Inspiration....

I have a confession to make. I have previously had a really hard time looking at other photographer's work. I know a lot of photographers really like to draw inspiration from others blogs and websites. Truth is...I just got really frustrated and would lose my sense of self. I don't know if that makes any sense...but when I spent more time looking at others work...I lost interest in my own ideas. I find myself wanting to copy a specific idea or pose. I have been seriously guilty of this when it came to newborn photography. But, what I have found is that every newborn is so totally different that it is almost impossible to copy an exact pose and walk away with an image that you will love as much as the original inspiration. I also found that there is no satisfaction when you copy or spend your time trying to be like someone else. 

With that all being said...I have learned to look at other photographer's work and appreciate their style and interpretation of art. I don't feel so insecure anymore and I don't feel the need to copy or follow trends that are ever changing. I enjoy just going with the flow of a session and creating my own "art" as it happens at that present time. 

Recently I have started using pinterest. It is a wonderful source for all things photography related. 

You can follow me here. I have really enjoyed looking at beautiful photography and also crafty things as well. If you aren't pinning yet...you are missing out on a fantastic inspiration resource. Just remember to use it as inspiration and don't lose your own self while you happily "pin"...

Canvas Prints...

I have been really trying lately to print my images. I got in the habit of taking lots and lots of pictures, but never printing them or displaying them anywhere in my home! What on earth is the point of taking all of these images of my kids if I can't enjoy them on my walls? A few weeks ago I saw a deal that was flying around the blogging world. I wanted to test the quality before I passed it on to you....

Canvas People  was giving away a "Free " 8X10 canvas print for only the price of shipping. You could upgrade the size to an 11X14 for $9.99 more. 

(A few examples from their website shown above)


I decided to go ahead and try them out. I ordered a picture of my daughter and decided to upgrade to the 11X14 for the extra $9.99. My total came to $27.94. That means shipping and handling was $17.95. 


That is a better deal than other places I have priced. I am going to try ordering from a few other places to compare quality. The same size from Costco is $34.99. I usually print everything through an online professional photo lab that I am always very happy with. Photographers price from that location is $45.10
( I don't want to list the name of the online place because I don't want to give away 
professional photographers base pricing.) 
I have never printed a gallery wrap from that location, but I am sure the quality cannot be beat. (Which is why the pros print there :)
I plan to order a few more canvases over the next several weeks and I will let you know my opinions. 
So far, I was happy with Canvas People. Their customer service was great. I loved their emails. They actually made me smile. They have great marketing going on. My canvas came really quick and I was surprised how well the colors matched my monitor. They were really close to what I showed on my screen. 


The deal now at Canvas people is free shipping. The totals end up being the very same as the "free 8X10" special that was going around. 


I would recommend this company. I think an 8X10 would be a fantastic gift for Christmas! The price on the 8X10 really can't be beat and I would imagine this size is perfect for gift giving. Most grandparents don't want anything larger than an 8X10.


Crazy that I am talking about Christmas shopping. I can't believe it is almost the middle of November already. 
Where did my warm summer go? 

Online tutorial...

I have a way cute camera strap that a friend gave to me. You can kind of see it in the picture above :) ...I am not sure where she got it, but I LOVE it. I get tons of compliments on it all the time. Way better than my plain old black strap that came with my camera. 

I know these camera straps can be a little pricey...but today I came across a tutorial for you to make your own slipcover. I have seen tutorials to make a whole new camera strap and it seemed a little time consuming and not really worth it...but this seems like a perfect alternative if you want to make your own. The nice thing about a slip cover is you could make a new one whenever you get sick of sporting the old one :) 

Check it out here...

And...check out the rest of that blog, too. Pretty great stuff. 

Silhouettes....tips and tricks:)

I did such a FUN engagement shoot yesterday...scouting areas all over Salt Lake city...trying to obey "city rules" but ending up with a small parking ticket from a very angry parking police. But so worth the ticket! So worth it.  

Such an amazingly cute couple. So in love and nothing makes my heart more happy than a young gorgeous couple in love. :) 

One thing that I LOVE is a good, fun silhouette picture. It is such a simple thing to do if you know the right settings for your camera. The trick? You gotta shoot manual, baby! 

Here is a FANTASTIC tutorial to help you get started. There is even some editing tips thrown in there. Silhouettes done right, require little, to no photo shop at all. To do this type of picture you must have a basic knowledge of how to change your settings manually. The key is metering to the sky and completely underexposing the main subject. I had a few questions about sun flare shots and I will try to get some help/tutorials on that subject as well. 

