Photos by Bridget

Do you suffer from Information overload?

Bridget — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:43:44 +0000

The internet has made information easily available and you can find information on everything you ever needed to know and more. The problem now is becoming so overloaded with information and spending so much time learning and never doing. I have this problem with all kinds of things I am trying to learn but it also affects my photography. There is always some new way of doing things, some awesome new product etc., and you can spend all your time absorbing this info but not improving your photography skills. Education is very helpful and important but practice will make the biggest improvement in your images.

Try not to learn more than you need at this moment, if you are not using studio lighting don’t learn how to do it now wait until you are ready for it. If you spend most of your time taking photos of the kids, learn the best ways to take photos of them at the age they are, there is no point in looking at cute pose ideas for weddings if your child is only 3. Whenever you find new information ask yourself if this is something you have to know right now or if it can wait. Practice what you learn and then move on when you need too.

I have to tell myself this all the time not just with learning but with purchasing programs, there is always going to be some program that can do this cool new thing etc. but do I really need to change from what I am using, is it worth the time I will take on learning it and the money it will cost. Do you need a full editing program if all you do is crop and straighten your photos? Maybe right now the best solution would be to use a free program that is fast and easy and spend more of your time learning how to take better photos and you won’t have to spend so much time editing.

Too much information can clutter your brain just like too much stuff clutters your home. Spend time on the things you really need to know and let the rest go.

I would love to hear your tips on how you get thru the mountains of information and decide what is important to know, (photography related or not) Do you keep a list of things you want to learn or do you just wing it? (I am a winger, but it really doesn’t work well because I am easily distracted)

Bridget

Choosing Posed or Candid Images?

Bridget — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:02:59 +0000

Candid looks are becoming much more popular than the posed more formal images, even wedding photographers and portrait studios are doing more of a candid style. People are much more relaxed when they are not being posed so you get more natural expressions. Many people like posed images because they can have more of an artistic creative feel.

Most of the images I take are candid shots, kids playing and enjoying themselves. Candid images tell more of a story and capture the emotion which is not as easy to do with a posed image. It is much easier to get a relaxed smile on a child and not the “cheese” face if you capture their natural smiles while they play.

There are times when I see a cute shot that I want to try to copy or I have an idea of a posed shot that I want to do so then comes the fun part of getting the child to try to follow directions and pose the way you want them. These are some posed shots that I did of my grandsons doing some valentine’s day photos and they both decided to pose so nicely and let me get the image I wanted (which is rare)

So what do you like, posed or candid images? or a mix of both?

Bridget

Taking better birthday pictures

Bridget — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:00:56 +0000

Yesterday one of my Grandson’s had a birthday and we had a party for him at Chuck E Cheese. Trying to get good birthday pictures there is not an easy task. Too much stimulation has junior running crazy which doesn’t help get a good shot, and then add cake and pizza to the mix and there is no way he will sit still for a photo.

Times like this is when it is really important to know how to use your camera, this is not the time to be experimenting with settings or you will miss the shot. If you are unsure how to use any other setting comfortably, put the camera on automatic and let it do it’s thing. It is fairly well lit there but with the constant movement of the kids the images were blurry unless the flash was on. I have an external flash for my camera so I am able to still get some good lighting. Use the on camera flash and if the light is too harsh and concentrated in just one spot you can add some fill flash when you process the photos to add a little more even light.

This party was all about the kids playing and having fun at Chuck E Cheese, there wasn’t much focus on a cake or presents. The cake was cupcakes and presents were opened at home. The pictures I took were of the kids having fun and the only way I could do this was follow them around and watch them play, I zoomed in on them as much as possible to get rid of the very busy room around us and got some great shots by getting down on their level (which my knees did not thank me for) I took a ton of pics (remember this is digital and you can delete) so I could capture the expressions on their face.

Don’t forget to notice the reactions of the adults and others at the party, like newborn baby sister who is asleep in spite of all the noise, just clinging to her mom’s necklace for dear life.

There was no way I was going to be able to pose him for any special shots, I tried to get him to sit and pose for me but even when I got him to sit still for a minute he was looking away. If there are special shots that you want to have the best way is to do it is to stage them before the party and all the craziness starts. If you want a picture of him standing beside Chuck E Cheese (if he isn’t scared to death of him) you should probably try to do that before all his friends arrive. A staged shot at home is usually the best way to get that perfect cake photo you want as well. The staged shots are great for getting the look you want but the reality in the moment shots are usually far from perfect (sigh!) but they are fun. I had to give up with my vision for a cute shot of him sitting in this huge monster truck because he didn’t want to cooperate. I don’t usually expect an award winning shot out of birthday pictures just ones the kids enjoy looking at.

Relax and enjoy the fun.

Bridget

Taking images of newborn babies

Bridget — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:54:22 +0000

I love babies and this year we have had 2 new babies come into our extended family, my youngest sister and my daughter both had a baby. I now have 6 grandchildren. It is so strange how a baby can make you feel old and young at the same time.

