Ella's Birthday [Orange County Newborn Photographer]

I had the opportunity to be in the hospital with my sister as she gave birth to my second neice. It was a long labor with some difficulties but mom and baby were troopers and both did a great job. With her permission, I am sharing a few shots from this joyous event.

Happy birthday baby Ella!

Taking better pictures of your kids - Part 1 [ Orange County Child Photographer]

I've been toying with the idea of writing a series of posts with simple ways you can improve your pictures. I know that not everyone wants to be a photographer or learn the ins and outs of their cameras, but I do know that everybody feels a sense of excitement when they capture the perfect picture or disapointment when they try to get some cute pictures of their kids and they just don't turn out very well.

In this day and age we are all trying to save money so updating pictures of your children every few months is more cost effective to do on your own. And I'm sure you want to put that pricey camera you bought to some good use!


Tip #1 - Find pretty, even light.

Move your subject to "open shade". Open shade means an area that is well lit but has no harsh direct sunlight. A patio overhang, a full leafy tree, or the shaded side of a building are great examples. By using open shade you will get very even and flattering light and your subject will not have an awful squint from staring into the sun. :)  Overcast days can be perfect for taking pictures because virtually anywhere will have open shade.

If you want to take a shot somewhere that doesn't have open shade (in a field for instance) keep in mind that the worst lighting is when the sun is directly over head. You'll find the best light early in the morning or about an hour before sunset.

No Shade - notice the hot spots and harsh shadows.

 

Open Shade - lovely even light

Tip #2 - Wear white!

If you, the photographer, wear a white shirt you will reflect light back on to your subject. Being a human "reflector" reduces shadows and color casts on your subject. If you still find that the shadows are a little too deep for your taste, then anything white will work as a reflector to bounce light back and make the eyes sparkle. I use a typical photography reflector that folds up like a sun shade but a white poster board, Styrofoam board, even a white sheet or towel can work. Play around with the angle of your reflector until you achieve the most flattering light for your shot.





Tip # 3 - You don't need a picturesque scene to get a lovely background. One of the great things about photographing children? They are small! Look through your camera's viewfinder and you'll see that you don't have much space to fill around your subject. You'll be surprised at the places I've had clients posed in and you would never know that there was something ugly near by. I'll show you the set up for one of my favorite shots of my daughter that was a less than pretty studio set.

Obviously a little Photoshopping was involved in the final image but I think you get my point. A pretty stairway at a local park, a brick wall, the back of an old pickup truck, some lovely bushes in your back yard, a wooden fence, even your bed can all be very cute places to shoot in. Try laying down a colorful quilt or find a green patch of grass. If something isn't working, then move to another spot and try again!

 

 

 

 

 

Tip # 4- Don't say "cheese".

 

Natural smiles are the best smiles. Tell a silly joke, make a crazy face, having someone jump around behind you like a goofball, whatever it takes! If nothing else is working sometimes you can tell older kids NOT to smile and they can't help it.

One of the things you'll hear me say often is that photographing toddlers is like nailing Jello to a wall. It's impossible to get them to stay still, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Tip #5 - Change your perspective.

When photographing children it's especially important to get on their level. For a fun change of pace you can try laying on your belly and shooting up or stand on a chair and shoot from above looking down. This is where you can get really creative so have fun with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tip #6 – Capture it all.  

Think outside of the box and photograph your kids doing what they do best! You'll want to remember the way they look when the wake up from a nap, or the crazy smiles they give while running wild, even those pouty faces.

I seriously can’t stress this enough. Kids grow so fast and you’ll treasure all of the less than perfect pictures you took of them. Practice makes perfect so get in the habit of picking up your camera, whatever kind it may be, and snap that shutter like there’s no tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stylized Shoot With Molly [Orange County Senior Photographer]

If you remember I did a fun shoot with Molly a few weeks ago and because she is such a great model I quickly snatched her up again before she started school. My concept for this shoot was inspired by my love of historical novels. As usual things never really come out as I envisioned them but it always morphs into something pleasantly surprising and unique. I'm really happy with our end result and I think I'd like to attempt it again in a new location. Molly is so easy to work with and always responds with a happy "Sure!" to my suggestions of laying on a cobweb covered ground or hiking half way up a hill in her lovely dress and no shoes in the blazing heat. She makes it look so effortless. :)  

Keep an eye out for one of these images participating in the Chic Critique Forum Photography Idol Competition for challenge 1!


Here is my pinboard:

Look one was vintage meets modern:

Look two was storybook vintage:

 

 

 

Featured on Chic Critique 52 Glimpse [Orange County Child Photographer]

I'm way behind on my personal 52 week project. Having the baby kind of put that on the back burner. I still have images for every week I just haven't had much time to sit down and blog all of them. Hopefully I can make that a priority soon because I love doing it. I submitted last week to Chic Critique Forum for Week 34 a fun image of my Katelyn playing at a lagoon waterpark we went to for the first time. This was taken in the first five minutes before she saw other kids jumping off an island into the water and decided she could do it also. That was a definate *hand to head* moment! Those gym classes are giving her far too much confidence in her physical abilities. :)

If you haven't done so already, you should go check out Chic Critique Forum for wonderful articles as well as helpful advice for all of your photography questions. I love the community over there! And stay tuned to vote for my image on Wednesday in their Photography Idol competition!

Molly's Model Session [ Orange County Model Photographer/ Orange County Senior Photography]

In case you didn't know, fashion photography is my first love. I was bitten by the photography bug while modeling and I started my business doing model test shoots and portfolio building. I had gone away from that to persue child photography and while I absolutely LOVE doing that, I'm going to start picking up more of these kinds of sessions. Yay!

I had the pleasure of helping Molly start her modeling portoflio the other day. She is a gorgeous girl inside and out. Looks like she's off to a great start with her modling career don't you think?  Stunning!

Don't be surprised if you see a lot more of her in my future work.  :)

Michelle's Maternity Session [Orange County Maternity Photographer]

My little sister is going to have a girl! I'm so excited to meet my new little neice. :)  I drug her family to the beach last weekend for some lovely sunset pictures and I'm really pleased with our results. Doesn't she look beautiful?  Congratulations Connolly Family! Little miss Ella doesn't know the number of photo shoots she's in for in the near future. :)

And just for fun...  :) :) 



Photography Idol [Orange County Children Photographer]

One of my favorite photography resources, Chic Critique Forum  is hosting another great contest! It's called "Photography Idol" and if by some stroke of luck I make it into the contest, I'll be competing against 9 other photographers with weekly challenges and subject to peer voting. Sounds super exciting!!!!  To enter I'm supposed to pick one image that best describes my style. That's like trying to pick one outfit that best describes your style. Impossible! I feel like my style is always changing as I grow and learn but I'm going to give it a shot.

I thought long and hard about this and decided on my personal favorite image to date that combines all of the things I love about photography: my daughter who inspires me to capture everything, not just the perfect poses; natural light; simple settings; coveys emotion; soft, creamy, warm editing; and a hint of editorial flair.

Am I able to capture all of those things in every image? No, but it's a nice goal to strive for. :)