Happy shooting! This is the perfect time of year to get these fun shots. I absolutely LOVE it when little kids are silhouetted. I must find a great location for my own kids soon! 

PS...don't miss the cake winner below! Cakes by LE is filling up fast! Get your orders in, too! 

Free crochet pattern....

I absolutely LOVE the look of crochet hats on newborns. I love the texture and color it adds to a picture and it just makes me so happy. There is nothing I love more than creating these little hats for newborns as well. 

One of my favorite websites is youcanmakethis.com. It has some of the most beautiful tutorials for handmade items. One of my favorite crochet designers has a free preemie crochet pattern. Her patterns are always so easy to follow and are written out so beautifully. I made this hat as a preemie size for beautiful K.D. (shown above) and it was a tad bit too small...even for such a tiny little munchkin. I would add another round or two if you are wanting it to fit a regular newborn size tiny head. I do tend to crochet a little tight, though. 

Hospitals are always needing hats for the preemies. This is a great service you can provide for local hospitals. I whipped up this hat in a little over an hour. If you don't know how to crochet, this is a wonderful and easy project for you to learn! There are some wonderful videos on you tube that demonstrate the different stitches required to make this little hat. Happy creating :) 

Free scrapbook kits!

There are a lot of places that you can get *FREE* digital scrapbook kits. I will share a few of my favorites in a minute...but I guess I should first confess that I do not even scrapbook. I think I have admitted this before. It makes me feel like a horrible mom, but I figure I take enough pictures of my kids that it MORE than makes up for my lack of cutesy displays of said photos. So...what do I use all these digital freebies for? Birth announcements, graduation announcements, any kind of announcement :)

Invitations, lesson handouts, etc, etc.

You can grab this beautiful freebie HERE.

Little dreamer designs is one of my favorite places for freebies. Just head on up to the top right hand side of their blog and click on *freebies*

I teach the young women on Sundays for my church.

I always like to give little handouts to send home with the girls, with a quote or scripture from the lesson. Making them in photoshop is the easiest, cheapest and fastest way I have found to get them done! Watch for a tutorial coming soon!!!!

 

Another favorite for freebies is Shabby princess designs. Awesome stuff found there! So...start downloading some of your favorites so you can follow the tutorial and make your own creation with me....

Need a last minute gift idea?

The past couple of years, I have been a bit of a scrooge. I know the reasons why... and this year I decided I just wasn't going to let them get to me anymore. I want this Christmas to be amazing, magical and so much fun...not only for the kids, but for myself as well!

So...I decided to host an ugly sweater party for my besties. And WOW...we sure wear those sweaters well! Aren't we HOT?!? I was even sporting stretch pants, with stirrups and everything! Never thought I would wear those again.

In preparation for the party...I knew I wanted to serve all of the food that have been traditions in my own family for as long as I can remember. I wanted to try and motivate myself to remember all the magical things about Christmas, in hopes of feeling less scrooge-ish. I also wanted to share these important recipes with my friends...

Luckily...I stumbled upon this FREE DOWNLOAD!

How amazing are the people at shabbyprincess.com!?!

Not only do they have so many amazing FREE DOWNLOADS...but they also have so many cute, cute kits in their shoppe as well. Their prices are pretty amazing as well.

I printed the box at Kinko's on nice card stock. They were $1.24 a piece. You could do it on your own printer as well...but I wanted the printing to be really nice. (My printer doesn't work that well) It prints on a regular 8.5X11 sheet of paper. I cut it out and scored the edges that needed to be folded. Then just hot glued the sides in place. I embellished it with a little crochet flower and button. Super easy! You could also cut out little flowers from felt if you don't know how to crochet.

The recipe cards are all set at 4X6 for easy printing. If you don't have photoshop/elements to type in your recipes...you could just hand write on them. I think you are supposed to put in pictures of the food...but I would rather put pictures of my kids:)

I just put the recipes in the box and tied it up with a simple red ribbon. With 8 recipes at $.13 a piece (printed at Costco), the box at $1.24, ribbon was free (I have way too much ribbon) and the embellishments were also free since I already had the materials...that makes this adorable and very useful gift so cost friendly coming in at under $2.50! You could even do it cheaper than that if you needed to. Just print the recipes and tie a ribbon around them for a perfect $1 gift! My cute friend is giving banana bread to her neighbors this year so we typed the recipe on one of these cute cards and she is attaching it to her banana loaf. How cute is that?!? So many possibilities with this free download!

