Monday 19 June 2017

Five Outings to Document Summertime with your Family

A few weeks ago, my talented photographer friend Myriam and I were scouting some locations together. We both brought along our kids and our cameras and had an afternoon of exploring and documenting our adventure. It was so fun to see how the photos turned out and how our styles and perspectives showed up in our work.

This outing inspired a joint blog post all about helping you document your summer. Now that summer is FINALLY here, it will be over before you know it. Think about it, how many summers will you spend with your kids being kids? 18 maybe?  And let's face it, those teenage summers may not include a whole lot of family time.

To help make the next several weeks count, here is a list of 5 outings to do with the family, each of which will provide you with lots of opportunities to preserve summer memories with your family.

1. Exploring a trail
We are so lucky to have this amazing park just a short drive away. Gatineau Park has something for everyone. Seek out a trail that will work for your family and enjoy being surrounded by nature. Collect rocks, maybe spot some wildlife and stop to enjoy the wildflowers. Make your way to the look out for an amazing view that makes you feel small against the landscape.





2. Ice Cream Shop
We love La Cigale in Chelsea Quebec because of the homemade ice cream, the happy setting and the play area to keep the kids busy for a bit while you enjoy a spot in the colourful Adirondack chairs. There is so much potential here for beautiful shots. The colours really pop and add a playfulness. Having kids focused on eating ice cream gives you that chance to take some detail shots of them while they are still for a change.  From checking out the flavours to ice cream moustaches, this is summer at its simplest...at its best. If ice cream isn't your thing, any frozen treat will do - popsicles, freezies on the front porch can just as easily make for a sweet moment.







3. Discover the museums
There will inevitably be those rainy days or maybe days when you just need a break from the heat. Take the fun inside and visit a museum in the area. Our kids love the Aviation Museum and the Children's Museum. It's so great to have a space dedicated to kids or a section with kids in mind where they are free to explore. Each museum has something great to offer - keep up to date on the latest exhibits for ones that will really speak to your kids. The more they are interested, the more you can catch those real moments of awe and excitement.






4. Splash pads and neighbourhood parks
Are you doing the park circuit this summer? We drive around to find new parks and the kids love discovering new structures and sprinklers to run through. Bring along the camera to catch kids in their element: their pride as they show off their new climbing skills or the monkey bars they can now conquer. Try to visit earlier in the morning or late afternoon not only to beat the heat but to avoid the harsh midday light.







5. By the water
Summer is short. Getting outside is what summer is all about. Pack a picnic and head to the marina, a lake or if you are lucky enough -  a family cottage. Feeding the birds (or not...my kids are not big fans of being surrounded by geese and ducks), skipping some stones over the water, watching the sunset or going for a swim. Maybe your kids are still learning to swim - catch them with their floaties as they dip their toes in the sand or water for the first time. These will be the moments that you want to remember.






I hope you will try some of these outings or maybe do them again this summer!  For some great tips on photographing your kids this summer while you are out and about, check out Farah Photography's blog post: Out & About: how to document summertime adventures with kids

Myriam and I will be continuing our collaboration by launching a project all about documenting summer. Stay tuned!


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