Capture What Matters Beryl Ayn Young

Photography for me runs so much deeper than making memories
Over the years as photography has evolved and changed...
As we've all been gifted these amazing cameras on our phones...
As my life has take twists and turns...
As my kiddo has grown from baby to pre-teen...
I've realized that when I pick up a camera something inside me shifts, and I feel good
Even if my photos are terrible, I feel good inside
There is an intentional shift of perspective that happens when I look through a camera lens.
And I begin to see the world around me differently
I get out of my head
And into my heart
I capture a slice of our life
in all it's messy beauty
Listen to this mini episode to hear:
How you can use a camera to make an immediate shift in your mood A photo project you can do in under 2 minutes Photo Inspiration:
Want to reconnect with Beryl during this 8 Episode Mini Series? Today I'd like you to, snap a selfie! I want to see your smiling face on my phone - you can text it to (703) 546-9913. 
Not in the US? Prefer to send me a photo over social instead? DM me on Instagram @momtographyceo.
I will reply to every message and I'm looking forward to reconnecting alongside all of you this month!
Beryl’s Links:
Free Reconnect Retreat Registration

Somewhere during pandemic life that days started to all string together and feel the same. So I just stopped capturing everything.
When I open up my feed I see random meme screenshots, a few silly videos my kid recorded for her you tube channel, and items I photographed to sell on our local community boards.
Sprinkled here and there are a photo of my dogs, or dinners, or unexpected family outing. But those are few and far between.
I do miss the feeling of picking up my camera, but for some reason I struggle with looking for the perfect reason or occasion or moment to begin capturing life consistently again.
When I get stuck like this...
Instead of listening to the voice in my head that's on a loop telling me to "just pick up the stupid camera and capture something..."
I get curious.
Listen to this mini episode to hear:
The surprising way I'm finding a path back to myself.  The step-by-step path you can take to instantly spark  your creativity.  A simple task for you to connect with me and lean into curiosity more this week.  Photo Inspiration:
Want to reconnect with Beryl during this 8 Episode Mini Series? Today I'd like you to, snap a selfie! I want to see your smiling face on my phone - you can text it to (703) 546-9913. 
Not in the US? Prefer to send me a photo over social instead? DM me on Instagram @momtographyceo.
I will reply to every message and I'm looking forward to reconnecting alongside all of you this month!
Beryl’s Links:
Free Reconnect Retreat Registration

It's been a hot minute since the Capture What Matters podcast has been in your feed.
In full transparency, pandemic life turned everything in my world a bit upside down.
I've been focused on unschooling my daughter and giving any of my leftover capacity to our Momtography club community.
Rewinding a bit ....waaaaaaay back in 2020 I had big dreams for Momtography Club.
But with the decision to focus on schooling my kiddo through the pandemic - those dreams got buried in the necessity of keeping our mental and emotional health afloat.
Lately I've finally felt the fog of the past year ever so sloooooowly lift so I can reconnect with my dreams.
What I've discovered through this exploration is a deep desire to help other moms like you reconnect with your dreams too.
As I've started getting out in the world again, awkwardly having conversations with clients and mom friends, reluctantly forcing words onto pages of a blank journal...
I've realized I am soooooo not alone in getting back to my dreams.
For us moms., this has been a year of survival mode.
We are out of practice.
With everything.
So instead of getting back on a bike and going full speed ahead with our calendars, our conversations, and our creativity...how about we get back on a tricycle.
Listen to this mini episode to hear:
What I'm creating to help YOU get back to creative expression and dreaming again. How creativity can help you feel more connected as you get back to "normal"  Where I'd love for you to create and connect with me in the coming weeks.  Photo Inspiration:
Want to reconnect with Beryl during this 8 Episode Mini Series? Today I'd like you to, snap a selfie! I want to see your smiling face on my phone - you can text it to (703) 546-9913. 
Not in the US? Prefer to send me a photo over social instead? DM me on Instagram @momtographyceo.
I will reply to every message and I'm looking forward to reconnecting alongside all of you this month!
Beryl’s Links:
Free Reconnect Retreat Registration

