Children are undoubtedly life-changing. With their entrance into a family often comes a pause on time-consuming hobbies. The hobby I found myself setting aside when my first baby arrived was night-sky photography (also called astrophotography). Similar to a terrible night of teething, night photography requires being awake when the rest of the world is snoozing. Feeling already stretched as a mom, I couldn’t comprehend how I could be a functional parent after spending a night driving to dark skies, taking photos, and then driving back home.
After seeing a Morrison Outdoors baby sleeping bag, I realized that I could cut out the driving if I brought my kids with me and spent the night wherever I was taking photos. A few weeks later, we were up in the mountains in a spot picked out for its nighttime view of the milky way.
As the sun set, I got my kids ready for bed and dressed my youngest in his new sleeping bag. My son is overwhelmingly adventurous so a bonus with the sleeping bag was that he couldn’t run around once it was on, and he was able to wind down in an exciting place.
Once my kids were snoozing, I said goodbye to my husband and headed out to take photos close by our tent. Knowing my son was warm and cozy, I was able to focus my mind on my camera settings and gear (while also keeping an ear out for any nearby wildlife). When I finished up, I was able to sneak back into our tent unnoticed, having spent only 30 minutes busy in the night instead of the hours I would have spent if my kids weren’t sleeping nearby.
Hayley Haws is a landscape and wildlife photographer living in Utah with her husband and two kids. Raised in the desert by two Canadians, she has a love for the outdoors that she hopes to pass on to her kids. Follow her on Instagram or at HayleyHaws.com.