Good photography is not about having a fancy camera, it’s about knowing how to find good light, a good location, and how to best frame your subject.

This is an hour and a half class, and  you will learn simple tricks to great photos. At the end of the hour lecture we’ll head outside for a bit of show and tell. We will walk around, and I’ll show you how to find the best places to set up your kids for great photos!

When: April 27 @ 10am
Location: downtown Walnut Creek
Cost: 75.00
Only 12 seats (1 spot left!)

to register: click

P.S. As of yet, I don’t have a DSLR (Fancy Camera) workshop lined up, but I plan on one in May or June.  Sign up HERE to get class announcements.

Her mom is blow drying her hair as she has done a hundred times before.  She is bouncing on her toes making the hair drying process just a bit of a challenge.  Her toenails are painted, but chipped… she doesn’t mind.  She’wearing in a frilly, white dress that is tied loosely with a pink ribbon.  And if you look very closely, you can see the impressions on her legs from her shin guards.  She walked off the soccer field only an hour before this picture was taken.

If I didn’t wait… if I was just focused on the end goal of getting pictures, I would have missed this.  And from the series of four pictures I took, this one says more than the others combined.  It has an entire childhood summed up in one place, and her parents can relive so much because each detail has its own story.  It’s not just a picture of a little girl getting ready for a family photo shoot.

This is my message to everyone:  slow down. Decide what’s meaningful before you click the shutter.  

And my challenge to every mom out there (and dad!) is to focus on getting just one phenomenal photo rather than 15 mediocre ones.  That one photo can tell you more than the 15 combined if you let it.

P.S. Need more help doing this, sign up for my newsletter – I’ve got a webinar coming up on this very subject and newsletter recipients will be the first to find out about it. :)

Here we go, folks!  We’ve got over 300 people registered for this photo organization class, but if you haven’t officially signed up, it’s not too late!   Click HERE to register.  People who sign up get the assignment via email every Sunday for six weeks and receive extra tips and tricks.  Oh yes, and to be eligible for the prizes (yes! PRIZES!) you must be signed up.  NOTE:  This is the only assignment that will be public.  But you can get all six assignments right in your inbox by registering for the class.  :)

Lets dig in, shall we?

Before we touch the digital pictures on your computer, we need to set up a good foundation to house the pictures.   Please check to see that you have plenty of storage remaining on your computer before you start.  I strongly suggest copying your pictures into a new folder rather than moving them.  In the event that you make a mistake, you’ll still have the originals.  Don’t know where to find out how much you have left?  I can help Mac users, but PC people will need to google it.  Sorry, but this girl only has so much time in the day. :)

How much space do you need?  Honestly, it really depends on how badly you horde your pictures.  If you have thousands of photos dating back to the 1990s, you’ll need at least 500GB of available space.  If you work with RAW files (professional photographers), you’re going to need more.  Personally, I purchased an extra drive to house my project and to keep all of my future pictures.  It was just $125 for 2TB of storage (translation: I bought a whole lot of computer space to store my massive amounts of photos for next to nothing!)   If you need some extra storage now, Seagate Backup Plus got good reviews on Amazon.com and CNET

Okay, with the storage issue out of the way, lets move on to the first assignment!

This is the hardest part (well almost… the really hard part is coming next week!), but once we get our framework into place, everything else will be just moving and naming.  Super easy, but time consuming.  Follow these steps to begin our process:

1) Create one main folder to house all of your pictures - name it something simple (Family Pictures, Photos, Our Pictures, etc…)

2) Create sub-folders within that main folder - name them by year dating back as far as you need. (2012 Our Pictures, 2011 Our Pictures, etc…)

3) Create one last sub-folder - within the main folder for all of the pictures you want to sort. Name it something clear and easy to understand.

4) Gather all of your pictures into one place.  Find your photos and copy them into the Photos to sort folder (hint: check your email… sort by “attachment” to find pictures you may want to download.)

5) Now sort the photos by created or modified date.

6) Highlight all of the photos from one year and drag them into the corresponding year sub-folder you already created.

So that’s it for assignment one!  I suggest taking two hours tonight to try and plug through as much as possible.  Then maybe an hour a night until it’s done.  Remember not to worry about what the pictures are at this point.  We are just gathering and sorting.

Next week we will start sorting and deleting your pictures. (Gasp!  Did she say “delete”?!)  Not to worry, we’re going to go over some software to make this more of a “rejection” than a delete.  Besides, do you really want a 40 blurry photos of the back of your daughters head as she dashes away from you… again?

Okay people, time to get crackin’!  Those photos aren’t going to organize themselves!  ;)

P.S. Don’t forget to join me for Q&A Thursday on my Facebook Page.  I’ll be sitting in front of the computer answering your questions live from 10am – 11am PST.  :)

So badly I want to blame the advances in digital photography and the iPhone, but really it’s just me and my lack of prioritization for my personal photos. But I’m turning over a new leaf and am taking all of you along with me for the ride!

I’m holding a FREE (online) 6 week photo organization course with the goal of getting those photos off of your computer and into albums!

If you want to join me on the photo organization journey, be sure to sign up for the class newsletter HERE. We will be starting starting Monday, January 14th!

Details:

Duration: 6 Weeks – Unless you all wind up screaming for more.

Homework: Each Sunday you will be given a manageable assignment via a class newsletter. I’ve got kids and a small business… “manageable” is key for me! And yes, before you ask, you need to finish your past weeks homework before progressing to the next step. If you skip a step, it’s a little like putting away dirty dishes… you gotta wash those bad boys first, right?  (I’m going to see if I can do it in around 2 hours a week.)

