June 17, 2025 • 40 mins
#572 In this episode of the podcast, I talk about making this your most photographed summer ever, no matter what camera you are using, even if it's just your iPhone. Whether you're capturing spontaneous moments, managing family summer plans, or building a photography business, this episode is for you. I aim to help you better see the moments in front of you, create a habit of shooting daily, and share your images with confidence.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
- Why Summer Light Is Your Playground - I share why summer light is so dynamic and exciting—from the harshness of midday to the drama of golden hour, and even the sparkle of artificial lights at the fair. I challenge you to explore light at all times of day, not just the “pretty” hours.
- How to Practice Seeing and Using Light Differently - I break down how to train your eye by watching shadows, highlights, and even weather patterns. I explain how small photo experiments—like shooting the same subject at different times—can build your intuition and help you anticipate beautiful moments.
- Photographing the Everyday Without Waiting for Something ‘Special’ - I talk about how my own backyard, morning coffee routines, and spontaneous family moments have given me some of my favorite images. You don’t need big events to create meaningful photos—you just need to pay attention.
- Your Best Photos Might Be Unplanned—But Still Need a Plan - I reflect on how some of the best moments I’ve ever captured were unexpected: a rainstorm, laughter in the car, or a squirrel caught in the morning light. But I also explain why having a shot list and preparing for the moments your family is excited about helps you stay intentional.
IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS & CONCEPTS
- Golden Hour: The short window of time right after sunrise or before sunset when the light is soft, warm, and flattering. It’s popular with photographers because of the golden glow and long shadows.
DISCUSSION & REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How do different types of light affect your mood or inspiration to pick up your camera?
- What’s a “boring” or everyday moment in your life that might actually be beautiful when photographed intentionally?
- What are three things your family is most excited about this summer—and how could you document those in creative ways?
Learn What Camera Settings to Use in our free guide!
https://perfectcamerasettings.com/
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Connect with Raymond!
- Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
- Get your Photo Questions Answered on the show - https://beginnerphotopod.com/qa
- Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/
Thanks for listening & keep shooting!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Raymond Hatfield (00:02):
If plans change, if the weather ruins
your barbecue, if you forgetyour camera again, don't sweat
it.
Sometimes the best moments arethe ones that are totally
unplanned.
Remember progress overperfection.
presence over polish.
If you can be present in yourlife and you use your camera to
(00:22):
document that over, a quoteunquote magazine, perfectly
polished image.
You're gonna be able to create afull summer of amazing work.
Hey everybody.
Welcome back to the BeginnerPhotography podcast.
I'm your host Raymond Hatfield,and I am also a parent of two
kids who are on summer vacation.
(00:45):
And if you're anything like me,well then maybe you've already
promised yourself that this willfinally be the summer, that you
actually go out and you shootmore, and you capture all the
things.
That are summer, but then, lifehappens, you work plans change
and before you know it, thepool's closed and, the season's
(01:06):
over and your memory card stillis basically empty except for
like those eight photos that youtook at that, 4th of July
cookout and one of those photosbeing an awkward backyard
selfie.
Yeah, I have, uh, I'vedefinitely been there before.
So if you've ever scrolled onFacebook or Instagram, come
August and thought.
(01:27):
Wait a minute, did I even pickup my camera this season?
Then this episode is, gonna beyour nudge, your pep talk, and
your game plan all rolled intoone because we are going to make
sure that, by the time Labor Dayrolls around, that you have got
not only a memory card that isfull of moments that mattered
(01:48):
most to you.
But also a heart full of thesewonderful memories, that are
captured, right?
Because photography is not allabout just capturing the photo
of the moment.
It's also about, being a part ofyour life and, enhancing the
moment that you get to live aswell.
So today I am talking all aboutmaking this your most
photographed summer ever, nomatter what camera it is that
(02:11):
you're carrying.
And yes, I mean, even if it isjust your iPhone.
So we're gonna dig into whatreally makes Summer photos
valuable.
Why your everyday moments areworth capturing.
And I'm also gonna share somepractical and totally doable
tips that you can start usingright now to make, again, this
your most photographed summerever.
(02:33):
Even if you're feeling too busy,or you know it's already a few
weeks in, maybe you're feelingtoo late to the party or you're
too overwhelmed to even thinkabout shooting.
So to start off this episode, Iwould've thought, it'd be nice
to take you back, share a littlestory of mine, take you back to
a, it was a July evening a fewyears ago, and I had, just
(02:56):
poorly built this fire pit inour backyard, and took me all
day, I mean.
Honestly, it's thinking back, itis embarrassing how long it took
me to build this thing, but bythe end of the evening, my wife
and my kids were all sittingaround this fire pit and we're
just talking, and it's just likethis wonderful summer, evening.
(03:17):
and I wanted to kind of live inthis moment forever, right?
I wanted a photo to be able tocapture this feeling, capture
this feeling of, of what summerfelt like to me, but my, you
know, quote unquote real camera,my Fujis were, well, they were
inside, they were in my office.
(03:37):
They were sitting on my desk,which, at that time was exactly
zero help to me whatsoever inthat moment because I wanted to
be in that moment of, of thejoy, of, the family time.
I didn't want to have to get upand go inside, get my camera
come back out, and chance havingthe moment changed.
(03:58):
But you know what?
I had in my pocket, my phone.
So I pulled it out.
I took a few shots.
I caught what I found was theperfect frame of what it was
that I was looking for, that wasit.
Is it technically flawless?
No.
Did it win any awards also?
(04:19):
No.
Would a photo with, again, myquote unquote real camera, have
been better?
Uh, a thousand percent, but Ididn't have it, so I took the
photo with my phone and thatphoto was framed in our house
for years because it screamed.
This is our summer, and nowevery time I look at that photo
(04:40):
can smell our backyard.
And there's really somethingspecial about that.
I mean, that is, that is thegoal of photography to, to
capture the moments of ourlives, to help, enhance our
memories of the things that welive through.
Again, even if it's just yourphone.
So let me start off by sayingsomething that has been said 10
(05:03):
million times before by people,not even just myself, but it is
that the best camera is the onethat you have on you.
And again, I know it soundssuper cliche, but, every time I
leave my, again, quote unquotereal camera at home, and I just
bring my phone.
(05:23):
I somehow always end up seeingsomething amazing, whether it's,
in the summertime that perfectgolden light or my kids doing
something hilarious, somethingthat I'm gonna wanna remember,
or just that feeling of like,ah, some summer's here, right?
we're out and we're doingsomething, that's a summer.
And rather than kicking myselffor not bringing my camera.
(05:47):
I will just use my phone tocapture the photo.
And like guys, I have an iPhone13 mini.
Like this is not a pro phone, oreven a current phone, but it is
the best camera that I have onme at the time.
So that's what I use becausewhen I'm out photographing the
summer activities, it's notabout best photo possible.
(06:10):
It's about best photo of thismoment and the best photo of a
moment is always gonna be aphoto rather than no photo.
So therefore, if I take thephoto on my phone, then it is
what it is.
So don't feel bad.
The first part of making thisyour most photographed summer
ever is to not shame yourselffor not bringing your camera
(06:35):
with you.
It is to not, discard thesemoments of summertime.
Just because all you have isyour phone.
capture it.
It takes great photos, like souse it to take a photo.
But this is a photographypodcast.
It's not a phone photographypodcast.
(06:55):
So, we oftentimes do want tobring our, dedicated camera with
us.
especially, it's a lot easierwhen, I know that there's a lot
of hesitation of just bringingin a camera with you during
everyday life, on your way towork, or grocery shopping, or
the doctor's office, you know,things like that.
But in the summertime, wetypically go more places.
(07:18):
We do more things, with the goalof family time or relaxing or
connecting with others, andtherefore, it's gonna be more
common to bring your camera withyou.
So I also want to fair share, afew tips on how to create that
carrier camera everywhere withyou, mindset.
So here is my first challenge,right?
(07:40):
It is to bring your camera withyou everywhere.
Again, whether it's your phone,whether it's, an old point and
shoot camera like this, uh,Sony, tx.
Is it tx?
Yeah, TX 20, which is worth itsweight in gold, honestly, even
though it's from like, I think2012.
Or it is again, your dedicatedcamera.
