Let me start off by saying that nothing beats photos from a professional photographer.  They’re incredibly talented and it’s always a pleasure to work with a pro!  However, in my line of work, it’s just not possible to have someone follow me around all day.

After using this little trick to snap great work photos, it dawned on me that it’s also a great way to capture family moments too!  On holidays or apple picking or on vacation, we can take great family photos just us three with the push of a button!

PS – I used this trick to capture our Christmas card photo last year 🙂  KEEP READING!

Recently I’ve received lots of messages asking how I capture so many photos of my family and what I use to record my cooking videos.

It’s so inexpensive and this day in age everyone should have one! So it’s time to GET OUT FROM BEHIND THE CAMERA AND JUMP IN FRONT OF IT!  All you need is a tripod and remote camera clicker!

95% of the photos you see of me or my family have been taken with a tripod and a remote clicker!

Our trip to Mexico….those awesome photos….all taken with my tripod. It folds up small enough for a suitcase so it’s perfect to bring on vacation. 

This is essentially just a “professional” version of a selfie stick.  It’s much easier to get great pictures and the camera is steady too.

Let’s talk camera.  You can attach a Nixon or similar DSLR camera to this tripod but I use the attachment linked above and just snap away with my iPhone.  Every photo on my Instagram and blog were taken with my phone.  It’s easy, less expensive and has great quality.

TIP: You can set a timer inside your regular camera app to snap pictures on a 3 or 10 second delay which can be very helpful!  Just tap the little clock image at the top of your screen (currently the 3rd icon from left but we know how often our phones update).

All of these photos below were taken by me with

a tripod, clicker and iPhone!

So that’s part one of capturing great photos anywhere, anytime!  My favorite part about using this set up….you don’t have the awkwardness of asking a stranger to take a photo followed by not liking that photo and then trying to ask someone else.

You can completely control what you see and can snap as many pictures as you want!  And trust me…it’s no more embarrassing than walking around with a giant selfie stick!

Photo Presets

Part two of great photos…finding a preset filter to use on your photos.  This has absolutely been a professional game changer for me and I love the results so much that it’s carried over to my family photos as well.

Applying a preset to any “candid” photo immediately enhances the overall look.  It helps with brightness, color tone and brings the beauty of your photo to life!

So…how in the world do you take your photo from this to this?

PRESETS!!  My favorite presets are by Nicole Digi, creator of @thedigigirls.  Not only does she have the most incredible collection of presets but she also teaches you how to use, install and modify when needed.

After you purchase a preset filter, download them into a photo editing app called Lightroom (see below).  Each time you upload a new photo into Lightroom, you apply the filter with a simple click.

Click HERE to check out her beautiful preset options and use code JACLYN at checkout to save.

There are so many different preset options from Nicole.  Currently, this one is my favorite!  I’ve exclusively been using the “Let’s Get Digital” preset since last Christmas and I don’t see myself changing it anytime soon.

It’s crisp and clean and really helps brighten my photos because the lighting in my house is tricky!  The only adjustments I make to this preset on occassion are the exposure and temperature levels. 

If this is gibberish to you that’s OK!  Nicole explains it all in her e-courses and in her Facebook group.  And you’ll have access to both of these FREE after purchasing a preset.  There’s no need to be an expert because she’ll set you up!

Here’s another example of tripod + preset!! This was the photo we took and used for our Christmas card last year.  We didn’t have time for professional photos last year and this absolutely did the trick!

So….for great photos anywhere, anytime…all you need is a tripod and a great preset.  We all have smartphones these days so there’s no excuse not to document those important family memories.

To all my momma friends out there…get OUT from behind the camera and take pics with your kids.  Are you baking together or playing a game?   Or maybe you’re having a special date day!  Take two seconds, set up the tripod and snap a pic!

Photos of our kid are great and I know our phones are full of them…but don’t forget how important it will be for them to have pictures of you together WITH THEM!!

Great photos can be happen anywhere, anytime!  So get out from behind the camera and documents those memories.

xoxo