HP Photo Books are perfect for sharing memories. In these interviews, mom bloggers share their thoughts on photography and the photos that captured the special moments of their lives.
The best words to describe Melody and her blog Slurping Life are her own, from the About Me section on the blog: "A mother by birth and adoption sharing - through photography, writing and humor - life with boys, autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder and cerebral palsy. Reminding you that kids with special needs are kids."
Melody told me she has always loved looking at photos. She doesn't remember snapping a single picture as a child, but as an adult she has taken "tons": "A few years ago while looking at digital photographs of my three youngest boys, something clicked. Looking at them through the lens of a camera, my mind was awakened...my heart fluttered...my eyes were entranced. I have looked at the world differently ever since. It was only eleven months ago that I became truly hooked on the art of photography. What age was I? Let's say a woman in her forties. I can't lie...my oldest son is 26."
She doesn't remember what her first camera was, but recalls having one of those "disc-type cameras" in the '80s. She now uses a digital SLR with a 50mm lens.
Her first camera, which she still has, was a 35mm film camera, a hand-me-down from her father-in-law. She says she never learned anything about it other than to point, focus, shoot and take the film to the photo lab. Now she uses both a digital SLR and a point-and-shoot camera for those times when she doesn't want to pull out the larger camera.
Her very favorite moment on "film" is a photograph of her maternal grandmother at about one year old: "It is 98 years old and is my most treasured photo. I have the original worn copy. I love this photo because it makes me see her not just as a grandmother...but as a person...a baby who grew to be a little girl, who grew up to be a woman...like me. It makes her so real."
Melody truly has a knack for capturing perfect moments. One of her favorite photos (and mine too) is one she took of her boys this past spring. "It was a perfect day of playing at the creek near our mountain cabin. The boys splashed, laughed and got dirty. The photo was taken as we were leaving to walk the dirt road home. The boys took one last look over the little bridge down into the creek...and Lee raised his foot to drain water from his boot. It just says "boy" to me...camouflage boots, dirty wet clothes, curiosity."
Her kids have gotten into photography too. They became interested by watching her, and she muses that perhaps they also grew tired of being the subjects of her pictures all the time: "Kids live in the moment. I think that's what makes photography so interesting to my boys. They're all about capturing each other's goofy antics, the dog doing her business and their friends' nostrils. What is wonderful to me about their photos is the perspective. They look at everything with a fresh, unbiased spirit. Those silly shots become works of art through their lens. "
There are so many ways to use the HP Photo Books— holiday gifts, wedding albums, birthday photos, vacation photos, etc. Really, as many ways as there are reasons to take photos. I asked Melody what she planned to do with her Photo Books: "I realize how much we treasure our time at the creek. I never took a bad photo there. One of the books will definitely be devoted to our creek photos"
"I would love to create books of the everyday moments. The simplicity of our daily life...the giggles and the tears...the moments that tug at my heartstrings. Books for me to cherish now and later."
Photo Books would also make a great keepsake for her sons. She told me that she tried scrapbooking but it's just not for her, so she really appreciates that Photo Books give her "an easy, yet personal and beautiful way to preserve the boys' childhood memories using the photos I snap. I want each of my sons to have a visual life history to treasure now and later."
Special occasion and holiday photos are logical candidates for Photo Books. Melody says that they go overboard at the holidays in her family, with every moment photographed to the max, which gives her so many ideas for Photo Books, it makes her "giddy." She had a great idea for a Christmas Photo Book that I may try at my house, if I get ambitious: "Photos of the baking, decorating, destruction and eating of our gingerbread house alone could fill a book."
One thing is for sure— the pictures in Melody's Photo Books will probably be candids: "A photo is a moment in time frozen forever...a moment that will never be exactly the same again. Candid is real, yet it is what makes photography magical to me."
Print or Share online?
"I print to keep and share. I have two awesome HP photo printers, a full-size and compact. I also blog many of my photos as well as post to online photo sharing sites such as Snapfish, Shutterfly and flickr."
Photos by Melody, Slurping Life Interview by Susan Getgood
Printable version
The best words to describe Melody and her blog 
Melody truly has a knack for capturing perfect moments. One of her favorite photos (and mine too) is one she took of her boys this past spring. 
Her kids have gotten into photography too. They became interested by watching her, and she muses that perhaps they also grew tired of being the subjects of her pictures all the time: