Maria’s days seemed to run together. She had a pile of laundry taller than Pike’s Peak and a department filled with employees anxious after hearing news of a merger. And her home life? She preferred to call the layers of chaos ranging from scattered toys to piles of unfiled paperwork: “evidence of past and current adventures.”

Her children were growing out of their clothes almost as soon as she purchased them, and the worry she carried in the back of her mind about all the things she still hadn’t gotten done nagged her worse than Aunt Francine. Dry cleaning? Needs to be picked up. Groceries? Always out of something. Oil change for the car? Definitely overdue.

Printing photos from digital camera?

Don’t even go there. Read the rest »

Season Moore has had an interest in photography for about as long as she can remember. That interest was piqued with her role as high school yearbook editor and again when a studio hired her as a photographer soon after graduation. “I worked closely with their experienced photographers and was just in awe of them. I traveled to schools all over the state of Georgia and would spend all day shooting cheesy, posed yearbook pictures. When I got lucky, I would get to go to a sporting event or dance and shoot candids. At that point I already knew where my real interest lay; not in posed or forced pictures, but in capturing real expression and moments as they happen.” Read the rest »

Photography is a great way to get the kids involved in the family vacation. And the benefits exceed a newfound sense of responsibility. Taking pictures provides children with means to share an adventure, places visited and new things discovered, and helps kids observe what may have gone unnoticed as well as recall their travels with greater ease and spontaneity. It opens up a new world to explore.

Yet it is important that photography remain a game, and not become a bore.

The right equipment
Simple means can result in interesting photos. The single use or disposable camera has several advantages:

• They are light and easy to use and can be worn, on a string, round the neck or carried in a backpack.
• They are not as delicate as their parents’ semi-professional model and thus facilitate freedom of use whenever and wherever they decide to play. They come equipped with film and many have a built-in flash.
• High sensitivity film, 400 asa and up, and a flash will ensure a result even in a setting with little light.

Read the rest »

ORGANIZING PHOTOS: Digital and Film
Got photos? Are they organized? Decide which photos you want to organize first: film or digital then follow these steps.

STEP ONE –Develop (film) or Download (digital)
Develop all canisters of film OR download all pictures off the digital camera.

STEP TWO-Edit
Overview:
Duplicate photos should be given away/deleted! The ‘give-away’ system can be as simple and economical as using envelopes or Ziplock baggies labeled “Grandma” or “School*”. There is no reason to hang onto 30 pictures of your child’s first day of school. In contrast, photos become lavish gifts when presented in a leather photo envelope or inserted into glass bookends. A nice gift for grandparents is to insert a photo into a pre-matted frame and let little ones sign their names on the mat. Read the rest »

Photographing kids can be tricky- they don’t sit still very long, if at all, and if you ask them to smile, they give you that cheesy grin with scrunched-up nose and no eyes in sight! So my advice is to try to capture them more naturally by following these five tips…

1. Turn off the flash. Capture your kids more naturally by first turning off the flash, using available light and photographing candid moments where they aren’t necessarily aware of you.
2. Do something unexpected. If you want them to look at the camera and smile- don’t ask them to say cheese or ask them to “smile” … do something unexpected to make them laugh, or say something silly to get a genuine smile. Read the rest »