Cawfee Tawk Tuesday! Fun Times!

Yesterday was the first Monthly Monday Mommy Playdate! It was planned for 9:30am, this month at Mandarach Park, and I was so happy with the turnout! There were about 10 moms who came out to join me on what turned out to be a bright and sunny morning! And for a good chunk of the hour, we were the only moms at the park! It was great fun!

As I told the moms there, I see the purpose of our Monday Mommy dates as three fold:

1. It is a great way to meet and connect with other moms with kids who our the same ages as our own!

2. It is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with our kids while meeting new moms. I'm not sure who had more fun during our hour together, we moms or the kids!

3. It's a great time and place to take a couple of select tips and try them out! New and old friends, quality time with the kids, and an hour of practicing our photography! A sure recipe for fun and success!

At our mommy dates, I will be focusing on compositional tips- tips that you can use immediately, regardless of whether you're using a point and shoot or a fancy DSLR, tips you can use whether you are a seasoned pro or a newbie (mom or photographer!).

Yesterday we started with 2 basic tips:

1. Get closer! This was the very first pointer I ever heard and put into practice and it is still my favorite. Getting closer removes outside distractions, and leaves no question as to who your subject is. And it allows you to get close enough to actually connect with your child! Which leads to...

2. Simply engage with your child. Forget "say cheese" and going for the perfect shot. Just follow him around, spend time with him, talk with him, play with him. Bring your camera along for the ride and just shoot him being him. The expressions are more genuine and you get more of them!

I followed my own pointers and am sharing my favorites from the morning. These were the few I got between great moments with great ladies, and multiple trips up and down the huge slide at Mandarach! Don't know who was more tired after our play date- Mikey or me!

Thanks for spending the morning with me, ladies! I've got a couple of great ideas for the next outing and I hope to see you all there!

Bring a friend!

And keep shooting!

Jen

Cawfee Tawk is Back!!! And It's All About Perspective!

Welcome back to Cawfee Tawk!! Did you miss it as much as I did? I am excited to be back on Tuesday mornings, and hope to bring to you some simple but great tips to improve your people portraits as soon as today. And today it's all about perspective.

Most of us tend to shoot the way we stand. So all of our shots come from the same vantage point. Kind of boring, don't you think? Plus, we get the tops of all the little heads that follow us around all day. Not their best sides.

One of the quickest, simplest fixes for better portraits is to just move! Change your perspective. Bend your knees. Get on your tummy, or lie on your back. See the world from your children's perspective or get the "bird's eye view" by climbing a tree. The possibilities are endless.

A few things to note about how perspective can effect what we see in our portraits. Sometimes (like here with Tatumn) it's great to shoot down on our subjects. In the right light (here we were in open shade, next to a large building), your subject can look up at you without going blind, and you can get great light in her eyes. And shooting down on your subject brings a feeling of innocence, and simplicity.

On the other hand, shooting up at our subjects creates a feeling of masculinity and strength. This is a great way to shoot teenage boys or men. Any moms out there with young boys in the house? I know my older son is only 7 and I still like to try to shoot up at him sometimes. He likes the way it makes him look older and stronger.

Sometimes shooting up at our subjects is just a fun alternative to the conventional and expected shot. Be bold, think outside the box and get creative. Having digital cameras frees us of having to save our film, so we can shoot all we want!

And often times, the best part of changing our perspectives, is the opportunity it gives us to connect with our subjects. By getting down on our tummies along side our kids, we get on their level, inviting lots of great giggles, or maybe a few moments of thoughtful conversation.

I challenge you to change your perspective. Look at the world, and your subjects, differently, and get creative with how you are shooting. You'll love the variety of shots you get, and your kids will love connecting with you in new ways.

As for Cawfee Tawk, I'm looking forward to connecting with YOU through our Tuesday morning lessons. CT will probably be a monthly or bi-monthly post, so I'll see you in two weeks or so. Until then, shoot me your comments and thoughts, and better yet, some photos too! I'd love to see your perspective!

Keep shooting!

Jen

Cawfee Tawk Tuesday: Contemplating Why

Happy Tuesday. This week I've decided to take Cawfee Tawk in yet another direction. Over the past few weeks and months I have heard way too many stories of lives being altered over illnesses, particularly cancer. This week alone I heard about another friend of mine who seems too young to be facing the difficult road before her due to her cancer diagnosis, as well as a precious little boy named Trey Love who is fighting for his life against neuroblastoma. And then there's my own father who faces the possibility (and probability) that his own cancer has returned.

