My newborn photography journey has been filled with just a many tears of frustration as tears of joy. I am very passionate about my work and a perfectionist to my own fault. So when Erin asked me to guest blog with a “newborn photography tips” article, I didn’t even hesitate in saying yes. It is my hope that this will help you along in your journey with a few less tears of frustration. I would like to preface this article with a small disclaimer. Since photography is a creative profession, there are lots of ways to accomplish the same results. I do not feel at all as if I have figured everything out or that I am and “expert”. These are just a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way, some through experience and others through mentoring. I hope they help you grow as they’ve helped me. Before we jump into the basics of your newborn photography studio or set up lets cover a few basic questions you may have or even your clients may have. What settings should I use as a newborn photographer? Having the settings on your camera correct will help minimize your frustrations […]
5 Tips for Setting Goals in the Coming Year
This post is sponsored by Ocean Spray® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own. As we begin a new year my mind races to New Year resolutions and goals I’m setting forth to achieve. Every year, every season and every time has its challenges, its ups and downs as well as the fun and adventure that goes along with the changing of times. Anytime I am setting my goals I remind myself to be realistic, reasonable and make sure my goals are even attainable. In other words, I’m not going to set one of my goals this year to run a marathon – there is no way I could even attain that! So here are my tips on setting your New Year Goals. Setting goals comes naturally to me. Whether it’s a goal that I set out to accomplish in a day, a week a month, a quarter or a year. I stick well with having goals…ask my husband – I am forever writing a list – setting a goal – and pretty much will do anything I have to do to attain it. 1- Set a goal you’ve […]
Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap Recipe
This post is sponsored by CAULIPOWER Cauliflower Tortilla but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. It’s the beginning of a brand new year and I’m excited for what’s to come! Why is it that a new year, brings a new start which is refreshing and encouraging all at the same time? Each year I set goals and one recurring goal on my list is to make small changes within our meal plan and what we eat around our home. Thankfully with each new year there are more and more products that help me make these changes within our home. Our family loves tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, wraps or anything else that may require a tortilla! Using these CAULIPOWER Cauliflower Tortillas that I can snag from my local grocery story (in the freezer or refrigerator aisle section) make a small change in our meal become a huge deal! What I love about the CAULIPOWER Cauliflower Tortillas is the taste is superb with the bonus of being dairy- free and vegan and cauliflower is the first ingredient. Within minutes I can heat them on the stove in a skillet and we’re ready for our meal. Being naturally gluten, wheat and […]
6 Magical Disney World Photography Tips
Learn the secrets for taking magical pictures with these 6 Disney World Photography Tips and prepare before you head on Disney vacation or cruise. My family and I have annual passes. I don’t normally take my “big” camera because I try to pack as lightly as I can for Disney, but this was a particularly special occasion, my youngest’s birthday! Naturally, I wanted to get great photos for the scrapbook! 😉 We first might want to talk about these looming questions… Can I bring a camera into Disney World? The answer is yes, although there are rides and attractions that prohibit the use of your camera but be on the look out for signs that will inform you of this. Other than that Disney welcomes you to capture all of the magical memories of your time spent at the parks and attractions. How do I take Good Pictures at Disney World? One way to take great pictures at Disney World is to prepare and know your camera! I would say don’t just take it out of the box and bring it along – take some time to learn your camera settings and know your camera a bit so you are […]
How to Edit Snow Pictures
Wanting to edit your snow pictures to have amazing colors and vibrant hues? These 4 simple steps will show you how to edit your snow pictures in any version of photoshop! It gets pretty cold where I live near Chicago IL and there is no avoiding taking images during the winter outside in the snow, brrrrr! While these images often turn out to be very beautiful and whimsical, it can sometimes be hard to bring out the depth and detail of the snow and if that happens you will be left with a subject standing in a mass of a white with no definition, Oh no! I have found that there is one very easy trick to use in Photoshop to bring out the detail in the snow around my subject and bring more depth and definition to my winter images in the snow. Have fun learning and hopefully trying this new step in Photoshop, it is one of my favorite tricks I have picked up over the years! In the example image I brought my youngest daughter’s white bed outside in the snow, covered it with white pillows and blankets and only realized after our short 10 minute session […]
Learn the Best Time to Take Pictures Outside
Outdoor Photoshoot? Learn the Best Time to Take Pictures Outside and learn the worst time of day to take pictures. What about the golden hour for photography – we’ll talk about that too! Lighting…lets face it photography is ALL about light. Manipulating light in various aspects to create a beautiful image. I get asked this question all of the time…and it’s quite legitimate and it will change your images…change them for the better!!!! First let’s talk about the… Worst time of day to take pictures So many photographers don’t even think about when they are shooting portraits or pictures and what the lighting is like outside. I would highly suggest not shooting in the harsh sunlight because it creates shadows and harsh lighting…it’s just hard to get great pictures and you’ll become frustrated because you aren’t getting the result you wish. Avoid it and don’t schedule a session during the middle of the day for a portrait session…unless you are shooting in open shade and you are guaranteed to stay in the open shaded area. Example: The first picture was taken out in the harsh lighting. The second picture was taken at the same time but in open shade to […]
13 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Gifts
These steps and formula will help you decide ways to save money on Christmas gifts and what Christmas budget looks comfy for you. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our time is filled with Family Holiday Traditions and busy fun…Yet the Christmas wish lists grow longer, the list of who to buy for gets longer with each passing day and you feel like the bank account simply can’t handle any of it. So your stress level starts to rise leaving you with a sense of hopelessness and despair. Remember one of the biggest challenges when you are trying to save money is to overcome your mindset. Don’t compare yourself to others and certainly don’t try to “be like everyone else”. As my money hero (aside from my dad!) says – Live like no one else so one day you can live like no one else- Dave Ramsey Let that sink in just for a moment….. Well back to our topic of How to Save Money on Christmas gifts – my tips aren’t necessarily for doing Christmas cheap or even for cutting everyone off of your list. Keep in mind there are several simple ways that you can implement […]
10 Creative Paper Crafts for Christmas
With only a few simple items you can make these 10 creative and fun paper crafts for Christmas. Choose from Christmas ornaments and decorations for kids and adults to make! You know how we always spend more than we aimed for over the Christmas holidays? Holidays are not about money spent, they are more about family spending time together. And what better way than inviting kids to craft together! We have selected lovely and easy Paper Crafts for Christmas to make with your children. They will love seeing their creations decorating your home (or classroom if you are a teacher). What Christmas Decorations can you make out of Paper? If you are thinking and brainstorming on what decorations you can make out of paper – think of all things Christmas! Think of… stars, Christmas trees, snowflakes, countdown chains, Santa puppets, Christmas bookmarks, Christmas handprint wreaths and the list goes on! Some of the materials and tools needed for crafting: Construction paper Printer Markers Glue stick Scissors Let’s get down to crafting! Pick which of these fantastic Christmas crafts you would like to try first! 1- Combine two of the favorite themes – Kawaii and Christmas to make these super adorable […]
What to Write in Custom Holiday Photo Cards
Find the perfect idea of what to write in custom holiday photo cards before you send them to your family and friends! This post is sponsored by Basic Invite – all opinions are my own. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I seriously love Christmas time… even though, you’d probably agree with me, it’s busy as all get out!! I love this season and the joy, festivity, giving and celebration that comes along with it. Between taking family Christmas pictures, attending family gatherings, hosting Christmas parties with friends, delighting in family traditions, gift giving, Christmas cookie making and more it’s a busy but delightful season! This year for our custom holiday photo cards I went with Basic Invite – there are several reasons I went with them…one being Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows me to almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design, you can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it. I love love love this feature – so many online card companies you are stuck […]
Photoshop vs Lightroom: What’s best for beginners?
Learn the basics of Photoshop and Lightroom, find out what is best for beginners and the difference in Photoshop vs. Lightroom. For anybody starting out as a professional photographer, the Adobe editing suite of tools may seem like an exciting and daunting prospect. The difficult reputation tools like Photoshop have for beginners can make it difficult when deciding which software to use to find the perfect editing process for professional images. There are differences and I want to teach you what the differences in Photoshop vs. Lightroom are. Is Lightroom better than Photoshop? While Lightroom and Photoshop are both used to edit photos, each piece of software has strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right one for the right task can save photographers countless hours of editing and ensure that users create top-quality pictures every time. What is Lightroom? Adobe Photoshop Lightroom was created in 2006 as an image editing software which provided users with control over the management and organization of images. The software automatically extracts data from images, such as camera make and model, resolution and date and time of capture. This information allows users to organize their images into databases and sort through each group with ease. Though […]