“I’m always the one taking the photo. I don’t have any good photos of me with my kids!”
This was the number 1 thing I heard leading up to The BGP Motherhood Event! So, let’s talk about how to solve this on a daily basis:
Today, we’re continuing on in our family documentation series: How to Be In the Pictures With Your Kids
When it comes to talking about Mom getting in the photo, I feel like we need to give ourselves some grace here.
Here’s the thing: iPhone cameras are fairly new still and they have improved SO MUCH! But honestly, it wasn’t long ago when we didn’t have good cameras so easily accessible. We only had big cameras! Film cameras, polaroid cameras, camcorders, point & shoot, disposable cameras… and they were frustrating if you didn’t know how to use them to take a good picture!
Setting up the shot was so much work! Just figuring out how to technically use the camera took so long, that creative shots, composition, and good lighting were not even a thought.
And so cameras were used very basically to capture the moment – which meant only 1 parent was in the photo or video with just the kids.
The idea of mom & dad getting in the photo together was a hassle. You would have to pull out a tripod find all the pieces, screw the camera in, level it out, and find the timer setting — it became more of an event. It was just easier to parent swap and have 2 pictures!
Now, so much has changed!! Our phone cameras are beyond user-friendly: Just open the app, and take a photo! Even your 2-year-old can take a pretty decent picture of their mac-n-cheese.
So, when it comes to mom jumping in the photo – it’s not that you don’t want to be in the photo with your kids (and husband sometimes) it’s just that you don’t know how to be in the pictures with your kids … and let me tell you now, it is so much easier than you think and can be even better than a selfie!
Before we jump into how to be in the pictures with your kids, if you want more help up-leveling your iPhone photo skills, be sure to grab my complimentary BGP Guide for 10 Tricks to Take Better iPhone Photos Today:
The Importance of Having Mom in the Photo
Mama, it’s time that you get in the photo or video with your kids:
- Playing with your kiddos
- Cooking dinner
- Bath time
- Reading them a book
- Mother’s Day Photo
- Your Summer Vacation
- This Christmas Season
… you need to be in the photos and videos! Mom, your presence in your children’s lives matters so much to them. They are going to want to have photos and videos of you someday! Even if you haven’t lost all the baby weight yet!
Also, keep in mind, that you can have a photo that is special and stays private… just for your family’s eyes only.
Take the photo of you giving your littles a bath, where you are scrunched up on the bathroom floor, wet & soapy, with no makeup & a messy bun, not your best angle … you can save it as a special memory, and never share it publicly.
How to Get in the Photo
The answer is so simple: use a tripod.
However, that always seemed so cumbersome in my mind… the idea of pulling it out and setting up the shot, just seemed like it was more work than it was worth. (for all the above reasons of how difficult it used to be!)
But, since practicing this more and more, it really is so simple. It takes no time at all to just pause go grab the tripod, and pop your phone in it, and get in the photo! Alright, here are the practical steps for how to be in the pictures with your kids:
Here are my best tips for making this as simple as possible when capturing candid moments:
- Purchase a full-length standing tripod… we have just a simple one off of Amazon, but I also really like the L&A Pop-Up Photo Stands (This one is nice because it is very portable and comes with a little handheld remote to trigger the photo)
- Keep it in a spot that is close to where your family naturally gathers and is easy to grab … for example, we have a little coat closet that we keep it right in between our kitchen and living room. We often find ourselves quickly running over and pulling it out to set it up in the kitchen or living room. I would say that if you have room, keep it set up in a closet and ready use. The goal is to make it as simple as possible to set it up in a pinch moment.
- Hit record on a video and just forget about it for a few minutes. Try as much as possible to set up the tripod quietly and even put it in a spot where it would not be too in your space or noticeable. Go about living your life in front of the camera as naturally as possible. And once you feel you have captured a sweet moment or two, go end the video. You can go back and hit the record button again in a few minutes if there is another moment you want to capture.
- Afterward, once the moment has passed, you can put the tripod back in it’s easy to reach home. Then go through your video clips, see if there is a moment you want to screenshot and save as a photo. Or trim down your video clips so you only have the sweet part of the footage that you want to keep, you can get rid of any long, slow footage to save storage space.
When wanting to take a posed photo:
- Set the tripod up in good light – I talk a lot about how to find good lighting in this blog here: 5 Tips to Take Better Photos of Your Kids
- Set a timer
- Set up your shot, you can also check out this blog for My Best Posing Tips for Mom
- Take your photo, and once you get one that is good enough, be done.
- I would suggest that you make taking pictures with everyone together a happy experience, that way your kids and family over time learn to love the tripod. It’s better to make it quick and easy, and get a good enough photo… I have found as a family photographer, that when everyone is happy you will have much better luck… and that at some point, kids are just done, and it’s better to just take a break and come back to it if you need to then to force it in the moment.
Asking/Training Dad or a Friend
My last big tip for how to be in the pictures with your kids, is to ask your husband or a good friend or sister who is always around to take more pictures of you with the kids. Let me start by saying that this is NOT a hopeless cause. It is okay to say, “Hey, would you mind taking a photo/video of me doing this with the kids really quick?”
And then be clear. Stand where you want them to stand.
If you want to take a photo, set up the shot exactly how you would like it – almost like a human tripod – then go hop in the photo.
If you want them to take a video, be clear. Hold it like this, and then slowly move this way, and I will tell you when you can end it. You can always trim out the ending of the clip, when you tell them they can stop recording.
When you are very clear with what you are wanting and share a bit more of your vision/end goal, they will usually be able to jump on board and take it seriously.
Especially with your husband or sister or good friend, letting them know “Hey, I am really wanting to capture more photos and videos of me with kids. I just love this season with them so much and I want to capture it as much as possible. Would you mind helping me by taking more photos and videos of me?” Share your end goal with them, “I’m planning on making a year-in-review movie and I want a couple of sweet videos of me with the kids each month.” or “I’m planning on making a family yearbook album at the end of the year and I really want to have a good amount of photos of me with the kids too.”
Not sharing in a guilt-inducing way at all, just sharing your heart and vision for how you want to document your family’s story.
I would say if you are frustrated that your husband doesn’t take candid photos/videos of you with your children regularly, it’s probably not because he doesn’t want to, but rather he just doesn’t think to do it. It doesn’t hurt to quietly remind and ask him in the moment.
Also, like I said, this is not a hopeless cause – my sister and I can typically trade-off with getting photos and videos of each other … but every once in a while we want to be in a shot together. And while my mom is not the most comfortable with taking videos, she can follow a few simple instructions and get a great shot. And over time, she is getting better and better!
Conclusion
Sometimes, just having a better idea of how to be in the pictures with your kids is just the little push you need to make it happen…
Like anything, once you get going you will get used to it & find a system for getting in the picture that works best for you!
And don’t forget, if you want more help up-leveling your iPhone photo skills, be sure to grab my complimentary BGP Guide for 10 Tricks to Take Better iPhone Photos Today.
And hey… if worst comes to worst and this time next year you still don’t have any good photos of you with your kids ?, then sign up for the waitlist to hear about the next BGP Motherhood Event:
