Capturing Everyday Moments with Your Phone

How many times have you looked through a family photo album and come across a bunch of posed photos? Or, better yet, perfectly staged photo after perfectly staged photo. Most often, family photo albums consist of the best of the best moments. But what about those everyday moments? Those are the moments that parents will forever cherish. So, why not cherish them in photos and save those moments on film?

I have thousands of photos on my phone. Yes, they are backed up on all sorts of programs. However, I’m absolutely terrified to push the delete button to clear up space on my phone. From photos to videos of our son, I can’t imagine losing them. If my son is nearby (which is pretty much all the time), you can guarantee that I have my phone nearby as well.

I love watching him play by himself as I see his personality, creativity, and imagination develop in such incredible ways. Watching his character come out is one of my favorite things of everyday moments. Playing with toys? Click goes the shutter button. Walking around the house? Click goes the shutter button. Stacking blocks? Click goes the shutter button.

Even though I will forever remember these moments, I can’t help but capture them on my phone. I might not always have my big camera on me. But, with my phone’s camera, I can be inconspicuous and capture the everyday moments without him noticing.

How To Capture Everyday Moments with Your Phone

1) Embrace the Perfectly Imperfect

Photos don’t have to be perfectly staged to be perfect. Everyday moment photos are just that. You want to tell a story with the scenes that you’re capturing. Is your house messy? You’ll probably want to tidy up a bit before clicking the shutter button. Don’t. Instead, click the button. You’ll look back at the photos and be reminded of what life was like at that moment. Avoid staging because you’ll miss the everyday moment that you’re trying to capture.

2.) Avoid the Smile

Did you notice that my son isn’t looking at my phone in all of the photos throughout this post? He has the best smile ever (yes, I’m biased) but I love watching him concentrate, imagine, learn, and think. To me, a smiley photo after smiley photo can become a bit mundane. Yes, they are super cute. But, what about funny faces? Crying faces? Sad faces? Pouty faces? Those are the faces that help tell a story. Those are the faces that you never want to forget. Those are the faces that make the everyday moments special.

3.) Watch and Capture

Sit quietly and watch your family interact, your kids play, your pets lounge. Don’t call their names to get their attention. Just watch. Then click. Those candid photos help share the personality of your family members and pets. In those candid photos, you’ll see true expressions and emotions.