Have you noticed how seemingly curated instagram has become? So many galleries seem to mirror one another; the Christmas garland, for instance, was starting to make me puke. That’s not to say it’s not beautiful, it is. I just can’t help but think that some people go out and go to the hassle of caring for that kinda thing for the sole purpose of it appearing in their feed. Maybe I’ve become too cynical. Whatever the case may be, I haven’t had the best of tastes left in my mouth from instagram these days.

I really value the images I capture with my phone and though I post a few from my blog that are shot with my DSLR, I wanted to take a moment to look back on images captured with my iPhone, all shot in 2015 and edited with the VSCO app. A reminder to myself, and maybe to you too, that it’s not all about professional photography and well-curated feeds. Sometimes the raw and cheap can be just as beautiful and memorable.

Can you tell the difference between DSLR shots versus iPhone shots that show up in your feeds? Do you care? What do you shoot with most?

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Joining instagram, for me, has become more than joining some social media app; in joining instagram, I’ve become part of a community of mothers, photographers, and like-minded people. Whether it be one of those days where caring for two young boys has got the best of me or one of those days where recovering from surgery has me feeling more or less defeated, the community I’m part of on instagram always lifts me up. I’ve received an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement that leaves me feeling incredibly grateful and humbled daily. That’s pretty special.

I am my own worst critique. Truthfully, I can’t stand looking back at stuff I shot just six months ago because I feel like my vision is constantly evolving. Being able to shoot and post on a daily basis, even if it is just with my iPhone, keeps this vision I speak of fresh and new and ever-changing.

It keeps me humble. There are so many talented people that post award-worthy images every single day.

They say with everything, you get better with practice. And it’s true. Shooting daily with my iPhone has encouraged me to see things differently through my real camera; to adjust settings, expose differently, capture light in new ways. The more you do something, the better you get; plain and simple.

Never before have I thought so far out of the box. Scrolling through my feed, little seeds are planted and, in time, they sprout and grow into something entirely their own. I’m sitting on so many ideas that literally sprint back and forth in my mind and the creative energy soothes me like heroin to an addict.

I’ve met people through instagram that quickly became real life friends. And friendships are always beautiful and treasured things.

Instagram has been a great way to connect me with clients. It feels so good when someone contacts me about a session and mentions they found me via instagram. To me, this means that they like my work on a daily basis and that’s one of the best compliments around. I consider it one of the biggest honors and privileges to photograph other people and/or families, so to be chosen in an era where the photography market is saturated with photographers, it’s pretty special.

I love supporting others. Though it takes a lot of time and preparation, I love taking over the @childhoodunplugged feed because I love getting the opportunity to showcase the work of others. It feels so good to give back and introduce others to images that have touched me or influenced me in some way. Again, this speaks -in part- to the beautiful instagram community.

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Art gets monotonized. It’s bittersweet. At some point, someone snapped a lovely picture of themselves from above enjoying their latte and the next thing you know there were a thousand photos from other photographers with their favorite book on the table and their hand holding their coffee mug, from above. Same thing with shadows on the wall; makes me wonder if any of us can refrain from placing our kid directly in the afternoon light on the wall in an effort to create something we saw before. Want to know what kind of shoes someone owns? Just search their feed for a #fromwhereistand photo; pretty sure we all have one. I’m guilty of these too, so in no way am I pointing fingers or naming names. We influence each other and, as I said, it’s bittersweet.

Art produces energy and, at times, I sense a negative energy; I think it stems from some sort of weird competitive aura. People get all weird about how many likes they get on their photos or how many followers they have. I hate having to wonder if people tag me in an image because they are hoping I tag them back (and thus bring them some new followers) or because they really care #widn (what I’m doing right now). I’ve read posts where people have admitted to feeling anxious over what to post and if people will like it. Others have attested to being in “posting ruts”, which insinuates that there is some sort of weird inner pressure to post something even when you’re not feelin’ it. People get carried away and seem to lose all sight of perspective.

By the same token, I recently learned that there is an app that notifies you of when someone “de-follows” you, which I think is just pure craziness. Again, when it becomes more about the numbers and less about the content or the relationships, a tragedy has occurred. I personally like following many different people who shoot a variety of things and in an effort to keep it intimate, I like to keep the number of people I follow to a minimum. And thus, I “un-follow” people all the time so that I can follow someone new instead. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like their work, not at all. You wouldn’t go to a museum over and over again if they continually featured the same artists, right? I like to mix it up and it hurts my heart to think that some may take offense to that.

There are a ton of very, very successful photographers that don’t have a huge instagram presence or following. So, when I come across someone who hangs to every follower as some magical number that’s going to launch their photography career, I’m reminded that there are small picture thinkers and big picture thinkers. The take home message: ignore

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your number of followers.

