First Day of School Memories

First Day of School Memories is part of an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Panasonic. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #4KPhoto #4KFun

There are so many firsts as a parent and I’ve loved experiencing them all with my children. But as Weston gets older, each one gets a little more bittersweet. Time has gone so quickly and while I cherish all of the stages, I sometimes wonder where the time has gone. It’s so true that the days are long but the years are short. First day of school memories are always extra special to me and I think it’s because of my time as a teacher. This year was our second year of preschool and the week was definitely full of memories for both kids!

First Day of School Memories

This year I was thankful to have my Panasonic LUMIX G7 to help us capture some silliness during the first week of school. And yes, there were some sillies. At first Weston was sure he wasn’t going back to school but then I reminded him of all of his friends he hadn’t seen in a while. A great thing about going to small, local preschool is that many of the kids return the next year. This year Weston’s class has five boys and two girls with only one new student!

As a teacher that can be a good thing or a challenge but I think they have a really good group of kids so the teachers are pretty lucky with the Pre-Kindergarten class this year!

I think I’m like most moms and wanted that cute first day of school picture. I printed out the sign and everything! Then we packed up a bit early on the first morning and headed outside to take pictures.  The LUMIX was my partner-in-crime with its three exclusive 4K Ultra HD Video pause and extract 4K Photo Modes (4K Pre-Burst, 4K Start/Stop, and 4K). I was able to catch some video and pull a few photos from it as well.

But I have to admit that it took me some time to get that shot I was after. The one that would go into the album of first day of school memories! First Weston had to do a few poses of his own. And then give Carrigan a few modeling lessons.

Yes, these are the kinds of things that happen when you’re a mom on a mission to get the one photo. And you have to be in the car on the way to school before you know it! But these are also the memories that will become even more and more special. For me, this photo is definitely one for the first day of school memories books! I loved catching a glimpse into their bond.

Plus, it was great to be able to get in close to them without having to worry about a bulky, heavy camera. I got DSLM (M= Mirrorless) quality without the bulk and weight of traditional DSLRs and I think the pictures speak for themselves. The Panasonic LUMIX G7 is proving to be a great camera for everyday life and helping me capture some great memories to share with the kids when they’re older!

I did get my first day of school photo complete with the sign! His smile is the one he gives to the camera every single time these days. But it will always remind me of him at this age. I couldn’t help but notice just how old he looks these days. I blame the fact that he’d just gotten his hair cut the day before but where did my baby go?

I don’t think I’m the only mom who asks herself that every fall.

Apparently the kids thought photo taking would be a daily activity because Weston requested another photo shoot on the second day of school! I have to admit that I didn’t mind, especially when it can be so hard to get photos of kids when they’re always on the move!

Plus, whatever brother does, his little sister wants to do!

With help from the Panasonic LUMIX G7, I was able to get a good shot of Carrigan too! Even though she’s not quite ready for school, she did have to have her own backpack. After a meltdown over not being able to carry Weston’s backpack on the first day of school, we got her one of her very own. Oh, those first day of school memories aren’t always the ones you expect but they are definitely memorable!

I plan on continuing to capture some amazing memories this fall because our LUMIX is perfect for the busy family on the go!

It features:

• DFD focusing for fast and precise auto focusing (which is great when you’re trying to capture great shots of the kids!)
• Class-leading lens and accessory options.
• And my favorite — the 4K mode! If you have kids that are always on the move, this is the feature for you!

You can take 4K Ultra HD Video (at up to 30 frames-per-second) and then extract an 8-megapixel still image! Then share your photos with the built-in Wi-Fi and the Panasonic Image app! I think this will come in handy when we head to Disney for Halloween next month! I can’t wait to share more with you!