5 on 5 - February // Airport Delays // Milwaukee Photographer // Everyday Family Storytelling

For those of you who are new here, 5 on 5 is a series of blog posts by fellow documentary photographers, where we tell a story with 5 images on the 5th of every month. To see our January story click here and make sure to follow the links all the way through to complete the circle.

Anyway, for this month I was thinking about what story I can tell in 5 images. We had a very busy month which included winter break for my kids. We took advantage and headed south to family friends to soak in sunshine and warmth.

But when the weather isn't so cooperative, and there are storms and tornadoes sweeping the area, it makes for delayed flights. And bored children. 

So what does a mom and her camera do? Document the ways we spent the time warding off the boredom. Watching airplanes take off. Go to the kids play area (thank goodness for that!). Watch the airplanes take off. Go to the kids play area. Did I mention watching the airplanes take off? Oh and eat lunch somewhere in there too. And watch people. And play in the play area again.

Yeah. That's pretty much what we did for three and a half hours!

To see the beauty that Margaret, a family documentary photographer in Spokane, WA, documented this month follow the link! Make sure to click through to complete the circle and be inspired by all the wonderful women who I'm luck to call my friends.

{Personal Project} Documenting Everyday // Real Life // One Photo A Day // Week 2&3 // Milwaukee Family Photographer

So I thought I would be able to keep up with blogging my 365 weekly, and turns out I wasn't so successful last week. Actually, I shouldn't say it that way. I sort of interrupted my flow with my own Day in the Life session last week - SEE IT HERE - and couldn't get around to blogging my "regular" 365 images last week. So today you are privileged to get 2 weeks worth of photos!

Something during my second week, I took it upon myself to document our day too. So I may or may not have cheated and used some of the images from throughout my day for some of my 365 days.

Days 7-12 we did very exciting things. 

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We had meetings. We baked. We hugged. We brushed our hair. We took awalk in the snow.

This week I've been challenging myself to try and find light in unexpected places.

13. So on our only sunny day of the week, we discovered beautiful golden hour sun, streaming through our living room windows.

14. I was going to write, "On laundry day...", but it feels like every day is laundry day. In any event, she loves helping me with the laundry (whatever day I do it).

15 & 16. Keeping busy indoors when it's too wet and icy to play

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17. Getting together with local, like minded artists and their kids is always a fun activity. 

If you recently received a new DSLR and have no idea what anything means, I can help you! I am running a Beginner DSLR Workshop for Moms on Sunday, February 19, 2017. 

If you'd like some tips on capturing your everyday moments, sign up here for my email list and I'll send you a quick cheat sheet! As well, if you 

Motherhood // Real Life Documented // Milwaukee Family Documentary Photographer

Last January, I set out to preserve the daily memories we were making as a family. Morning routines, homework, shopping trips, the occasional meltdown, and the ever-present love and laughter. I realized that these natural, unscripted moments are what my children will always remember.

This year, I have made a couple resolutions, as I'm sure most of you have.

Firstly, to take one photo a day - a 365 project. To see what my first week of 2017 looked like head over here.

Secondly and more importantly, to get in the frame at least once a week. To be in a photo - either with my kids or without, so that when we relive our memories and pore through albums in years to come they should see their mother!

Which brings me to my third commitment. To document a day in our life once a month. I hadn't truly considered this until a fellow photographer, Sandi, challenged a group of us to take a photo each hour and document our day. I ended up making it more of a personal Day in the Life session and I'm so happy I accepted that challenge. 

This is an ordinary Monday in our house. Simple. Authentic. Beautiful.

From early morning stretches, carpool, nap time, carpool again, homework, dinner and bath time, I documented our day from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. 

There was no golden hour sunset. We didn't all hold hands and hug each other. We just lived our Honest Real Everyday. 

Love. Laughter. Teamwork. Persistence. Joy. And even a meltdown (or two).

But this is my life right now and I love it! It's hard. It's tiring. And there's lots of responsibility. But it's invigorating. And rewarding.

Seeing the photos I made of my day, and watching them in the slideshow just gave me goosebumps all over! The beauty inherent in each moment that makes up my day is so hard to miss when you're not living in the moment.

This here is motherhood from my point of view.

And you can have the same experience and feel those goosebumps too. You might think your house is too small. Or too dark. You want to lose those extra 10 pounds first. Or "we don't do anything exciting". Guess what? I want to lose those extra 10 pounds too (okay fine, more like 20). And we don't do anything exciting either, unless you consider carpool, cleaning the kitchen and taking baths exciting! 

As well I joined a group of like-minded photographers who will be documenting one day a month too. If you click here and go to Laura's blog post you can see how she documented her day. If you keep clicking through you'll get to see the beautiful days of more of my fellow talented photographers.

Let's get real this year. ME AND YOU!

I'd love to help you preserve your family's everyday beauty. It can be the simple everyday. Or it can be a favorite activity you do as a family. DROP ME A LINE and tell me what memories you'd like to capture forever.

Also, make sure to SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST to GET YOUR OWN GUIDE with tips to help you capture your everyday moments.