• Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here.
    • Meet The Co-Hosts
    • Meet The Contributors
  • Sponsor
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

  • New? Start Here.
  • Podcast
    • Recent Episodes
    • Complete Archives
    • Search By Topic
  • Blog
  • Ages & Stages
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschoolers
    • Big Kids
    • Tweens & Teens
  • Family Travel Hub

in Blog on November 22, 2019 by Sarah Powers

6 Things You Can Do To Get Dreamy Holiday Photos On Your Smartphone

This post is part of a paid partnership with Chatbooks; all tips and ideas are ours! Download the Chatbooks app today or start creating from your browser at Chatbooks.com.

All week long on the podcast we’ve been talking about creating holiday memories; first by noticing, then by pausing to appreciate, and finally by creatively capturing those memories in some way–most often in the form of a photo or video. Smartphone photography has come incredibly far in the 12 holiday seasons I’ve had as a mom (I’d argue that the biggest leaps have been in the last five years especially), and while I enjoy getting out my DSLR camera throughout the season, most of my photo memories are snapped with my phone.

What I love about the connection between photos and memories is that they are related, but not exactly the same. A photo captures a scene or just a fragment of a scene; my memory fills in the experience with everything else that was happening around that time. When I look back at photos from holidays past, it’s the everyday moments that catch me, not the posed shots with Santa. So when I think about taking holiday photos, I think about what I’ll love looking back on years from now.

If you’d like to be more intentional this year about your smartphone photography and capturing holiday memories, here are six things to think about:

1. Capture the chaos.

I have many, MANY photos in my archives of a toy-strewn floor or a bed heaped with laundry. I don’t know why, but the absurdity of messy early motherhood always seemed to need memorializing. There’s something lovely, though, looking back at those photos, and realizing how far we’ve come.

This photo (below) was taken the morning after Thanksgiving. The remnants of an adult poker game were still on the kitchen table and I’d put on YouTube videos of The Nutcracker for the kids while I cleaned the kitchen. This moment represents one of my favorite days of the season–the day after Thanksgiving (we delay the delights of Christmas music and movies until then, so it’s so much fun to indulge in those things as soon as the ban is lifted). In the photo I see chubby little hands and kitty pajamas, “the red iPad” that these days nobody wants to use anymore because it can’t keep up with their apps and games, and a kitchen table surface that has been the backdrop for so many meals, and so many photos.

2. Feel a feeling; snap a photo.

Often when I take a photo during the holidays, I’m not trying to capture that thing in the image; I’m trying to express the way that thing makes me feel. I feel a feeling, and then I snap a photo to try to remember it (and since feelings don’t have human form, the photo could be of literally anything).

The photo below was taken Christmas morning, of a video chat (was it Skype then? Or FaceTime?) with my husband’s mother and grandfather who were celebrating three time zones and two thousand miles away from us and our little family. I remember feeling like the technology we were using was some form of magic, and being profoundly grateful that the then-85-year-old on the other side of the laptop could connect for a wild, sugar-high minute with his great-grandchildren on the other side of the country. I remember loving the internet age in that moment, as we virtually clinked bloody mary glasses with our distant family.

(I also love the uneaten cut fruit on Christmas china. Wasn’t I cute to try to get my kids to eat fruit on Christmas morning?)

3. Lean in on low light.

Well, it’s a dark time of year. There’s no getting around that. It gets dark early and good photos usually love daylight best. But looking back at my holiday season photos over the years, I’m always drawn to the ones taken in low light.

If you don’t already do so, try this. When you’re trying to capture a scene in low light, tap on your smartphone screen where you want the focus of the photo to be. Then try tapping it elsewhere, off in the background or near a corner. Observe how your phone tries to adjust for the best light (it’s smart, but it isn’t THAT smart; it doesn’t know the aesthetic you’re going for). Take a few photos with different auto-adjusted lighting and then later delete the ones you like least.

Here’s a photo from last Christmas season of my mom reading to my girls:

4. Learn how to edit.

Back in the olden days of early-Instagram, “editing” photos meant slapping one of the filter presets over your grainy photo picture and calling it a day. Looking back, I realize that both Instagram and I overdid those filters, and today I prefer a lighter touch with some specific objectives.

