Teaching My Husband How to Shoot

On Saturday Dave and I had a RARE day where we had NOTHING planned. It was a beautiful and "balmy" 40 degree day and so instead of sitting indoors we decided to venture into the city. Well apparently all of Massachusetts had the same grand idea that Boston was the place to be on Saturday and so we fought our way through the crowds.

But despite the lack of parking spaces we did have a really great day together. We shopped, got our chocolate fix on at Max Brenner's and I took some time to help Dave reacquaint himself with the camera.

It probably comes as no surprise that I'm the photographer in the family. I document our life and often find myself behind the camera more than in front of it. But when our baby boy decides to come I'm determined to be in pictures we take of him. I do not want to let life slip away as I document it, I want to actually be a part of it!! Plus what would be more meaningful to have pictures taken by your husband of you and your new baby?! Gah, I melt.

But who can I have to photograph ME? Cue the Hubby! Did you know that when I first started shooting weddings Dave was my second shooter?! Yes, you read that right!! And he became somewhat of a staple, often being "asked for" at weddings!! We eventually came to the point where we had to decide if keeping him on was the right decision for us. And while he was certainly proficient in his shooting skills and I liked hanging out with him on the weekend, ultimately it just wasn't something he wanted to do.

So now that we are expecting our little one, I'm reacquainting him with the camera. I want him to feel confident in the hospital room photography the first moments of our baby's life, in the haze afterwards and in the months and years to come. And like any skill, it takes practice, practice, practice.

On Saturday I stepped in front of the camera and challenged Dave to take some "money" shots. Just kidding, no pressure. I simply encouraged him to think outside the box. We worked on composition, lighting, exposure and aperture. And after a few minutes, it was like he had been shooting forever. Sure we have more practice to do, but I'm pretty impressed with the set of images he grabbed of me on our date! And I'm even more excited about the pictures he'll take of me and our little boy. I can't wait!!