I have heard a lot of talk lately about how MWAC (Mom with a camera) is a bad term. Personally, I don’t take any offense to it and thought it would be fun to create a list of ways for you to know if you are obsessed with photography and just might be a MWAC (the good kind).
1. Your 3 year old daughter yells “Get out of my shot!”
2. Your mumble to yourself, why is my picture not turning out right and your 5 year old son says “What is your aperture set at?”
3. You drive by a field of weeds and your daughter says “When we stop there to take pictures, can I pick those flowers?”
4. Your children don’t question you when you tell them to play in “better light”.
5. You ask your husband to buy a camera that cost more than your car.
6. No one asks you anymore what you want for your birthday or holidays – B & H gift card right?
7. When you look at old photos you took, you tend to critique them instead of just enjoy them.
8. You would prefer to buy a new lens over new shoes.
9. The golden hour is your favorite time of day.
10. You can find something to photograph in even the strangest places.
11. When out with the family, they are no longer embarrassed at you photographing everything in sight.
12. Your neighbors just roll their eyes when they see you crawling around your front yard or acting crazy in front of your tripod in your backyard.
13. When packing for a trip, you are more concerned about making sure to pack enough memory cards than diapers.
14. You talk about photography so much that almost all your friends have decided to tackle manual mode just so you have something in common again.
Do you have any more?? I would LOVE to add some more to the list! I will put them all together and publish again later!!
I love this. So true!
These are great!
Lol! This is so true–great photo of you too. #7 really applies to me unfortunately…wish I could just enjoy the old photos instead of wanting to re-edit them to try and make them better. Thanks for this :)
HAHA this is super cute post!!
So so true! Love this. :)
I may not be a mom but this was hilarious!!!
Super, super cute & funny! I am definitely a MWAC!
Haha – that’s an awesome list. And so true! My daughter is two, has her own toy camera and is already shadowing me with it. lol I’ll be sure to pass on this blog post, it’s too good not to share. :)
hahaha! My 4 year old made me pose for a photo shoot the other day ‘Put your hand like this and hold this flower up to your face..’ lol. She also makes me take her on photo walks with my old p&s. Whenever my 1 year old see’s a camera he immediately says ‘CHEESE!’ even though I never make them say that, lol. Definitely guilty of being a MWAC!
This list made me laugh WAY too hard. Here are some of mine! :)
– My DD can’t talk yet, So I know I’m a MWAC when my 16 month old runs in the other direction when the camera is lifted to my face! lol
– When your husband no longer fights to be in a picture, he’s excepted it.
– When you clean up your clutter in the house just so your background isn’t too busy.
– When you rearrange your child’s bedroom so you get better light for photos. (I did that three weeks ago. hehe)
– When you need to post on your 365 blog rather than watching the latest episode of your favorite show.
– (Oh and my favorite and when I knew I had a problem) When your 16 month old knows how to put your lens cap on your camera!!!
Okay, that’s all I can think of at the moment. I’m a MWAC and proud of it no matter how crazy I look to others. lol
Thanks!! I love the one where you talk about picking up your house just for a photo! I’m SO guilty of that one!! I can’t wait to put them all together!!
I am def. a MWAC!!!
I needed a good laugh!
Fun list! I am also a MWAC and proud of it! My daughter told our new youth Pastor yesterday not to mind me taking photos around the church because “my mom’s a photo freak”. He just laughed and said, “that’s cool.”
Another one to add to the list would be something my husband says to me when we are going somewhere … “Did you bring all your cameras?”
Love it!! Thanks!
What a great list….can’t wait to see what else gets added.
When you ask your three year old for just one picture and he counts your shutter button sounds. If it is more than one he yells….I’M DONE!!!!
You get excited when your usually reluctant three years asks you to take a picture of something special that he is doing. YAY!!!
You know you are MWAC when your husband knows that you just can’t enjoy your vacation you must photograph it all. “Life isn’t meant to be enjoyed….it is meant to be photographed.” -Steve Marshall :)
Those make me laugh!! Thanks!! Got to love Steve’s quote!!
so cute! i love it! are these true quotes from your girls?! too funny. i guess i may just qualify as an AMWAC, an Aspiring MWAC: 8 months prego and just learning to keep my camera by my side!
love it courtney!
