After years of shooting kids, my own included, I have fallen in love with the composite image. I feel like it’s so hard to get everyone EXACTLY how I want them in one shot when I am working with young children. Because of the certainty that kids will be kids, I learned to master the composite image and know that I will always end up with at least one great portrait.
I’m not really a “motivational-quote-on-the-wall” sort of person, but when Susannah, my third child was born, I found that I needed a new mantra for my life. It is, “Embrace the chaos!” I haven’t embroidered it anywhere . . . yet . . . but I haven’t let go of it in the almost four years since. As a shift worker, rotating twelve hour night and day shifts, change and chaos are just our norm. The “routine” in our days consists of little pieces that we fit in and around the schedules and activities of any given day/week/month. So when it came time to pick a day to document for this day in our life, I opted for an extra chaotic summer vacation day trip this August. Why not?
I knew being an urban mom with 3 kids and a photography business to run left me quite busy, but I didn’t truly realize how go-go-go my life is until I took the time to do this project. I suspect this is probably the reality for all of us though. This is the first year with having two kids in school and it’s been an adjustment for me… but I love it a lot. It’s well known that my youngest is my most easy going kid and I feel like she allows me to mom in “easy mode” which really has allowed me to be diligent in carving out a little time for me to care for myself and not just everyone else all the time. I’ve tried to reflect that a bit here, despite the constant running we seem to do (I feel like I practically live in my car).
As a mother, photographer and storyteller, I love capturing all of the dynamics in the relationships my children have with each other. I know every parent wants to preserve these fleeting magical years in a way that does them justice and I’m so thankful photography allows us to do that. Here are 5 tips to help you capture the ever growing, changing, and precious bonds your children share.
Have you heard of Neutral Density filters but have no idea what they are or how to use them? Neutral Density filters and Graduated Neutral Density filters are simple tools that can enhance your images, each in its own way.
I found myself photography food quite by accident. It all began with my love of baking and trying new recipes. At first, I had a desire to simply document what I had made, but after a while I began to want my food photographs to look as good as the food tasted. This is where my food photography journey really began and, over the past few years, food has been one of my favorite subjects.
Through the many daily shooting projects I’ve tackled, I’ve discovered that my most favorite thing to capture is just raw, natural childhood. Just the everyday happenings around the house, or out and about.
Planning and posing stressed me out and we all know how much that stresses kids out. In 2011, taking sessions took a back seat and in 2012, I began my first 365 project. It was the best decision I could have made for myself as a budding photographer and artist. I discovered my love for observation, both of light and life. I’ve always been an observer, but that quality in me is the foundation of who I am as a photographer, and realizing that was a turning point for me.
Lock up your wallets because we’ve got a fun, and tempting, series for you to get to know the CMpros a little better! What better way to learn about them than to ask them what their favorite things are, photography related or not? Next up is Nina Mingioni sharing what she loves!
From an early age I had an interest in photography. I grew up in Rochester, NY – home of Eastman Kodak – at a time when everyone knew someone that worked at the company. In my case it was my Dad.
It’s time for another installment of one of our favorite blog series, a peek inside. Today, we have one of our newest team members to feature, Sally Molhoek.
Like so many others, my photography journey began shortly after the birth of our son in 2011. I found myself yearning to capture each stage of his infancy and all those fleeting moments in between. I had been reading up on the how-to’s of photography online, started learning about the exposure triangle and I knew I wanted to be able to control the camera manually. At the time, I didn’t want to commit to the price of a dSLR, so I bought a Nikon Coolpix P300, put it in manual, and snapped away!
What started as a way to keep my husband connected to our family while he was deployed overseas grew into a Project 365 that’s documented three new babies, two moves and five plus years of a crazy life with no sign of putting the camera down anytime soon.
Another month brings a new CMpro of the Month! Let’s start this month off with a huge congratulations to October’s CMpro of the Month, the fabulous Mae Burke! And now for a fun interview with Mae!
A Day In The Life with Jessica Thomason I think this is my sixth time shooting a full day, first-sip-of-coffee-til-bedtime, ‘day in the life’ for my family. In the middle of shooting it always feels like chaos. And not in a “chaos is beautiful kind of way”. More like a “I am seriously not going …
Lighting can make the difference between a so-so photo and a stunning image. It is one of the most intimidating technical categories of photography because it is out of our control, and we don’t always have control of our locations either. Being able to work with light, understand it, and use it to our advantage is critical. Here are seven basic tips to getting images with stronger light.
I don’t know about you, but I just love fall. Apple crisp, brisk morning walks, warm clothing, football, pumpkin picking… what’s not to love? I want to capture every autumn sight, scent, and taste with my camera. Here are 5 Secrets to capturing amazing fall photographs.
It’s time for another installment of one of our favorite blog series, a peek inside. Today, we have one of our newest team members to feature, Brittany Chandler.
I took my first photography class in high school. It was a semester long class that taught us to develop film. My camera was an automatic, so I’m not sure that we really learned much in the way of photography technique, but I loved the opportunity to see my images appear on a sheet of paper in the developing tray.
You see pretty light, a fleeting moment, or a stunning vista and rush to grab your camera to document it. You look at the back of your LCD screen only to be disappointed that you missed focus and your image is a blur. Your shutter speed was high enough to stop the motion, so what gives? Keep reading for a few tips to achieve sharply focused images.
Your life, so full and dear, is a photographic disaster. You envision charming lifestyle photos, but end up with unremarkable snapshots. Your Instagram flows from an alternate universe where all homes are lovely and everyday moments live on as fine art. You’re desperate for more order, more light, more room and suddenly you’re browsing the MLS. Mostly, though, you feel defeated, and your precious everyday moments get a phone snapshot, if that. This is not how it should be. Here are four basic tricks to get you taking better photos, anywhere, with any camera, starting now.
