Do “Cheese!” and birthday cake go together?
July 9, 2010 By 11 Comments
Summer is here, it’s birthday party season and we were inspired to write this post for two reasons.. first our own lil’ babes are turning one this summer, and second, because one of our close mom friends asked us the question: “What should I take pictures of at my daughter’s birthday party?”
So, here are 14 things to focus on at your kid’s next birthday party:
(Hint: there is a unique idea about the infamous “cake shot” at 1 year old birthday parties AND a great idea about a photo shoot themed party… they’re a little tucked away, don’t miss them!)
(Have other ideas? Please add them to the comments section!)
- Let me start with this important idea…. Consider giving someone else your camera, a cousin, a niece, your neighbor someone who isn’t responsible for serving food, cake, or chasing around a little one of their own. Tell them to take lots of photos and to not hold back…. Remember it doesn’t cost anything for them to snap away and you can delete and edit them all later. This way, you will be in the shots too. If it’s not important to you, trust me it will be important to your children someday that they see you with them in photos, especially during these important events.
- The birthday boy or girl! Lots of fun shots of them clapping, running, jumping around, rocking the party hat and/or outfits! Playing with their friends. Opening gifts. Being silly… being a kid!
- Of course you’ll get the kiddo digging into the cake (or if they are older, blowing out the candles), however another great idea that I learned from shooting weddings is to have someone else stand off to the side behind the “cake eater” in this case, your son or daughter, shooting pictures of the crowd of people oohhhing and aaahhing just waiting for the baby to go crazy! It’s a fun shot because everyone is so focused on the birthday boy/girl and encouraging them to get really messy with it that you will for sure capture some fun looks and reactions.
- If the baby did in fact dig in and is covered with frosting and cake…. Get shots of their hands, close ups of their face, and anything covered in frosting. Close up is key! Don’t forget the before and after shots!
- Family members, especially those that are aging, grandparents, great grandparents. Anyone that you don’t see on a regular basis or may have traveled to come see you and be there for the party!
- If possible, get a generations shot… (3 or 4 generations all in one picture together) the baby/child, you, your parent(s), and their parent(s).
- A fun group shot of all the kids together – forget about getting a perfect shot, the madness of it all is what will make this shot memorable and fun. Some kids will be looking and smiling, others might be crying, others yet will be totally distracted. (If they are old enough tell them to all make goofy faces on the count of 3) That’s the fun of it!
- Décor – balloons, favors, plates, cups, and the food table prior to anyone digging in. Don’t forget the cake and the gifts!
- If applicable, any hired entertainment, clowns, magicians, singers, dancers, jugglers, and shots of the kids being entertained by them, especially if it’s interactive!
- Do a photo shoot themed birthday party! Tell parents to bring their little ones in costumes or duds to “rock the runway”. Put on a little fashion show, teach the kids how to pose and be glamorous for the camera. Offer accessories as favors, wigs, boas, hats, and big rings!
- Blow bubbles, lots of them even using a fancy bubble machine. Take pictures of the kids chasing them down and blowing bubbles themselves! Move around with them, it’s important to get different angles. For a time, get down on the ground aiming up capturing them reaching high to pop the bubble. Then stand up or even get on a step stool or picnic table bench and, get the shot aiming down through the bubbles capturing their amazed and anxious face as they reach for the sky!
- Having it at a fun local spot? Take a photo of the sign out front.
- Adults gathered in groups to catch up or for conversation. It will be fun to look back on who you were hanging out with at that time in your life. Years down the road, it may even inspire you to get back in touch with someone you lost contact with over time. It will be meaningful and insightful for your children to see the people that were there, that everyone was having a great time, and fun to see your social circle at that time in your lives.
- I personally really love looking at older photos, not only of the people in them, but the objects in the photos that speak to the time period. For example, cars, furniture, clothing, phones, tvs, products, etc. So don’t crop those things out, you can always duplicate it and crop later if you want a close up. My recommendation would be if you can capture those “time capsule” shots by including these objects in the background, do it! This will be rewarding for all to reflect on years down the road!
Weekend Warrior – Father’s Day 2010
June 19, 2010 By 3 Comments
We went to a park at a local lake for a sunset picnic. The sun was setting behind me, I was down on the ground on my knees. I was shooting in manual mode with my Canon Rebel and the 50mm 1.4 lens. The trick is to catch them when they are not posing. In order to do this effectively you have to have the camera on and be shooting enough that they forget that you are there. That my friends is when the magic happens….
Happy Fathers Day to all fathers everywhere! I know one lil’ girl who couldn’t live without hers!
Father's Day 2010
Photoshop Tips (Vol. 3): Skin Softening
June 18, 2010 By 4 Comments
I am going to show you how to “powder your nose” in Photoshop today. Except it’s not just your nose, and it’s not you, and well frankly there’s no powder. Have I lost you yet? Cause I sure am confused!
Ok, seriously, it’s the subject of your photo, probably your kid(s), and this will soften their skin and give it a nice soft glow. Remember, if you run into someone whose skin truly is naturally flawless, you could just give them a little kick in the shin, or competitively point out what awesome traits you were awarded as part of your genetic makeup, finishing up with a waving pointy finger and a sassy “Nahnny Nahnny Boo Boo” OR “SO there!” (My online “life” is so dreamy…. sigh..)
