Category archives: Instagram
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Today as I dropped my daughter off I held back the tears. Mostly because I didn't see any other moms starting to cry. Yes, I was looking around to see! I don't know if I will be strong enough to hold it in when I pick her up in 2 hours though. In fact, just writing this is is giving me the feels. Kara is my middle child but she is my first "kindergartener." My oldest was homeschooled. When Kara was 4 and started insisting she go to school I was a little taken back. I was sure she would want to stay home like her brother had. I worried that my quiet little girl had no idea what she was in for. Public school in LA? She hadn't even gone to preschool! What was she thinking!! I followed her lead, set my fear aside and sent her off with a woman I had never met and 25 other kids. I don't think she spoke a word in class the first week but I don't think there was anywhere she would have rather been. Watching her over the last year as she made many friends, memories and bonds with her teachers has been so fun.
My Instagram addition has captured her thought the year. I had so much fun looking through our walking to school pics from the year. So glad I took a moment every few days to take these even if she was goofing off in them most mornings. Girl has STYLE! And since she is eating in about half of them... I should probably get better at making more time for breakfast rather than having her eat on the go! Ehhh I have all summer to work on that right!
Here you go, watch Kara grow up each morning (and a few afternoons) as a kindergartener! First to last day!
Follow me on Instagram to see our summer adventures. I will follow back!
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I wrote once before about my love for my camera phone in my 10 reasons post. While I love my phone I often worry that it takes away from me being "in the moment" with my kids. I hear stories online about moms at the park who are on their phones and not engaging with their kids. I even had the crossing guard make a comment the other day. Something like "I am surprised you are not on your phone" Yeah.... apparently I am on my phone a lot on the walk to school. But if you look at my Instagram its full of my photos of my kids scootering to school, the cute outfits they are wearing and other silly pictures from our mornings. These pics instantly go on my social media pages where my husband and mother-in-law can see the kids from their offices.
On Friday I had a different experience. Lex, my youngest, and I walked to the library to get a book. After we picked a book we hung out in front of the library and I watched Lex play. He climbed on the giant library sign and then on the tree. I took out my phone and took these two pictures.
As I was uploading them an elderly man stopped and said "I wish my mom had a camera on her all the time so I could have photos to look at of my brother and I climbing trees" He talked a little to lex about a huge tree he and his brother used to climb. he looked back to me and said "Isn't it wonderful that you can capture him in the moment like this." I told the man that I was posting it so my husband who was at work could see and he said that he had missed so much of his children's life at work and he would have loved to have had more photos of their day to day lives while he worked. He told me what a blessing my phone was took a long look at Lex up in the tree then walked into the library.
A few minutes later another older woman walked up to me. I had just received a call from a friend and the woman interrupted me... "can I take a photo with your phone for you of you and your son?" (who was still in the tree) I told my friend on the phone that I would have to call him back, handed my phone over and posed by the tree with my son. The woman hung out at chatted with my son for several minutes about climbing trees and what type of tree he was in then went about her day.
I don't have many photos of me with my kids. Even less that I didn't take myself. I am so happy that woman offered to take a photo that I wouldn't have thought to ask someone to take myself.
So I am taking my time today, like these people did to me on Friday, to say....
take your phone out. Take pictures of your kids all day! Take pictures of them getting ready for school, sleeping in, running at the park, helping you grocery shop or climbing a tree!
I won't judge you :)
xoxo
Christina Hulquist
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I have an awesome DSLR camera. I (my husband) paid lots of money for it. It takes high quality photos. My DSLR supports me. It lets me create beautiful images of my family and yours. It is in my top 10 favorite physical possessions. If my house were on fire I would probably grab my camera bag before bothering to put pants on.. In fact, I think the order would go kids, lap top, camera, pants.... so yeah, it makes the top 3! But all that said... it is big. It's heavy and at time inconvenient. It takes time to get settings right. It would be silly for me to have it on me at all times. My cell phone however is always with me. My phone fits in my purse without needing extra protection. Heck, it fits in my pocket! If I brake it, I just take it back to Best Buy and they give me a new one! This makes it the perfect camera when you don't have or have time for your real camera. Sure the image quality isn't near as good as my DLSR but it's better than not having any pictures! Facebook and Instagram make it so easy to share my spur of the moment photo pictures with my friends.