Yes, true quotes from Kate herself! My friend’s son is the one who asked what her aperture was set at. Kids are funny!! I love that you are an AMWAC! You will rock it once your little guy gets here!
Spot on. Love it!
What a GREAT list! I’m most definitely an MWAC. Maybe we should make t-shirts!! The crawling around on your belly thing made me laugh. I’ve so done that.
This makes me laugh and is so true! Love the Tshirt idea, lol!
Ha ha! Love it. I am going to share this post in my next post.
LOVE THIS LIST! You know I’m a MWAC :-D Hello 9 children and all have gorgeous eyes, eyelashes, the funniest faces and best smiles around. A husband who puts up his hand when the camera comes out and a 3 yr old who begs to have their photo taken every day. Yep. I definitely qualify for this one :-D Proud of it too! I love all things photography – except spending any time on editing.
Hugs and blessings!
Toooooo cute. I’ve definitely mentioned to my husband that when we buy a house, I’ll be looking for lots of natural light flowing into the house.
I didn’t get into the crazy photo [and I mean the type my husband gets to endure now] when my child was that young. She’s coming home for the summer and being 18 now she’s eyeing my camera wondering how to pry it from my fingers for her own selfie shots.
But I think I’ve realized I’ve become a WWAC [and yes I’m a Mom too] but my DH has actually surprised me this weekend, I left my remote in the hotel, and we wanted a shot together but NO way to make it from the tripod to location in 10 seconds.
He says “Lets do the two photo’s and you can edit it so we’re together” WOW :O
You might be a WWAC when your husband pulls off at the park stop and knows to get the tripod off the motorcycle because the background is perfect”
Love these quotes and some of them apply to me as well, I have definitely cleaned a part of the house for the photo moment. ;)
I love it! Sounds like you have a great hubby! Looking forward to seeing photos of your sweet daughter! Maybe you guys can do some selfies together!! Thanks for sharing! You can be a WWAC and MWAC :O)
This is sooo funny and I guess I’m a MWAC and very proud of it but actually in my case it could be PWAC because both me and my hubby do it and love it
You might like to add this one to the list:
When my 4 year old picked up a piece of glass and gave it to me asking if that was a good piece of glass.
Or
When same 4 year old askes if I thing santa can bring him a big camera like mommy and daddy have.
Or
when people asks us where are we visiting from while visiting a local zoo or garden.
I’m sure there are more I just can’t think of them at the moment!
P.S. I have been looking around your blog and each time I fall in love even more with it. I’m so glad I found you oh and now I also “like” you on FB :)
Ha! Those are great! I like the “good piece of glass”. Keep them coming! Thanks for the compliment!!
Hilarious! I shared all over the world (i.e. Twitter and Facebook) hee hee
You’re lucky your kids were born after digital cameras were invented! I remember my baby’s Daddy saying, “OK — I know the baby will never go through this stage again but do you think we could get down to 3 rolls of film each day???” haha!
Now my “baby” is 27 years old and I’ve been a professional photographer for about 15 years. Before I got really good at photography I was the one that family and friends always said, “Linda, do you have to take pictures of EVERYTHING?” I knew I’d really MADE IT when people started inviting me to parties to “use me” for my photography and were disappointed if I didn’t bring my camera ;-)
Hi, I can’t believe I only just found your site! Coming here feels like coming home :)
I, too, only hear MWAC in the derogatory sense. Now I have something to come back with – thanks :D
I’m not a MWAC …just a person with a camera…lol, but I think I can add some-
1. (Taken from a camera ad I saw) – You’re gazing at the sunset with the person you love, and you think to yourself….. 1/250 second at f/8
2. The other day, my parents had tickets to one of my sisters events, and my mom looks at me and goes “I wish you could come”….and then in the next breath “so you could take pictures for me”….
3. You use your blog to remember important events/dates in your life- going by when the photo was taken. (This has happened to me numerous times)
4. You pick apart advertisment photography (“they should have used a larger f stop there”….or the lighting on the advertisment for that necklace is awful”….)