(08:01):
So the challenge for you here isto bring a camera with you
everywhere you go, right?
toss it in your bag.
Keep it in your cup holder.
Whatever works, honestly.
and you know, the thing aboutsummer is that you don't need a
photography outing.
to be able to capture incredibleimages.
A lot of photography is not,being in the most beautiful
(08:25):
places or being in the, thebusiest.
urban areas, it's just aboutsimply being present and ready.
It's less about the camera andmore about the moment and how it
is that you capture it.
Because these cameras are tools.
They're not creators.
They are tools that use tocreate.
The images of our life, andbecause they're tools, treat
(08:49):
them like that, don't baby them.
I understand.
You know, maybe five,$600 on acamera is quite an investment in
a camera.
Might be the biggest that you'veever spent on a camera, but
these things are not.
I was gonna say, they're notmade of glass, but like a lens
is technically made of glass.
So that may be a bad, analogy,but they're not as fragile as
you think that they are.
(09:10):
And honestly, as time goes on,they just get more robust and
better and better and better.
So if it means that, um, you'regonna miss a photo because
you're babying your camera andit's gotta be padded in the
special thing and you know, allthis stuff and tucked away and,
protected and, don't do that.
Get a camera strap.
The one that came with yourcamera is fine.
(09:31):
Put it on, loop it around yourshoulder.
And that's it.
I mean, for me and my summeroutings, my go-to is my Fuji Ex
Pro two, it's from 2016.
It's not even again, like acurrent camera with a 27
millimeter lens attached to it.
and a neck strap and that's it.
I just carry it around myshoulder.
Walk around everywhere.
If I see something, I pull it upand I take a photo and then I
(09:53):
put it back and that's it.
Next thing is to have twobatteries always on rotation.
There's one that's always in thecamera and then the other one is
always on the charger.
And if I see that, you know, Igrab the camera before we're
about to go out, I turn it onreal quick and see that the
camera is half or less, thenI'll just do a quick battery
swap.
(10:13):
And then I'm out the door with afull battery.
That way you're never wonderinglike, wait, is this charge, is
it not charged?
Because you don't wanna show up,anywhere with a dead battery.
I've done that before.
I've brought the camera, I'velugged it with me.
We went out, camera was dead.
That feeling sucks, so justremove that friction as well.
Always have two batteries, oneon the charger, one in the
(10:35):
camera, and then swap it out.
I don't know, every day or so,like depending on how much
you're shooting, and there yougo.
And again, if it's not adedicated camera, maybe it's a
large camera that you have apocketable point and shoot
camera or a phone might work outgreat for you.
Put it in a, in a sling or, hangit up next to your door, so that
(10:58):
when you leave, you always seeit there.
One thing that I do is I alwayskeep this, Sony point and shoot
camera right next to, my phone,my wallet, my keys, and my
sunglasses so that whenever Ileave the house and I need to
grab something, I grab my phone,wallet, keys, sunglasses,
camera, and then I'm ready togo.
And then when I'm in my car, Iliterally take the camera and I
(11:20):
just put it in my cup holderbecause I don't know, sometimes
you're driving and you seesomething and you're like, let
me take a photo of that.
And it's just nice to have,always around you within close
distance to be able to take thatphoto.
You get outta the car, you justgrab the camera, you go out, you
shoot, and then that's it.
This isn't about dedicatinglike, again, an entire amount of
time for a photography outing.
(11:41):
Sometimes you're gonna take somephotos that are great, that are
just kind of these unpredictablemoments at the grocery store.
And you only took three photosthat day with your camera.
But it's all about buildingthat, mindset of carrying a
camera with you everywhere sothat you will start to see more
photographically.
So, make a plan right now.
(12:02):
Pause this episode and think toyourself, what can I do to make
carrying a camera?
More friction free.
Whether it's keeping it run byyour door, keeping it by your
phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses,keeping those two batteries
always charged, or keeping thecamera in your car's glove box.
I don't know, like, think toyourself, what would it take for
(12:25):
bringing a camera with meeverywhere to become
frictionless?
Then take a step towards,towards doing that because
that's how you start to takemore photos as you bring your
camera with you more places.
Alright, now let's talk aboutone of my favorite subjects.
Summer Light.
I mean, summer light is, it'smagical.
(12:45):
It is dynamic.
It is sometimes unpredictableand it can easily mess up your
exposures if you're not careful.
And I think that that's why itmakes it so much fun is that
every time you go out, it's achallenge.
It's something new, and that isgoing to build upon your
skillset of seeing light andphotographing it.
(13:09):
So here's what I want you to do.
I want you, I mean, my goal foryou is to start noticing light
at different times of the day.
We all know that Golden Hourgets all the love it's pretty
great.
I'm not gonna lie, but I don'twant you to shy away from maybe
the weird beauty of harshmidday, summer sun, or the warm
(13:34):
chaos of the summertimecampfire.
Or fireworks, come the 4th ofJuly here in the states,
fireworks are incredible.
Or there's plenty of things likestate fairs and things like
that.
All the neon signs and theartificial light after dark.
Ugh.
There's not many things that saysummer more than that.
I mean, the thing is that we'rejust outside more during the
(13:56):
summer.
We're busier.
we see more things, so itbecomes a perfect opportunity to
get the experience of shootingall of these different types of
light that you're going to runinto.
Now, if you're thinking like,okay, I get it, like harsh
midday sun.
What is it that I'mphotographing here?
(14:18):
What is it that I'm looking for?
Here's what I want you to lookout for.
I want you to pay attention tothings like shadows, right?
How long they get in the eveningor in the morning, or how they
disappear at noon.
Uh.
how they dance across thekitchen table at breakfast.
And then I also want you to lookat highlights.
Summer is full of brighthighlights, so try to spend a
(14:40):
day or a weekend just exposingfor the highlights.
When you do that, that's gonnacreate this beautiful, contrasty
image with like crushed, darkshadows.
And that could be fun to have anew visual style of summer,
right?
So pay attention to the way thatthe sunlight makes water sparkle
if you're going out to the lakeor the river or the beach, or
(15:03):
what headlights look like on arainy drive.
You know, growing up inCalifornia between the months of
like May and October there wasno rain.
So moving here to the Midwestwas like this weird change where
you need to have an umbrella ina car at all times.
Even like July, like, what isthis about?
But I've had 4th of July partiesbeing rained out and like
(15:25):
growing up in California, thatwould've been unheard of.
But anyway, this is how youtrain your eyes when you look
for the things that light does.
It makes shadows, it createsthese beautiful highlights.
It can create these sparkles inthe way that it shimmers off of
things.
And again, noticing the world ina new way is how you fall in
(15:48):
love with the photography allover again.
When I get into a rut, and bywhat I mean by when I get into a
rut, is that I just won't belike photographing for a while.
I'll find that like I just needlike a jumpstart.
And that doesn't necessarilymean like, oh, planning this
photo project or something toget my visual brain going again.
It just means like taking photosof the everyday things that I
(16:13):
do.
In the morning my wife and Itypically have a cup of coffee
on the porch.
And, we have some hostas in ourfront, garden area.
And from time to time, bees showup to the hostas.
hummingbirds show up as well.
We have some bunnies and,squirrels in our front yard.
So just like, even just sittingout there and just like
(16:34):
capturing them in the morning,when the sun is like low in the
sky and hitting them andbacklighting them, and it looks
just warm and dynamic andbeautiful.
That right there, I mean, whenyou see that in a photo instead
of just like, taking the wholeworld in, but you see.
What a bee looks like, backlitas it's, inside of a flower
(16:57):
kickstart, something within yourbrain and you're like, wow, this
so beautiful.
And it almost feels effortless.
So then going throughout theday, mid-morning kids wake up,
oh, now they wanna play somebasketball outside before the
day starts.
Okay, I'm gonna take a fewphotos of that, oh, well what if
I, you know, my kids are shortbecause they're kids.
What if I got the camera uphigh, like up by the rim and got
(17:21):
them shooting for it?
Oh, okay.
Now I'm starting to see theworld in different compositions.
What if I got the camera downlow and, behind them?
In the background, I could seethe backboard as they go to
shoot it.
Okay.
That's a new composition.
