Whether you're a parent, a fur-parent, or a culinary wizard with 3,000 followers obsessed with your signature hardboiled eggs, camera phones have completely changed the photography game. Every moment of our lives can now, for better or worse, be documented with maddening detail. Unfortunately, the ability to take an infinite number of photos means we're often careless with our subjects, and destined to delete most of our poorly lit or out of focus images.
Because most phones nowadays (yeah, I said it. I remember the days before cell phones were even a thing, so I earned that right) automatically adjust for exposure, let's focus on things we can control. Composition is the biggest issue. Take the extra few seconds to make sure you aren't cutting off limbs or the tops of heads.
Obviously, my daughter was devouring her spaghetti in a real Hannibal Lector kinda way. It's a moment that would make any mother proud, so of course I busted out the camera. But what am I going to do with six dozen slightly different shots of an orange faced little hooligan? That's the kind of post that prompts people to hit "unfriend." Changing up the focus point or getting unusual angles gives your photos a fresh perspective and also draws attention away from what a nightmare the kitchen floor must be at that point.
Detail shots help to tell the story of your everyday moments, and will bring back the memories that much more clearly when you look back at your images. For me, the spaghetti photo below will forever remind me of the first day my daughter ever used a fork, and the day I stopped finding spaghetti appealing.
And above all, don't hesitate to break all the rules. Sometimes, you end up with magic. Life is messy, and sometimes your photos will be, too. The important thing is that you live moments worth remembering.
