feeling like we spend the whole time behind the camera.

Next week we’ll have a follow up podcast episode all about what we DO with the photos we take – including tips for storing, organizing and creating keepsakes with your family photos. So check back here for Episode 82!

Sponsor Spotlight

Do you ever have a feeling that you could be taking better pictures of your kids? Do you wish you remembered to pull your camera out more often? Are you interested in brushing up your photography skills while documenting your family in 2017? Shoot Along, a year-long photography project for parents, is here to help!

USE PROMO CODE THEMOMHOUR TO SAVE $25 ON SHOOT ALONG 2017!

CHECK IT OUT NOW

Next year’s Shoot Along project, beginning January 1st, will guide thousands of parents who have come together to achieve one beautiful mission: to beautifully document their families’ “everyday” moments. Shoot Along empowers parents through weekly emails that include the following:

  • Photography Instruction: Week-by-week photography lessons delivered by email. Learn new concepts, build on your existing skills, or embrace topics as inspiration to remain technically and creatively open-minded! DSLR and Mobile lessons often overlap, but are tailored to the unique capabilities of each group.
  • Inspiring interviews: Respected professional photographers from around the world give a glimpse into their personal images, sharing pictures of their own families. They will describe how they get shots that are meaningful and authentic.
  • Discounts & trends: The Shoot Along leaders keep an eye on what’s happening in the photography community so that you can concentrate on photographing your family. They’ve also arranged exclusive discounts for members throughout the year from suppliers of beautiful photo products.
  • A Supportive Online Community: The Shoot Along Facebook Group is a supportive online community where members connect & share photography throughout the year.
  • BONUS Editing Tutorials*: Step-by-step videos delivered by email each week will show you how to add magic to your images. *Editing uses Photoshop Elements 14, which must be purchased separately

Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 81

  • Shoot Along 2017 – use Promo Code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to save $25!
  • The Mom Stays in the Picture (Allison Slater Tate)
  • A Thousand Stories (Rebecca Woolf / Girl’s Gone Child on her approach to photography)
  • Meagan’s interview with photographer Chookooloonks’s Karen Walrond on The Home Hour in 2015
  • Sarah’s DIY family’s holiday card photo this year (see below)

Related

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: technology

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« Bedtime Routines at Every Stage: Episode 80
Storing, Organizing & Creating with Your Family Photos: Episode 82 »

Comments

  1. K says

    December 21, 2016 at 11:33 am

    Hi ladies, just wanted to let you know the link for shootalong seems to be broken… it’s directing to a blank page. Thanks for a nice gift idea! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      December 21, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks, K! I think I’ve fixed it now, but really (really) appreciate the heads up!

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    December 21, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    Speaking of keeping mom in the picture, I have a dslr camera so I use a little pocket tripod and a remote control to take pictures when I want to be in them. The remote was surprisingly inexpensive.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      December 21, 2016 at 3:17 pm

      That’s so great to know, Melissa! Meagan recently got a tripod and remote for iPhone photography/videography, and that’s a great idea for DSLRs too. Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Emily Drazen says

    December 22, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Hahaha! I am laughing out loud as Meagan talks about choosing the pics where mom looks great even if the kiddos look funny. I totally do that too! So funny.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      December 31, 2016 at 9:04 am

      🙂 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kim says

    January 2, 2017 at 10:30 am

    Just curious if either of you have tried the course with Shoot Along.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      January 2, 2017 at 4:36 pm

      Hi Kim! I only learned about them recently but got to see the content from 2016 and read through several lessons. I think it’s great!

      Reply
  5. Bojana Krienke says

    January 5, 2019 at 10:49 am

    Hey ladies. I am using the promo code for shoot along and it’s only giving me $15 off, do you know why?

    Reply
    • Bojana Krienke says

      January 5, 2019 at 10:57 am

      Never mind, I figured it out. It’s form 2017.

      Reply

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One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refresh One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refreshed for 2022! Click this image at the link in our bio to read the just-structured-enough approach Sarah took during those long AZ summers at home when her kids were 6, 4, and 1.5. 😎 

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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#mommath #drowningindishes #summerbreakisnotreallyabreak
Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June spons Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June sponsors! Every month, we like to take a little time to shoutout our partners who help support the show + remind our listeners of some of the great deals our sponsors are offering. For more info, specific promo codes, and links, just search the brand name on our website, and they'll pop up in our episode show notes. We also collect ALL our active promo codes (even the old ones that are still working!) in our email newsletter - which is full of other great things we want to share with you, too. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today. 

Meet our NEW partners this month . . .
🗣️ @connectspeech (early language support!)
💙 @appahealth (1st month of mentorship free!)
💄 @thrivecausemetics (15% off your 1st order)

And welcome back to . . .
⭐️ @paireyewear (15% off your 1st purchase!)
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⭐️ @mindandchild ($20 off Parenting 101 course!)
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⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #travelingwoes #travelingwithkids #familytravelmishaps
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Click this image at the link in our bio to read Kia’s book recommendations and more ways to start the conversation at home with your family.

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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #momtruisms #momtruths #parentingadvice #motherhoodstruggles
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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Click this image at the link in our bio to access Jayme's roundup of resources.
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Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

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One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refresh One of our most popular blog posts EVER is refreshed for 2022! Click this image at the link in our bio to read the just-structured-enough approach Sarah took during those long AZ summers at home when her kids were 6, 4, and 1.5. 😎 

#stayathomemom #preschoolers #summermomlife #arizonasummer #summerschedulefortoddlers #summerscheduledforpreschoolers #samplesummerschedule #summerdaysathom
New episode! Most of us enjoy having a clean and New episode!