Thanks shabby princess! I think you are amazing for sharing your gift.

My thoughts on Custom Photography....

Today...I'm going to share my thoughts on the cost of custom photography....

One question I get asked the most is...

"Why don't you do this as a business?"

There are a few reasons that I won't go way into. One of the main reasons is because I am not really all that good as a business owner. Believe me...I have had MANY different entrepreneurial goals over the past several years. I have been fortunate that most of them have been great and not too cost consuming. I am terrible at keeping books. I hate keeping track of money and to be honest...I really just suck at the whole business aspect of owning a business. I really only like the creative side of anything I do. This poses a HUGE problem for me. It makes having a successful business next to impossible! The second main reason for me is that I really cannot put a price on anything that makes it worth leaving my kids and ignoring them for 40 hours a week. They are getting so big and I really feel like time is just going by so fast I can't even keep track of it. I don't ever want to look back and say "Why didn't I spend more time with my kids?" I can't imagine anything worse than feeling like I missed out on any time with them.

What I want to address today is the price of custom photography. I just have to laugh when people think I am asking too much for a session when I actually agree to do it in the first place. I love it when people beg and beg me to take photos...saying "I'll pay you!" Then...you actually tell them a price and never hear from them again. It happens all the time. People want me to do them a service. The problem? They want to pay nothing for it. I have spent way too much time doing these "favors" for people. I have realized that when I do a session for a friend, neighbor, even family members for free...it is basically telling my family that they aren't as important as the people I am taking pictures for. What kind of message does that send to my kids? Definitely not one that I want them to hear. There is a great post over at MCP Actions today. Everyone needs to read it. Aspiring photographers, professional photographers, and anyone who ever gets pictures taken by a photographer! Go read it....I will wait. It really puts the cost of photography in perspective. It is exactly why I can't do photography as a business. And...it explains very openly why custom photographers charge what they do. My favorite quote from this post is...

"So how do you price? Work backwards to figure out what clients need to spend. So many people want to skim over this because they are “arteests” and think it’s all about the talent, not about the pricing structure. WRONG! Artists work from emotions, and you better step outside of that for a moment and keep those emotions and business separated, or you will BE a starving artist who will one day look back and say “my kids are grown, where did the time go? I sat in front of that computer for hours for less than minimum wage… I wish I had that time back with my kids….” No one looks back and says “I wish I would have worked more away from my family….”

This is exactly why I can't do this as a business. I don't have the time to make it really worth leaving my kids over. I already spend WAY too much time on the computer editing photos, as it is. Really makes you stop and think about why 95% of all photography businesses fail....

I figure I spend about 8-10 hours per session. This includes prep, shooting, driving, and editing.

If I am charging $200 a session...it comes out to $20/hour. Which in theory sounds great...but it isn't true. Figure in cost of equipment, driving, paying babysitter, taxes, etc, etc, I end up making WAY less than $10 an hour. So...you figure your are making less than minimum wage for your time, then.... give away the work for free when you hand over a CD of images for nothing.

Hmmmm. Really makes you think. What are your thoughts on custom photography? If you do it as a profession...how to you make it worth your time? If you are a consumer...how do you feel about the cost of custom photography? What do you think is too much to spend?

Shooting in full sun....

While learning about photography, I tried to research all the "right" and "proper technique". All the rules. All the "always do this" aspects of photography. I have talked about this before in other posts...but wanted to talk about it some more. Sticking with all the "rules" was prohibiting me from always capturing the moments. If I didn't have perfect lighting, I didn't shoot. I found myself afraid to shoot in full sun. I thought that I had to have perfect lighting on the entire face without harsh shadows. This is difficult when you don't have fill flash. Lately...I have realized that I actually really like the effect the sun has on faces. I have been experimenting more with the sun and not worrying about always having even light across the face. I think it makes pictures have an interesting quality that I really like.

Getting proper exposure in full sun is difficult if you do not shoot in manual mode. In auto mode your camera will meter to the brightest object. That is why people will always look dark. When you shoot in Manual mode, you can trick the camera and get the skin tones properly exposed.

Don't let full sun shooting scare you. I have let it get to me FAR too long!

Here is a great article on getting beautiful sun flare.

5 killer ways to shoot into the sun!

(Something I am still working on)

I love it when photographers teach you to "break the rules"!

Maybe I am more of a rebel than I thought!

Picture Puzzles

I can't think of anything my kids like to do more than look at pictures of themselves!
I found this fun website today...

