The click.

Getting photos you love!

I just felt like I needed to post as i'm sitting here wide awake again, thinking about people in my life, people who arent' in my life anymore and people who may eventually be in my life.

I get a lot of emails from people here and other places asking for photo advice, tips, etc. I love it, I love helping out when I can, it truly gives me joy to see someone getting the pics that they want.

However, i've gotten quite a few emails in the past two weeks that have said things like 'I'm not taking my camera, the lighting won't be great and I don't want to be disappointed" or 'I can't take my SLR, so i'm not going to worry about getting many shots' or 'I really wanted a pic, but I just wasn't looking great" As I read them, I started thinking about the way that my photography habits have changed since I started scrapbooking.

I used to take pics here and there, whenever the mood struck. When you start scrapbooking, you start paying attention more. Look at the background, look at this, look at that. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just encouraging you. Go for the shots that will look great on your page.

Strive to improve your photography, learn what you can about your camera, dress your kids in matching clothes, stage what you want. But, while you are getting the perfect shot, don't forget the small things.

I am very very guilty of wanting the perfect shot, having a messy house so not taking pictures, not liking the background so zooming in super close,, not taking a pic because the kids are messy, whatever.

It struck me as I was flipping through pictures earlier this evening, that the ones that I sat back and looked at the longest weren't the ones where I took my kids out for a shoot and got beautiful angelic pictures, they weren't the posed shots of matching babies all smiling sweetly.

the ones that made my heart beat a bit louder and made me stop and look and think were the ones where Josh was sleeping in his high chair. My dad beaming over his first hot krispy kreme donut. The boys with snotty noses sick in bed and out of focus.

they are by no means perfect technically, and most of the time, they are just not good shots, off center, out of focus, too much flash, too dark, whatever. Don't throw them away for the 'perfect' shot. Keep your files for a few years, you never know what my end up jumping out at you later.

Here are some of the favorites that I found. I grabbed ones with me in them because I want to encourage you to get in front of the camera- how many pictures of YOU do you have in the past year? It's not enough. Your babies will want to remember you as much as you want to remember them. They aren't going to care that you have an extra ten pounds or bags under your eyes. When they look through the pictures of you they will remember the good times you had, just as you do when you look at them.

Hand those cameras over ladies- you are just as important as anyone else is. If your husband doesn't like taking the pics (or even if he does) find someone and say 'would you mind taking a picture for us' I've never had someone tell me no, even with the scary Dig. rebel.;..put it on auto, it will be fine! People are nice, get in those picture!

here are my favs...show me some of yours!

This is my stepdad wrestling with Josh and Jake a few years ago. I look at it and am reminded of how fortunate I am that my mother found someone so perfect for us to marry. I was 16 when they got married and he went through a lot to be there for us. Through everything I knew he was someone i could turn to for anything at all and this picture just makes me smile, knowing that for someone who didn't know me until I was older, he loves me and my babies like his own. Seeing them being so careless just radiates his love, and theirs for him.

This one is my kids, neice, sister, mom, grandma and great grandma. The lighting wasn't great. I look like a cow, we were all hot and sweaty there is a nasty shed in the background, but we're here. all of us, and we're happy. We had a great afternoon and i'm so thankful we got shots while we could. My great grandma passed away a few months later.



This one is Billy and I two years ago. It's out of focus and behind us is supposed to be the national christmas tree in DC, when you are on auto with flash (duh) christmas lights don't show up and you get washed out. We look so young, so happy, so just in love. I love this picture although it's definetely not what i would have envisioned.


And this one is me and Ms.Alice. Ms.Alice lives across the street from my Gram in Ohio. I spent every afternoon on her front porch, just talking and spending time with her when my parents were going through their divorce. She listened and sat and was just there for me. She had a curio cabinet with the tiniest porcelian dolls ever, she gave me one when we moved and to this day it sits in my living room. when I go home to visit, I make sure I visit. She is 98 now, 96 in this picture, it was taken by holding the camera out with my arm. I barely got us both in, but I have this picture framed and look at it every day. Not technically perfect, but seeing it reminds me everyday that things will be fine, you just have to stop and take the time to rock. I don't know how many times she told me that, and she is so so right.


So, i've rambled on and on and on, and you probably didn't read all of it, but that's fine with me.

Get in your pictures, look for love, not perfection. don't stop learning but don't lose what you have!


***Ps- I will be updating with photo tips again in a few days, We'll talk settings for fireworks with the 4th of July coming up!

anything else specific you are wanting to know? Leave me a comment and i'll work on it...i'm begging, give me some direction!

posted by Steph @ 10:36 PM