Most of us enjoy having a clean and tidy home, but have you ever kept track of how much you do throughout the week to keep it that way? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share what seven days of real-life housework looks like in our homes. We reflect on the tasks we knew went into running a home, and some surprising ones we never thought of as housework before (like picking plums and chasing chickens!). Whether you prioritize deep-cleaning on a regular schedule or tend to tidy as you go and hope for the best, it’s eye-opening and gratifying to acknowledge the work that goes into managing a home full of kids.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #endlesscleaning #housework #cleaning #tidyingup #
Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes Math Quiz: If 3 kids dirty an average of 15 dishes per day while away at school 7 hours per day, how many additional dishes will they dirty while home all day for summer break?

67. The answer is 67. Yes, I’ve checked my work! Maybe someone who passed calculus can explain? 🤪 -M

#mommath #drowningindishes #summerbreakisnotreallyabreak
Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June spons Happy weekend - and a big thanks to our June sponsors! Every month, we like to take a little time to shoutout our partners who help support the show + remind our listeners of some of the great deals our sponsors are offering. For more info, specific promo codes, and links, just search the brand name on our website, and they'll pop up in our episode show notes. We also collect ALL our active promo codes (even the old ones that are still working!) in our email newsletter - which is full of other great things we want to share with you, too. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today. 

Meet our NEW partners this month . . .
🗣️ @connectspeech (early language support!)
💙 @appahealth (1st month of mentorship free!)
💄 @thrivecausemetics (15% off your 1st order)

And welcome back to . . .
⭐️ @paireyewear (15% off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @autoapprove ($100 when you refinance!)
⭐️ @outschool ($15 off your child's 1st class!)
⭐️ @mindandchild ($20 off Parenting 101 course!)
⭐️ @flowkey_com (20% off subscription piano app!)
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @publicgoods ($15 off, no minimum!)
⭐️ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (30% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @ritual (10% off 1st 3 mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on cute shoes!)
⭐️ @project_wren (10 trees planted when you sign up!)
New episode! If you travel with kids, it’s just New episode!

If you travel with kids, it’s just a matter of time before a trip goes off the rails in spectacular fashion. Maybe it’s a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, or an expensive vacation spent sick in a pricey hotel room. Today Sarah is joined by @catieparrish @stacybronec @emilyeroark and @lisaapayne4 – regular contributors to the show and seasoned travelers with a combined 13 kids – who share their most memorable travel mishap stories. (Full disclaimer: there will be puke-talk.) In sharing these stories, we hope to normalize that travel with kids doesn’t have to go perfectly to be “worth it” and remind you that you’re not alone if this summer’s adventures go awry. Plus, one of the only perks to surviving stories like these is that we get to laugh about them later.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #travelingwoes #travelingwithkids #familytravelmishaps
New on the blog this week from @kiamhammond: Learn New on the blog this week from @kiamhammond: Learning About Juneteenth, As A Family.

"Like many families, mine is still figuring out how to teach our children about Juneteenth, as learning the history wasn't part of my education or my husband's when we were kids. The good news is, books written for children and families are a great way for the whole family to learn (and there are a lot of them!)."

Click this image at the link in our bio to read Kia’s book recommendations and more ways to start the conversation at home with your family.

#juneteenth #history #blackhistory #parenting #juneteenthbooksforkids #summerreading
New episode! As moms, we can be hard on ourselves New episode!

As moms, we can be hard on ourselves…and sometimes we just need to hear the simplest, oft-repeated pieces of advice and encouragement to remind us that it is all going to be OK. Join Meagan and Sarah for a reflection on eight pieces of wisdom that have carried us through motherhood struggles at every age and stage. We are offering them to you, to ourselves, and to all of our future selves in Episode 369.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #momtruisms #momtruths #parentingadvice #motherhoodstruggles
Just a “hello” from last-week-me, who spent 30 Just a “hello” from last-week-me, who spent 30 minutes moving 25 chickens by hand from their home to the new chicken yard, because they refused to go on their own. And then an hour moving them back, because same.

It reminded me a lot of mothering a toddler, and got me wondering: what’s the most ridiculous thing mom life has brought you in the past week? -M
New episode! Have you ever fantasized about atten New episode!

Have you ever fantasized about attending a camp-like environment for grown-ups? Much about the classic summer camp experience is appealing to us (though not EVERYTHING--we could certainly do without the bugs), and the idea of simply showing up for a perfectly curated experience without any responsibility, or planning, sounds AMAZING. Listen to this fun More Than Mom to hear all of our must-have activities (like food and wine tastings, yoga, personal style consults and more!), things that would be a hard no (like swimming in the gross, murky lake or participating in corny, guided crafts) and our daydreams about creating a Mom Hour Retreat (maybe someday?)!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #summercamps #womenretreats #momretreat
New on the blog this week from @jaymesherrod: LGBT New on the blog this week from @jaymesherrod: LGBTQ+ Resources For Parents (And Anyone Who Wants To Learn!). 

"The fact is, none of us will get it right every time. Not with each other, and certainly not with our kids. But it’s important that we keep showing up and having the conversations anyway."

Click this image at the link in our bio to access Jayme's roundup of resources.

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