And then throughout the day,these moments just kind of
present themself.
These are everyday moments thatyou go through, but if you bring
(17:42):
a camera to it, you're gonnastart seeing it
photographically.
And again, that's gonnakickstart the process for you of
just taking more photos of yoursummer.
So I wanna give you a quickexercise to better see and
document all of this beautiful,gorgeous summer light.
And it is this, pick just onesubject, something that is
(18:03):
easily accessible.
Maybe it's the hammock in yourbackyard, something that you're
gonna see throughout the day.
And I want you to photograph itat three different times of the
day.
One at like.
9:00 AM again, at 2:00 PM andthen again at like golden hour,
same spot, same lens.
Try to get the exact same frameas well, like know where you're
standing and then when you'redone, look at all three of the
(18:26):
photos on your computer and seehow just the lights change
creates these different summermoods and now you've captured
them.
So again, think about that asyou're going forward.
Oh, we're going to the fair.
We're going on a morning walk.
And now you can kind ofvisualize what the light is
gonna look like at that time soyou can start to preplan some
(18:48):
photos.
All right, if you have kids,here is something about
photographing the summer that Ihad to kind of come to grips
with as a parent, and that isthat your favorite summer photos
probably won't be the ones thatyou planned.
You may have big plans.
Our family has big plans.
(19:09):
We have a trip to Alaskaplanned.
We're going to, Oshkosh,Wisconsin for the world's
biggest air show.
We got weekends, at the localpool.
And somehow that doesn't meanthat just because you put in the
effort into something special,like going to these places that
you're guaranteed to getphenomenal photos from it,
(19:33):
right?
Photos of the kids happy orbeautiful landscapes or, perfect
weather.
Like you're not guaranteed thosethings.
And when I think about theimages that I capture of summer,
some of my most cherishedimages.
of my kids happened during afreak rainstorm, sitting on the
porch again, enjoying themorning sun, having that cup of
(19:53):
coffee and they're just outthere like riding around on
their scooters, trying to figureout what the flow of the day is
going to be, or just themlaughing in the back seat of the
cars where as we're drivingsomewhere.
That's why having that camera inyour cup holder is so important
just keep your eyes on the road,but just kind of turn it on and
just snap a few.
If, if it doesn't work, itdoesn't work.
But if it does, then hey, great,you got that photo.
(20:14):
But despite the fact that someof your favorite photos are
going to be the ones that arecompletely unplanned, that you
didn't intend for at all, youstill do have to plan to take
photos during all of the funthings, that you have put
together.
Because that's, that's being aparent, right?
Like, we want to go to these funthings.
(20:35):
We hope for the best.
So of course we're gonna takephotos of it so that when our
kids get older, they don't say,you never took us anywhere fun.
And we could be like, the hell Ididn't.
And then you can show'em allthese photos, right?
And you also want to make surethat you actually capture the
moments that you put effort intoand the things that your kids.
Are looking forward to as well.
So one thing that I try to do atthe beginning of the summer is
(20:57):
ask the family like, what areyou guys most excited for this
summer?
And then in your head, just kindof make a little, bucket list
together, right?
Everything from, you know, mydaughters said water balloon
fights.
our son has said making s'moresout in the the backyard fire
pit.
for me this year, it's hopefullyseeing a bear.
Now when we go up to Alaska,this isn't a must do list, but
(21:21):
this is more of like a be on thelookout for list because I can
tell you sometimes as a dad,like the end of a Saturday
evening, like I'm pooped.
I did a bunch of yard work allday.
We went out, we did all thesecrazy things, and now like I
just wanna sit and like relax.
It's like eight, 9:00 PM andthen my son might say like, Hey,
(21:41):
my friend's gonna come over.
Can we make s'mores?
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, sure.
Whatever.
Like in the fire pit out back.
Now I know that if that's thething that he's most looking
forward to.
I gotta get my butt up off thecouch and I have to try to take
a few frames of it, even if it'snot like I'm not gonna turn it
into a thing that feelsinauthentic, but I'm gonna go
out there and capture, a fewphotos of them making s'mores
(22:04):
and enjoying that time together.
On that note, life can get inthe way sometimes.
Sometimes, you're not gonna bethere when these things are
happening, when the kids arehaving that, s'mores party in
the evening or, you know, maybeweather will ruin a beach day.
So again, because life can getin the way and you might not be
(22:26):
able to get everything that youwere hoping for.
I want you to remember to giveyourself some grace if you
don't, because if you have kids,some are as hard enough as it is
to make sure that they areentertained, but not on their
screen all day and that you'replanning fun things for them.
And sometimes again, like Isaid, the weather might change
(22:47):
or who knows.
But the idea of this is notmaking it, you're most perfectly
photographed summer ever.
It's just your most photographedsummer ever.
So go into it with moreplanning, but less expectation.
You're planning to capture thesephotos, but if you don't, then
(23:07):
you don't, and you're not gonnalet that ruin everything for
you, because photography shouldnot be about, again, summer is
not about the photograph.
Summer is about time spenttogether with family and
building connections with eachother, and then the camera's
just there to enhance thosememories.
Just take those photos that,that bucket list beyond the
(23:29):
lookout for list, and use thatas your guide to photos rather
than forcing everyone intomatching summer outfits, for
like this, Pinterest perfectsummer group photo.
And honestly, like no judgment,but I can tell you from
experience that those photos inour family usually end in tears
(23:52):
or outfits covered in dirt.
And, that's not really what Iwant my summer to be remembered
as.
so if you know that your summeris gonna be busier or messier
than quote unquote, magazineready all the time, then what
you can do is photograph thechaos as well.
Chaos can make some beautifulphotos.
(24:13):
Some of my favorite photos as akid were the ones where I have
like melted Popsicle runningdown my shirt, you know?
So document those things.
Document the sticky faces,document the muddy feet, the
living room forts that neverquite seemed to get cleaned up.
Yeah, we have those as well.
So just remember that these arethe moments that you're gonna
(24:35):
want to remember and it's notabout creating a whole series of
images of these things.
Sometimes it's just getting afew photos of it.
So let's recap here.
Create a bucket list,brainstorm.
Okay?
Maybe over breakfast.
Ask your kids, ask your familywhat's the one thing or what's
(24:55):
something that you're reallyexcited for this summer and then
just kind of secretly jot downtheir answers and make that your
be on the lookout for shot list.
Another thing, if you do havekids take more photos at their
level, taking a photo of a10-year-old from the average
height of an adult of like fivenine or five 10 looking down on
(25:17):
them is not interesting.
That doesn't inspire the feelingof summer.
So, kneel down, bend over, sit,lie on the grass, whatever it
is, take photos of your kids attheir perspective or lower
because their world looksdifferent down there and when
you get down there, so will yourphotos.
Trust me.
(25:38):
Alright, and then, the lastthing here is to honestly,
embrace the mess.
Like I said, Popsicle stains,pool towels everywhere.
bedtime meltdowns, you know,whatever it is, the future
version of yourself and yourkids are going to thank you for
taking those photos today, eventhough it might not feel like,
like the whole picture ofsummer, if that makes sense.
(26:01):
But anyway, embrace the mess.
And maybe you're listening rightnow and thinking like, yeah,
well, like all of those soundgreat, but maybe my kids have
moved outta the house then.
Well, congratulations to youbecause I think that you are in
one of the best seasons forauthentic storytelling, because
you have not only years ofperspective, but you probably
(26:24):
have a lot less ego about havingthe perfect shot when you go out
and shoot.
So, for you, next time you'reout on a walk, next time you go
to the farmer's market, nexttime you're going, downtown to
meet your friends at a littlecar meet or something.
you're pulling weeds in thegarden.
Just bring your camera along.
(26:44):
Photography doesn't just have tobe about, your family, it's
about your life, so don'tunderestimate the beauty of
those quote unquote everydaymoments.
Pulling weeds in the gardendoesn't sound like a great
photo, but I think you'd besurprised at how cool a
dandelion can look with a newperspective or the way that the
(27:05):
sun, peaks through the leaves ofthe trees on your morning walk.
Those moments of your life arealso important.
They're important because it'syour life.
It's not necessarily likesomething that's gonna be
printed huge and going to changethe world, but it's capturing
your life and that is why it'simportant.
