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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.

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Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes f Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes for February and March classroom projects! Valentine boxes and leprechaun traps are around the corner, and shoe boxes are so much harder to come by these days. Consider this a friendly head’s up from a mom who’s been there.

Want more help and tips, plus reassurance that you’re doing a great job? (You are.) Search for The Mom Hour in your favorite podcast app and hit subscribe!

#kindergarten #firstgrade #valentinebox #leprechauntrap #shoeboxcraft #roomparent #roommom #classroomvalentines #parenting #momlife #parentingtip #tipsformoms
Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for presch Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for preschoolers? Even for kids who want to GO GO GO all day long, having a built-in pause in the day can help develop independent play skills, encourage rest, and - of course - give caregivers a chance to reset as well.

Since this week's podcast episode is all about kids and alone time, we thought we'd revisit this resource on the blog by Sandy Hsu:

👉 How To Encourage Independence In Preschoolers With A “Quiet Time” Routine. 👈 

Sandy (@hopefulsmiles) give tips for implementing a successful quiet time routine AND rounds up products and activities that help make independent play more likely - even in young preschoolers. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#quiettime #parentingtoddlers #parentingpreschoolers #momoflittles #stayathomemom #stayathomeparent #activitiesforpreschoolers #activitiesfortoddlers #threeyearolds #fouryearolds #fiveyearolds #momlife #sahm #sahmlife
New episode! Does solitude come naturally to your New episode!

Does solitude come naturally to your kids, or are moments of solo play far and few between? Meagan and Sarah read some research recently that challenged us to think about the importance of alone time, and whether our kids get enough. In this episode, we dive into our own childhood memories, how our children embrace (or run from) solitude, and how challenging it is to find that just-right balance. Join us! 

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
New episode! With all the day-to-day planning requ New episode! With all the day-to-day planning required to run a household, it's easy to put longterm planning on the back burner. Today Meagan and Sarah share lessons we've learned (or are still learning) that help us look ahead at a whole year, quarter, or month at a time. From knowing ourselves and our seasonal rhythms to figuring out where they keep next year's school calendar, we've picked up a few things over the years, and we're ready to dive in for 2023. Join us! 

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
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Shoutout to our NEW sponsors:
🍳 @caraway_home (10% off gorgeous, non-toxic cookware!)
💪 @futurefitapp (risk-free trial of 1-on-1 personal training!)
🔪 @prepdish (2 weeks free of healthy, prep-ahead meal plans!)
🎨 @minted (design marketplace with art, bags, gifts & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (deals on the easiest photo books ever!)
😍 @fabletics (2 stylish workout bottoms for $24!)

And welcome back . . . 
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off full-season calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on cute, comfy shoes!)
Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, high school registration. As we discussed in this week's episode, we still get all the feels when older kids meet cultural or developmental milestones - even if they cringe when we celebrate and share.

Would love to hear what you're celebrating about your older kids! Everything from learning a new skill to blossoming independence - leave us a comment! 

PS - Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app, or by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#parenting #parentingbigkids #parentingteens #parentingtweens #bigkidmilestone #teenagers #tweens #momoftweens #momofteens #momofteenagers
Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-d Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-digits, you find yourself staring a different milestone right in the (puffy) face:

It's been a decade since I was pregnant for the last time. 

This photo was taken the morning of my scheduled c-section, just a few hours before we'd meet our third and last babe. It's hard to remember, but I'm SURE I was ready to be done. Constant braxton-hicks, heartburn I hadn't experienced with the other two, food aversions that lasted the whole 39w5d, and physical exhaustion trying to keep up with a 2- and 4-year old: all part of an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, but still nobody's idea of easy.

I don't miss it - being pregnant. Grateful to have had the experience, absolutely. But I've never really pined for another go-around, at least not seriously. Still, a whole decade removed feels as significant a milestone to me as does the notion that that double-dimpled babe will blow out ten candles this weekend.

Time, like, whoa. 

-Sarah
If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, you might be feeling overwhelmed by school tours, open houses, registration deadlines, or the all-too-common "red shirting question". That's why today we're revisiting an enormously detailed resource on our site: 

➡️ What Teachers & Educators Wish Parents Knew About Making School Decisions ⬅️

This piece is a collaboration between four educators on our team whose careers span preschool through middle school. They weigh in what what they wish parents knew about things like...

...choosing “the right school” 
...what it means to be “ready for kindergarten” 
...visiting a school for a tour or open house 
...learning to read 
...kids and friendships; playground politics
...making school decisions for a special needs student 
...becoming part of a classroom or school community 
 
Click this image at the link in our bio to get the guide. Bookmark it, send it to your co-parent or mom friends, and use it as a starting place as you wade through this tricky time of year! 

@lisaapayne4 @ashleydawn519 @thepaperdart @cafedumartin
C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s e C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s episode is number 400! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate hitting a big podcast milestone than talking about how we honor birthdays and milestone celebrations in our families – especially as kids get older. Join Meagan and Sarah as we offer insight into making birthdays special for big kids, tweens and teens; how kids getting older hits us differently as moms, too; and how honoring big kid milestones gets tricker, but still gives us all the feels. 

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
Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being a Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being available has been so fun! Listeners have told us that they're now able to re-listen to old favorites, or - amazing for us - share them directly with friends.

(If you missed it, previously, podcast apps showed only our most recent 300 episodes – less than half our catalog. The rest were only available on our website.)

Just for fun, we rounded up a few more of our team's favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast. Here are five MORE oldies that have stood the test of time, and that make for great entry-points to our early catalog.

You can listen from our website by clicking this image at the link in our bio – but EVEN BETTER, you can find the episodes in your favorite podcast app - just search by episode title, or keep on scrolling until you find them!

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