December Daily® 2021 | Special Guest Azzari Jarrett

Hi friends!  My name is Azzari Jarrett and I am so excited to be here with you today!

This week, we are focusing on photography and its role in December Daily®. Since 2014, this has been one of my most favorite projects because it combines two of the things I love the most - photography and scrapbooking!

Whether you’ve decided to use a physical or digital album, or a hybrid approach this year, I think we can all agree that photography can play an active role in telling the story of December.

Today, I wanted to share a few ways that you can capture more meaningful photos in December.

1. Focus on the feeling, not an aesthetically pleasing photo.

Instead of focusing on the most aesthetically pleasing photo, try capturing a feeling of Christmas that you’d like to remember. It doesn’t have to be a picture perfect moment, simply a moment in time that matters to you or your family.

In this photo, I captured this handmade gingerbread house that my daughter made. Should it matter that the image is slightly out of focus? Of course not! It captures the December story that I wanted to tell that day. Capture the perfectly imperfect.

You’ll find that looking at photography this way is so freeing! When you are focused on capturing a feeling, there is no right or wrong way to go about doing so. 

Try not to overthink it. What makes a good photograph is independent of technique. If the photo you capture evokes the feeling you felt at that moment, it can never be wrong. Capturing that moment in time to tell that December story will always be right.

2. Leave negative space in your photo for journaling.

I love to leave negative space in my photos in order to include journaling directly on the photo. 

Instead of capturing the stockings on our fireplace directly, I made sure to position them on the side of the photo, leaving the left open for journaling. In this way, you can tell the story of that day directly on the photograph itself. 

3. Use the camera you have.

It can be easy to get caught up in wishing for better camera equipment. “If only I had this, I could capture that…..” The new and next best thing is always around the corner. Don’t be fooled by any of it.

Use the camera you have. The camera on your phone is perfectly fine. Your point and shoot camera is great. Start where you are, with what you have now.

Get to know your camera. I find that when I want something new, it helps if I concentrate on learning more about the camera that I have. Am I using all of the features? Is there a setting I haven’t tried yet?

Remember - no one else knows your life like you do, and no one else can capture your stories in December better than you can.

I’ll be back later this week for more photography tips for December! In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions.

For more from Azzari:

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