(27:25):
So for you, make a list of yourfavorite summertime activities.
Is it gardening?
Is it hiking, going to thebeach?
Is it grilling out?
Is it road trips, having friendsover, whatever.
And then do the same activity.
Pre-visualize a photo or twothat you would like to capture,
and then go for it.
(27:45):
Be on the lookout for it.
And then don't stress if themoment doesn't go according to
plan, because that's a life, ifI could account how many times,
a wedding that is pretty wellplanned out, didn't go to plan,
it would be a lot.
And that's, that's like aplanned out thing, you know,
that's not just life happening.
So, don't stress over thosemoments that, again, don't go
(28:08):
according to the plan becauseyou want, as I said earlier, the
camera to be an observer of yourlife and not the creator of your
memories.
So for you it might be.
A good idea to keep a camera, inyour gardening apron or your
hiking vest.
or again, just next to yourkeys, your phone, your
(28:29):
sunglasses, because a photo oflike one flower, one hiking
signpost, one sunset, justsomething again that says, this
is my life, is all that youneed, and then you're done.
And then also don't forget topre-visualize, are you going to
the county fair?
Are you going to a car show?
Maybe, Google, county fair or acar show, just to get a visual
(28:51):
idea of what images are beingcaptured so that you kind of
have an idea of what tophotograph while you're there.
And then be on the lookout foryour version of that shot.
And then also what I find superhelpful is having a gentle
learning curve, meaning to givemyself just a single goal per
(29:13):
outing.
So, this weekend I might be, I'mgonna practice back button
focus, or I'm gonna shooteverything at F eight.
Little aside here.
I don't know if, uh, how manyfans of the original, Perry
Mason TV show there are outhere, but, if you're like me and
you love that show to death,then if you watch it from a
(29:35):
photographic perspective, you'regonna realize how amazing, it.
From a cinematographystandpoint, I mean, everything
had to have been shot at F 16, F22, and these are like TV sets.
There's not a lot of depth, soevery single thing is in focus
and realizing how they usecamera movement and blocking and
(30:00):
composition to guide eye whereit needs to go is incredible.
Same with the Twilight Zone.
Oh my gosh.
The Twilight Zone, I would sayis takes it a whole nother
level.
So, you know, if you're thinkinglike, shoot everything at F
eight, that sounds terrible.
No, trust me, if you can getreally good at it and your
photos are gonna be morecompelling than people who shoot
(30:20):
it F two or 1.8 or things likethat.
Anyway.
that was my whole thing.
Go check out Perry Mason.
Go check out Twilight Zone ifyou have Paramount Plus.
they're all there.
All right.
I also know that a lot of y'all,maybe thinking about turning
photography into a business inthe future, you know, maybe
fall.
Hint, hint, wink, wink.
and I'll have some tips for youas well.
(30:41):
You can use your summer to buildyour portfolio or just practice,
bigger things.
you don't need to have some sortof fancy shoot planned to make
progress in photography.
You can simply be moreintentional while photographing
what you're already shooting toget portfolio worthy photos,
(31:03):
family reunions are a greatplace to practice Candy group
shots.
summer fairs are a fantasticplace for, practicing street
photography or playing withlight if you are, going on a
mini vacation or traveling forwork.
Challenge yourself to capturesomething for your portfolio,
even if it's not, for a client.
(31:24):
Because that's how I built myfirst portfolio when I knew that
I wanted to get into weddings,but I needed images to show to
potential clients to show them.
Hey, I'm not, so random to dowith a camera.
I kind of have an idea of whatI'm doing here.
What I did was I just assembledsome of my best personal images.
I'm sure that's what you woulddo as well.
So why not capture the bestpersonal images that you can
(31:46):
write now so that you can builda better portfolio.
I love elevated snapshots of myfamily, like as much as, as you
do.
But when I see an opportunity tocapture some funky light or an
eye catching composition, like,I'm gonna do it.
And if it turns out really good,then yeah, I'm gonna use it in
(32:07):
my first temporary portfolio toshow clients, to show clients
that I see light, to showclients that I see moment, to
show clients that I see how toturn everyday ordinary things
into beautiful images.
Like, that's what being aphotographer is if you're going
into business.
So, kill two birds with onestone, photograph your family,
(32:28):
photograph your adventures, andwork on getting portfolio
quality images at the same time.
and you know, another part aboutlike documenting, your summer is
that if you're working onbuilding a business right now,
and you're dealing withbalancing work, balancing
family, balancing yourphotography dreams, that's your
summer.
(32:48):
So document that journey too.
Get a shot of you editing latenight, get a shot of you
planning a shoot, get a shot ofyou failing miserably, getting
everybody out the door on time,like these are part of your
story of summer.
So they're important.
So as a recap, remember focus ondual purpose shooting.
If you go to a kid's birthdayparty, hey, capture those candid
(33:10):
moments and snag a detail shotor two of the cake.
Those are great images for theportfolio.
Um.
Document your summer, even ifthat is documenting your journey
to your photography dreams.
That selfie, in front of yourcomputer at one in the morning.
that shot of you taking aportrait of your great Aunt
Linda at the family reunion.
(33:31):
Like these things start to buildthat trust and authenticity.
and it is your actual summer atthe same time.
And then here's the thing that Ididn't think of before.
Maybe think about like microprojects, like a little summer
series.
Maybe local summer food trucksor front porch portraits, that
could be a great way to captureyour neighbors, your
(33:53):
neighborhood.
make friends with people in yourneighborhood who could become
potential clients as well.
So, there you go.
Alright.
This whole episode is here tohelp you to, better carrier
camera to better see the momentsin front of you to, create a
habit of shooting daily and toshare your images as well.
So here are some actionable waysto help you do just that.
(34:18):
Start a summer photo diary.
What is that?
Well, it is a fancy way of justtaking at least one photo per
day, no pressure for perfection.
and then at the end of the week,look back at your photos and see
what surprised you.
You had a whole week full ofimages captured either on your
camera, your phone, a point, andshoot disposable camera, you
(34:40):
know, whatever.
But focus on just capturing onephoto a day with intention.
All right.
Number two is to reflect on whatmakes your summer unique.
Before softball took over ourfamily's summers, we used to go
to the best amusement park slashwaterpark on the planet, which
is Holiday World in, SantaClaus, Indiana.
(35:03):
We'd go every 4th of Julyweekend and have so many photos
from those trips, and.
That made Summer, unique for us.
So maybe for you, it's the samebeach trip you guys go on every
year, or maybe it's working inyour yard between, Midwest
thunderstorms, whatever it is,write a sentence or two daily
along with your photo.
(35:25):
just talking about the photo,the day, the summer.
And what that's going to do is.
when you have a habit of takinga photo every day, and then you
build upon that habit byjournaling about the photo that
you took every day, that's gonnastrengthen your habit of
creating daily.
All right.
Tip three is to use photographyto build connection.
(35:48):
That's the whole point, right?
Ask your family and friends topick their favorite photo of the
week, and then print out a mini,summer photo album around
Memorial Day.
How cool would that be to have aphysical token of your summer
with your favorite photos, andthen even like the journal entry
along with it.
That'd be so cool.
All right.
Tip number four is to remember,always be ready.
(36:10):
Keep that lightweight bag packedwith, your camera in it, a
battery, a memory card.
Hang it by the door so that whenyou head out, you can just grab
it and go and be ready forwhatever the day.
Brinks.
And then lastly, summer's aboutsmall, honest moments.
That's what summer is to me.
Those sticky faces, theovergrown gardens, the road trip
(36:33):
pit stops, you know, going toBucky's.
That's a thing.
That's like an event rightthere, which is so crazy to me.
Like 10-year-old myself wouldthink that's the stupidest thing
in the entire world.
But like now, it's, we're allpretty excited to go to Bucky's
whenever we're on a road trip.
So anyway, you know, it's alsofriends laughing over burnt
marshmallows, like these smallmoments.
(36:54):
that's the good stuff.
Even if it doesn't look quoteunquote fancy or professional.
A photo of a moment is betterthan no photo of a moment.
And remember, if plans change,if the weather ruins your
barbecue, if you forget yourcamera again, don't sweat it.
