I think all mothers sense the fleeting nature of childhood at some point. We grow a longing to pause life just long enough to breathe it a little deeper, laugh a little longer, and enjoy right where we are with our children in that moment. Some mothers might feel that way in the first days and months following birth–the quiet moments nursing, the series of firsts as they unfurl from womb to infant. Other mothers enjoy the early childhood years more, when their babies can move freely and express and interact–or even later, as their children bridge into adult years, straddling two worlds at once. Regardless, a mother’s heart always rubs up against time.
We all respond a little differently to time’s slipperiness. I met an older woman last week who saved all of her daughter’s hair clippings. “I literally have bags of it,” she told me. I honestly couldn’t imagine bags of anyone’s hair around my home, but I am forever trying to store time with words and photos. This in itself can sometimes feel like catching the tide. For many of us, parenting can feel overwhelming mundane and rote. Childhood is a collection of routine nothings that we know we’ll one day miss (at least some of them). Today we went to the park. Today you played in bubbles. Today you swam underwater. Today you carried your bag to school. How do we find the moments that matter to us, the ones we’ll really want to savor in future years? I’m not always sure myself, but I keep trying through this space, Instagram, and my own portrait project. As my children grow older, and we’ve closed the door on early years, I want to see and enjoy them more in our daily living together and somehow bottle up a bit of time in the process.
Ginger Unzueta, a homeschooling mother and professional photographer, helps parents discover the lovely bits of their days–and makes us crave summertime, too. In her online workshop, Everyday Beauty, via the Bloom Forum, she leads parents to find the beauty in our routines, in the nothings. She helps her online students understand how light and composition and detail come together to create your story, but she also covers practical topics like taking photos in public or even getting in the photo yourself. (Shock.) Her next three-week online workshop in May is currently sold out, but she is offering one lucky Cloistered Away reader a spot in the class. You can read more about her workshop here, and enter to win a spot below. Make sure to check back, since some of the options are available for daily entries.
This post was sponsored by Ginger Unzueta, a homeschooling mother and business owner who loves helping other parents find the beauty in their messy days. All images are courtesy of Ginger Unzueta. Thank you for supporting businesses that help keep this space alive. All thoughts are my own.
Comments
I find it difficult to capture a moment before it changes. And I wonder if other moms, whose photos I admire, have their kids pose more for “candid” shots. Like stirring the dough a little longer or blowing a few more bubbles or are they able to get those shots without the kids noticing or changing their position.
I’m basically a beginner wanting help. Not sure where or how to start but I know that I want to capture our lives and look for the joy in our every day. I’ve heard pictures can really help.
I am a big fan of Ginger’s photography paired with her refreshingly honest words and spiritual Truths. I would love to win a spot in her workshop! What a lovely giveaway! Keeping my fingers crossed. :D
PS: The most difficult part of photographing my children for me is getting in the frame with them!
Both of you ladies inspire me so! What a joy it would be to have the opportunity to participate in this workshop with ginger!
For me it’s being in any pictures with them. I need to work more on using the remote set up.
I have just been diving into their site for the past 1/2 hour! It’s so inspiring. Thanks for sharing this amazing giveaway. xoxo
The most difficult thing for me is making sure that my kids don’t loathe the camera and keeping my images fresh and not mundane. I try to make myself in the background. But, by doing that I sometimes feel like I miss out on some beautiful shots because I don’t like where they are, etc. And I would love to see more magical light spots in my home that I might be over looking!
photographing children is a bit like catching smoke, isn’t it. the challenge for me comes in observing and capturing without distracting or missing the moment. tricky balance! luckily my son is at an age where he still kind of doesn’t notice me shooting around him so mostly it’s just trying to keep up with him though!
getting action shots are the hardest for me and finding the balance between trying to get a picture and just enjoying the moment.
I absolutely adore following Ginger’s work and have wanted to take her class for a long time now. I would love to take her class this round:)
The most difficult part for me photographing my children is finding the right balance of when to just let them be and not risk interrupting them with the click of the camera or my movement.
Ginger’s work is so inspiring. The photos draw you in so you want to keep looking at them and find new details. This would be amazing to win.
Ginger’s work is AH-MAZING! I have wanted to be in her Everyday Beauty class for a while now–love following her IG account because of how real she is. I suppose the hardest part for me about photographing my children is what to do AFTER the photos have been taken–editing, to share or not to share, organizing, and safe-keeping. I’d love to learn more about Ginger’s process.
