jumpin' for joy

jumping pictures are my favorite!  it's something we like to do anytime and anywhere to jazz up regular group shots.  but as carefree as they look, there's a real art to capturing jumping pictures.  based on my past experience (starting in middle school!), here are some pointers for attaining the best jumping picture ever.

a self-timer failure attempt during a spring break camp-out.  belly-shirts optional.

a photographer

while it is a nice concept to use self-timer, it rarely works.  you need someone who's familiar enough with their own camera to know exactly when to press the shutter.  i love to take these kinds of shots, but that means i don't appear in many jumping pictures... worth it!

another self-timer misshape - notice how clear the foreground is! too bad we are all blurry people...

a cooperative group

i say this because, not only do you have to jump simultaneously, but you must jump multiple times without becoming discouraged.  we always implement the "1-2-3-jump" method, but others might favor the "1-2-jump" or the ".........now!" for self-timed shots.  but maybe by the 15th jump attempt, you can call it quits and no one will blame you. 

ah, the "1-2-3-jump" fail.  or maybe the sequential height order was intentional?  we'll go with that...

a good jumping pose

it's taken me years to perfect the ideal jumping pose (jokes!).  here are some ideas from the picture above (L-R): the "what's the big deal" jump; the "chest bump" jump; the pencil jump with your arms at your side; the cha-cha dance jump; the "stop! don't take my purse!" jump; the arms straight up or to the side; and of course, some type of spread eagle... i think? 

 

classic pose, by two awesome friends from my summer camp!

the "do-anything-you-want" pose by me and my fellow marching band members at our senior state marching contest (good times!!)

the classic pose with a summer camp friend.  this girl is awesome by the way.  she just sent me some warm socks for my birthday! what a bffl! :P

a variation is always good, as shown by some amazing youth group friends from high school

some jumping at the color run a few weeks ago

and even if the picture doesn't turn out as ideal as you pictured, it's the memory that counts, and sometimes that's all that matters.  :)

-hayley