If you share my love for photography, you’ve probably encountered one or more of the following scenarios:
- A mom asks you to please be sure and get a photo of her child at the event you’re attending
- Your kids and their friends pose and ask you to photograph them
- “Oh, good! You’ve got your camera—I forgot mine.”
- One of your friends looks gorgeous and you know she hasn’t had her picture taken in ages
These moments are opportunities in disguise: opportunities to bless others.
The interesting thing is that most people are thrilled if you just take the picture. The way to really bless their socks off is to do something with it.
Here are three thoughtful ideas:
- Upload to Facebook – Most people love being tagged on Facebook photos, especially teens and adults who need a decent portrait. I get a warm, fuzzy feeling every time Facebook sends me an email telling me someone is using a photo of mine as their profile.
- Create sets on Flickr – This is especially helpful if you’ve photographed an event such as a baseball game, birthday party, or field day. Make sure to set your permissions so that others can download your photos.
- Print and share – Although some inkjet printers still charge an outrageous amount for ink, there are others that are actually very reasonable. I have a stack of baseball photos on my desk to hand out at my 15-year-old son’s game tonight. If you can’t print them yourself, your local drug or discount store probably has good prices.
Don’t worry about the quality of your camera or your photography skills. This is truly an area where it’s the thought that counts. I encourage you to look for ways to bless others with your camera this summer!
by Dawn Camp, My Home Sweet Home
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I know this firsthand. I recently took photos at cub scout camp and shared them with the parents that did not attend with their boys and they were much more appreciative than I could have imagined. My photography skills are nothing special, but I did bless them with memories they wouldn’t have otherwise had (and it in turn made my heart feel good)
Great post! I always take pictures when we have friends over. This year I plan on giving my children photo albums with these pictures in them. What a fun way to capture their childhood. And I also email the pictures to the parents for their albums.
I always get the pix – my problem is getting them to people later. Sigh. It’s something I need to work on. Thanks for the reminder.
this was a well timed prompt , Dawn.
Thank you. I’m getting a little braver with people photos.
I know what a gift it is when someone emails or gives me photos, and I so need to remember this as a way to bless others.
You’re right, I just need to do it! I have a ton of pictures of different events and they are uploaded to my computer. But they just. sit. there.
Thanks for the reminder, Dawn! Always timely. 🙂
I understand this completely. I recently found a love for photography and have taken pictures of my brothers children and my friends children. They both have expressed how much of a blessing this is to them. It is a great way to show love and care for those close to you. It is a great gift.
Dawn, this is an excellent post! And I, too, get warm fuzzy happiness when I see someone uses my photo as their profile pic!!
I get the same opportunities all the time. I get their email addy and email them all the copies of their kids pics. I have found, though, many parents reluctant to me posting them online.
But now I have been hosting my family’s pics on our own hosting service now and glad my kids can participate without running into icky pics on most hosting sites out there.