Thanks for a GREAT giveaway!
I really would like to have a chance learning with you. My problems are really about editing and try to have the best out of my photos. Thanks!
Inês from Portugal
The most difficult part for me is composition in order to capture the feeling or mood.
This would be the highlight of my year! I love Ginger’s work and life that she shares with all of us through her words and photography. It would be amazing to take a part in this workshop.
My current challenge is getting my children to keep playing / crafting / whatever they were doing instead of stopping and looking at me when they know I’m taking a picture.
Much of our day to day is the same, and for the most part I am shooting everyday, so it can become hard not to shoot the same thing again and again.
My biggest problem with photography is the lighting. (of course!) I also struggle with capturing city/nature photos.
My biggest challenge is capturing my kids in pretty light to give photos that wow factor and more ‘feeling’/emotion. Ginger’s photos have all of that and she inspires me with every image that she posts! It would be a dream come true to learn from my favorite photographer!!
Thanks so much for the chance ! Now that my kids are getting older they hate getting their picture taken more and more. Then getting them to take the picture in the first place coupled with getting them into good lighting … :)
Ginger.. I am in constant awe of your work and wld love to learn from u…. And hopefully meet u and your kids one day! I’m constantly telling Greg how amazing your site is and I love not only your pictures but also the inspiration and faith you give. My hardest challenge is capturing good light on my baby for those little moments… Before I lose them. And trying to do it quick before Greg gets mad that I’m taking to many pictures and not enjoying the moment!
What an amazing opportunity! I think my biggest challenge is trusting that I can capture the authentic moment beautifully without feeling the need to stop the action.
I would say that the hardest part of photographing my children is actually working with the available light, as opposed to disturbing the authentic moment to have them move to more ideal lighting :)
So excited about this giveaway!
Getting kids to cooperate in good light :)
For me the hardest part is getting the focus on moving targets while remembering composition to make it more than just a picture but a capture of moments. Would love this learning opportunity!
Trying to catch authentic moments without missing them, AND using the proper light, techniques, etc.
The most difficult part of photographing my children is that I start doubting myself, thinking I need to pose/plan, instead of capturing life as it happens.
The hardest thing about photographing my kids well is making sure I am reading light, so I am not only capturing a memory, but photographing it well.
Right now the hardest thing about photographing my kids is to keep finding the beauty in the same locations and the same activities. Here we are at the park, again. And at Mom’s favorite kitchen window. And eating PB&J. I feel boring sometimes and would live a jump start to help me appreciate routine life!
The hardest thing for me is to capture them as my memory holds them. I often wish I could have Ginger in my home to teach me how she does it. This would be the next best thing.
Huge fan of Ginger and have wanted to take this class for so long! Would love the opportunity! I document my kids all the time, but I’m finding it harder as they get older. I’ve been bracing myself for this time in their life when they aren’t as easy to photograph, but now that it’s here I’m not sure I’m ready ;)
This would be amazing! Thanks for the opportunity!
Oh how this would be so perfect! I have wanted to take this class since she first started offering it.
First of all, Ginger is incredible, as a photographer & as a person. I used to regularly take pictures of my children, but over the last year or so, I have not picked up my camera nearly as much. I feel as though time is slipping away. I also tend to keep my kids where they are when I take pictures, but feel that the images could be much stronger if I seek out the light more.
The hardest part of photographing my kids is being able to step back and capture the true nature of our daily life. I tend to want to take the time to de-clutter or set up the scene and thus sometimes missing the moment.
I love photographing my girls, but sometimes the hardest part for me is putting the camera down and enjoying the moment! What a wonderful giveaway!
Feeling so very inspired by Ginger’s style and completely understand the emotions behind her work as they really resonate with me. Love how she communicates so much with her work and would love to be able to do the same… Would so love to win this space .. And it could kick start my career just as needed.
The hardest part of photographing my kids- mainly my little one- is that he is always on the move and wants to SEE the picture before I take it!
She is such an inspiration to me!! Would love to learn from her ❤️
I almost signed up for this class, and feel like it would be exactly what I need right now. Would absolutely be overjoyed to have this opportunity.
oh how I would love to win a spot!!!
hardest thing about photographing my children is making sure that I get the natural reactions and able to step back to capture the moments with them
Most difficult part is knowing that I can’t have any myself when taking pictures of my friends or other peoples’ children.
Hardest part is my kiddos run away anytime they see my camera!
