End of year teacher gifts....

One thing that completely stresses me out at the end of the year is making sure I give my kids' teachers a gift that really shows how much we love and appreciate them. This year was so hard because I was especially in love with each and every one of these special teachers. This year has been incredible for each one of my kids and I wanted to make sure the teachers knew how much we absolutely ADORE each of them. 

I decided to use my photography to give a meaningful and personalized gift. I didn't really want to give them pictures of my kids....per-se. Silhouette pictures are a perfect way to give them a little piece of your child without screaming "HEY REMEMBER US?!?!?!?!" 

Each one of my kids' pictures were individually personalized for each of their teachers. Different quotes that mean something to that specific teacher, or a quote that we felt described how we felt about that teacher. 

My daughter's teacher has been a part of her life for 2 years now. I know Haleigh doesn't realize yet that her precious teacher will not be following her to kindergarten. We loved having Mrs. Harmon a part of this stage of Haleigh's life. Even though we are moving on...we will never forget the part she played during this stage. We printed this as a 5X7 and put it in an adorable frame we found at hobby lobby.  

Ryan has had the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing class this year. We were so blessed to be accepted into a special A.L.L. program that our school district offers. His teacher had a theme this year...

"Smiles Heroes." The whole year centered around being a hero, learning to love yourself and figure out the gifts you have to offer the world. The quote on her gift is their class motto. We are having this printed at Costco as a poster print for her to keep in her classroom. 

And finally...my oldest son had one of the most amazing teachers this year. She seriously has changed my son in ways that I never realized a teacher could. I cannot imagine being a 6th grade teacher...but you can tell that she knows, that she is where she is supposed to be. She was meant to teach these kids. I have never been so touched by a teacher's words and actions. She has truly changed the way my son sees himself. Made him a better person and gave him self esteem that I know he would have never found without her influence. We printed this one as a 5X7 as well and put it in a black frame. 

Teachers are not given enough praise and credit for their time and efforts. AND, we all know they don't make enough money for what they do. I hope my teachers know how much we appreciate them. I really feel that if we appreciate them more, it encourages them to do better. To teach our kids to be better. 

Don't forget to thank you teachers in a meaningful way as the school year ends. 

Welcome Spring!

Middle of May...and today was finally a beautiful day! My sweet daughter had her dance recital today...and I figured since she looked so stinkin' adorable, I would take advantage of the weather and shoot a few pictures of her in her bumble bee costume. Couldn't be a more fitting attire for the setting. :) 

I messed around with the free mini fusion action download from MCP on the picture above. I am sometimes a fan of this look and thought it would be fun to try it out before I decided to buy the whole set of fusion actions. 

Couldn't resist doing a silhouette. Man, it feels good to be able to get out and shoot again. :) 

A perfect End....

Tonight's picture was a perfect ending to a perfect day. Have you tried a silhouette picture yet? I think our days are getting numbered. Today's weather was a little too perfect for being October 2. The sun is setting earlier and earlier. The days are shorter than I like, and as soon as that sun goes down the chill in the air hits fast. (even though temps were high today!) This week should be a perfect time to get those silhouette pictures...storms are rolling in meaning there will be some fantastic clouds. Unlike the picture above...there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Clouds make those silhouette shots absolutely magnificent! Best time to take the picture is just before the sun sets. Find a locations that will put your subject on the same plane as the sun. For this shot I had the kids up on the hill. The sun was just going behind the mountains. 

Don't be afraid to put your camera in manual mode. 

 These are the settings I used in manual mode...

ISO 100

F/8.0

SS 1/1000

I'm going to be trying again this week if the clouds are out and weather permits. :) 

If you happen to try it as well...please share! 

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!