5 Ways to Get YOUR Smile in the Picture – Selfies With Kids

I take pictures of my kids  all the time. Kids with each other, kid alone, kid with dad, kid with grandparents, kid with friends, kids with everyone…but me. The other day I was looking for a picture of me and the kids, and I didn’t have a current one. How is it that a mom with a camera in her hand at almost all times has no pictures with MY smile? Inspired by National Photography Month and my ever-improving smile thanks to Invisalign, I thought it would be a good time to research how to get myself into the picture more often!  I started Invisalign treatment this month as part of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Panel which includes complimentary treatment of my smile.  

5 Ways to Get in The Picture With Your Kids

OK, so here is where I admit that I am old.  The whole concept of a selfie wasn’t even possible with the cameras that I learned on.  I think it is habit that I don’t even consider a selfie! But getting into the picture with my kids is important, so with the help of some of the Kids Activities Bloggers, we are counting down 5 ways to get into the picture.

1.  Take More Selfies

OK, so yes, this is an obvious one, but make it happen!  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  It doesn’t have to be planned.  It just needs to happen! No worries if you aren’t wearing any makeup or your hair isn’t brushed.  Smile big and find good lighting. Good lighting is an instant facelift!  Places you go all the time have amazing lighting…like the car!  Or check out the front porch, the ballpark, the covered Sonic porch.  Everyday places have great lighting!

2.  Ask Someone to Take the Picture

This is one of my favorite pictures of me.  I handed the camera to another tourist and they snapped the shot.  What if I had been shy that day?  This picture was taken 7 years ago and it has brought me so much joy…I can smell the ocean air every time I look at it!

3.  Arrange the Traditional Photo Shoot

Just because you arrange for a traditional photo shoot, it doesn’t mean the photographer can’t catch some fun candids between the “important” pictures.  I love this picture of my family because it peeks into the chaos that ensues when you try and get three boys in the right place for a photo…and then ask them all to smile! This photo was taken by Andie Mae Photography along with a whole bunch of more traditional poses, but my favorites are always the ones that tell a story.

4.  Get a Camera Remote or Learn to Set Your Timer

One of our favorite ways to get a great selfie with your kids is surprise kisses!   It catches them off-guard and can get some of the best smiles around!  By planning ahead just a few seconds with the help of a remote or camera timer, you can often catch this without additional help.

5.  Hand Your Camera Over and Give Instructions

We are moms!  We tell people what to do all the time!  Handing our camera over and giving instructions really isn’t that hard for us!  This photo was taken when I handed my camera over to my sister-in-law to get some of the chaos behind-the-scenes at our book shoot.  She snapped a whole series of pictures over the course of a few minutes, but this one of me and one of Rachel’s boys is my favorite. My boys are now old enough to take the camera…and so is my husband!  Put them to work and get yourself in the picture!

Your Smile Makes the Picture

What I love about all of these tips that we are sharing is that it proves that we really need to put what we look like…or what we THINK we look like out of our mind and just smile and snap! Having a record of day to day moments of us IN the picture is way more important than having the perfect hair day. Your best accessory is your smile! Which is one of the reasons why this message fits so well with Invisalign.  Whether it is a teen in need of braces or someone a wee bit older like myself who was self-conscious of my smile, Invisalign can move teeth without all those awkward wires and brackets! I was sitting chatting with a few friends yesterday and mentioned I had Invisalign.  They took a closer look at me and said, “You have them in NOW?”  I love that my teeth are moving toward a better smile and those who are around me haven’t even noticed!  So fun.

Improving Selfies with Kids

Selfies don’t have to be boring. You can spruce them up with cool filters and apps. Everyone knows about Instagram, but there are lots of other really fun ways to make your selfies awesome.

5 Apps To Make Your Selfies Even Better:

1. Cam Me Is an app that lets you take a selfie without stretching out your arm. You make a fist and it snaps a pic!
2. Rhonna Designs is my favorite app for adding text and silly doodles to your photos!
3. If you just can’t handle those dark circles, or want to spruce yourself up before you post to Facebook, then Facetune is a great app for that.
4. You can add pictures, color and cool frames with Bright Camera.
5. PicTapGo is the ultimate photo editing app. You will delete everything else when you use it!

Smile Savers

There are two questions that people ask me about Invisalign – and I would like to answer them right here, right now…just in case you were wondering! 1.  Isn’t it super expensive? Actually no!  In many markets, Invisalign is actually very comparable in price to traditional braces.  You can check out all the information over on the Invisalign cost page. 2.  Aren’t you only a candidate because you have pretty-straight teeth? It is true that I am ahead of the game because I had braces as a teenager for 3 years, oral surgery, head-gear, rubber bands and a whole host of other stuff to get my smile where it is today.  Because I didn’t have a retainer for the last 20 years, my teeth have shifted and eventually my front teeth will cross if I didn’t take action!  My case may be easier than some, but I was shocked at the cases that are now being treated by Invisalign.  It really comes down to the dentist or orthodontist and how comfortable he/she is with how to use them.  The cool thing is that you can find a provider in your area that has done a lot of cases through the  Doctor Locator and it will tell you how experienced they are! On our Facebook page, we asked our readers how to get out from behind the camera.     A big thanks to Invisalign for providing treatment for me and allowing me to share my experience with Invisalign with Kids Activities Blog readers!     So get our from behind that camera and snap some #momselfies. Share them with us on our Facebook page!