The hardest part for me is finding that balance between being truly authentic and taking photos that portray life the way I would like it to be.
The most difficult part in photographing my own children is getting out of the way. I tend to want to set things up, but my favorite images are the ones I take of them being “them”. I’m getting better at it, but I think it’s the only thing that matters in an image…is it real? I want to save the real them, not the “them” I forced on them. I just stumbled on this giveaway today but I would sure love this opportunity. I don’t follow many photographers, but I’ve found a special few that really manage to keep things real. Fantastic work!
The hardest thing about photographing my kids is that they don’t cooperate! They’ll make silly faces or stop what they were doing that I wanted to capture
i just adore Ginger’s work and would love to win a spot in her workshop!!
Ginger is awesome! Such a great giveaway! For me the hardest part of photographing my children is that they move too fast!!!!!
I have been following Ginger for quite a while and love it so much, that it inspired me to start my own project 365. I love doing it, however it is so so hard to find enough interesting things in everyday life. I would love to get an opportunity to get even more inspiration from you!
The hardest part of photographing my children is getting them to ignore my camera and let them capture them in the moment.
Getting dull looks from taking too many photos with the kids….
Taking too many pictures of my kids and getting dull lost looks when I want a portrait.
I would love to win a spot in Ginger’s workshop! I love her work!
I stumbled across Ginger on Instagram a month or so ago and as a paparazzi, hobbyist photographing mommy I was in complete awe! The way she captures unplanned priceless pictures of her children was so inspiring! I literally started planning my stay at home adventure with my little ones! Two great blogs you both have!
Honestly, the most difficult part for me is getting candid shots. My son ALWAYS seems to know when I have the camera on him and while he loves selfies he gets super shy if he can’t see what I’m taking pictures of. So all my shots are of him looking down :'(
My biggest challenge is documenting the moment honestly without feeling like I need to tell the idealized version.
To know what is going to be a good photo instead of just guessing
Love Ginger’s work! This is such a fantastic opportunity! My greatest challenge photographing my children is capturing the real moments while still attempting to get things technically right (or close to it) and creative.
Capturing my children authentically
I love your work! The hardest part about photographing my kids everyday finding away to make the everyday interesting. Whether it through movement, light, composition.
Awesome giveaway! The most difficult part for me is getting both of them in the frame at the same time. Ha!
This looks like an amazing opportunity! I don’t have kids myself yet but I have a nephew and a niece whom I am always capturing on camera. I’m always interested in learning more about photography and learning skills I can pass on to my sisters for them to use for photographing their kids, too. I have a hard time with lighting but also with them moving a lot while I’m trying to take the picture so they come out blurry often.
Amanda
love Ginger’s work! I find it difficult to look past all the imperfections in the scene when photographing my children sometimes…
This is so perfect! Exactly what I’ve been looking for in a photography course. I am challenged with finding new ways to photograph my children. I often think of taking pictures at meal times, when they are stiiing in one place, happy with food. I need some variety!
ah, I would love to learn from ginger! It’s easy to get caught up with everyday life, but I try my best to capture the little moments. right now, I need some more inspiration how to make beautiful pictures.
Capturing them just as they are.
To me, the most difficult part about photographing children is stepping back, capturing the ambience, the place, and sometimes also stepping forward and capturing little details. Sometimes I feel
I have and endless reel of close ups and portraits which are beautiful, but dont tell the whole story truthfully. To me, it is all about finding beauty in truth, in something that seems meaningless but it is perfectly meaningful to me as a mom.
I love Ginger’s work! And as a mother with a boy about to turn three and a two week old son I’m definitely feeling the time pressure of childhood. Tell them to stop, won’t you?
That said, as each new age dawns on me, I always find myself cherishing their new self all the more.
I have been parenting my seven children for over 21 years and have always loved capturing their childhood through photographs. Sadly, the photographs of the older ones are for the most part, blurry and cluttered with busy backgrounds. The hardest part for me then was knowing simple basics about good photography. It is getting better now, but I mourn the lost opportunities to beautifully capture my now grown babies. I am trying to make up for it now.
The most difficult part is getting action pictures. Having quite figured out my settings.
WHoopsies. I commented before I read what I was supposed to comment about. :) I feel like I just don’t have the “eye” for what will look good in a picture and what will not. I would like to develop that skill!
I never enter giveaways, but this is just too much! I would absolutely love to learn from GInger.