My 3 year old is just getting into puzzles. She would love putting together puzzles of herself. There are all kinds of different sizes depending on the age of the person doing the puzzle. I think this is something I am definitely going to order soon.
Idea found at blissfully domestic

My Baby Girl...

The Hubs and I didn't really do a great job with the whole planning of the births. February is a busy birthday month for us. Mine falls on the 3rd, My daughter the 6th and my son, on the 9th. We celebrate the whole first half of February with cake, parties, eating out, etc, etc. By Valentines Day no one really cares about the sweets! This time of year is difficult for photography because Utah isn't really all that beautiful in the late winter. The snow is dirty and everything is brown. I was still determined to get some shots of my 3 year old...so I had to figure out how to work with what we've got! I knew the surroundings would be brown so I thought brown and pink would be a flattering fit.

I think it brightened things up a bit without taking the focus off of my birthday subject. I wanted to keep things simple and sweet. Just like my baby girl.

Wardrobe is another aspect of photography that is very important. Here are some online resources to help you with your wardrobe selections when taking or getting family portraits done...

For traditional ideas of what to wear...http://maternitybykoren.com/blog/?tag=what-to-wear-to-a-photo-shoot

For a more Urban look...http://jamiesampson.typepad.com/just_me_jamie_sampson_pho/what-to-wear.html

Today's styles are bright colors and funky layers. I love this look and think it is so fun! It is another thing that I wonder about though. While it is popular now...will we look back and wonder "What were we thinking?" I tend to dress my own kids in classic styles. I guess I am a little boring. I think the most important thing is that you are dressed nice, well groomed and the outfit matches your surroundings. Yes, wardrobe is definitely something I think mothers spend the most time thinking about! Photographers too! I think every photographer secretly hopes to have that perfectly dressed family while arriving to their session. It makes their job easier and so much more enjoyable if they don't have to worry about their subject's appearance.

A Fun Tool!

Sorry I have been such a slacker with this blog. I promise I will try to do better. The weather here has just got to clear up soon. I am missing the sun!

I thought it would be fun to share a fun thing I have stumbled upon....

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

It is a mosaic maker! This is a fun way to display pictures on your blogs, websites, etc. It did take me a little while to figure it out. I am a little computer challenged at times. I have a flickr account so I uploaded from there...but you can upload from your own computer. When I was ready to post it on my blog I had a few problems. I am not sure what "the right" way is...but I couldn't get the URL to work for me when I just copied and pasted to upload an image through blogger. There is a tiny little disc that shows under your creation that says download image. I clicked that and then copied and pasted that link instead. It worked that way. Kind of confusing. If you are having problems too...email me and I will try to help you figure it out. Here is an example of one I made today for my family blog...
On Friday the 13th we had my son's 10th birthday party with his friends. We took these boys to the movie "The Pink Panther 2". (Yes, we are a little crazy.) The boys found this great photo Op and I thought this was a fun way to put all the pictures on our blog...instead of just one at a time. Another fun tip is giving photos as a thank you gift. We are going to give each boy that came, his "scary" Friday the 13th picture {and the picture at the bottom of this post} with a thank you note for attending the party. It is a great way to give a memory that will last a lifetime!

A few of YOUR questions answered...

Here are a few questions that I have been asked lately....



What camera do you use?

I have the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. It is the first digital SLR camera I have ever had. I think it is a great starting camera. I also get asked, Canon or Nikon? I chose the Canon because it is really good in "low light" situations. I have heard the Nikon is better with color. I guess it just depends on who you talk to. I wouldn't say I am more partial to either brand. From what I can see there are a lot of similarities with all the Nikon camera models that compete with the Canon XTi. One thing I have focused on is buying really good glass. (lenses). I guess I am a Canon girl now because I have bought some really nice Canon glass that will work with the camera I plan to upgrade to. I wouldn't say that I have out grown my XTi. There are a few features that I would like to have, (full frame, for one) but for now I find it is great for me as I learn more about photography.



What is a good lens for portraits?

My favorite lens is the Canon 50mm 1.4. I use it All. The. Time. I have mentioned it before in a previous post about bokeh. There is a 50mm 1.8 that has a fantastic price tag attached to it. Both of these take a bit of getting used to. I would recommend a lot of practice before deciding to get rid of it. Check out all the comments on these two lenses. I really feel like you cannot go wrong with either of these. I plan to purchase the 85mm 1.8 next. It will allow me to get the same results I get with the 50mm at a distance. My kids are used to me in their face with the camera, but I have found that a lot of kids don't like me in their space and I don't get the results I want... real candid smiles. Another great thing about all of these is the LOW LOW aperture. Great for lower light situations. Especially if you are opposed to using flash like I am.



