capture the moment :: book review

Sarah Wilkerson, one of the founders of Clickin Moms, recently published a new book, Capture the Moment: The Modern Photographer’s Guide to Finding Beauty in Everyday and Family Life. This book is an incredibly helpful and incredibly beautiful tool for photographers. Though it’s targeted at new photographers, hobbyists, and moms, it is full of images that even advanced photographers can study. Sarah is the master of beautiful lighting.

Each chapter of the book gives examples and explanations on a variety of subjects including lighting, composition, and story-telling (my favorite). At the end of each section, the reader is presented with “creativity exercises,” which help to encourage you to get outside of the book and practice. You can read as many books as you want on a subject, but it’s not until you try it, really get your heart and hands deep in the details that you begin to fully understand and internalize your craft.

I’ll be honest with you: my camera has been tucked away in my favorite camera bag for months. When I stopped doing photography professionally, I stopped photographing period. (I do have tons of iPhone pictures, so I’m still getting those fun shots of my kids and life in general). I love that just flipping through this book inspired me to grab my camera and get back out there and capture the moment. Like this one. For 10 years this Cozy Coupe has gone up and down and up and down the driveway at 3 different houses. It’s had four sets of little feet Flinstone-ing back and forth. And it’s also seen its fair share of scraped toes. And it’s almost done. And I’m really glad I captured this moment.

Clickin Moms is contributing 100% of the royalties from the sale of Capture the Moment to Ronald McDonald, which provides accommodation for the families of seriously ill or injured children near the facility where a child is hospitalized.