Not inspired by violence and/or name calling? Just give ‘em a look like this one:
The following tips and tricks can be credited to a combination of my learning at UCSD extension Digital Photography courses and Scott Kelby, a Photoshop GURU. He can be found online at www.scottkelby.com and has authored a fantastic book called The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers. I highly recommend adding it to your library.
I use Adobe Photoshop CS4, you can accomplish the same results with other versions, but keep in mind that the steps may be different. Camera Raw is not available in other versions such as Elements.
Scott Kelby promotes opening images with Camera Raw, so this is how I do it and I really like it. In windows you can just use the Open As option, highlight the image you are trying to work with, change the selection to Camera Raw and click open.
Steps:
- Click on the new radio button
- Set the clarity amount to -100
- Set the sharpness to +25
- Using the size slider, increase the size of your brush
- Paint over the skin to soften it generally avoiding areas with more detail, like the eyebrows for example.
And after shot: (In this photo,in addition to some color adjustments, I also brightened the whites of her eyes and sharpened some areas.)
10 photo related gift ideas for Father’s Day
June 11, 2010 By 4 Comments
#1
Boudoir shots of his hot mama of course! (Cutesy idea#1 – give him a nice frame with one of his favorite family photos, behind which is a little suggestive number of you…. his wifey!) Don’t tell him until later that night when it’s time to tuck everyone in, show him the 2ndpic…. and well the rest is up to you! You could hire a pro, or to save some cash invite a girlfriend over to take the photos. Head over to Victoria’s Secret for something new and pretty, bust out the Two Buck Chuck (aka “Charles Shaw” from Trader Joes), relax, laugh, and have fun with it! Oh and now would be a great time to recycle that feather boa from Halloween!
#2
Is he a corporate man by day, loving hubby & papa by night? Let him carry his favorite little one close to him all day with these locket cufflinks from Red Envelope: http://bit.ly/aILQhY
#3
These are some of the most classic looking personalized photo mugs I have seen, check it out: http://bit.ly/b7lzko. Throw in a bag of his favorite coffee and a breakfast-in-bed coupon, you can’t go wrong!
#4
Does he enjoy an occasional poker game? Maybe even just a simple round of Go Fish with the kiddos? Either way, these photo cards from Shutterfly are a sure winner! http://bit.ly/auz0hP
#5
Don’t forget Grandpa, here is a personalized photo puzzle that comes in its own photo box. Spend the time and be selective with this photo, it has the potential to become a family heirloom! http://bit.ly/cd99rN
#6
Can you say PHOTO project? Have the kids sit down and write out lists of words, things, items, or memories that remind them of their dad. Give them disposable cameras and tell them to go on a photo scavenger hunt trying to capture some photos of things around the house, garage, and yard that remind them of their dad or some good memories they have shared. Print out several for each kid and have them scrapbook them with messages of why they chose to take that photo. This one does double duty of keeping the kids entertained and a great personalized gift for dad. Not to mention the added joy of “seeing” the man you love through the eyes of your children.
#7
Is he a techie dad that loves having the greatest and latest gadgets and technology? Upgrade to the new IPhone and load it up with fun photos of the family. Depending on your sense of adventure, you could include photos of you from option #1 here too. Just remember, these definitely have greater potential to end up with alternative, less preferential audiences when you least expect it, like your mother in law or innocent “phone borrowing” co-worker!
#8
Time for a Papa Spoof! (not to be confused with Papa Smurf). Check out these awesome personalized photo cards at moonpig, dad can finally see his face on the cover of Golf magazine! http://bit.ly/moonpigspoof
#9
Been looking for something above par? Chances are he hasn’t had much time to get many rounds in since the family started expanding. Buy him and a close friend a round of golf at his favorite local course, pack them a nice lunch with some adult beverages, throw in this personalized golf towel with a picture of the “home team”(aka.. you and the kids) and send him off for 18 holes! Personalized golf towel: http://bit.ly/golftowel
#10
Haven’t succumbed to the digital frame frenzy yet? Now is your perfect chance, and these aren’t any ordinary digital frame! You have to see this to believe it, but this company called FrameWizard supplements their digital frames with software that animates people, objects, backgrounds, and even custom digital mattes! Check out the pictures on the site, there is one of two adorable girls (presumably sisters) sitting on a beach hugging each other, and their hair is blowing in the wind, their eyes blink, and the waves are crashing behind them, WHOA it WILL blow your mind! Here is the site (click on software) www.framewizard.com. (As seen on www.coolphotoideas.com )
Weekend Warrior – Wet & Tired
June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Weekend Warrior… the shots you can take on the weekends or anyday you are enjoying some quality family time. These are the moments you will look back on with fondness so click away!
I took this with my Iphone today after a short dip in the pool, pre-nap. Tired kiddo. (insert happy face here). What I love about this and why this will be meaningful to me in the future is it will help me to fondly recall this cutie-patootie orange striped swimsuit with the ruffled leg bottoms and big yellow flower on the front. These are things that can easily be overlooked when deciding when to take pictures of your kids. Don’t forget the everyday small stuff!