The other day when looking back through my Instagram at my family and our little city life captured in cute little squares I was filled with emotion. . #LifeIsGood ;)
So here are 10 reason why I love my camera phone as much much as my DSLR... (in no particular order)
1. Saving my kids creations.
I spoke about this reason the other day on Facebook. Snapping a picture of my kids art gives me the ok to toss it. I don't need a high quality image of something that would end up in the trash anyway. These pictures wont need editing. A quick snap with my phone allows me to keep it and post it to Facebook for grandma to see!
These two below were taken only 2 weeks apart. Look how much my daughters hand writing changed after 9 days of kindergarten! Without these quick snaps I may not have noticed how much she really was improving.
Glitter is not a good babysitter.. TRUST ME!
Neither is paint... but how could I keep this artwork without a picture?
2. Street Art
If you couldn't tell by my Banksy post I LOVE street art! Since I don't carry my camera with me all the time my phone allows me to capture pieces as I see them around town.
3. L.A. randomness.
Living in L.A. I would have to carry my camera with me at all times and have it set to auto to get these shots since they are so random. I have a lot of these shots but here are a few...
Sweet bed bro... hahaha who thinks of these things??? Public restrooms anyone???
This guy hanging in the park tree?? Or unicycle guy juggling down Melrose? No way I could have pulled my DSLR out in time to catch that!
4. My kids randomness.
This is probably one of my most cell phone captured images. My kids are totally random. These moments, while plenty, only last a moment. I have attempted to bust out my big camera only to have missed the moment. Sometime reaching for my phone is the best option.
I don't even know what to say about these two pictures... other than.. I am glad I have them.
In our house all things are toys. Eggs and toilet paper are no exception.
Your camera phone is great of those moments when you ask your kids to pick up their toys and they just shove them ALL behind the couch or when you are chatting with a friend at the Griffith Park playground and you look over to see your 2 year old is going down the slide pantless....
5. My hood.
I am in love with my neighborhood. Not just the randomness but its beauty as well. This will not always be our home. When it's not, I will be happy I have these pictures... all of these images were taken in Park La Brea aka home.
6. Date night!!
I don't bring my camera on dates.. but doesn't mean we shouldn't have pictures!
Oh yeah, we know how to party! Caramel apples and pitchers of beer!!
7. Dates with my kids.
My kids, like all photographers children, are not thrilled with modeling. I sometimes have to fight my urge to turn everything into a pro photoshoot. Going out on a girls day or out for coffee doesn't need to be a photoshoot. Doesn't mean I am not going to take pictures :)
8. Sleeping beauties
Is there anything more beautiful than your babies sleeping? Trying to get a "perfect" shot risks waking them and then the moment is no longer beautiful.. haha with your phone you are in and out before they ever you were there!
When they are sleeping in your arms you can't get up to get your camera. He will only be small enough to sleep in my arms for a little longer.
8. Some moments can't wait.
These photos I took with my DSLR, but... clearly needed to go of Facebook and Instragram ASAP. #WeddingFun #MyHusbandIsGoingToKillMe haha
9. FOOD!
Cause, ummm, YUM!
10. Family
Family movie night. Family wrestling matches.
Family firework watching. Family story time in the closet.
Family curtsies and cheers.
Family vacations.
and day trips. (both fun and less fun)
and every. day. life.
Life isn't perfect. All of my photos don't need to be either.
All of these images were taken from my Instagram account LittleLAPhoto, there are plenty more and more to come so follow me and I will follow you back! While pro photos are great (and you should hire me to take yours) life is still happening between your sessions. Capture it. Capture it with your DSLR. Capture it with your point and shoot. Or even with your phone! ♥
xoxo
Christina Hultquist
@littlelaphoto