Let’s be honest, it’s a time suck. And talk about sending the wrong message; “No, Hooper, you cannot watch another episode of Curious George” -says the mom who has her face buried in her phone as her thumb goes up and down the screen flapping back and forth like a motor on a boat. Perhaps just as important as picking your phone up is putting your phone down. My children are still too young, but I feel for the parents who confess that their children have given them a hard time for spending more time documenting their lives than being present in their lives. It makes my heart ache because it’s impossible to do both.

Robots can take over your feed. Who knew? I know nothing of this nor do I want to, but it’s weird. By the same token, kinda creepy when you see someone you’ve never met steal photos of your kid and post them as if they are their own photos of their own kids. Again, this has yet to happen to me but I’ve seen it happen to many others and it makes me cringe with disgust and disbelief. I’ve also come across others that have had their images stolen and used for advertisements with no credit given to the artist. This infuriates me.

The amount of “likes” you get, or don’t get, on a photo can affect you as an artist. For example, I always get more likes on the photos I post of my boys. As soon as I post a well shot image of my best friend, or husband, or a plant, I don’t get as much love. You have to remember the platform you’re using. The general public seems to like bare naked baby butts over an artistically shot image of a plant. It’s important to remember that not everyone on instagram is a photographer, rather the instagram community as a whole is a mere representation of the public in general. I don’t let the amount of “likes” I get, or don’t get, affect what I shoot or what I post.

What are your pros and cons to using instagram or social media in general?

*All images shot with my iPhone 5

Times have changed, haven’t they? Nowadays, anyone with an iPhone can call themselves a photographer. And for good reason. Have you seen what some people are creating with just their iPhone? It’s incredible. And so fun. I’m a huge fan of instagram and the community I have found within it. I’ve made friends with loads of other moms, photographers, and bloggers alike. Prit-E cool.

Every now and again, someone will ask me how I edit my photos either here on my blog or on instagram. Truthfully, I hate this question. I hate it because there is so much more to a photo then how it is edited. In my opinion, there are three key ingredients to producing a beautiful image and they are exposure, lighting, and composition. And all three of these ingredients need to be present at the moment the photo is taken. There is not much you can do, in terms of post-production, with an over-exposed, crappily lit, and ill-composed photo.

With all that said, I want to share some tips I’ve learned along the way; Simple tips for improving the photos you capture of your everyday life on your iPhone.

1. Shoot in landscape mode. This isn’t a setting on your iPhone, rather I’m suggesting you hold your phone horizontal as opposed to vertical when taking a photo. You’ll be able to see the frame better. 

2. Experiment with AE/AF lock. You can read about how to use it here. It makes focusing easier. I use it some of the time.

3. Shoot by windows or doors. It’s amazing what natural light can do. If the kids are playing, sometimes I’ll set up a trap and plant myself where I want them to go. I’m like a magnet, they always find me.

4. Think about your composition. Ask yourself what’s included in the photo and why. Don’t rely on cropping later, include only what you want in the shot when you shoot it.

5. Take your phone out of your purse. Sure, there’s that fine line of being that annoying mom constantly hiding behind her iPhone snapping shot after shot of her kid instead of just being present in the moment. I get that, I do. Sometimes I like putting my camera down just as much as I like picking it up, so you have to find your own balance and what works for you. What I would encourage, however, is to take your camera out during the seemingly mundane moments. There is so much beauty in the everyday; the morning light when you’re just waking up, your child brushing her hair before school, you husband walking in the door after a long day at work… Everyone remembers the birthday parties and the first day of school, but I’m telling ya, there are beautiful things happening everyday. 

5. Take multiple shots of the same subject, espcially when photographing kids. I think I took at least six different shots of the one above, all within less than a minute, but you’d be surprised how different each of the six were… between movement and blinking and distraction… you’ll need at least six tries (or I do anyway). Though I should mention, funny enough, I almost always end up chosing the first photo I take anyway. But insurance feels good, doesn’t it? That’s why we all pay out our butts for car insurance we (hopefully) never use.

6. Try different angles. If I’m photographing my kids, I like to get down to their level. Shoot from above, shoot from below, shoot into the sun, shoot away from the sun. You’ll learn quickly what works and what doesn’t. That’s the beauty in digital, right? Your mistakes are never a waste.

7. Edit your photos. Sure, exposure, lighting, and composition are the main ingredients but editing is the quintessential icing on the cake. Never rely strictly on editing to make an okay photo great. An okay photo will always be an okay photo, in my opinion anyway. I edit almost all my iPhone pics with the VSCO app. Other apps I like are PicTapGo, Snapseed, and Afterlight. Each of these apps also have their own cameras with different settings. The VSCO app, for example, has separate focus and exposure rings. 

8. Share em’. Join Instagram, yo. Your life will never be the same. You can follow me @thestorkandthebeanstalk.

What are your tips and tricks to iPhoneography?

*All images in this post were shot with my iPhone 4 /iPhone 5