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I’d like life to look like when this is all over.
Admittedly, this pandemic seems to shine a light in the places we’ve been ignoring far too long. It’s uncomfortable and it makes me question my confidence. 
Who am I?
What do I value?
How do I want to show up for myself and my family?
Where do I concentrate my time and energy and resources right now?
What is fair to expect of myself right now?
A few weeks ago, we wrapped up teaching our first Teentography kids virtual class and we're starting teaching another one this week.
With the help of these kids, I find the answers to those questions coming into clarity. I’ve learned from these kids, who are picking up a camera and sharing their hearts with me, how to lean into creativity and let go of expectations
These teens have breathed life into me on the days where I just couldn’t for myself.
And they're helping me remember there isn't anything I need to DO or anyone I need to BE in order to claim worth and confidence.
As we travel deeper into our theme of worth this month at Momtography and I think about our Teentography students and my own extreme awkwardness and resistance to feeling worthy at that age, I decided to bring a really special guest onto the show today.
My best friend, Phyllis Myers.
A person I've know since were teens. Someone who is extroverted, and outgoing, and bold, and not afraid to make friends wherever she goes. And one of a handful of people on the planet who knows my own personal struggles with confidence and worth.
Today Phyllis and I deep dive into our past selves, our unique struggles with worth, and how self-discovery and our unique friendship has allowed us to grow and support each other in coming back to confidence when we're feeling challenged.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
Why I’m so passionate about helping other women with there struggle with self-worth How someone discovers who they are and how they know they’ve made that discovery How I give Phyllis credit for helping me break out of my shell and become the person that I am today Who I was during high school and the roll our friendship played during those years Photo Inspiration:
Every episode, Momtography Club community Director Jen - our resident 'queen of photo projects' joins us here at Capture What Matters to share a tip you can use to get more comfortable with your camera. 
Today, Jen talks with us about getting into the habit of photographing yourself – getting comfortable with putting yourself in front of the camera. 
Beryl’s Links:
Free Capture What Matters Workshop Momtography Club

Right now, life is NOT normal.
Our routines and schedules are being tested big time.
When I scroll through my news feed, I see stories of moms trying to make sense of the wacky, cooped-up home-life that we are all trying to navigate right now. I see mom’s trying desperately to homeschool – trying to make sense of the distance learning her school system just implemented last week. Many of us resorting to tablets just to keep our kids entertained.
Our mental health and self-worth are being tested. Everything feels upside down.
I want to remind you that your SELF WORTH is not linked to how good you do during a pandemic.
Your SELF WORTH really isn't linked to anything at all.
Know that right here, right now, you have permission to press pause. It's okay to take a breath and find your new rhythm.
It's ok to do this #quarantime (quarantine time) your way.

This month at Momtography we're diving deep into self-discovery, self-awareness, and feelings of worth. We urge you to lean into how YOU most want to show up. To explore what matters most to you right now and remind yourself how that feels.

Today, our guest Judith Richmond will help you on the path of owning your WORTH. Judith is one of our 'empty-nester' Momtographers who reflects back on her experience raising her two creatively wired boys. She talks with us about how her own self-worth was affected along the way, and why it's led her to want to give back in a big way.

Listen to the full episode to hear:
How Judith’s priorities shifted as her kids left the nest and how that impacted how she saw her self and her self-worth What were some actions and rituals that she learned to feel more "worthy"  How working with younger generations has impacted how she sees herself How she found a new path through creativity and photography Photo Inspiration:
Every episode, Momtography Club community Director Jen - our resident 'queen of photo projects' joins us here at Capture What Matters to share a tip you can use to get more comfortable with your camera. 
Today, Jen talks with us about getting photos of our kids up on the wall and how this gives them a better understanding of who they are, where they come from, and how they fit into the family. 
Judith’s Links:
3D Discovery 3DDiscovery Facebook  Beryl’s Links:
Free Feel Good Photo Challenge Momtography Club

Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to be broadcasting right now while quarantined at home. 
We're currently on day 13 of my daughter being home from school, and our governor here in Virginia just made the call that schools will be closed until the fall. At the very least, a lot of our friends and their kids are grieving.
And rightfully so. There's a lot of sadness and uncertainty right now. 
Because our reality right now is not ever something my imagination could have dreamed up as even remotely possible during this lifetime. 
Even though they are not the same, I find myself comparing the Covid 19 Pandemic to our pregnancy loss back in 2009. The trauma of both of these scenarios then and now are real. We had expectations and plans – we had imagined how life would be. And now the reality of what's actually unfolding is totally different. It’s tragic and disappointing. 
But the cool thing about imagination is that we can use it to shift our perspective even during the hardest moments and find the good again.  
Be gentle with yourself.  
Be gentle with yourself on the days that you can't get out of pajamas.
Be gentle with yourself when you can't wear all the hats of mom, teacher, CEO, nurse – all of them at once. 
Be gentle with yourself when you watch the news and anxiety strikes. 
When you're gentle, you soften, shift your perspective and use your imagination again. When you’re gentle you allow yourself to see the good that still exists.
I promise there is a gift in the eye of this pandemic and today's episode I know will help you not only to look for it but to capture it from behind the lens of your camera. 

My guest today is Lindsay Davis. Lindsey is a documentary photographer who lives in North Florida and loves capturing ordinary life in an honest and unique way.

Through her photos, she will inspire you to treasure life’s ordinary moments. When she is not taking photos, you can find her homeschooling her five kids. I know you're going to absolutely be inspired and hopeful after listening to her share about her personal projects and imaginative approach to picture taking. 

Listen to the full episode to hear:
What Linsey does to fit her documentary photography in with her life as a homeschooling mom How Linsey develops her projects and how she goes about starting them How Linsey benefited from learning to “follow the light” late in her creative development What led to Linsey’s interest in drone photography and what her process looks like now How photography can transport you back to a different time and place Linsey’s Links:
Linsey Davis Photography Linsey Davis Instagram A Legacy Keepers Guide Beryl’s Links:
Free Feel Good Photo Challenge Momtography Club