Momtography

I've been lucky to be able to teach a few fun classes on "Momtography". Here is the short, sweet, to the point blog version!

So what is "momtography"? Well, basically exactly what it sounds like! Moms (or grandmas) taking pictures like the pros! Obviously, to get really high-quality pictures it helps to have a great camera. But you can also fake-it-till-you-make-it with your regular old point and shoot camera, or even your phone!
The following are all pictures taken on my iPhone, and all starring my favorite kid ever. Sorrynotsorry that I take so many pictures of this cutie.

Aperture

Phones these days have great aperture settings. For those that don't know, "aperture" controls the depth of field in a photo. Notice how crisp and clear his foot is, and how blurred the background is? This is a look many photographers use and love (ok, generally not of a foot) and it's something most phone cameras do for you automatically! You can test it out now- hold your thumb in front of your camera and watch it blur out the background. Test it out on your kids- it's a great way to blur out the dirty laundry in the background! Or is that just me?

Catchlights

Catchlights are such a simple way to make your photo look more professional. In both of these photos Dayen is facing a big, open window. Find the magic place in your house that has the best lighting- usually a room with a big window- and try out the different angles the light can touch your subject. It will completely change your picture!

What's the biggest problem moms have when trying to take pictures of their kids? That's right, blurriness! Thankfully, as a professional, I never have that problem.

Just kidding.

Thankfully, I have some tips to help overcome it! First, remember that you need to hold as still as possible, especially in low light conditions. Second, rather than shouting, "Say Cheese!" (and getting the totally fake smile that you don't want) find other ways to help get your child to freeze and smile. That's the major benefit of being a momtographer- you can get the truly genuine smiles that another photographer sometimes doesn't. Is there a special song you can sing to make your child smile, or a toy you can hold up to catch their attention? Be patient. It doesn't always work out on the first try.

Or, if your child is like mine, you can just give him some food and he's happy as a clam and ready to smile! Easy peasy. As long as you don't mind food all over his face.

Posing

How can I put this simply? Don't be afraid to be a shameless poser. If you find a cute, colorful lollipop at the store, feel free to give it to your son (who is waaay too young for lollipops) simply for the purpose of taking a picture. And when his little fingers are sticky for a week, you can look back on the cute picture to remind yourself it was all worth it.

We live in a world run by Instagram. Go ahead and pose and add props and then pretend it was all candid. We won't judge!

But I think one of the most important things is to just hang in there and wait for the perfect picture. I mean, don't spend your life and your play times with your phone poised for a picture. But when you absolutely have to take a picture of this sweet moment, make it count! Don't settle for a picture you don't love!

Case in point: the following two pictures were taken about 2 seconds apart.

Kids attitudes and moods change by the second. (Ahem, he may or may not get that from me. Oops.)

There was one day I dressed Dayen in these overalls and he was just looking extra-adorable. So I took a couple pictures (like this):

and realized that just wasn't cutting it. So, I pulled out my trusty DSLR (pro camera) and took this:

My point being: if you are really serious about taking quality photos of your kids, consider investing in a DSLR and a nice lens or two, and learn how to use it! You really will be able to take much better pictures, as long as you learn the basics.

And finally, remember to get in the pictures yourself sometimes! Momtogs tend to hide behind the camera, but don't forget to ask Dad to take a picture once in awhile, or when all else fails, don't be afraid to selfie!

Some of my quick tips:

• Whenever possible, take pictures outdoors. Outdoors is always better!
• Don't be afraid of cloudy days- photographers love cloudy days. Clouds scatter sunlight evenly and make for great pictures- try it!
• When you can't go outside, find good, natural indoor light. Big windows work great!
• Turn off the flash. Seriously! Flash is NOT our friend. Most point and shoot cameras have a setting to let you turn off the flash. If you can't figure it out, let me know and I will happily come over and break it for you. Seriously. Turn off that darn flash!
• When you do take a picture you end up loving, PRINT IT! We take more pictures than any generation before us, but we hardly ever print them. Get those pictures up on your walls or in a book- don't just let them rot in your phone or on your computer until you forget about them!
• Finally, and this isn't a plug for myself (necessarily :) ) Get professional pictures done at least once a year. Man cannot live on phone pictures alone. (Or something else philosophical-sounding.) Hire a professional, dress up, and get some great pictures taken. You won't be sorry!

So, my momtographer friends, what did I miss? Post pictures of your cute littles in the comments! Maybe we will have a momtography contest!

On Love

I want to try a little experiment with you guys!

