A HUGE thank you to all of you who helped me raise over $200 for the March of Dimes March for Babies!

I had a great evening groovin’ to Shelley Rodgers and Deep Hollow at the Bus Stop Music Cafe last weekend.  (My cousin, Tim, is in the band!)  A great performance and fun time!  Of course, I had to bring along my camera!  Here are some of my favs from the night.

Spring has sprung!  And I had a great time capturing this little guy’s first birthday portraits, where we took full advantage of the gorgeous weather (and my neighbor’s beautiful tree)!

Here are a few of my favorites – hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

I will be walking in the March of Dimes’ March for Babies once again this year.  From now through April 2012, I will be donating 10% of all print product sales to this great cause.  Please contact me if you would like to book a session, place a print order from a previous session, or join me on April 29th to help all babies have a healthy start!

You have a new digital camera, but you have no idea what the symbols on the camera function wheel mean!   Sound familiar?  Today’s tip will help to explain each symbol and its associated function so that you can start to fully enjoy and shoot with your camera beyond just the Auto setting!

The functions below are taken from a Canon digital point and shoot camera (from the PowerShot series).  The associated Nikon digital camera symbols for the same function are listed in italics. Even if you don’t own a Canon or Nikon, many of these functions are very similar with most camera brands.

• “TV/S” – Represents “Shutter Priority”.  Shutter Priority means you control the speed of the shutter – how long the shutter stays open.  Based on the shutter speed that you choose, the camera will adjust the other settings to obtain a proper exposure, primarily the aperture.  While the shutter is open, it will record anything it sees.  In general, choose a fast shutter speed to stop the action of events like sports, children running, dancing, etc.  If you don’t want to freeze action, slow your shutter speed down and you may see blurring to communicate movement in your images.

• “AV/A” – Represents “Aperture Priority”.   This controls how large or small the aperture will be or how widely open the lens is.  Aperture, or the F Stop, controls the amount of light the lens lets into the camera.  It also controls the depth of focus (DoF) or how sharp or blurry a background will be.  A smaller number allows more light and produces a blurry background, while a larger number allows less light but keeps most of the image from foreground to background in sharp focus.  Similarly to TV, AV will choose a correct shutter speed for the aperture setting you indicate to achieve a proper exposure.

• “M/M” – Represents “Manual” mode.  In Manual mode, you have complete control of the camera’s aperture and shutter settings and resulting exposure of the image. In other modes, the camera uses its own metering system to determine the appropriate settings needed to achieve a proper exposure based on the data you provide it via your chose of AV/TV settings and focus on an image.  If you choose to shoot in Manual, a separate, hand-held metering device is typically needed.
• Auto”/Green Camera Symbol – Represents “Automatic” mode.  Automatic means the camera is in complete control of the exposure. It will choose whatever aperture and shutter it determines is necessary based on the data it receives.  As you may have noticed in photographs you have taken on this setting, this is a 50/50 toss-up on a good day.  The best way to get a good image is to understand your camera and how to adjust for the right exposure.
• “P/P” – Represents “Program” mode – think of it as Automatic Plus. Program means that the aperture and shutter are still on automatic, but you now have access to the camera’s other function buttons such as ISO (topic for another tip discussion) and others that Automatic mode didn’t allow.
• SCN/Scene” – “Scene” mode is a collection of several other conditions (party, sunset, beach, snow, silhouette, etc.) that are located in the menu and adjust the camera settings for the likely exposure needed at each situation.
• Lady in Profile/Lady in a Hat – Represents “Portrait” mode.  As we spoke about in AV, this will provide a smaller aperture number to blur the background and make the subject be in greater focus.
• Mountain/Mountain – This is “Landscape” mode. Conversely to Portrait mode, Landscape will choose a larger aperture number to increase the range of what you see in focus.
• Child with Pet/Child – This function will speed up the shutter speed because children and animals move quickly. This is similar to “Sport” for Nikon cameras in that the faster shutter speed will aid to stop the action; however, “Sport” has a much higher shutter speed.
• Macro – “Macro” makes adjustments for close up photography for flowers, details, etc.  On most Canon cameras, this function is included under SCN.
• Night – “Night” mode slows your shutter down to bring out the details of a dark background.  Remember, once your shutter slows down, blurriness can result.  I suggest a tripod with any night photography.

Although it may be too cold for an outdoor photo-session, I had a great time beating the winter blahs (and breaking in the new travel-ready backdrops!) with this family during their portrait session in my studio.

Here is a sneak peek at some of my favorites.  Enjoy!

They don’t take direction. They are easily distracted. They rarely sit still, and even, sometimes seem to warp into light speed at the sight of your camera. They touch all of your equipment and props. Or if you magically are able to avoid all of the above…you get The “cheesey” smile.

So how do you get a great shot of kids? Here are some easy tips that have worked for me! Have some of your own? Please leave them as comments!

1. Keep it fun!
Photograph your child doing what he or she loves – be that swinging at a favorite park, playing with his trains, or having tea with her dolls. When a child is focused on play, he or she forgets about the camera and is more prone to let a real smile sneak through! Even if you opt for a posed setting with props, etc., make it fun! Say or make silly sounds or faces, hide some Cherrios in the bottom of a prop basket, have a favorite toy encourage them from behind the camera, etc.

2. Get down on their level
Images shot from a towering view may be interesting for a quirky perspective, but to capture a child’s expression, it helps to be on their level. Kneel down, lie down, get dirty (your funny predicament may not only result in a great composition, but genuine laughter too)!

3. Don’t shoot only for The Smile
Yes, an image that captures your child’s one in a million, uniquely individual, full of joy smile is what it is all about and what many times we are shooting for; however, don’t neglect the other moments. You will want to remember her curious, inquisitive side too. As well as that cute way his lip stuck out when he pouted in a tantrum (totally cute AFTER the tantrum, of course). Remember to keep snapping that shutter even when THE shot may not be apparent, and I think you will be happy in what develops.

4. Be quick
Kids move quick; you (and your camera) need to be just as quick or faster! Be comfortable with your camera to move while keeping your subject in the viewfinder and your finger on the shutter. If possible, change your settings to manual to allow for quicker shutter speeds.

5. Be PATIENT!
Hands down, the biggest tip to photographing children. Patience, patience, patience! Play and interact with them while you are prepared with your camera to capture the good moments. When you take his or her cue, the images will come out more natural and provide a better chance of capturing that belly laugh or crinkled up nose that is uniquely YOUR child’s smile.

After having a blast capturing photos of her little guys and catching up with a long-time friend (since elementary school!) a little over a year ago, I was thrilled when she contacted me to capture photos of her family once again – this time including their new addition, Mr. J.

As always, it was great seeing you and your family!  Here are a few of my favorites from your session.  Hope you enjoy them!

After rescheduling due to a freak October snow storm, we lucked out with a beautiful Fall afternoon at Peace Valley Park for this family’s portrait session.  Miss L. was quite energetic and gave us all a workout chasing her up and down the trail, but she was never too busy to wave at a passerby or pet a friendly dog.

Here is a sneak peek at some of my favorites.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did in capturing them.

I am very excited to announce our Second Annual Winter Coat Drive!  Starting today through December 23, 2011, donate a new or gently used coat, and you will receive 10% off your session fee or print order.  Every coat that is collected will meet the needs of a member of our local community through the Compassion Corner Ministry at BranchCreek Community Church.

Have a coat to donate, but not interested in a session?  No problem!  You can still drop off your coats for donation!  Just contact me to arrange for drop off or possible pick up!