53 photo prompts for capturing a Day in the Life photo project

Every May brings my annual "Day in the Life" project. Last week I gave you some tips on how to get started with your own Day in the Life project but today I thought it would be fun to list some photo prompts using my 2017 pictures as examples.

After so many years of capturing one day in the life of my family, some of what I look for has become automatic. The first few years felt so much more stressful, but now I can capture key moments during specific parts of our day with a lot less effort. For every picture I'm sharing, there are 5-10 more I've captured just for us. Many are just too private to share publicly, but that's the beauty of this project--the photos you capture are just for YOU. Look for the things you want to remember about your family at this stage of life.

Photos to capture of your family's morning for a Day in the Life photo project:

This is the single hardest portion of the day to capture. Getting out the door on a busy weekday can be hard enough as it is without adding in taking pictures of everything. Many people abandon the project here. I promise it is worth a little extra stress for just one day a year.

I set the camera by my bedside table so that I wake up and walk into our kitchen camera in hand. I would have completely missed those priceless shots of Tim saying goodbye to the girls before he heads out to work without my camera totally ready to go.

20 photo prompts for capturing busy mornings:

What kind of jammies do your kids wear these days?
What do they look like when they first wake up?
Where do you eat breakfast? At a table or is it a bag of snacks on the go?
What does your morning coffee look like? Favorite mug?
Does your child eat the same thing every morning? Next year might be a different favorite.
What morning chores do the kids have?
What are the pets up to in the morning? Do you have a special "greeter" like I do?
What does the morning hygiene look like? Catch kids brushing teeth, combing hair--maybe you have a teen doing makeup?
Are there school folders that need to be signed? Homework projects that need to be packed?
What do the backpacks look like this year? What gets packed into them before leaving for school?
Do you pack lunches? What goes in them today?
Do you work outside the home? What bag do you bring for yourself?
Are the shoes piled by the door? Jackets for a chilly day?
How do your kids get to school? Catch the bus or your car or a picture of your walk.
Capture your goodbye routine. I have a sweet pic of my preschooler holding my hand on the way into school from years ago that is priceless to me. These pics of the hugs with Tim will be equally as special.
Is your kitchen total chaos after the morning routine or neat as a pin? Capture it either way, we are celebrating this stage of life in all it's messy glory. NO ONE has to see this but you might get a chuckle a few years down the road when life is calmer.
Do you exercise in the morning? Where do you do it, what does that look like?
What does the front of your house look like this time of day when you lock up and go?
Is there anything blooming in your yard?
Do you pass something memorable during your commute or drop-off?

Photos to capture your family's afternoon for a Day in the Life photo project:

This time of day can often bring the things that we tend to overlook the most. How you spend your afternoons is likely to be the place where you'll find some of the greatest change from year to year. Where I used to capture naps and cuddles, I now have rollerblading outside and homework. Normally I'm too busy managing dinner prep and evening chaos to think of grabbing the camera. This time of year, the light is at it's prettiest in the afternoon so I can often capture really memorable photos during this time of day.

15 photo prompts for capturing busy afternoons:

What does coming home from school look like?
Are the kids disheveled after their busy day?
Do they eat an after school snack? Where and what is it?
Where do they do homework? Catch a close-up of the homework itself with samples of their handwriting.
Do they spend time reading? Where? What are they reading now?
Do they play outside? Slow down your own schedule and go watch them for a while.
What chores do they do in the afternoon? Capture a before and after if they clean a space.
Look for signs of play: capture messy toys, piles of books, scatterings of crayons, an abandoned video game controller, sports equipment, etc.
Who makes dinner? Capture the prep and anyone who helps.
Where do you eat dinner? What's on the menu today?
Are the kids involved in after school activities? Capture the event and the location. What do you do while they are busy?
What happens when everyone gets home from work? Do you change your clothes?
Do you need to run errands? Where do you go?
How do you keep organized? Capture a peek at your family calendar or cell phone.
How do you relax before bedtime?

Photos to capture of your family's evening for a Day in the Life photo project:

By this time of the day, I'm usually feeling So Done with all the capturing but you're almost there! Some of the sweetest pictures can be caught during the bedtime routine with children. These are the everyday moments you'll really want to remember but that are so rarely captured. Bedtime snuggles, reading routines, bubble baths are some of the most precious childhood memories. Make sure to pass off the camera at least once and have your partner capture YOU doing something special with the kids. I have pictures of myself reading a bedtime story and doing tuck-ins from different years. They're not perfect but they're priceless.

18 photo prompts for capturing quiet evenings:

Do you read to the kids before bed? Which book is it tonight?
Do you have a special television show you watch together at the end of the day?
Is bath time still a thing? Even if you don't want the actual bath pictures, kids wrapped up in towels or pictures of bath toys are lovely.
Do your kids still use character toothbrushes? Who's on it this year?
What do the kids wear to bed? Do they dress themselves or do you help?
What special traditions are involved with tuck-in?
What does their bed look like? A close up of the sheets?
Do they have a special lovey or blanket?
Do they fall asleep right away or read independently in bed?
Do they set a special alarm clock or listen to music with headphones? What gear/techonology is important to them right now?
What is on the bookshelves or dresser in their room?
Do they hang special posters or pictures someplace? What's on display right now?
What happens once the kids are down for the night?
Do you enjoy a special evening treat or glass of wine or cup of tea?
What tv program do you enjoy in the evenings?
Do you read? What book is on your nightstand now?
Do you cuddle up with pets? Where are they at the end of the day?
Do you have any special evening routines?

I hope you found these photo prompts helpful and inspiring. They just scratch the surface of what you could possibly capture in a day. If you'd like more tips and creative challenges, I'd love to invite you to join my Capture It! with Peanut Blossom Facebook group. 100 Days of Summer will be launching soon, we’d love to have you join us for either or both projects. Sign up right here.