April Showers bring May Flowers

[Sue Barr]

Spring is in the air. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and the daffodils are starting to pop up everywhere. It’s time to enjoy the outside again.  What better way then to grab our cameras and kids and have some fun just snapping away?

 Everyone has a camera these days. Even our cell phones take great quality pictures. We click away all day and post our shots almost immediately, but then we forget about them just as quickly. Facebook, blogs and other social media are our modern day scrapbooks for everyone to admire.  The problem is we seldom print something physical for posterity. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a beautiful print hanging on our walls or by our bedside table to appreciate daily and jog our memory of how very cute our kids are at this very moment.   But which shot do we chose?  We all have such limited wall space these days. I propose creating a memorable picture of your child using the beauty of Spring as a natural backdrop.

All those puddles and blooms make a great setting for some fun shots with your toddlers. It’s especially beautiful right after it has rained. An April shower makes all the blooms and greens saturated with color and an overcast day is the best time to photograph as there are no harsh shadows that will make the kids squint.  So dress them up in their Easter best (… they have already paraded their finest on the holiday and will surely out grow these outfits within months) and pair it with some colorful rain boots and perhaps grab a whimsical umbrella from the local dollar store and think like a kid. 

Seriously, what would be more fun for a little one then to be allowed to test the limits of freedom then a sidewalk puddle. This is the moment of sheer joy you will always remember. That Easter portrait you did weeks ago to show off their holiday finery will pale in comparison with the images you’ll capture on this excursion. The trick is to keep on shooting. Let then jump, run and explore the puddles and gardens in the neighborhood.  Teach them about looking for their reflections, smelling the flowers and encourage them to be silly. Grab your husband on the weekend or make it a play date with another parent and her children. You both take turns snapping away at each other.

 Within no time you’ll have amazing images that show the true personality of your kid. The trick to choosing is in the edit. Remember this is an image that you’ll enjoy forever. It doesn’t have to be a cheesy smile or them looking right at the camera. Maybe it’s just a moment of them discovering their reflection, or the sheer joy of them being allowed to run through the puddle. When you edit literally throw away all the out of focus shots and ones that don’t capture the absolute joy of being silly and discovering the little things.

 A great photograph is a catalyst for a story. It make the viewer remember all the little things that happened on that very day and propels us to reflect on a moment in time that passes all to quickly.   Go with you’re very gut and chose something that everyone will admire and  make Canvas Prints for your walls or office and you’ll have a permanent reminder of just how special this time of your life is.