Memory-keeper and photographer, Stacy Canzonieri of Stacy Mae Photography shares how documenting family traditions & photo challenges can build connection to our loved ones.
Whether you’re looking for tips on photographing your kids, getting moms in the photo more often, or finding joy in everyday mundane moments, this conversation is full of inspiration and practical advice.
Ditch the perfection and try out one of Stacy’s viral photo challenges today!
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Stacy’s journey into photography and memory keeping.
- How the evolution of technology has impacted capturing family moments.
- Why getting intentional matters in modern day memory-keeping.
- The importance of moms being present in photos—and how to overcome self-doubt.
- Tips for making photo sessions with kids fun and stress-free.
- Keep sessions short,
- Do an activity or use fun/new props,
- Let go of perfection.
- When all else fails – bribe the kids lol — it’s true (we all do!)
- Re-defining traditions —> family traditions don’t have to just be limited to the holidays.
- Think family movie night or a make your own pizza night etc.
- Get more pictures of mom (or the main photo taker in the family) in the scene!
Document the Details:
My favorite takeaway was a reminder to document the little milestones as you would a big one! Focus on the details that tell the story — like messy shelves, favorite toys, or outfits your kids choose to wear themselves. Zoom in and focus on the tiny details that tell the story of the milestone.
I loved Stacy’s example of her daughter learning how to zip her jacket for the first time. She shared this photo example to support the value of zooming in on a detail that tells the story instead of just the cheese-y photo of her daughter wearing a zipped jacket.
Which version do you prefer?
Found these gems after our chat with Stacy. I am so glad I thought to document these little mile“stones.” My kiddos have always loved collecting and sharing rocks when they go about their day. It is happening less frequently now, but I will forever treasure these tiny little detail shots I snagged.
These photos reminded me that it might be time for me to zoom in on my kids again now. I’ve been taking tons of overhead shots and full scene shots that show what they’re doing, but not zooming in on the details like I used to.
Get in the Frame, Mama!
Stacy and I talked a bit about the importance of making sure we end up in the pictures as #proofofmom.
It stinks how often we’re rundown, not put together and in less photo ready shape than our adorable kiddos — but we talk about how we’re not letting that get in the way of showing up in the story.
As a mama who had a baby very early into the pandemic — I got really good at taking our own family self portraits!
5 Tips for Moms to Get in the Picture:
They all start with S for some reason — but let’s roll with it!
- Schedule it– Try to get in the frame with your kiddos at least 1x / year if not quarterly. Another fun challenge is to either set a reminder on your phone monthly to ask someone to snag a photo of you or book a mini session with a photographer and jump in the scene with your kiddos.
- Self-Timers– Use self timers or remote triggers (even your Apple Watch) to trigger your camera as a way to set the camera up somewhere and run into the scene with your kids. This works for both phones and DSLR cameras.
- Screen Capture– I love recording short movie clips on my phone and jumping into the action with the kiddos as my way to get in the frame. You can use an app like Frame Grabber to capture high quality screen grabs from video clips on your phone or DSLR footage.
- Swap it- Next time you have a playdate with another mom friend and her kiddos — ask to trade taking pictures. Never be afraid to ask for someone to snap a few pictures of you with your kiddos. Challenge yourself to ask more this year!
- Savor the season- We won’t always be so disheveled and overwhelmed. Our kiddos love us how we are and know us the way we are. Maybe it isn’t so bad to just jump in and be documented as we are in this season of life. You can always hit delete if the photo is “that bad!” – but honestly, I say keep it and savor it up, Mama!
I hope this episode leaves you inspired and not feeling so alone in the photo challenges and joys of noticing and documenting your family traditions and milestones!
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Stacy:
- Instagram: @stacymaeandco
- Weekly Emails: Sign Up Here
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Getting Intentional With Your Memories
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