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This article previously appeared on the defunct Light Inspired blog and is here for archival purposes.
I know it’s a Tuesday not Wednesday but I am bringing you a tutorial today on how I shoot a day in the life, more specifically a Day in the Life of Chloe.
Truth be told there is likely not a child on the planet more photographed than my kid. I have the opposite problem of most people, I constantly document and take photographs. So rather than needing a reminder to shoot my own kid/family I actually need a reminder to PUT THE CAMERA DOWN.
However, every few months in addition to the regular daily shooting I do I set aside a day to capture it all. The moments before she wakes when I am furiously trying to get as much work done as I can while I enjoy the peace and quiet in my house, to those last moments before bedtime when I am desperately trying to convince her it is OKAY to go to sleep.
This post isn’t really to feature one of those days but rather to discuss how I do it.
A few things to consider when you “plan” to capture your day in the life, because YES I do plan them.
1) What do you have planned for the day?
2) How will you get IN the pictures?
3) What things are important at this point in your life?
4) What will you use to capture the day? (yes using your iPhone is okay)
5) When will you take pictures?
6) How will you process them?
What do we have on the agenda? While we don’t have a set schedule in this house there are certain days we have planned activities. I am a SAHM and sometimes Chloe and I do nothing but hang out around the house in our underwear. Yes, I actually typed that but don’t worry I would never put pictures of myself in my underwear on the web
How will YOU get in the pictures? Yeah, you the one who typically captures and documents all the important memories. When is the last time you got in a picture? I don’t know about you but my husband sucks at taking pictures so it just leads to frustration. So I rely on my remote. Chloe thinks it is SO MUCH FUN to take pictures with the remote. If you hand it to her she will even go get the tripod so we can set up. Yes, I know I photograph my child WAY TOO MUCH but I already admitted that at the beginning of this post. This is not just for the day in the life sessions but you need to find a way to routinely get in the picture. If your spouse, partner, friend, older kid takes a decent picture hand them the camera.
What things are important in your life right now? Yes you want to document life as it happens on this day but be mindful as you do it. When she makes a mess I take pictures of it. Have you seen the Kids Were Here project? I might be a little obsessed with it. It is a good reminder though that you can totally document the important things without an actual person in the frame. Right now Chloe is obsessed with taking the laces out of her shoes, eating peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast, lunch & dinner, helping us put away the dishes, bringing her blanket from her bed into our bed (not that she even sleeps in her own bed), there are just so many things. Maybe you spend a day in the life documenting the evidence of your life without having your family in the frame.
What will you use to capture the day? I admit, I mostly use my DSLR because my kid simply WILL NOT SIT STILL to use the iPhone. I get really frustrated at blurry iPhone pictures. REALLY. Regardless what you use make sure it is on you or readily accessible the entire day. I leave my Sony a77 on my dining room table (also known as my desk) for the entire day when I do one of these. It is on, set at ISO 2500, SS 125. I know you are thinking MAN that is a high ISO. Well, unless I am near a window that is what it takes to get pictures in my house. It gives me the most flexibility to be able to pick up the camera and immediately get a picture. Once you do a day in the life you may find you can leave your camera at a much lower ISO. Know your house, light, and settings
When will you take the pictures? There are a gazillion ways to document a day. I usually take pictures all day long. With every activity I take a few pictures until I get one I love. I am a big fan of taking a shot in the moment, thinking about your frame, then adjusting and reshooting. If you have the opportunity to be thoughtful about the frame, do it. If you don’t, then get what you can. There is nothing wrong with a snapshot. I rant about this often. Snapshots tell stories and if you take an entire day of snapshots that is a-okay. As you do more of these you will get better at knowing your house, getting a better angle the first time you shoot, etc…
A few ideas to keep your number of shots down.
1) take a picture on the top of the hour. Instead of shooting all day, shoot one frame each hour. Whatever you are doing at the top of the hour take the camera out and shoot one or two frames.
2) only take pictures of the main moments in the day. You know, breakfast, getting dressed, lunch, playtime, dinner, nighttime routine, and after they go to sleep. DO NOT forget the sleeping picture
3) only shoot when something catches your interest.
Regardless when you decide to shoot be sure and get some variety. Do a shot with your kid only taking up a small part of the frame, get a portrait, get a picture with a face, get a picture without a subject, get a picture from above or below, just change it up. Even with my cute kid if I showed you 15 pictures of her looking at the camera and smiling throughout the day you would be bored. Trust me.
How will you process? If you are using an iPhone then use an iPhone editing program, I like VSCO
So what does an entire day in the life look like? Note: the point for me is capturing life. Whether it is a spontaneous snapshot or a planned lifestyle picture I am taking the picture. Don’t get bogged down in perfection for these shoots. You have plenty of time and opportunity to make art or shoot for your portfolio.
This was April 8th. When will YOU shoot a day in your life? Here are the others I have done.
denver, dallas
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