(37:15):
Sometimes the best moments arethe ones that are totally
unplanned.
Remember progress overperfection.
presence over polish.
Ooh, that's a good one.
Presence over polish.
If you can be present in yourlife and you use your camera to
document that over, a quoteunquote magazine, perfectly
polished image.
(37:36):
You're gonna be able to create,a full summer of amazing work.
And remember, the jaw photos arevaluable because they're yours,
not because they are technicallyperfect, not because they look
like anyone else's.
It's because they are yours.
So there you go.
Those are my tips and my storiesfor making this your most
(37:59):
photographed summer ever.
Whether you have a family fullof, busy kids, whether maybe
you're an empty nester and youhave more time to explore
projects on your own, or you'regrowing a photography business,
you know, you're working on yourphotography dreams.
Those are my tips to making thisthe most photographed summer
(38:20):
ever, because again, photographyis here to enhance our lives,
not to be the memory of ourlives.
So there you go.
That's it for today.
Remember, the more that youshoot today, the better of a
photographer you will betomorrow.
Talk soon.
If plans change, if the weather ruins
your barbecue, if you forgetyour camera again, don't sweat
it.
Sometimes the best moments arethe ones that are totally
unplanned.
Remember progress overperfection.
presence over polish.
If you can be present in yourlife and you use your camera to
(00:22):
document that over, a quoteunquote magazine, perfectly
polished image.
You're gonna be able to create afull summer of amazing work.
Hey everybody.
Welcome back to the BeginnerPhotography podcast.
I'm your host Raymond Hatfield,and I am also a parent of two
kids who are on summer vacation.
(00:45):
And if you're anything like me,well then maybe you've already
promised yourself that this willfinally be the summer, that you
actually go out and you shootmore, and you capture all the
things.
That are summer, but then, lifehappens, you work plans change
and before you know it, thepool's closed and, the season's
(01:06):
over and your memory card stillis basically empty except for
like those eight photos that youtook at that, 4th of July
cookout and one of those photosbeing an awkward backyard
selfie.
Yeah, I have, uh, I'vedefinitely been there before.
So if you've ever scrolled onFacebook or Instagram, come
August and thought.
(01:27):
Wait a minute, did I even pickup my camera this season?
Then this episode is, gonna beyour nudge, your pep talk, and
your game plan all rolled intoone because we are going to make
sure that, by the time Labor Dayrolls around, that you have got
not only a memory card that isfull of moments that mattered
(01:48):
most to you.
But also a heart full of thesewonderful memories, that are
captured, right?
Because photography is not allabout just capturing the photo
of the moment.
It's also about, being a part ofyour life and, enhancing the
moment that you get to live aswell.
So today I am talking all aboutmaking this your most
photographed summer ever, nomatter what camera it is that
(02:11):
you're carrying.
And yes, I mean, even if it isjust your iPhone.
So we're gonna dig into whatreally makes Summer photos
valuable.
Why your everyday moments areworth capturing.
And I'm also gonna share somepractical and totally doable
tips that you can start usingright now to make, again, this
your most photographed summerever.
(02:33):
Even if you're feeling too busy,or you know it's already a few
weeks in, maybe you're feelingtoo late to the party or you're
too overwhelmed to even thinkabout shooting.
So to start off this episode, Iwould've thought, it'd be nice
to take you back, share a littlestory of mine, take you back to
a, it was a July evening a fewyears ago, and I had, just
(02:56):
poorly built this fire pit inour backyard, and took me all
day, I mean.
Honestly, it's thinking back, itis embarrassing how long it took
me to build this thing, but bythe end of the evening, my wife
and my kids were all sittingaround this fire pit and we're
just talking, and it's just likethis wonderful summer, evening.
(03:17):
and I wanted to kind of live inthis moment forever, right?
I wanted a photo to be able tocapture this feeling, capture
this feeling of, of what summerfelt like to me, but my, you
know, quote unquote real camera,my Fujis were, well, they were
inside, they were in my office.
(03:37):
They were sitting on my desk,which, at that time was exactly
zero help to me whatsoever inthat moment because I wanted to
be in that moment of, of thejoy, of, the family time.
I didn't want to have to get upand go inside, get my camera
come back out, and chance havingthe moment changed.
(03:58):
But you know what?
I had in my pocket, my phone.
So I pulled it out.
I took a few shots.
I caught what I found was theperfect frame of what it was
that I was looking for, that wasit.
Is it technically flawless?
No.
Did it win any awards also?
(04:19):
No.
Would a photo with, again, myquote unquote real camera, have
been better?
Uh, a thousand percent, but Ididn't have it, so I took the
photo with my phone and thatphoto was framed in our house
for years because it screamed.
This is our summer, and nowevery time I look at that photo
(04:40):
can smell our backyard.
And there's really somethingspecial about that.
I mean, that is, that is thegoal of photography to, to
capture the moments of ourlives, to help, enhance our
memories of the things that welive through.
Again, even if it's just yourphone.
So let me start off by sayingsomething that has been said 10
(05:03):
million times before by people,not even just myself, but it is
that the best camera is the onethat you have on you.
And again, I know it soundssuper cliche, but, every time I
leave my, again, quote unquotereal camera at home, and I just
bring my phone.
(05:23):
I somehow always end up seeingsomething amazing, whether it's,
in the summertime that perfectgolden light or my kids doing
something hilarious, somethingthat I'm gonna wanna remember,
or just that feeling of like,ah, some summer's here, right?
we're out and we're doingsomething, that's a summer.
And rather than kicking myselffor not bringing my camera.
(05:47):
I will just use my phone tocapture the photo.
And like guys, I have an iPhone13 mini.
Like this is not a pro phone, oreven a current phone, but it is
the best camera that I have onme at the time.
So that's what I use becausewhen I'm out photographing the
summer activities, it's notabout best photo possible.
(06:10):
It's about best photo of thismoment and the best photo of a
moment is always gonna be aphoto rather than no photo.
So therefore, if I take thephoto on my phone, then it is
what it is.
So don't feel bad.
The first part of making thisyour most photographed summer
ever is to not shame yourselffor not bringing your camera
(06:35):
with you.
It is to not, discard thesemoments of summertime.
Just because all you have isyour phone.
capture it.
It takes great photos, like souse it to take a photo.
But this is a photographypodcast.
It's not a phone photographypodcast.
(06:55):
So, we oftentimes do want tobring our, dedicated camera with
us.
especially, it's a lot easierwhen, I know that there's a lot
of hesitation of just bringingin a camera with you during
everyday life, on your way towork, or grocery shopping, or
the doctor's office, you know,things like that.
But in the summertime, wetypically go more places.
(07:18):
We do more things, with the goalof family time or relaxing or
connecting with others, andtherefore, it's gonna be more
common to bring your camera withyou.
So I also want to fair share, afew tips on how to create that
carrier camera everywhere withyou, mindset.
So here is my first challenge,right?
(07:40):
It is to bring your camera withyou everywhere.
Again, whether it's your phone,whether it's, an old point and
shoot camera like this, uh,Sony, tx.
Is it tx?
Yeah, TX 20, which is worth itsweight in gold, honestly, even
though it's from like, I think2012.
Or it is again, your dedicatedcamera.
(08:01):
So the challenge for you here isto bring a camera with you
everywhere you go, right?
toss it in your bag.
Keep it in your cup holder.
Whatever works, honestly.
and you know, the thing aboutsummer is that you don't need a
photography outing.
to be able to capture incredibleimages.
A lot of photography is not,being in the most beautiful
(08:25):
places or being in the, thebusiest.
urban areas, it's just aboutsimply being present and ready.
It's less about the camera andmore about the moment and how it
is that you capture it.
Because these cameras are tools.
They're not creators.
They are tools that use tocreate.
The images of our life, andbecause they're tools, treat
(08:49):
them like that, don't baby them.
I understand.
You know, maybe five,$600 on acamera is quite an investment in
a camera.
Might be the biggest that you'veever spent on a camera, but
these things are not.
I was gonna say, they're notmade of glass, but like a lens
is technically made of glass.
So that may be a bad, analogy,but they're not as fragile as
you think that they are.
(09:10):
And honestly, as time goes on,they just get more robust and
better and better and better.
