You know what’s missing from your camera roll?
YOU!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a camera roll full of adorable pictures of your kids—but barely any proof that you were there too.
And let’s be real, a quick selfie with your toddler smashing their face against yours (cute, but chaotic) isn’t the only way to make it happen.
But getting in more photos with your kids doesn’t have to be awkward, complicated, or time-consuming!
In fact, it can be fun, easy, and totally natural!
Here are 6 creative ways to capture those everyday moments with your little ones—without relying on selfies.
When was the last time you scrolled through your camera roll and realized you weren’t in many of the photos?
Example: Maybe you noticed that every vacation album is just pictures of your kids, or you only have a handful of blurry selfies with them.
It's easier for me to document the rest of my family and I have a lot more camera photos of dad playing with the kids than I do of mom.
After awhile it hurt my heart a bit.
I started a photography project of Momma's Mothering.
I've decided the KIDS deserve a photo of their mom in this stage too.
Not because I love how I look at this moment, but I realize that this photo is not for me. It is for each of them. They deserve a photo of their mom during their childhood.
And Mama's deserve to be seen in the most selfless time of their lives.
Okay In short, I wasn't being seen, I didn't have many photos with the kids and I that weren't just gross, and I set out to change that.
Set Up a Timer & Play Together
Instead of staged, stiff smiles, capture real, playful moments with your kids.
What to do:
Prop up your phone or camera on a shelf, a chair, or a tripod.
Set the self-timer (10 seconds) or use a burst timer to take multiple photos in a row.
Then, start playing! Have a tickle fight, jump on the bed, or let them tackle you into a pile of pillows.
Pro tip: If your camera has voice control, you can just say “Smile!” or “Capture!” and it will snap photos while you’re in the moment.
This captures natural movement, real laughs, and the way your kids see you—fun, present, and full of love.
Do you have a DSLR? Check for the interval timer!!!!
IT'S GAME CHANGER
Use a Tripod for Everyday Moments
You don’t have to wait for a special moment to get in the frame—everyday life is worth capturing too.
What to do:
Set up a tripod (or use a stack of books as a phone stand) in a spot where you and your kids naturally spend time—like the kitchen, playroom, or couch.
Imagine photos of you and the kids prepping dinner together or doing a puzzle!
Turn on the video mode or use a camera app with a remote shutter.
Pro tip: Set a weekly reminder to take a family photo in a different everyday moment (snuggles, bedtime stories, mealtime).
After a few weeks, you’ll have a beautiful collection of real-life memories.
These are the moments your kids will actually remember—the cozy snuggles, messy playtimes, and bedtime giggles!
This is my fav!
What’s one everyday routine with your kids that feels small now but you know you’ll want to remember later?
Example: Maybe it’s bedtime stories on the couch, making pancakes on Saturday mornings, or brushing your toddler’s hair after a bath.
Capture Your Reflections
An easy way to get in the photo without setting anything up!
What to do: Look for reflections throughout your day—mirrors, windows, puddles, or even the oven door.
Next time you're brushing teeth together, playing dress-up, or watching the rain, snap a quick picture of your reflection.
Pro tip: Try a sidewalk puddle reflection at golden hour (right before sunset) for a dreamy, artistic effect.
This is a creative way to be in the frame without needing a tripod or timer!
You deserve to be in your family’s story.
Hire a Photographer for a “Day in the Life” Session
What to do: Find a documentary-style photographer (like me! You can see my galleries here)
Instead of stiff poses, I’ll capture real moments—making breakfast, playing on the floor, or cuddling on the couch, and playing outside.
This removes the stress of setting up your own shots and gives you authentic, emotion-filled photos that tell your family’s real story.
One of my favorite photos is a reflection in the mirror image when all the kids are little and I'm in the thick of brushing their teeth. (I used it for the cover) Documentary family photography freezes time for me.
It literally saves a mundane moment that I wouldn't normally give two thinks about, and makes me long for more and to create more when they grow up. I've realized THIS is what I miss the most. The mundane stuff and THIS is what I want photos of.
See your shadow
What to do: look down and shoot.
pro tip: the sillhoutte is better when you stand to the side, and when there's a little space between you and the littles. Just a little. Like holding hands.
Because even when she isn’t fully in the frame, you can still see the shape of her love everywhere.
I use
most
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Traces of you
What to do: Storytelling often works with just apart of you showing. Your hands helping with a task, your feet walking next to them, your body as they use you as a pillow.
It is still getting in the frame and it's is easiest to start with when you're not yet comfortable on the other side of the lens.
You can be in the memory without needing to fully “perform” for the camera.
Years from now, you won’t care if your hair was messy or if the house wasn’t perfect—you'll just be glad to have photos that include you.
Now you have easy, fun ways to make sure you’re in the frame, not just behind it!
Tag me on social if you decide to try one of these ideas, I’d love to see!
Want to learn more about booking a Fort Sill or Lawton, Oklahoma documentary family session with me? Click here to see my galleries.
Don't over think it.
Just book it.
I've a documentary family photographer for 10 years now. Experience is all lighting, inside and out, on location so please use this to your advantage.
I'll be here when you're ready, pick a Saturday and hold photos by that next one.
I'm past the 6, but let's keep going... here's two more things.
Set the camera up and pass it off. AND Show YOU when no one sees you.
What to do: Do a story of mom shot. That doesn't mean I'm even in the photo, but what I'm doing IS....examples: are photos of what's happening like in the clogged sink in the above slide show. I was there. I was fixing the problem. That's all ME!
another example: Take a photo of MY hobby... my thing like this year I learned to make homemade bread. I took a photo to represent me.
Don't over think it. Just do it.