How can I learn to shoot in Manual?

I think this is a very important thing to learn. Why? Because Auto isn't perfect. It is far from perfect. I know just how scary it is to turn that dial to "M"! I will admit that I had a really hard time trying to figure out all the technical stuff. I still don't know how to explain it very well to other people. The Pioneer Woman Photography is a great resource. I am still learning Manual. I think it is a constant learning process. There are so many different lighting situations. The way I am learning? Trial and Error. I am not afraid to shoot over and over until it looks right. I try, and fail. Try and fail. Eventually I started to get it right more often. But, I still mess up. A lot! One way to start is to shoot in AV/A mode. (Aperture priority) Here is a great online explanation that will really help you to understand the difference between Aperture and Shutter priority. Try moving that dial away from Auto! That even means the little pictures. They are Auto as well.



http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/aperture-and-shutter-priority-modes/



Have a question you would like answered?

Email me at littlebitoflove76@gmail.com

Using the Sun....

The sun, (when it comes to photography) I am finding can either be your best friend, or as my boys would say..."Your arch nemesis!" I remember hearing that it was best for the subject to face into the sun, sun behind the photographer, and out in the open daylight. Heard that one? Still believe it? Hello! What exactly does that produce? People with no eyes because they are squinting, washed out faces, and usually very over-exposed photos.
Not a flattering picture, right? With winter quickly approaching (which is my arch nemesis) I am sad that I cannot experiment with the sun more. I guess I could, but I am a complete wimp when it comes to temperatures under 60 degrees. And, with Utah winters and their awful inversions, the sun isn't really around all that much. I am looking forward to experimenting more with my studio lighting equipment, but I have to admit I have enjoyed my summer love affair, learning to shoot in natural light. Here are a few of my favorites that I took this summer with a "setting" sun. They both could use some help in photo shop to make them more dramatic. These are pretty much straight out of the camera just to show you the natural effects of the sun.

Here is a great guide on how to shoot in direct sun light. http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-shoot-in-direct-sunlight/ It is worth your time to read it. No matter if you are an avid photographer, or a mom shooting a soccer game, learning to shoot in direct sun light will improve your photos. Learn about light now. I am getting a lot of comments about waiting to use all this info when "I get a better camera". Don't wait to learn these things when you get a better camera. Learn them now, so when you DO get that camera you want, you will already know the basic and most important aspects of photography. LIGHTING! Don't be afraid to shoot into the setting or rising sun! It can create some amazing effects.

Getting blurry....

One question I get asked quite frequently is...

"How do I get my background blurry?"

Hold tight for just a second while I get a little technical on you. ((Not that I understand a whole lotta techy stuff))...but here goes.

When the background blurs, it is called bokeh. Pronounced Boke-aay or boke-uh.

The definition is: "a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field. Different lens bokeh produces different aesthetic qualities in out-of-focus backgrounds, which are often used to reduce distractions and emphasize the primary subject."

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this feature because it can make a picture that has a less than perfect background look great. I love it when I take pictures of my kids and you can't see the messy house in the background because it is all blurred and you can't even tell what the blur actually is! The way I get my blur is with my favorite lens. I know a lot of people that have the 50 mm 1.8, and LOVE it too. As far as glass goes, the 1.8 is a STEAL! This glass creates amazing bokeh because it has the ability for such a wide aperture and creates a very shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field means that your subject is in focus and the rest of the photo is not. I love using my lens wide open (meaning the lowest aperture number it will allow) without overexposing the photo. If your aperture is open too wide, that means too much time for light to come in. So I determine my aperture according to the light and go from there. But, I always stay as low as I can to create a nice bokeh! I love it. I love it. I love it. Another reason I love my 50 mm 1.4 is because it is so great in low light situations. We will get into that another time.

For a really great explanation on bokeh...go to... The Pioneer Woman. She explains things in a way that even I can understand. It is a FANTASTIC resource for all things photography!

Photo Bliss...

I stumble upon some of the most amazing people through blogging. One blog I regular every single day is http://blissfullydomestic.com/. It has several different sections that give FANTASTIC ideas. For today...

Check out Photo Bliss

Fantastic tips!

I stumbled upon these great video clips. They are fantastic! When you have the time,

watch all of them!

http://ck.shutterfly.com/inspire/articles/sweetbabybook.jsp

There are nine different instructional videos.

Leave a comment and let me know what ones were most helpful for you.