I love to take images of newborns and even though they don’t move around like older children it can be just as difficult to get a good shot. Here are a few tips to get some great images of your newborn (or borrow one, most new mom’s are exhausted but would love some photos of their babies in return for letting you practice on them) Newborn babies spend most of their time sleeping so most of your images will probably be of sleeping baby

If you want to get some images of baby with their eyes open you will need to be there for awhile and be patient and wait for baby to wake up or enlist the help of older siblings to wake up baby (they are good at that).

When taking photos of baby don’t be rushed, take lots of shots and be calm and don’t expect the perfect pose. Just to get my granddaughter to hold her feet together in her mom’s hand in the shot below took quite a few shots, her feet were cold and she kept kicking and trying to move.

Use natural light whenever possible by placing baby near a large window, on camera flash is harsh and not very flattering to the newborn wrinkly skin and blemishes. When using lights keep them soft and bounce flash if possible.

Use simple props like a pretty bow or blanket or a beanbag chair to prop them up but keep it simple, the image is about the baby not the object. Get down low and take photos close up, don’t forget to take closeups of their tiny hands and feet.

Take images that capture emotion and tell a story, tiny feet in mom’s hand, a tiny hand clutching dad’s finger, etc. Big brother meeting baby for the 1st time. These are the images that will be the most treasured, not the perfect posed shot with a prop that takes center stage.

This photo of my grandson with his new sister is one of my favorites and yet the composition is bad, the lighting is bad not a technically good image at all but the emotion is shown on his face and that is what makes it perfect.

Remember the most important part of photography is telling a story with images. Flawless images and perfect poses are something we can practice and work toward, but capturing emotion and freezing time is the reason we want to capture images in the first place.

Bridget

Weekly iheart faces challenge- best face photo

Bridget — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:55:36 +0000

This week’s iheart faces photo challenge is your best face photo of 2011. My first thought was one using one of my beautiful grandkids, then I thought I should use one of my beautiful daughter who just got married this year. While I was looking at the wedding photos I found the perfect photo to use. This is a photo of my Grandmother who is the most beautiful lady inside and out, she is very gentle and loving and also very talented and is even a blogger.

So many people when they get older feel like they are no longer attractive, this is just not true and I think there is nothing more beautiful than the face of someone who has lived and loved a full life. When I look at my grandmother’s face I don’t see the wrinkles I see a warm loving person who quietly and unshelfishly loves and cares for her family and friends. I will be very honored to look like her.

Bridget

5 tips for finding photography inspiration

Bridget — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:37:33 +0000

Are you looking for photography inspiration? We all find times when we are not inspired to do even the things we love. I have been experiencing a bit of a lack of inspiration right now so I thought I would share some tips I am using to inspire myself. Even though I am surrounded by nature’s beauty and I have a beautiful family that are willing photo subjects (most of the time) I still find myself in a photo rut.

One of the things that helps when I am in any kind of a rut is to take a bit of a break and do something different for awhile. One of my other hobbies is model trains and I am working on a new large layout and have decided to create a new blog as well. Taking a break from photography helps you from feeling bored with it but it does not really help you find new inspiration.

Here are some helpful tips of things you can do.

1. Look at other people’s images, looking at amazing photography especially in types of photography that you may not do such as black and white photography, macro etc., can really inspire you to not only try to improve but also to try new things.

2. Go to a new location, traveling even if it is just down the road will get you away from the everyday familiar and have you looking around with new eyes and be able to see new things to photograph.

3. Start a 365 project , I am nearing the end of mine and sometimes find it very annoying but it has really helped me to look around for inspiration and expand my view of what to photograph.

4. Experiment with your camera, take photos of the same thing in different ways, closeups, small parts, changing camera settings. You will learn more about how to use your camera and also see ordinary details in a different way.

5. Try a different type of photography, I typically shot landscapes, flowers and kids and I really need to broaden my photography and add more variety.

Learn to be creative and look around for photography inspiration.

Comment and tell me what inspires you?

Bridget

Declutter your digital photo files

Bridget — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:58:56 +0000

Today is the last day of another year and I have taken so many photos that are starting to clog my computer space, at the end of every year I declutter my digital photo files and make backup copies of all my photos. I don’t keep all my photos on my computer because there is just too many of them and I don’t want to lose them if my computer ever crashes. During the year I organize my photos by month and in each month I have files of different days, events etc, some months may only have 1 or 2 files and others have a lot. I don’t take the time to rename and label all my photos but I can easily find something when I am looking for it. I print up my photos for albums so I don’t have them in digital albums but I still want to be able to have the files for reprints etc.

I actually create 2 backups, I have an external hard drive with only my photo files and I also burn all my photos onto dvds, this year I took so many photos I used 6 dvds, and this is just for jpeg format not the raw files which would take up even more room.

After I create my backups and have uploaded my pics to ( a 3rd backup) I can then delete all the files of my computer and start the New Year off with a decluttered computer.

I use to develop my photos because they have great prices and quality and you can often get free shipping, but actually even with the shipping the per print price is comparable to other places and your print are usually delivered in less than a week. The other big advantage to Snapfish is that they have free unlimited photo storage and you can easily share your albums with friends and family.

This year my goal is to declutter not just my computer but my home as well but that will have to wait until February for me to start. Most of my January is spent doing bookwork for my husbands business which I really dislike so I spend the rest of the time working on my scrapbooks.
I would love to hear how you backup your digital photo files.

Bridget

p.s if you are interested in scrapbooking any of your photos for the year join me in Jan in the online Load (layout a day) 2012 with the fun Lain Ehmann Click here to view more details

Taking Pictures of Christmas lights

Bridget — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:12:34 +0000

With Christmas less than a week away I thought I would share some images of my Christmas tree and some photography tips for Taking Pictures of Christmas Lights.

Getting a good picture of your christmas lights isn’t always easy. To take the images of my lit Christmas tree, I turned off the flash but had the room lights on because I wanted to be able to see the decorations as well as the lights.

When you add people to the image this doesn’t always work. As you can see in the 1st image the flash is off and the Christmas lights on the tree look pretty but your people are in the dark so you need to use your flash to light up their faces even if it seems like there is enough light in the room.

When taking your Christmas pictures experiment, try with flash and without and see which one you like better.

When taking pictures of Christmas lights outdoors take your pictures during twilight and turn the flash off and use a tripod if possible.

The main rule for taking Christmas pictures is keep your camera close at hand, and relax it’s not about perfection but the memory.

Remember to take photos of your decorations, be creative, you can take Christmas images you can be proud of.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas

Bridget

Taking great Pet Pictures

Bridget — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:28:53 +0000

This weeks photo challenge from I heart faces is furry faces. I am not a huge animal lover but we have always had pets because the husband and the kids are animal people. I don’t take very many photos of animals but I do usually take at least one of the family pet. We have gone thru a lot of different pets over the years, indoor dogs, outdoor dogs, cats, lizards etc., my favorite pets are fish because they make the least amount of mess. I use to be a big cat person but they bother my allergies so we only have barn cats right now. Some of my favorite pet pictures are of kittens. I think this is one of my favorites.

Taking a picture of a kitten is almost like taking a picture of a 2 year old child, it is almost impossible to make either one of them sit still and pose. This picture the kitten looks like he is posing but he actually got stuck in the rocks, he wasn’t hurt and barely stuck so it was a perfect opportunity to get a great picture. To take great pet pictures you have to have lots of patience and a little luck, with this shot I got down on my knees so I could be more at his eye level. When taking pictures of pets outside in the natural light you don’t get those scary glare looking eyes on your pet. If you want to take pictures of an indoor animal just place them near a window so you have lots of light and can take a picture without the flash, the flash is what causes the glare eyes sort of like a red eye with people.

Pets don’t like to pose anymore than small children do so it is best to catch them while they are playing or just relaxing, be ready to take the shot and call your pets name so they look at you. Your pet will look their best and show more personality if you focus on their eyes.

If you are trying to taking pet pictures for Christmas try putting them in a wrapped box or let them play with ribbons or plastic balls. A kitten sleeping in a large stocking or Santa hat makes a cute photo. Have fun be creative and take your time when taking your pet pictures.

Bridget

p.s. be safe when using props with kittens they love to get tangled up in things

Visiting Chattanooga Tennessee

Bridget — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:01:22 +0000

I love to have weekend getaways and there are many cities or small towns that are close enough to go for just a day or a the weekend.

Chattanooga Tn is about an hour and a half drive for us so we can just go visit for the day or the weekend. My kids and grandkids love the Tennessee aquarium so that is usually a must see when we are there. Even the building of the aquarium is unique and they have lots of fish a butterfly room (which is a great place to take closeups of butterflies and flowers) penguins and so much more.

One of my favorite places is Rock city Gardens but I don’t think it is a very kid safe place or one that will really interest little kids. There is so much to see and the views are fantastic it is a great area to hike in if you want a hike that is a little easier than hiking Lookout mountain.

If you want to experience Lookout mountain without walking you can try the Incline Railway which I found a little scary but very fascinating.

Chattanooga is a fun city with lots to see and do, it is full of unique architecture, history and beautiful nature.

This is the Hunter art gallery and museum, we have not visited here yet but the building is so unique that I can’t wait to see the inside, the gallery and museum is made up of the historic mansion and a contemporary building overlooking the river.

When visiting Chattanooga a stroll along the riverfront or a ride on the Southern Belle riverboat allows you to see the lovely natural surrounding of Chattanooga.

I have been to this lovely city a lot and have still not completely explored it, if you are visiting the middle Tennessee area don’t forget to add Chattanooga to your list of places to visit.

Bridget