We would love for you to send us your weekend warrior shots you have taken with your Iphones, send them to us at julie at livelaughshoot dot com OR anne at livelaughshoot dot com. Include a short caption and we will feature them on our blog with a link to your site.
post pool & pre-nap
Rebel Without a Clue (Volume 1)
June 3, 2010 By 2 Comments
We are not equipment snobs here at LLS, nor are we married to one brand. However, we will mostly discuss Canon because that is what we’ve got in our bag. You can shoot with anything, however unless you are hanging out with Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins, please check your .30-06 (“thirty-ought-six”) at the door! Come on what kind of site do you think this is? FOCUS! No pun intended… ahhh who am I kidding, of course it was intended!
Whether you are sportin’ a point and shoot, entry level DSLR, pro level DSLR, or even an IPhone you can capture great moments every day using any of them. As a matter of fact, we have some great prints from our Iphone cameras, that’s right I said IPHONES! IPhones take pictures too, quite conveniently actually and the quality ain’t too shabby either. (Spoiler alert: Watch for future Weekend Warrior posts as we are out and about with our IPhones).
So back to the topic at hand, (pun intended) Canon Rebel that is…. With the decreasing costs of getting better equipment, most of us have gone out and purchased a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera). The Rebel, otherwise known as a “pro-sumer” camera, can be categorized as one step above a point and shoot, yet not quite a “pro” like the 50D or 7D, or BIG dog like a 5D Mark II (insert drool here).
So, this week’s post is all about this button and all the little letters and pictures on it (photo courtesy of http://steves-digicams.com) :
There is an easy way to break this down, and is actually listed this way in the manual for the camera (One of the best tips I received when I was learning is read the manual cover to cover, I promise it’s full of tons of great information, keep it in your bag for referencing at all times!).
Canon refers to the above in two zones: 1) the creative zone (everything north of the green square: A-DEP down through P), and 2) the basic zone (the 7 small icons south of and including the green square). The creative zone is the place where you have either complete control, or as close to complete control as possible over the way your camera is taking pictures. It’s truly ideal, but a can be a very overwhelming area to shoot from but oohhhh so fun. Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself… stay with me!
The basic zone, is a group of pre-determined settings designed for optimal exposure in specific circumstances, taking into consideration your subject(s), distance to your subject, available light, and/or overall goal/end result you seek. (For example, freezing your son’s wild t-ball swing versus capturing your children naturally posed, clean as can be, all smiling and sitting ever so still on your front porch for a family photo) It’s ok to dream, right? This zone takes a lot of the thinking out of the equation but still allows you to optimize camera settings for a desired outcome. Hopefully this makes sense!
We will spend some time in the future getting to know each of these on a more intimate level, the purpose today is to get a basic understanding of what each one means, ideally in laymen’s terms…. photographically speaking.
Some definitions:
Aperture: a small opening in the lens that changes the diameter of the opening to control how much light reaches the sensor as the photo is taken. Controlled by setting fstops.
Shutter Speed: the amount of time the shutter stays open, the longer it is open, the greater the amount of light allowed into the camera.
The Creative Zone:
A-DEP: Automatic Depth of Field. Camera selects both shutter speed and aperture with the goal of having everything in the viewfinder in focus. (Instead of your subject being in focus with a blurred background for example).
M: Manual mode, you must set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to get the right exposure.
Av – Aperture Priority – You choose the aperture, and the camera chooses a shutter speed to get a proper exposure
Tv – Shutter priority – You choose the shutter speed, and the camera chooses an aperture to get a proper exposure
P – Program – automatic mode, but unlocks some of the creative functions. Camera selects shutter speed and aperture.
The Basic Zone:
Head image –best to use when taking a portrait, the setting assists in blurring the background and softens the subject’s hair.
Mountain – this is landscape mode, useful for wide scenery shots, where you want to have everything in focus that is in the picture, whether close up or far away. (Instead of a blurred background like with a portrait)
Flower/tulip – close up mode, for shooting items close up, such as flowers or simple objects. Have you ever seen those pictures of a bee so close up you can see its wings in great detail? It’s called macro photography, typically most effective with a macro lens. In any case, this preset option optimizes times you want to be up close and personal with your subject.
Person in motion – for shooting action shots, like sporting events when you want to freeze the action.
Person with star – nighttime shooting mode, tripod and wide angle lens strongly recommended to avoid the image being blurry or missing some of the detail that a great night shot can highlight.
Final choice – block with line and arrow going through it. This is how you are able to take an image and know with confidence that the flash will not fire. I am generally a flash avoider, but you have to be careful. Flash is needed in many cases to properly capture the moment. An example of a time you may want to turn the flash off would be shooting those lovely little seahorses through the aquarium glass. Seahorses hate bright lights anyway, so it’s a win-win! (I only speak the truth you must believe everything I write oh I am sorry was that out loud?)
Watch for future volumes when we dive a bit deeper. If you have any immediate questions, please feel free to leave a comment, or email us Julie at livelaughshoot(dot)com or Anne at livelaughshoot (dot) com.
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