I’m self-taught for the most part when it comes to both capturing and editing, but I learned a ton from Jill Krause and her eBook Picture Play. Jill’s tips helped me learned to use photo editing apps (they’re free or very cheap, and there are lots of good ones; it’s not about the app so much as knowing how to use it) to get the effect I was looking for, regardless of the original photo. Filters are fun but offer less control to the editor; the same one will look great on one image and terrible on the other.

Here’s a photo (below) from two years ago that I just adore. The edits are simple: rotating to get the horizon line straight, cropping to get rid of the “extras” on the right and put the subject where I wanted him, and a little boost in structure and saturation for a little more drama.

5. Find a fun angle or frame.

The pros call this part of the conversation composition: same subjects, captured from a different angle, distance, or perspective. If you’re used to pointing your phone at your kids and asking for a smile, it might feel straight to get up high or down low or way back from afar or right up close. But there’s no wrong way to do it–just try something different!

I stumbled on the photo below and don’t even remember taking it. I love that you can see the marmallows in their cocoa and how they’re kind of an extension of their perfect little-kid smiles with teeth in various stages of coming and going. I love that they’re using a chair as a table and that there are piles of lights in the corner and an unhung ornament. It’s tree-decorating night in-progress. From above.

6. Photos or videos?

In the podcast episode about capturing memories I talked about how I prefer short video clips to long ones. They take up less space, are easier to compile or string together later (I like iMovie on my phone), and often tell as much of a story as a longer clip.

When you’re taking videos, get in the habit of pushing the little photo capture button while the video is running. Your phone will save these as still photos, and while the quality is a little diminished, the still captures are often as great as the videos themselves.

Here is a series of stills of my oldest opening up a gift hand-picked by the littlest. Could their expressions be any cuter?

As we talked about in the episodes this week, making memories begins by slowing down to notice and appreciate the little moments that make up your life as a mom right now. And the capturing piece should be fun for you, not an obligation or a reach for perfection (we have enough of that this time of year, right?). Enjoy the season, mamas, and happy memory-making!

Thanks to Chatbooks for making our Creating Holiday Memories series on the podcast possible! You can start creating photo books by downloading the app from your browser at Chatbooks.com. Starting 11/25, get 20% off photo books (ends 12/4) and 40% off holiday cards (ends 12/8)!

Listen to the Creating Holiday Memories series here:

Part 1: Noticing

Part 2: Appreciating

Part 3: Capturing

Related

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Christmas, TMHHoliday

About Sarah Powers

Sarah Powers is co-host and Executive Producer of The Mom Hour podcast. She lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband and three kids, ages 9, 11, and 13.

deals from our partners


Shop Jane

When you click through these links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (and we only partner with brands we’ve used and truly love!).

« Creating Holiday Memories 02: Appreciating
Creating Holiday Memories 03: Capturing »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Like Email?

Get episodes delivered to your inbox weekly, PLUS special occasional emails from us that you don’t want to miss.

[mc4wp_form id=”20453″]

Featured Sponsors

On Instagram

themomhour

Top 10 parenting podcast hosted by @meaganfrancis (MI) & @powersofmine (SoCal). 8 kids between us, little to grown. Happier motherhood starts here.

The Mom Hour
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.
Not gonna lie, we're wearing kid-appointment-drivi Not gonna lie, we're wearing kid-appointment-driving and backyard-chicken-wrangling clothes today and just sorta WISHING for a little business-casual-boss-lady time together.

You're doing great, whatever you're wearing today. Sending love. - Sarah & Meagan

📸: @leo_and_laine
New episode! Among parents, technology and screen New episode!

Among parents, technology and screen time can be a loaded topic. How much is too much? Is that movie too mature? And what's the best age for a first phone? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share the role technology played in our families when kids were little, and reflect on how things changed as they grew. We discuss the tech parenting choices we still stand behind today, and with hindsight, what we could have done differently.

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 #kidsandtechnology #screentime #techparenting ##technology #momconfidence #
Load More... Follow on Instagram

As Seen On

Today Parents

Send us an email

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email hello@themomhour.com and we’re here to help!

Play Our Latest Episode!

https://media.blubrry.com/themomhour/pdst.fm/e/content.blubrry.com/themomhour/MHepisode370.mp3

looking for something?

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.

Copyright © 2022 · Life, Listened
Development by Cipher