TheWordWire.com: Shutter Buddy Makes Heirlooms

Shutter Buddy Makes Heirlooms

Photo: Blogs.babble.com
Above link to product review. Coverage from ABC Kids Expo

My Mother and her sister have been visiting all week — We're celebrating a milestone birthday. Mom will be the big Six-Oh in a couple of days. The pace we're keeping is definitely proof: Sixty years-old is young.

One thing I've noticed when Mom and her siblings get together is that the discussion at some point turns to old photos. Which ones from their childhood still exist and who ended up with them... stories end with, "I have a picture of Mom and Dad from that day."

You've probably observed this in your own family: photos become heirlooms when the moment captured is long gone. I have one picture of my Mother as a baby. It's a little out of focus and only shows three quarters of her face, but Its value to me is like gold.

I'm sure at the time, my Grandfather was dancing a jig behind some honking contraption of a camera loaded with expensive film. I bet he was waving his arms and sputtering nonsense two octaves higher than his normal voice to get her attention. Still, like most infants, she declined to cooperate.

The digital age makes it easier than ever to take and store photos, but any parent knows the problem of getting a baby to look at the camera remains.

At least, until now...

Some friends of mine were trying to get a good shot of their month-old daughter, and made a remarkable discovery. Her attention was drawn to a particular pattern, which placed over the lens, got her to look into the camera every time.

Genius!

That was two years ago, and they've worked hard since to turn this brilliant idea into a business. The ShutterBuddy™ made its product debut at last week's ABC Kids Expo here in Las Vegas.

It folds easily into something that fits in your back pocket, and fits on any kind of camera including cell phones. But the most important feature is that it works!! From newborn to 9 months, babies look right into the camera — no waving and dancing required.

Genius, I say again!

If you have babies in your life, you're well aware that today's snapshots are future heirlooms. Your grandchildren will someday thank you for preserving their parent's youth. The ShutterBuddy™ can help you document the most precious first year. Available for purchase right now through the company link.

So I only have one fuzzy photo of my Mom as a baby, but I've taken lots of Mom and her sister this week. Those two clowns are smiling into the camera in every one, although sometimes I do have to dance a jig to get their attention. The Big Six-oh might be young, but it's a little old for infant camera tricks. Still, I'm pretty sure... I might need a ShutterBuddy™ by the end of the week.