But it's not just cancer, and it's not just tragedy. It's the whole idea of life. Life is a vapor. It goes so fast. We wait for what seems like forever for our special day, our graduation, our wedding day, our little one's due date, and then we blink and those days are behind us, our kids are growing up, and we are wondering where it all went. One minute we are looking ahead to a road of endless possibilities, the next we are looking back at the precious moments that are now just memories. One minute we're taking our first step down the aisle towards our soulmate, the next we're celebrating decades of marriage and a house full of rambunctious children.

I know there are a few of you out there who read this blog and enjoy seeing these images, but rarely, if ever, pick up a camera yourself. This blog post is for you. Don't wait until you feel comfortable with your camera. Don't wait until you have a good reason to shoot, or a special event. Today is that special event, that special reason. Today is another day with those amazing friends, those precious babies (even if their 16 or 46!), and today is another day with him, with her. What could be more precious than that?

So this post is simply a celebration of all the reasons to get out and shoot. Some moments are huge. Some are wonderfully mundane. But all are precious.

So shoot because they're in love and you're so happy for them.

Shoot because you've never seen anything more precious than the way he cherishes his little girl.

Shoot because they're two of the loves of your life- your father and your son- and they love being together.

Shoot because true love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Shoot because no matter how old he is and how old you are, he's always daddy, and you're always his little girl.

Shoot because it's today and they're here and they're happy, and so you are too.

Shoot because for this fleeting moment, they're not bickering, not crying, just being big bro and little sis.

Shoot because they love their momma and she's all they need, and nothing makes her happier than caring for them.

Shoot because today they walk, arm in arm, into their promising futures, even if just yesterday...

... they were your little boys, just learning to walk together.

This week's homework is simply twofold:

1. Get your camera and shoot. Who cares if you don't get all the settings on your camera, or the lighting isn't perfect. If the moment is, that's all that matters right now.

2. Cherish each other. I'm sure ALL of you can relate to the fact that life is just a vapor and a gift, and we need to savor every second of if.

I'm off to go hug my kids. Sending you hugs as well.

Thanks for reading, and happy shooting

Jen

(Spring is here which means sessions are budding along with the flowers. Since my days are now filling up with sessions and editing, I'm probably going to need to scale back on the Cawfee Tawk. Look for Cawfee Tawk Tuesdays every other Tuesday or every third Tuesday. I'll do my best!)

Cawfee Tawk Tuesday: Where and When To Shoot

Happy Tuesday everyone and Happy Spring! Do you have Spring Fever yet, because we sure do in our house! And for me, Spring Fever means getting outdoors with my camera and my kids. After a long and dreary winter indoors, there is nothing like getting out into God's beautiful creation to photograph the beauty in nature and of course, in my own children!

Now before we all go grabbing our cameras and kidnapping our own children (which is what it feels like in my house- they really don't like having their pictures taken!) we need to prepare and plan a little bit. And so that's why this week's lesson is about where (and when) to shoot. After all, some of the most obvious and gorgeous locations you THINK are great shooting locations are actually the worst possible choices for photographing people.

For this reason, it is crucial for us to take a step back and consider the LIGHT above the "beauty of the location". For example, this past week I took Brady out for a girls' day out, complete with new clothes, amazingly yummy cookies, and photos. I immediately thought of one of the most beautiful locations in our area- St. Peter's Village. We went down to where the river runs through and tried to shoot on the gorgeous boulders. It was mid-afternoon and the light was harsh. Despite the beauty around us, the photos were less than ideal- as you can see the light was hitting her rather harshly.

Brady was squinting terribly, and complaining that the sun was in her eyes. So rather than get frustrated (which I tend to do rather quickly), we simply walked around until we found a large boulder that would shade her from the harsh light. There was still plenty of great light, but now she was comfortable and free to OPEN HER EYES! These two photos were taken less than 15 yards from each other, but you can see the difference. Lesson? Take the time to scope out some open shade so you can still get great light, but not have your subject's eyes disappear in squints.

Open shade is a great way to get directional light outdoors but not be hit hard by the sun directly overhead. One great place to get open shade is under a tree, but be careful for what's called "dappled light"- when the light comes through the leaves creating spots of light and shadow on your subject's face. This shot of Brady girl was taken almost 3 years ago (WOW, how time flies!), and despite that it's still one of my favorite shots of her, I wish I had found some better shade. I refer to this as my "Dappled Brady" shot. Look at your subject's face while you are shooting- if you see this, move her somewhere else.

