Be Young Photography School is about to be back in session with another Momtography course scheduled for June 26th. Have you been thinking about taking the plunge and attending? Some of our previous momtographers want to share just how inspirational they found this class and share how it’s changed their photography since attending! I hope you enjoy our first in a series of interviews with these special ladies.
Name: Sara
Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T2i
How many kiddos: 2 girlies
Age(s): 2 and “bigger than four-and-three-quarters”.
Tell us a little about what makes your kids tick. What are their interests, hobbies, favorites. What makes them unique? My almost-5-year-old is in perpetual motion: always jumping, leaping, spinning, running…always looking around, always distracted by the possibility that something else might be happening somewhere else that might be more fun than what she’s doing in that moment. This is a girl who knows what she likes, and this is what she likes: dresses, movie nights with popcorn, the Racing Presidents, Michael Jackson, learning to read new words, ballet shoes, sparkles and glitter, candy, being bossy, and going to restaurants.
My 2 year old is a bunch of sweetness…a hugger, a lap-sitter, a laugher, an enthusiastic user of “please” and “thank you”. She is a ham who will make her best silly faces for as long as she can to hold your attention.  She likes Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Skippy John Jones, baby dolls, a crib crowded with books and toys, and not sharing. I can’t resist her big brown eyes, still-plump baby cheeks, and wispy little curls.
Tell us what you love most about being a mom. This is a tough one! It’s hard to say something that doesn’t sound like a schmaltzy greeting card. On a practical level, I love the first moments of the morning when they are all sleepy eyes and snuggles and sticking-up hair. I love discovering the world again with them – the thrill of spotting a rainbow or the adventure of finding a frog or the drama of a thunderstorm.  I even love the tender pinch in my heart at the end of the day when I realize how many hours have passed since I last hugged them.
I find inspiration as a mother by remembering this quote from an “author unknown” email I once received: “As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. If we’re doing it right, we won’t be seen. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.”
Biggest frustration(s) with your photos pre-Momtography? My biggest frustrations were probably best characterized by this running monologue: Do I have enough light? I thought I did – why does this picture look so dark?? Let me try this again. That flash is so bright! Ugh. Their eyes are red. I think I have a setting for that. Wait – let me bring in another lamp. Hey! Come back! Can you just sit down for a minute? Sit down for Mommy, ok? Say cheese. CHEESE! Try again! UGH! That’s blurry. Can you look at Mommy? Put your hand down, ok? Just sit there for one little second. Hey – wait! Just one more! Can you sit down for just a second? Hmmmm, maybe we should try it in the other room. Where are you going?  (Sigh.) Ok, I guess we’re done.
What was the best tip or trick you learned from attending Momtography that you were able to use right away? Learning how to use aperture settings was probably one of the biggest concepts that I employed immediately. Although I am trying to focus most on learning to manipulate the manual settings on my camera, using my camera’s “Sports” function has been another valuable tip. It’s allowed me to capture some great action shots of my whirling dervish. The last concept that I’ve really enjoyed incorporating was the “rule of thirds” – it’s really helped me think about the composition in my pictures, whether as I take them or in editing later.
What is the BEST moment you’ve captured of your kids or family ever on camera. Anything special come to mind? My favorite moment ever captured on camera was my older daughter’s visit to meet her new baby sister in the hospital. I sure wish I’d taken Momtography before that. It’s my favorite moment, but it’s not my favorite photo!
Why should other local moms consider attending Momtography 101 on June 26th? Before I took Momtography, I had a great camera and a lot of enthusiasm, but I was pretty much a zero at getting a photo that I felt captured a moment or told a story.  95% of my camera’s features and functions were a mystery to me. Beryl is a great teacher: she focuses on what techniques and tools are most helpful and usable for the kinds of photos a Mom generally likes to take and she makes that scary photography vocabulary not-so-scary. If I had learned only half of what I did at Momtography, it still would have been enough.