So if it means that, um, you'regonna miss a photo because
you're babying your camera andit's gotta be padded in the
special thing and you know, allthis stuff and tucked away and,
protected and, don't do that.
Get a camera strap.
The one that came with yourcamera is fine.
(09:31):
Put it on, loop it around yourshoulder.
And that's it.
I mean, for me and my summeroutings, my go-to is my Fuji Ex
Pro two, it's from 2016.
It's not even again, like acurrent camera with a 27
millimeter lens attached to it.
and a neck strap and that's it.
I just carry it around myshoulder.
Walk around everywhere.
If I see something, I pull it upand I take a photo and then I
(09:53):
put it back and that's it.
Next thing is to have twobatteries always on rotation.
There's one that's always in thecamera and then the other one is
always on the charger.
And if I see that, you know, Igrab the camera before we're
about to go out, I turn it onreal quick and see that the
camera is half or less, thenI'll just do a quick battery
swap.
(10:13):
And then I'm out the door with afull battery.
That way you're never wonderinglike, wait, is this charge, is
it not charged?
Because you don't wanna show up,anywhere with a dead battery.
I've done that before.
I've brought the camera, I'velugged it with me.
We went out, camera was dead.
That feeling sucks, so justremove that friction as well.
Always have two batteries, oneon the charger, one in the
(10:35):
camera, and then swap it out.
I don't know, every day or so,like depending on how much
you're shooting, and there yougo.
And again, if it's not adedicated camera, maybe it's a
large camera that you have apocketable point and shoot
camera or a phone might work outgreat for you.
Put it in a, in a sling or, hangit up next to your door, so that
(10:58):
when you leave, you always seeit there.
One thing that I do is I alwayskeep this, Sony point and shoot
camera right next to, my phone,my wallet, my keys, and my
sunglasses so that whenever Ileave the house and I need to
grab something, I grab my phone,wallet, keys, sunglasses,
camera, and then I'm ready togo.
And then when I'm in my car, Iliterally take the camera and I
(11:20):
just put it in my cup holderbecause I don't know, sometimes
you're driving and you seesomething and you're like, let
me take a photo of that.
And it's just nice to have,always around you within close
distance to be able to take thatphoto.
You get outta the car, you justgrab the camera, you go out, you
shoot, and then that's it.
This isn't about dedicatinglike, again, an entire amount of
time for a photography outing.
(11:41):
Sometimes you're gonna take somephotos that are great, that are
just kind of these unpredictablemoments at the grocery store.
And you only took three photosthat day with your camera.
But it's all about buildingthat, mindset of carrying a
camera with you everywhere sothat you will start to see more
photographically.
So, make a plan right now.
(12:02):
Pause this episode and think toyourself, what can I do to make
carrying a camera?
More friction free.
Whether it's keeping it run byyour door, keeping it by your
phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses,keeping those two batteries
always charged, or keeping thecamera in your car's glove box.
I don't know, like, think toyourself, what would it take for
(12:25):
bringing a camera with meeverywhere to become
frictionless?
Then take a step towards,towards doing that because
that's how you start to takemore photos as you bring your
camera with you more places.
Alright, now let's talk aboutone of my favorite subjects.
Summer Light.
I mean, summer light is, it'smagical.
(12:45):
It is dynamic.
It is sometimes unpredictableand it can easily mess up your
exposures if you're not careful.
And I think that that's why itmakes it so much fun is that
every time you go out, it's achallenge.
It's something new, and that isgoing to build upon your
skillset of seeing light andphotographing it.
(13:09):
So here's what I want you to do.
I want you, I mean, my goal foryou is to start noticing light
at different times of the day.
We all know that Golden Hourgets all the love it's pretty
great.
I'm not gonna lie, but I don'twant you to shy away from maybe
the weird beauty of harshmidday, summer sun, or the warm
(13:34):
chaos of the summertimecampfire.
Or fireworks, come the 4th ofJuly here in the states,
fireworks are incredible.
Or there's plenty of things likestate fairs and things like
that.
All the neon signs and theartificial light after dark.
Ugh.
There's not many things that saysummer more than that.
I mean, the thing is that we'rejust outside more during the
(13:56):
summer.
We're busier.
we see more things, so itbecomes a perfect opportunity to
get the experience of shootingall of these different types of
light that you're going to runinto.
Now, if you're thinking like,okay, I get it, like harsh
midday sun.
What is it that I'mphotographing here?
(14:18):
What is it that I'm looking for?
Here's what I want you to lookout for.
I want you to pay attention tothings like shadows, right?
How long they get in the eveningor in the morning, or how they
disappear at noon.
Uh.
how they dance across thekitchen table at breakfast.
And then I also want you to lookat highlights.
Summer is full of brighthighlights, so try to spend a
(14:40):
day or a weekend just exposingfor the highlights.
When you do that, that's gonnacreate this beautiful, contrasty
image with like crushed, darkshadows.
And that could be fun to have anew visual style of summer,
right?
So pay attention to the way thatthe sunlight makes water sparkle
if you're going out to the lakeor the river or the beach, or
(15:03):
what headlights look like on arainy drive.
You know, growing up inCalifornia between the months of
like May and October there wasno rain.
So moving here to the Midwestwas like this weird change where
you need to have an umbrella ina car at all times.
Even like July, like, what isthis about?
But I've had 4th of July partiesbeing rained out and like
(15:25):
growing up in California, thatwould've been unheard of.
But anyway, this is how youtrain your eyes when you look
for the things that light does.
It makes shadows, it createsthese beautiful highlights.
It can create these sparkles inthe way that it shimmers off of
things.
And again, noticing the world ina new way is how you fall in
(15:48):
love with the photography allover again.
When I get into a rut, and bywhat I mean by when I get into a
rut, is that I just won't belike photographing for a while.
I'll find that like I just needlike a jumpstart.
And that doesn't necessarilymean like, oh, planning this
photo project or something toget my visual brain going again.
It just means like taking photosof the everyday things that I
(16:13):
do.
In the morning my wife and Itypically have a cup of coffee
on the porch.
And, we have some hostas in ourfront, garden area.
And from time to time, bees showup to the hostas.
hummingbirds show up as well.
We have some bunnies and,squirrels in our front yard.
So just like, even just sittingout there and just like
(16:34):
capturing them in the morning,when the sun is like low in the
sky and hitting them andbacklighting them, and it looks
just warm and dynamic andbeautiful.
That right there, I mean, whenyou see that in a photo instead
of just like, taking the wholeworld in, but you see.
What a bee looks like, backlitas it's, inside of a flower
(16:57):
kickstart, something within yourbrain and you're like, wow, this
so beautiful.
And it almost feels effortless.
So then going throughout theday, mid-morning kids wake up,
oh, now they wanna play somebasketball outside before the
day starts.
Okay, I'm gonna take a fewphotos of that, oh, well what if
I, you know, my kids are shortbecause they're kids.
What if I got the camera uphigh, like up by the rim and got
(17:21):
them shooting for it?
Oh, okay.
Now I'm starting to see theworld in different compositions.
What if I got the camera downlow and, behind them?
In the background, I could seethe backboard as they go to
shoot it.
Okay.
That's a new composition.
And then throughout the day,these moments just kind of
present themself.
These are everyday moments thatyou go through, but if you bring
(17:42):
a camera to it, you're gonnastart seeing it
photographically.
And again, that's gonnakickstart the process for you of
just taking more photos of yoursummer.
So I wanna give you a quickexercise to better see and
document all of this beautiful,gorgeous summer light.
And it is this, pick just onesubject, something that is
(18:03):
easily accessible.
Maybe it's the hammock in yourbackyard, something that you're
gonna see throughout the day.
And I want you to photograph itat three different times of the
day.
One at like.
9:00 AM again, at 2:00 PM andthen again at like golden hour,
same spot, same lens.
Try to get the exact same frameas well, like know where you're
standing and then when you'redone, look at all three of the
(18:26):
photos on your computer and seehow just the lights change
creates these different summermoods and now you've captured
them.
So again, think about that asyou're going forward.
Oh, we're going to the fair.
We're going on a morning walk.
And now you can kind ofvisualize what the light is
gonna look like at that time soyou can start to preplan some
(18:48):
photos.
