Welcome to day two of my Documenting @ Home series! Today I’m flipping through my 2016 Week In The Life photo book and sharing ideas that you can still pull off this year, even if your world is a bit smaller than usual…

1 | Create a Daily Theme

Letterboards were the new fun thing back in 2016 so I put mine to the test that week, coming up with a new design each day. Perhaps you could do something similar to announce the days of the week with sidewalk chalk art, window finger paints, whiteboards, smartphone text design apps…

2| Get Low

Whenever I’m having a hard time making something mundane look more interesting, putting my camera on the ground always seems to do the trick. This shift in perspective just makes everything more fun.

3| Capture the Chores

Doing laundry always finds a way into my books since it happens once a week in our house. Other ideas include vacuuming, feeding the dog (serious business for our lab), washing dishes, taking out the trash. I promise other little details of your life will show up in these task-related images.

4| Timelapse an activity

Pick a time when you know you/your family will be moving around together in a shared space. The layout below features our morning breakfast/coffee/lunch-packing time. Perhaps it is dinner prep or clean-up for you. Put your camera up on a shelf and let it click away.

5| Perfect Your Food Hero Shots

I am by no means a food photographer, but this is the one time of year I might slow down to try to take a nice photo of a meal. It doesn’t need to be a fancy styled shot, simple is beautiful too. Or how about a pull-back of the chef/baker(s) in process…

Since many folks are spending much more time in their kitchen than they used to, this could be your year for these types of shots!

6| Screenshot that Social Media

So much of our lives happen online, especially now. Include a few screenshots of tweets, memes, texts or other digital captures that tell the story of today. If you find yourself glued to your cable news channel, take a picture of your favorite anchor. Include a page with all of your favorite mobile apps that get you through your day. Or the podcasts that make you take that extra loop around the block…

7| Work from Home Prep

While your morning commute may look a bit different these days, are there still things you do to get ready to “go to work”? This layout shows me getting ready to head out for a client branding session, with my gear bag, step stool etc. Today it might be pouring your coffee, prepping your Zoom virtual background or charging your AirPods.

8| Shoot the Secret Life of Your Pet

Do they have a favorite spot? Are they always underneath your feet? Devote a layout to their special places and faces.

9| Include Your “To Do” List

This year I copied things I knocked off my list into an Evernote file so at least I could pat myself on the back for all of the details of life that got done this week. These were likely things I didn’t write about in my daily summaries so it felt nice to record them someplace.

10| Honor the Teachers

What does distance learning look like in your house? Maybe homeschooling is your jam, maybe it looks like tears and frustration. It all counts.

Check back tomorrow for a final few ideas for documenting life @ home!

Past WITL Posts: @ Home Series Intro, 2014, 2012, 2006-2010

Day 1 of a 3-part series to get you (and me!) excited about documenting life at home as we continue to shelter in place. This series will be shared through the lens of my Week in the Life (WITL) photo books. While my past WITL albums have many pages dedicated to activities such as soccer games and piano lessons, obviously that won’t be the case this year. As such, my focus will be on highlighting ideas that are easy to capture at home. For the next three days I’ll be sharing techniques and specific examples of what you can shoot, even if you never once get in your car, so let’s get started…

First, a note about the general flow of these photo books. The interior design of each book follows a similar approach: each weekday opens with a full bleed photo. The opposite page includes text with an overview of the daily happenings. The following pages tell the story of these happenings with images. Okay, onto the ideas!…

1 | Shoot Inside Out

In 2014,  I was really into putting my camera inside things to get a unique perspective. I shot from the inside of my washing machine, toaster oven, dryer and refrigerator. And yes, lots of trial and error were involved!

2 | Grab a Chair for A Bird’s Eye Schoolwork/Work Shot

I always love shots like these because they convey what my kids were working on in school that year while also picking up other little details, like these colorful bracelets, a favorite watch or whatever else is on their desk at that moment in time.

3 | Remember the Room Pull-Backs

I tend to love detail shots so this is a reminder to myself to include these wide-angle room shots. The first one below was a rare moment with both kids sitting at their desks in their rooms. Since we have moved from this house now, it is so sweet to look back at images of their old rooms.

4 | Text Tip: Go Above and Beyond the Daily Facts

While some days I am doing good to simply record the general happenings, most days I also try to note a few extra details in my journaling: things I was grateful for, funny things the kids said, a favorite moment, general observations about the day. These gems get wrapped up in a “Daily” page at the end of each day section. Carve out a few moments at the end of each day to write when these details are fresh.

5| Tell a Meal Story

Challenge yourself to document your meal from start to finish. In the layout below I started with the raw ingredients, showed the veggies prepped and reading for cooking, coming out the oven, husband arriving home and pouring me a glass of wine and finally all of us sitting down to enjoy the finished product.

6 | Capture Your Work from Home Spaces

What does your work look like right now? Is it a different desk than usual, do you have a favorite coffee cup or pen that is always by your side?

7 | Plan a Mini Photo Shoot

Grab a kid, partner or pet for a mini photo session. Try shooting in your back yard, garage, or someplace pretty in your neighborhood. If you can’t find a willing subject, stick your camera on a tripod and get in the photo yourself!

8 | Chronicle the Systems

Do you have regular checklists, white boards or chore charts that keep your family life running smoothly? Take a picture to remember the days when you had to remind your kids to put on their shoes and socks.

9 | Record Your Neighborhood

Do you have a regular route you run/walk/bike near your home? Take your camera with you to record the scene. Consider documenting the gear you use, like in my second layout below, which shows the hat, leash, headphones, app etc. I use when running with the dog.

10 | Document the Detritus of the Day

Are there certain things always laying around your house in this season of your life? In 2014 it was my daughter’s books. Sigh, not so much anymore. This year it will likely be LaCroix cans and hoodie sweatshirts.

Come back tomorrow for 10 more tips!

Past WITL Posts: @ Home Series Intro, 2012, 2006-2010