In this episode of The Memories Podcast, Katie and I give you a pep talk on confidence and chat about the four ways that you can easily get yourself in front of the camera. We talk about the importance of getting yourself in your own photos and videos, times in which we had wished we had been in our own images more, and some of the things that we do to achieve that now.

Why it’s important that you’re in your own photos/videos:

This one’s pretty obvious--but we aren’t here just to document the lives of others… we want to document ourselves and our families as a whole which include us. This can actually be one of the hardest things to do because it’s so easy to take pictures of the things around us, but it’s often work to turn things around and get ourselves in the shot.

Reasons why you may not want to:

People don’t like how they look. No makeup on, or still in your pj’s
Your have to put forth effort to be in your own photos or you’re tired.
Not feeling perfect because you want to lose 10 pounds or are waiting for something to change that would take months to happen.

4 simple ways to get yourself in the picture:

1. Take selfies

We all have the selfie feature on our phones, let’s use it!

2. Use a Mirror

Photo: This is kinda just a different form of a selfie, but oftentimes mirror pictures can capture a lot more in the frame. Obviously these are not going to look anything like professional family photos, but if that’s what it takes for you to capture the moment and get yourself in the photo too then by all means they’re my favorite type of photo.

Video: You can definitely hold you camera up to the mirror and use it just the same as you would when you’re taking a mirror selfie, but in terms of video I’d actually recommend using a mirror a bit differently...Use it to see the back of your camera (if you don’t have a flip out screen)

3. Ask People to Take a Photo of You

Disclaimer: you should never expect strangers to take good photos!

Husband, parents, friends, strangers, etc.
Don’t be afraid to ask! These moments are too precious.
Hire a professional!!!

4. Use a Tripod

Gear you need:

A tripod: A tripod is an absolute must-have for shooting your own photos. You can get a really inexpensive one that will do the trick perfectly. We will link a couple in the show notes that either we have or think would be great for this situation. We recommend getting one that is an adjustable height and allows you to fold it up for easy transportation.
Your phone or a camera: If you already have a dslr or hobbyist camera, most are enabled with wifi now-a-days which means you can use an app on your phone to control the camera. However, if you’re just using your phone try using the back camera when you can (because it’s always better quality), and get a cheap bluetooth remote so you don’t have to keep running back and forth to start the self timer.

RECAP

Challenge - This week we want to challenge you to take one photo with yourself in it. Try something a little different and out of your comfort zone.

Next week's podcast is: We have a guest!! We’ll be chatting with Katie from ChasingVibrance.com about how you can use blogging as a form of memory keeping