5. When you have a half hour long discussion with someone (in my case, it was my dad) on what you think the f stop of your eye is. (We decided somewhere around f/8)
6. You shop at Goodwill so that you can save money for new glass
7, Everything is an opportunity for a photograph :)
I’m sure I could go on….lol
I am so excited I found your blog! I have just recently become a MWAC. I still shoot in auto mode but I hope to start experimenting more :0)
My 3 year old always steals my old p&s and snaps a few pictures looks at the image and say “That’s a good one.”
Then when I say he is all done he says “just two more minutes.”
So proud to become a MWAC!
Welcome! I love that about your son! Yay, for being a MWAC!!!
@Violet – search for Courtney’s post on shooting in manual mode. It’s the push you need to make the switch and it is easy to understand; you’ll wonder what seemed so intimidating. I read it my first time visting and have been shooting in manual ever since! Have fun!
I love this!!
I love this. So true!
These are hilarious!!
AMEN!!! oh my word– spot on– my kids know exactly what i mean when i say- relaxed smile, turn your eyes, not your head, or close your eyes and on 3 open and look- and #1– hilarious– i’m constantly telling them that! thank you for the laugh!
Funny stuff – and So true… so true – but I think that shoe buying thing is actually genetic; it can’t be overcome.
(Jeff Foxworthy has nothing on you with his You might be a redneck if….)
Your friends no longer bring their cameras to events because they know you will have yours!!
I love this is great! one of my favourites was new lenses over shoes, totally me! jejeje
I will add
When you are packing for vacations, your husband asks: are you taking the 70-200?? sure??
Your two year old boy reviews the pictures after is taken and knows how handle the camara to change pictures
This is me! My son even poses for me now and makes suggestions… He’s 4!
So true. I love the “field of weeds” one. I had a client ask to take pictures in front of a perfectly manicured landscape bed of begonias. I said “Ummm no. But there’s this nice field of weeds over here !” Hehehe.
Lots of fun to read – we’re all kindred souls. Here’s a few from a MWAC with older kids:
* You happily volunteer for the yearbook as it gets you into your kids’ classrooms at all key events.
* Said kids all know your name and know to hold their pose to let you take 3 shots in case someone blinks (and they know you often sneak in a 4th)
* Parents regularly tell you how psyched they were to learn their kids were in the same class/sports team as your child because they know you take shots of all the kids and share them.
* You get to be front and center to take all the group shots – and parents tell their kids to look at your camera until you say you have the shot :).
This list is hilarious! Guilty!!
My daughter likes to dress up from time to time, and lets me know that I can take pictures of her if I want. :-/
Ha! Just what a needed to read this morning – made me laugh out loud!!!!!!!!!! Thanks.
This is perfect. I am soooo a MWAC. My children scout locations for me. They will come home from days with friends or school and say “Mum, I saw the perfect place for you to take photos today. The light was so… and the trees were so…”. I’m so proud. My husband just rolls his eyes. Haha.
Now that was a good laugh and so true in so many ways. Thanks for sharing.
Loving this article and all the post.
When my son stops on the stage after receiving an award, poses, and ask “Did you get it Mom?” Before he will leave the stage.
When my 11yr old tells his baseball coach he can’t pitch tonight because his Mom had to take his brother to his game. (His dad assist with his games) The coach said “that’s sweet, you want your Mom to be here” and my son said, ” nah, she would be mad if she didn’t get pictures of my first time pitching this season”
When my boys won’t go to bed after a long day of baseball until they “see what we got” meaning I download and view the photos. They have literally fallen asleep during the process.
When my sons friend tells me I’m slacking cause he had to use an old photo for his Instagram today.
When my son gets up to bat, calls time, and turns to the fence to make sure I have my camera ready. (Yes, I have a photo of it)
When my son shows me a photo on his iPod and ask if he emails it to me will I edit it for him.
When my son has me taking photos if him and his girlfriend and says wait you didn’t get one of us acting goofy
I take more camera equipment than luggage on vacation. (My son has put it in the seatbelt before)
When I’m are trying to nap on a long vacation and my husband pulls over because I would be mad if I didn’t get this shot.
I haven’t even started with things the grandbabies do, but I have to get dressed for work. Loved this.
I can’t go furniture or clothing shopping without saying how great it will look in a photo session. When I shop for my daughters’ clothes, I make sure they are always color coordinating–even if I don’t photograph them. LOL