All right, if you have kids,here is something about
photographing the summer that Ihad to kind of come to grips
with as a parent, and that isthat your favorite summer photos
probably won't be the ones thatyou planned.
You may have big plans.
Our family has big plans.
(19:09):
We have a trip to Alaskaplanned.
We're going to, Oshkosh,Wisconsin for the world's
biggest air show.
We got weekends, at the localpool.
And somehow that doesn't meanthat just because you put in the
effort into something special,like going to these places that
you're guaranteed to getphenomenal photos from it,
(19:33):
right?
Photos of the kids happy orbeautiful landscapes or, perfect
weather.
Like you're not guaranteed thosethings.
And when I think about theimages that I capture of summer,
some of my most cherishedimages.
of my kids happened during afreak rainstorm, sitting on the
porch again, enjoying themorning sun, having that cup of
(19:53):
coffee and they're just outthere like riding around on
their scooters, trying to figureout what the flow of the day is
going to be, or just themlaughing in the back seat of the
cars where as we're drivingsomewhere.
That's why having that camera inyour cup holder is so important
just keep your eyes on the road,but just kind of turn it on and
just snap a few.
If, if it doesn't work, itdoesn't work.
But if it does, then hey, great,you got that photo.
(20:14):
But despite the fact that someof your favorite photos are
going to be the ones that arecompletely unplanned, that you
didn't intend for at all, youstill do have to plan to take
photos during all of the funthings, that you have put
together.
Because that's, that's being aparent, right?
Like, we want to go to these funthings.
(20:35):
We hope for the best.
So of course we're gonna takephotos of it so that when our
kids get older, they don't say,you never took us anywhere fun.
And we could be like, the hell Ididn't.
And then you can show'em allthese photos, right?
And you also want to make surethat you actually capture the
moments that you put effort intoand the things that your kids.
Are looking forward to as well.
So one thing that I try to do atthe beginning of the summer is
(20:57):
ask the family like, what areyou guys most excited for this
summer?
And then in your head, just kindof make a little, bucket list
together, right?
Everything from, you know, mydaughters said water balloon
fights.
our son has said making s'moresout in the the backyard fire
pit.
for me this year, it's hopefullyseeing a bear.
Now when we go up to Alaska,this isn't a must do list, but
(21:21):
this is more of like a be on thelookout for list because I can
tell you sometimes as a dad,like the end of a Saturday
evening, like I'm pooped.
I did a bunch of yard work allday.
We went out, we did all thesecrazy things, and now like I
just wanna sit and like relax.
It's like eight, 9:00 PM andthen my son might say like, Hey,
(21:41):
my friend's gonna come over.
Can we make s'mores?
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, sure.
Whatever.
Like in the fire pit out back.
Now I know that if that's thething that he's most looking
forward to.
I gotta get my butt up off thecouch and I have to try to take
a few frames of it, even if it'snot like I'm not gonna turn it
into a thing that feelsinauthentic, but I'm gonna go
out there and capture, a fewphotos of them making s'mores
(22:04):
and enjoying that time together.
On that note, life can get inthe way sometimes.
Sometimes, you're not gonna bethere when these things are
happening, when the kids arehaving that, s'mores party in
the evening or, you know, maybeweather will ruin a beach day.
So again, because life can getin the way and you might not be
(22:26):
able to get everything that youwere hoping for.
I want you to remember to giveyourself some grace if you
don't, because if you have kids,some are as hard enough as it is
to make sure that they areentertained, but not on their
screen all day and that you'replanning fun things for them.
And sometimes again, like Isaid, the weather might change
(22:47):
or who knows.
But the idea of this is notmaking it, you're most perfectly
photographed summer ever.
It's just your most photographedsummer ever.
So go into it with moreplanning, but less expectation.
You're planning to capture thesephotos, but if you don't, then
(23:07):
you don't, and you're not gonnalet that ruin everything for
you, because photography shouldnot be about, again, summer is
not about the photograph.
Summer is about time spenttogether with family and
building connections with eachother, and then the camera's
just there to enhance thosememories.
Just take those photos that,that bucket list beyond the
(23:29):
lookout for list, and use thatas your guide to photos rather
than forcing everyone intomatching summer outfits, for
like this, Pinterest perfectsummer group photo.
And honestly, like no judgment,but I can tell you from
experience that those photos inour family usually end in tears
(23:52):
or outfits covered in dirt.
And, that's not really what Iwant my summer to be remembered
as.
so if you know that your summeris gonna be busier or messier
than quote unquote, magazineready all the time, then what
you can do is photograph thechaos as well.
Chaos can make some beautifulphotos.
(24:13):
Some of my favorite photos as akid were the ones where I have
like melted Popsicle runningdown my shirt, you know?
So document those things.
Document the sticky faces,document the muddy feet, the
living room forts that neverquite seemed to get cleaned up.
Yeah, we have those as well.
So just remember that these arethe moments that you're gonna
(24:35):
want to remember and it's notabout creating a whole series of
images of these things.
Sometimes it's just getting afew photos of it.
So let's recap here.
Create a bucket list,brainstorm.
Okay?
Maybe over breakfast.
Ask your kids, ask your familywhat's the one thing or what's
(24:55):
something that you're reallyexcited for this summer and then
just kind of secretly jot downtheir answers and make that your
be on the lookout for shot list.
Another thing, if you do havekids take more photos at their
level, taking a photo of a10-year-old from the average
height of an adult of like fivenine or five 10 looking down on
(25:17):
them is not interesting.
That doesn't inspire the feelingof summer.
So, kneel down, bend over, sit,lie on the grass, whatever it
is, take photos of your kids attheir perspective or lower
because their world looksdifferent down there and when
you get down there, so will yourphotos.
Trust me.
(25:38):
Alright, and then, the lastthing here is to honestly,
embrace the mess.
Like I said, Popsicle stains,pool towels everywhere.
bedtime meltdowns, you know,whatever it is, the future
version of yourself and yourkids are going to thank you for
taking those photos today, eventhough it might not feel like,
like the whole picture ofsummer, if that makes sense.
(26:01):
But anyway, embrace the mess.
And maybe you're listening rightnow and thinking like, yeah,
well, like all of those soundgreat, but maybe my kids have
moved outta the house then.
Well, congratulations to youbecause I think that you are in
one of the best seasons forauthentic storytelling, because
you have not only years ofperspective, but you probably
(26:24):
have a lot less ego about havingthe perfect shot when you go out
and shoot.
So, for you, next time you'reout on a walk, next time you go
to the farmer's market, nexttime you're going, downtown to
meet your friends at a littlecar meet or something.
you're pulling weeds in thegarden.
Just bring your camera along.
(26:44):
Photography doesn't just have tobe about, your family, it's
about your life, so don'tunderestimate the beauty of
those quote unquote everydaymoments.
Pulling weeds in the gardendoesn't sound like a great
photo, but I think you'd besurprised at how cool a
dandelion can look with a newperspective or the way that the
(27:05):
sun, peaks through the leaves ofthe trees on your morning walk.
Those moments of your life arealso important.
They're important because it'syour life.
It's not necessarily likesomething that's gonna be
printed huge and going to changethe world, but it's capturing
your life and that is why it'simportant.
(27:25):
So for you, make a list of yourfavorite summertime activities.
Is it gardening?
Is it hiking, going to thebeach?
Is it grilling out?
Is it road trips, having friendsover, whatever.
And then do the same activity.
Pre-visualize a photo or twothat you would like to capture,
and then go for it.
(27:45):
Be on the lookout for it.
And then don't stress if themoment doesn't go according to
plan, because that's a life, ifI could account how many times,
a wedding that is pretty wellplanned out, didn't go to plan,
it would be a lot.
And that's, that's like aplanned out thing, you know,
that's not just life happening.
So, don't stress over thosemoments that, again, don't go
(28:08):
according to the plan becauseyou want, as I said earlier, the
camera to be an observer of yourlife and not the creator of your
memories.
So for you it might be.
A good idea to keep a camera, inyour gardening apron or your
hiking vest.
or again, just next to yourkeys, your phone, your
(28:29):
sunglasses, because a photo oflike one flower, one hiking
signpost, one sunset, justsomething again that says, this
is my life, is all that youneed, and then you're done.
