found in 'untitiled 7'

I like to pretend that I don't get posed shots of kids, but sometimes even if all you're doing is taking pictures of a kid being a kid, he'll end up in kinda a posed position.

I found this gem in one of my untitled albums in my aperture library (yes, I need to work on organizing). Not only is it a great looking, posed portrait, but I think it totally still looks like Rowan! My portfolio needs more than great pictures of Rowan, so as soon as swim season is over, I will be working on booking some portrait sessions.

Alex at his football match!

I needed an escape a couple of weekends ago, after getting the news that my uncle had passed away. My friend Sonia was watching her son, Alex play football just down the road from my house, so I grabbed my camera and invited myself along. Poor Alex then had to put up with me taking photos of him during the break and after the match. Though he seemed like he didn't want his picture taken when I asked him to smile, he certainly was more than happy to show off with the ball when the match was over.

That's one of the things about kids, they really want to please adults, you just have to wait them out and work on their terms. I really enjoy taking pictures of children. They are actually my favorite subject! But I can see how they might intimidate some photographers. My best suggestion would be to just start taking pictures of kids being kids, and maybe after a few minutes ask for very simple things. Like "hold still and look at me, please" or "can I get a silly face?" Most of the time after a silly face, you get a really great, genuine smile!

James at 4 months

I really wanted to get some traditional baby portraits of James while Erin and Jeff were here, but the best I could do was snap a few pictures while we had lunch at Town Center on their second to last day in town. The noon sun proved difficult for both me and James. But I think I got a couple of good pictures. Too bad I didn't think to ask for a picture of the three of them together!

I also realized that I should make some business cards. While we were there a couple asked how old James was and said that they were expecting. That would have been the prime time to whip out my business card and offer my services as a baby portrait photographer! Lessons learned.

just an everyday afternoon

Sometimes hanging out in your parents neighborhood with your mom, sister, and nephew is the perfect time to play with your camera. I mean, I want to focus on children's portrait photography, so I better practice taking pictures of children, right? The fleeting light of the evening gave me a little focusing trouble, but I think it also added some nice warm tones! What I find kind of funny is that most of my photography portfolio from high school is of a different generation of kids playing around these same trees. Maybe I'll take the time to scan some of them in...

more underwater kids

I obviously like taking pictures of kids. I also think that I happen to be pretty good at it. So over the last few weeks, I have been trying to figure out how to possibly turn taking children's portraits into a job. I have been doing a little bit of research on the photography end of things:

• I asked photographers I know what they charge for a portrait session and what the client gets for that charge
• I googled prices
• I read articles on DPS about what people charge and what other new photographers have learned from starting up

Then I have been talking to parents, trying to feel out if there is some need that isn't being met out there. One of the things that I think really prevents people from hiring a photographer is the cost. I totally get that, and I think I have figured a way to bring that down. Another thing that was mentioned is that a lot of parents just want someone at events to take pictures so that they don't have to. I'm a little on the fence about this, but that is certainly a need that isn't being met, as far as I can tell.



So that's what I'm working on at the moment. You can also buy these prints through my smugmug.

Swim Kids

I love taking pictures of my swim lesson kids with my waterproof point and shoot camera. It's a great reward for the kiddies and it lets me practice some of my editing skills, since underwater shots require quite a bit of touching up!

Last summer I used to go underwater and look at the screen to try to get the shots I wanted. This was actually pretty frustrating, because it was really a crap shoot as to if I could get a great shot. I mean, taking pictures of 3 and 4 year olds is hard enough... try doing it underwater!

This year I learned to just set the camera on continuous exposure, submerge it pointed at the kids, and hold down the button! Chances are you'll get a good shot! Sure, I'd put more time and effort in if I was hired to take some underwater portraits, but for snapshots, I think these are pretty darn good!

I still haven't figured out a better way to edit underwater shots than picnik. It's just so easy to paint on effects that really make the shots stand out. I use the "eye bright" effect on goggles and on some of the high lights on the water. Then I burn the mid-tones on the water to make it look shiny! Its also fun to paint a blue tint on the water to make the pool look even bluer!

Sweet Baby James

This is my nephew, James. I took these pictures back in July when I visited him. Let me tell you, it is HARD to take pictures of new babies!! I learned that the lens that I have isn't great for indoor, candid style portraits. I also need a lot more practice asking people to kind of pose a little when I am trying to photograph... It's a learning experience!