Or simply wait until later in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky. I shot this image very close to sunset and even though we were in the woods, surrounded by trees and lots of dappled light, the image turned out great with no spots on his adorable little face. This is an example of WHEN taking priority over WHERE. Try not to shoot when the sun is high in the sky. Shoot early in the morning (and I mean EARLY- like just after sunrise) or later in the evening, just before sunset.

Another great example of a gorgeous location gone wrong. When we think gorgeous summer photos we immediately think THE BEACH! But be careful! The beach is gorgeous but there is rarely open shade there which almost always results in squinty faces, like the ones here. Poor kids, they are so adorable, and yet the shot leaves a lot to be desired as they are squinting and uncomfortable.

Solution for a situation like this? Turn them from the sun and shoot from a different perspective. Sure, we can no longer fully see Krista's beautiful face, but she's comfortable and natural and we get the beautiful beach view and her beautiful image. Always be aware of your subject's face while shooting and keep moving until you find the light.

Another solution is in the WHEN. This shot is at the very same beach, just taken the night before. The two images above were taken at 9am on a June morning, a little late to be shooting on the beach during summer months. But here, we shot at sunset, so even having the kids look up at me produced natural smiles instead of painful squints. Sometimes the solution is in the WHEN, not the WHERE.

And if you must shoot at the beach at 9am (like we did here), then go looking for open shade. Here I shot Hannah at the cabana off the beach. Sure there is no ocean, no sand, no gorgeous sky view. But there's a gorgeous face with gorgeous light and no squinty faces. After all, it's the subject you really want to capture isn't it? Not necessarily the location.

Sometimes you might be at a specific location (like here when I photographed Katie at The Hill School) and have certain expectations as to where to shoot. The location might be known for it's gorgeous pond, or beautiful buildings, or lush gardens, but when you get there, the light in those areas is horrible. Don't get frustrated, but instead just go looking for the light. This shot was taken along a walkway on campus. It does not scream "The Hill School" but it is a gorgeous shot of the Hill senior. The sun was shaded by one of the large buildings off to her left and the brick walkway below her blurred to a gorgeous background when I shot her using a shallow depth of field (remember that lesson in aperature?).

If you take the time to plan your shots, taking note of WHEN you are shooting, and WHERE (and how) the light is falling on your subjects, then you cannot go wrong. Don't be seduced by the beauty of a certain location. Look for the light, not the flowers! Who wants pictures of pretty geraniums next to a washed out, or squinty little toddler? Open shade, low sun, and a constant awareness of your subject's face(s) are three ingredients to better portraits outside.

So get outside with your camera and your family and enjoy your Spring Fever!

Your homework this week is twofold!

1. The obvious- get outside and put this to the test. Look for open shade and directional light and shoot. Send me your images- I LOVE seeing your work!

2. Help! If you are enjoying these Cawfee Tawk lessons, then please leave me a comment on some topics you'd like to see here. I'm beginning to run out of topics myself! I'd love to continue sharing with you, but want to know what you want to hear about! Please leave me some comments so I can be sure that I'm sharing lessons you want to learn.

Thanks and happy shooting!

Jen

Cawfee Tawk Tuesday: What Should I Do With These?

Happy Tuesday! This morning I am going in a different direction. I am normally fixated on all things photographic- how to create the right exposure, how to get the best from your subjects, how to create fun compositions, how to MAKE THE IMAGE! But this week my mother-in-law suggested something that got me thinking outside of my little Nikon box.

Now that we are taking fabulous photos, what should we do with them???

No, no no! The answer is not "leave them in the camera and show them to everyone through the LCD screen" (my father-in-law is notorious for doing just this!).

Here are a few ideas that I came across simply by looking through my own home and the gifts that I have given in the past.

First, we've got your basic wall decor. DUH! Sure, as a photographer, it seems only natural that I'd cover my walls with my own images. But actually, I do this more as a mother than as a photographer. After all, fewer things make me happier than looking at beautiful images of my babies. I'm sure most moms would agree.

And of course, you've got your basic calendar gifts. I have made calendars for my parents and in-laws every year since our kids were born. And I'm sure all grandparents would agree that nothing beats month after month of smiling grandchildren! This calendar is the one I made for my in-laws using IPhoto.

There are tons of great sites out there where you can take your images and create all types of memory books. I'm sure you've all got your own favorites. Most people think of creating their books after family vacations or holidays, but I think everyday life is just as good a reason to document the images!

But yes, holidays and special events are great reasons to create such books. My father-in-law has been the recipient of two such books, each on different birthdays. I love making them for him because I know he cherishes them.

And what about this great idea! My sister-in-law created children's books for each of our kids! She used images from their recent wedding and created books that were age appropriate for each child! Scotty can read his all by himself, Brady LOVES looking at the photos of when she was the flower girl, and Mikey has a baby book with simple words and beautiful images! What a great idea! Thanks Aunt Dani and Uncle Ned!

Greeting cards and announcements are always a great way to use photos. Yes, it's March, and yes Christmas has come and gone, but there are birthdays, birth announcements, and tons of great holidays where we exchange cards. Hey, I've even got a friend who sends Groundhog's Day cards! Think outside that box!

And if you just can't find a reason to get those images off your computer and onto prints, then fine. Just leave them there. But have fun. I have a slide show of my favorite images constantly running on my computer. Photos of my kids never get old. And my kids love seeing themselves on screen. Mikey especially gets such a kick out of it!

Hey I've even put their mugs on my mouse pad! Don't look too closely or you'll notice the pen marks that Brady added. I think she thought that the mouse pad was something she was supposed to color in!

These are just a few of the ideas I had lying around our house. In addition to these, I've used photos for:

• mini-accordion books of encouragement for friends and family who were ill.
• funky and edgy rep cards for seniors who wanted an alternative to handing out boring wallets to friends.
• photo coasters
• photo coffee mugs (how great an idea for us CAWFEE TAWKERS!)
• photo ornaments
• CDs in custom made photo covers

And these are a few of the ideas that I have NOT yet done but would love to have myself (feel free to share these with my husband!):

• photo jewelry (I'm working on this as a fabulous gift for my next JLP idea- stay tuned!)
• photo puzzles for my kids (my Brady girl is the puzzle QUEEN and would love to do a puzzle of herself!)
• photo accessories- anything from handbags, to aprons, to clothing!

Now how about you? What ideas have you got for those images? Brainstorm and try to come up with some ideas for your family and friends, some gifts for others, or some fun treats for yourself! And of course, share with me! I am always up for some new ideas on what to do with my images! Hmm... maybe wallpaper for the house?

Maybe not!

In any event, happy shooting and we'll TAWK next week!

Jen

Cawfee Tawk Tuesday: Ditch The Cheese!

Happy Tuesday friends! How's that coffee this morning? Well, if it's anything like mine it's pretty light, which is perfect for this week's topic! After 2 weeks of a pretty complex topic like aperature, I thought I'd take it back to something a little easier and maybe a little more fun- getting great expressions from your subjects (aka those adorable kids)!

Now if you're like me, you've got that one kid who just hates your camera. Sure there's one who will ham it up for you any time you want to shoot, but there's that one who just despises having his photo taken. Every time you pull out the camera, you get either the dirty looks or the fake smiles.

Take a quick look at this shot- can you tell who I'm talking about in my family?

Seriously, I love this kid, and he's one of the cutest kids I've ever seen in my life (yes, I know I'm not 100% objective, but I love my mommy goggles)! But I cannot get this kid to look at my camera and give me a real genuine smile. This is the best I get. Mouth close, semi-happy look, more closely resembling the old "you've got 10 seconds mom and I'm out of here" expression.

Now I know I'm not the only one with a subject like this! But what can we do with these faces? How can we get real genuine smiles, honest expressions of the beauty we see everyday?

Well, I can tell you one thing- it sure isn't going to be with the old "SAY CHEESE!!!" so don't do it! Seriously, right now, throw that phrase out of your basket of tricks and never ever go there again! Seriously, you know the face you're going to get with it. I can't even give you an example from my own photos of "that look" because I NEVER EVER say those words! And I am telling you never ever to say them again! You don't want that face.

Why not? Well, simply because it's not real. Life is not cheese (well, maybe soap opera life, but not real life- and that's cheesY, not cheese!). Life is about real emotions and real expressions and for me, I'd rather have a grimace than a "say cheese" smile.

Some of you might not like what I'm saying here, like my own mother, who would much prefer seeing her beautiful grandchildren adorning their best grins! But I think I prefer real life. And sometimes those more serious expressions, those sad faces are almost more beautiful.

However, we all love the smiles sometimes. So if you want some real ones, engage with those kids, talk to them, get their minds away from your camera and back to YOU. Start playing with them and you'll find those smiles. Here I started challenging Brady to make as many silly faces as she possibly could. Not only did I get some great OTHER expressions, but eventually I got what I was really going for- that genuine smile that she could not contain! She was having way too much fun!

And look at this! Mr. "Don't you dare put that camera in front of me!" with a genuine expression of joy! How is this possible? Easy! I tickled him and started teasing him. We were playing and he forgot about the camera. Sure he isn't looking AT ME, but he's genuinely happy and this is one of my favorite shots of him.

Again, I say let them play. Play with them, or get them playing with each other, then shoot the moment. I know nothing makes Mikey boy happier than playing with his brother and sister, so that's how I got this smile. You know your kids and what makes them happy- shoot them doing those things!

Mikey is not the only one in our family who LOVES playing with his siblings. I am starting to figure out that the only thing I need to get my kids truly smiling is another one of my kids playing with them. I'd take this over "CHEESE" any day, and I'm sure you would agree.

Of course, like I said, life is not always joyful and giggly, but even the sad and grumpy moments can be beautiful so I shoot those too! And I'd encourage you to as well! Am I terrible for shooting through this tantrum? Perhaps, but I think not (after all, it's not like he was hurt- he just wanted to hold my camera himself)! Somedays I look at this photo and laugh. Other days I look at it and think "well, it could be worse- Mikey could be screaming like THIS right now!" But I know I will always love this image.

And I encourage you to keep shooting through the tantrums and through the emotions. You may get lucky and get something like this- laughter through the tears. A more beautiful expression I have yet to see.

And if you throw away that CHEESE, keep shooting, and enjoy every expression your loved ones give you, you know you're bound to get the real deal sooner or later- right there, genuine smiles, lookin' right at ya! And there's nothing more beautiful than that!

Get to it! Ditch the cheese, grab the camera, and shoot the emotion. Have an awesome week and send me some examples. There's nothing I love more than real emotion in photography!

Happy shooting!

Jen

Cawfee Tawk Tuesday: Aperature Part II

Happy Tuesday everyone! Got your coffee? I've got mine- nice and hot with my favorite hazelnut creamer in it! YUM!

Anyway, let's get to it! Last week, we started on an important lesson in depth of field and aperature. I saw some great images throughout the week from some of you. Thanks for taking the time to humor me and do the homework. Gold stars all around!

So now that you're a little more familiar with depth of field and aperature, let's figure out how we can use it in our images. For me, adjusting my aperature is the best way to create my images and "tell my stories".

Let's talk first about the obvious. By setting your aperature to a higher f/stop number like f/22, you create tremendous depth of field where everything is in focus. This is perfect for those landscape shots where you want everything to be seen in great detail. Here is one of my favorite landscape shots, taken in one of our favorite places ever- Estes Park, CO.

However, using a higher f/stop number is not just for those landscape photos. Sometimes when shooting portraits, the environment adds to the image and it's better to keep everything in great detail. When I shot this image, the gorgeous setting only added to the gorgeous family so it made sense to me to keep it all in sharp focus. The setting helped me better tell this family's story.

Of course, it makes sense to keep everything in focus. Seems obvious. But there are times when it's better to "open up". Bring down that f/stop and open up that lens and focus ONLY on the subject you are trying to single out. Create that "single themed image" where there is no question as to what your viewer should be fixed on. Here it is the simple yet heart-melting smile of my little sweetheart.

And let's take this a step further! Seems obvious to focus on the face right? You've got a portrait, so you focus on your subjects. But let's take our story telling to the next level by using a shallow depth of field and an unusual focus. Here, rather than focusing on the bride and groom, I chose to focus on the flowers in my foreground. A much more interesting shot, the bride, groom, and minister are out of focus in the background and the viewer is made to feel almost like she's getting a sneak peek. It's a much more romantic take on an otherwise common shot.

Here's another great way to tell a great story without focusing on the people in the image. By using a lower f/stop and a more shallow depth of field, I focused on the flowers rather than the bride and groom and let the viewer get a sneak peek into the private moments of the newlyweds. So romantic!

Playing with your aperature is a great way to change the stories you are trying to tell with your images. It helps take your photos from snapshots to portraits or stories. After all, every great image tells a story! So spend this week experimenting. Look around you and decide before hand what images should be in full focus for great stories, and what images would work better as single-themed subjects. Take some shots using a shallow depth of field, and then try the opposite. After a while (and I mean after a long while, not just one week) you will start to notice that you tend to shoot either shallow or deep. You will start to realize that you like telling your stories using great detail or focusing on one element. And you'll start to develop a style!

As for me, I love to shoot more wide open, using a more shallow depth of field. And when it comes down to it, as much as I love a romantic shot, I still cannot resist setting my focus on those captivating and beautiful faces I find in front of my camera!

Go play and develop that style- and don't forget to shoot me an example or two! I love to hear from you! Happy shooting and see you next week!

Jen