And then also don't forget topre-visualize, are you going to
the county fair?
Are you going to a car show?
Maybe, Google, county fair or acar show, just to get a visual
(28:51):
idea of what images are beingcaptured so that you kind of
have an idea of what tophotograph while you're there.
And then be on the lookout foryour version of that shot.
And then also what I find superhelpful is having a gentle
learning curve, meaning to givemyself just a single goal per
(29:13):
outing.
So, this weekend I might be, I'mgonna practice back button
focus, or I'm gonna shooteverything at F eight.
Little aside here.
I don't know if, uh, how manyfans of the original, Perry
Mason TV show there are outhere, but, if you're like me and
you love that show to death,then if you watch it from a
(29:35):
photographic perspective, you'regonna realize how amazing, it.
From a cinematographystandpoint, I mean, everything
had to have been shot at F 16, F22, and these are like TV sets.
There's not a lot of depth, soevery single thing is in focus
and realizing how they usecamera movement and blocking and
(30:00):
composition to guide eye whereit needs to go is incredible.
Same with the Twilight Zone.
Oh my gosh.
The Twilight Zone, I would sayis takes it a whole nother
level.
So, you know, if you're thinkinglike, shoot everything at F
eight, that sounds terrible.
No, trust me, if you can getreally good at it and your
photos are gonna be morecompelling than people who shoot
(30:20):
it F two or 1.8 or things likethat.
Anyway.
that was my whole thing.
Go check out Perry Mason.
Go check out Twilight Zone ifyou have Paramount Plus.
they're all there.
All right.
I also know that a lot of y'all,maybe thinking about turning
photography into a business inthe future, you know, maybe
fall.
Hint, hint, wink, wink.
and I'll have some tips for youas well.
(30:41):
You can use your summer to buildyour portfolio or just practice,
bigger things.
you don't need to have some sortof fancy shoot planned to make
progress in photography.
You can simply be moreintentional while photographing
what you're already shooting toget portfolio worthy photos,
(31:03):
family reunions are a greatplace to practice Candy group
shots.
summer fairs are a fantasticplace for, practicing street
photography or playing withlight if you are, going on a
mini vacation or traveling forwork.
Challenge yourself to capturesomething for your portfolio,
even if it's not, for a client.
(31:24):
Because that's how I built myfirst portfolio when I knew that
I wanted to get into weddings,but I needed images to show to
potential clients to show them.
Hey, I'm not, so random to dowith a camera.
I kind of have an idea of whatI'm doing here.
What I did was I just assembledsome of my best personal images.
I'm sure that's what you woulddo as well.
So why not capture the bestpersonal images that you can
(31:46):
write now so that you can builda better portfolio.
I love elevated snapshots of myfamily, like as much as, as you
do.
But when I see an opportunity tocapture some funky light or an
eye catching composition, like,I'm gonna do it.
And if it turns out really good,then yeah, I'm gonna use it in
(32:07):
my first temporary portfolio toshow clients, to show clients
that I see light, to showclients that I see moment, to
show clients that I see how toturn everyday ordinary things
into beautiful images.
Like, that's what being aphotographer is if you're going
into business.
So, kill two birds with onestone, photograph your family,
(32:28):
photograph your adventures, andwork on getting portfolio
quality images at the same time.
and you know, another part aboutlike documenting, your summer is
that if you're working onbuilding a business right now,
and you're dealing withbalancing work, balancing
family, balancing yourphotography dreams, that's your
summer.
(32:48):
So document that journey too.
Get a shot of you editing latenight, get a shot of you
planning a shoot, get a shot ofyou failing miserably, getting
everybody out the door on time,like these are part of your
story of summer.
So they're important.
So as a recap, remember focus ondual purpose shooting.
If you go to a kid's birthdayparty, hey, capture those candid
(33:10):
moments and snag a detail shotor two of the cake.
Those are great images for theportfolio.
Um.
Document your summer, even ifthat is documenting your journey
to your photography dreams.
That selfie, in front of yourcomputer at one in the morning.
that shot of you taking aportrait of your great Aunt
Linda at the family reunion.
(33:31):
Like these things start to buildthat trust and authenticity.
and it is your actual summer atthe same time.
And then here's the thing that Ididn't think of before.
Maybe think about like microprojects, like a little summer
series.
Maybe local summer food trucksor front porch portraits, that
could be a great way to captureyour neighbors, your
(33:53):
neighborhood.
make friends with people in yourneighborhood who could become
potential clients as well.
So, there you go.
Alright.
This whole episode is here tohelp you to, better carrier
camera to better see the momentsin front of you to, create a
habit of shooting daily and toshare your images as well.
So here are some actionable waysto help you do just that.
(34:18):
Start a summer photo diary.
What is that?
Well, it is a fancy way of justtaking at least one photo per
day, no pressure for perfection.
and then at the end of the week,look back at your photos and see
what surprised you.
You had a whole week full ofimages captured either on your
camera, your phone, a point, andshoot disposable camera, you
(34:40):
know, whatever.
But focus on just capturing onephoto a day with intention.
All right.
Number two is to reflect on whatmakes your summer unique.
Before softball took over ourfamily's summers, we used to go
to the best amusement park slashwaterpark on the planet, which
is Holiday World in, SantaClaus, Indiana.
(35:03):
We'd go every 4th of Julyweekend and have so many photos
from those trips, and.
That made Summer, unique for us.
So maybe for you, it's the samebeach trip you guys go on every
year, or maybe it's working inyour yard between, Midwest
thunderstorms, whatever it is,write a sentence or two daily
along with your photo.
(35:25):
just talking about the photo,the day, the summer.
And what that's going to do is.
when you have a habit of takinga photo every day, and then you
build upon that habit byjournaling about the photo that
you took every day, that's gonnastrengthen your habit of
creating daily.
All right.
Tip three is to use photographyto build connection.
(35:48):
That's the whole point, right?
Ask your family and friends topick their favorite photo of the
week, and then print out a mini,summer photo album around
Memorial Day.
How cool would that be to have aphysical token of your summer
with your favorite photos, andthen even like the journal entry
along with it.
That'd be so cool.
All right.
Tip number four is to remember,always be ready.
(36:10):
Keep that lightweight bag packedwith, your camera in it, a
battery, a memory card.
Hang it by the door so that whenyou head out, you can just grab
it and go and be ready forwhatever the day.
Brinks.
And then lastly, summer's aboutsmall, honest moments.
That's what summer is to me.
Those sticky faces, theovergrown gardens, the road trip
(36:33):
pit stops, you know, going toBucky's.
That's a thing.
That's like an event rightthere, which is so crazy to me.
Like 10-year-old myself wouldthink that's the stupidest thing
in the entire world.
But like now, it's, we're allpretty excited to go to Bucky's
whenever we're on a road trip.
So anyway, you know, it's alsofriends laughing over burnt
marshmallows, like these smallmoments.
(36:54):
that's the good stuff.
Even if it doesn't look quoteunquote fancy or professional.
A photo of a moment is betterthan no photo of a moment.
And remember, if plans change,if the weather ruins your
barbecue, if you forget yourcamera again, don't sweat it.
(37:15):
Sometimes the best moments arethe ones that are totally
unplanned.
Remember progress overperfection.
presence over polish.
Ooh, that's a good one.
Presence over polish.
If you can be present in yourlife and you use your camera to
document that over, a quoteunquote magazine, perfectly
polished image.
(37:36):
You're gonna be able to create,a full summer of amazing work.
And remember, the jaw photos arevaluable because they're yours,
not because they are technicallyperfect, not because they look
like anyone else's.
It's because they are yours.
So there you go.
Those are my tips and my storiesfor making this your most
(37:59):
photographed summer ever.
Whether you have a family fullof, busy kids, whether maybe
you're an empty nester and youhave more time to explore
projects on your own, or you'regrowing a photography business,
you know, you're working on yourphotography dreams.
Those are my tips to making thisthe most photographed summer
(38:20):
ever, because again, photographyis here to enhance our lives,
not to be the memory of ourlives.
So there you go.
That's it for today.
Remember, the more that youshoot today, the better of a
photographer you will betomorrow.
Talk soon.
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