Have you ever considered creating a GIF from your images? A GIF is a small “video” that is created from a burst of images. When you stitch a burst of images together, it almost looks like a stop-motion film.

This year, I did a deep-dive into the heart of my brand as I went through the re-brand process with Amanda Grazioli and Launch Your Daydream. One of the core fundamentals of my brand is to portray ‘life in motion’ with my imagery. This means that I tend to keep families moving during my photography sessions. Active prompts tend to produce genuine reactions and give families something to focus on versus being self-conscious in front of the camera.

So why create a GIF?

I had a session last week with two adorable boys, 5 and 10 years old. The 10 year old told me he had a trick to show me. He positioned his brother and backed wayyyyy up. I had my finger poised at the shutter to make sure I captured all the action!

1, 2, 3…GO!

The next morning, I was showing my 6 year old son the ‘cool trick’ the boys at my session had done. I was quickly scrolling from beginning to end to show him the motion when I had a thought! These images would make a cool GIF! I know I am late to the ballgame having just made my first one this week. Just in case others are late right alongside me, here’s how to create an easy GIF:

How To Create a GIF

1. Take a series of images in a burst. If you don’t have your camera set on burst/high speed shutter, you’ll want to google how to do that. An easy way to figure out if you have the right setting is to hold down your shutter. If it continues shooting in a burst (without you continually pressing your finger), you’re good to go!
2. Edit those images with the same edit (for consistency).
3. Visit a site like this and upload your series of images.
4. Use this same site to convert your gif file to mp4
5. Share your GIF on your social media or blog channels!

I recently shared my own GIF on Instagram and got a fantastic response. You can check out how I incorporated it in my feed here!

What are you waiting for? Go create a GIF of your own and tag me if you do– I’d love to see your creation!

XOXO- Lyndsay