If you want to participate, read on. If you don't, read on anyways.
I would also love if you shared your thoughts in the comments afterwards!
First: Find a picture of yourself. Preferably one of just you, with no one else in the photo.
Now for the next minute, I want you to just stare at the picture. Really look at it. Jot down or take a mental note of the things that stand out to you in the photo. It can be anything, but try to be specific.
Now, I want you to find a picture of a loved one. It can be anyone: your mom, your spouse, your child, even your dog if you want.
Stare at this picture for a minute, and do the same thing. Take some notes on the things you notice about the picture, how it makes you feel, etc.
Now, I want you to go back over the notes of each picture and take a tally: how many of the comments are positive, and how many are negative? They can also be neutral. 
You see where I'm going with this, right?
How many of your comment toward yourself were positive?
Were your thoughts generally more positive toward your loved one, or toward yourself?
What about finding the photos? Was it easier to find a picture of yourself, or your loved one? Which one did you choose faster?

I try to keep this blog fun and uplifting. But guys, this is so important. And I don't know of any other way to say it.
You have to like yourself.
As a photographer, it just breaks my heart. I can't tell you how many times I take pictures for someone, and they complain that they don't like themselves in the photo. Everything is else is perfect: the lighting, the location, the pose, we got it all right. But there is just something, or lots of things, about themselves that they can't see past.
I can't tell you how many pictures I post that I love, only to have the person delete it off social media and ask me to do the same because "their hair looks bad" or "their smile looks weird" or "they don't like the outfit they chose."
Guys, I'm not above this. I get it. Every picture that has ever been taken of me I have criticized down to every last zit or misplaced strand of hair, but all I'm saying is we have to stop sometime.
I wish you could all see yourselves the way I see you through my camera lens. I have truly, truly, never been taking pictures for someone and thought, "Wow, their smile is weird." or "Interesting shirt choice."
You know why?
Because all I see is your beautiful family, and how happy you are when you're together. (Yes, even when the kids aren't smiling and your shoes got muddy and nothing is going according to plan.)
I wish you could see yourselves the way your family sees you. Especially your spouse and kids. I promise, they never look at your family picture and think anything negative about you.
That's partly why I love taking pictures of kids. 

They always stand in front of the camera so confidently, so excited to pose and grin. I love showing kids their pictures on my camera, and I always ask them something like, "Isn't that pretty?" or "Aren't you so cute?" In the hundreds of times I have done this, I have never had a kid say no, or ask me to take a new one.
Ever.

But when I show an adult their picture, 9 times out of 10 they ask me to retake it because something was wrong. Or they ask me to photoshop them in some way.
And I realize it's the hardest thing in the world to reverse our thinking and start thinking positively about ourselves. 
But I think we owe it to ourselves to try.
Besides, I don't want to take all these beautiful pictures for you if you're going to hate them over silly things!

So I want to know: what were your results with this experiment?
What can I do to help you feel more confident about your photos? How can I help you love the way you look in your photos? (And before anyone says it, I don't mean by using Photoshop to alter you into someone else!)
And what can you do, specifically before a photo shoot, to feel more confident and love the way you look in pictures?
Any and all ideas are appreciated!

The Importance of Prints

Recently I have started doing something new to my business... print sales.
I remember when I was looking for a photographer, I had one important thing in mind: I wanted a disc of all the images. I didn't want to have to buy prints from my photographer, and not know how much I would end up spending on those prints before the session. As I got more into photography myself, I think I actually said the words, "I will never do print sales!"
So, what changed?

Put simply: I realized how often my clients were taking their disc of images, and never doing anything with them. Most often, a few pictures would get posted to social media, and then... nothing! Sometimes, months later, clients would ask me for a new disc because they had lost theirs. When I switched to digital images from a website, sometimes months would go by before the session was downloaded. After that, I don't know if they were ever printed.
I love photography. I love taking pictures of your family, and I am always pushing how important it is to get pictures done frequently. But it's not enough to just get pictures taken. The whole point of why I do what I do is to get those beautiful, high-quality prints up on your wall!
I don't want your pictures to be something you see as a tiny image on your Facebook profile picture. I want it to be the first thing you see when you walk in the door! I want all my clients to have their homes full of these beautiful pictures that we take!

Getting photos professionally done, and then printing them somewhere like WalMart, or worse, not printing them at all, is completely pointless! You may as well ask a friend to snap a couple quick pictures on your phone, because those would serve the same purpose.
That is why I've changed how I do things with my business now. I want to provide a place you can purchase prints that I can guarantee will be high quality, accurate colors, and still affordable.
I still believe you should have the option of printing where you want, so I provide the opportunity to purchase all the high-resolution prints, and print them where you want. But it's important to know you can take advantages of all the services offered by your photographer. This is what they do! They live and breathe these photos, so if you trust them enough to take them, then order prints from them! Or, ask them where they recommend to get prints done. Fill your walls, not just your Facebook walls, with photos.