Support: We’re in this together, so lets help each other out. I will hold live discussions once a week on my Facebook Page – you can ‘like the page‘ for easy updates, or simply mark you calendar to come check out the live Q/A every Thursday morning from 10am PST to 11am PST.

Prizes will be doled out at least once a week. - (did she say prizes?!) They’re fairly random and only to people who have signed up. And I’ll give you a helpful hint… if you ask questions, help others, and do your homework, you’ll increase your odds of nabbing something. ;)

And lastly, the class is 100% free (payments of hugs, kisses and online love are plenty for me!) Helping moms (and dads!) organize their photos so they can actually enjoy them is incredibly important to me. I figure if I’m feeling crushed by the weight of my personal digital pictures, and I’m a photographer, then how are the non-photographers feeling?

Are you ready???

Sign up: HERE

P.S. That’s me in the illustration above. Don’t you like my stick neck? It’s lovely. As are my “capri” pants.  And is one foot bigger than the other?

Last fall I had Michelle Ocampo photograph our family, but my main goal was to get a beautiful picture of me and my husband. It had been far too long, and I didn’t want to wait until I was “too old” to get a good picture of the two of us.  Michelle delivered.  She captured my husband’s true smile and every time I see it I swoon a bit. I cannot express how much this one photo means to me.  Why?  Because it’s just us.  And I think that’s really important to remember… that there were two before there were many.

So while I don’t need a whole album filled with photos of me and my guy, I do need this one… extra large.

So, my fellow mama friends out there, make this a mission of yours. Get a portrait of you and your husband.  Christmas is just a couple of months away… wouldn’t this make a great present?  Time to start hinting, isn’t it?  ;)

I always get pictures of mom and dad at my sessions, and this one below is a new favorite of mine.  I asked them to simply love on each other… and they did.

When I see this image, my heart flutters a little.  It’s so tender and overwhelmingly beautiful.  Maybe this will be their “one” photo.  :)

If you’ve ever hired a photographer, you know it’s not easy.  There are tons of photographers out there and weeding through them all to find the perfect fit is a bit like sorting though your kid’s Halloween candy to find the keepers (or am I the only one who has trouble deciding which candies I want … er, I mean “the kids” can keep?)

Over the past two years I’ve had my family photos taken three times, so I’m feelin’ pretty well versed in finding family photographers… and it doesn’t hurt that I’m one, too. ;)

So lets get started!

Before you even begin searching for a photographer, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

1) What style of photography do you like?  

Are you drawn to photos of families posed nicely on a bench in a park?  What about in a studio?  Or maybe candid pictures are more your thing with laughter and a lot of emotion?   Do you want pictures of the whole family or just the kids?  Imagine  these as extra large pictures that will be hanging on the walls of your home… what do you want to see everyday?  What kind of pictures will always make you smile?  2) Why do you want your pictures taken?  

To document your growing family?  Holiday cards?  Tradition?  Just because?  Knowing why you want your photos taken will greatly help you in your search (see tip #4)

Now that you have a better understanding of what you need and why you’re getting your pictures taken, you can move onto finding the right photographer.

3)  Should you hire a jack-of-all-trades or a Specialist?  

A specialist.  Always hire a specialist.

Why?  For the same reason you get your hair cut by a stylist and not a manicurist.  Nothing against manicurists… I love me a good mani/pedi, but I need to know the person I’m paying is well versed in what I want.  In this case it’s family photography.

Be sure you check to see if photographer really is a specialist.  Do they show predominately families?  Or does their portfolio have weddings and high school seniors in it, too?  If it does, they don’t specialize in families.

4)  Ask around or use Google to help you find your photographer – both are preferred.

When using a search engine, be sure to include a few key words that are important to you… words that came up when you answered questions 1 and 2.  When I searched for my own photographer, I included as many words as possible like: family, candid, natural, home, photojournalism, and lifestyle.  (Be careful with that last one. “Lifestyle” is one of those words commonly used by photographers and it’s meaning varies from person to person, so be sure to check their work out before you commit - see tip #5)

Also search on location… start narrow and then expand.  In my area I searched on my town, then tried the “East Bay”, and finally, “The San Francisco Bay Area”.  Oddly, I found my latest photographer in Orange County, so don’t limit yourself.  If you aren’t finding the right person, keep looking.  Many photographers are willing to travel.  Just ask. :)

The absolute best referral will most likely come from one of your closest friends.  They’re similar to you, you trust them, and they don’t want to steer you wrong.  If none of your good friends have a name for you, try asking on Facebook.  You’ll probably get a lot of different responses, so you’ll have to do your homework.  Looking at who gave you the referral is a good place to start.  Are they someone who shares similar interests?  If not, then the odds are pretty good that their perfect photographer won’t be yours.

5) Do your due diligence (ask questions and read!)

Photography isn’t cheap and great photography can be downright expensive. Be sure you are giving your money to the right person by visiting their website and reading their blog.  Once you’ve found the person you feel a connection with, arrange for a phone call.

A quick chat with someone is the best way to find out if they are the right photographer for you.  (And we don’t mind spending the time on the phone with you… I promise.  I actually prefer it!)  Getting to know a family before a session helps everyone.  You feel at ease because you’ve met your photographer before the session.  And most photographers perform better when they have a good connection with a family… it shows in the pictures.

In the end, the most important thing you can do is seek out a photographer that resonates with you.   You want someone that you will feel marvelous about hiring year after year.  A good litmus test is to ask yourself if this is a person you’d grab a cup of coffee with… or even better, a margarita!  ;)

As always, I am totally open to questions and comments.  Please shoot me an email or join the conversation over on my Facebook page.  :)

I hope your summer has been wonderful!  For those of you preparing for the start of school, I hope you all can quickly find your groove again.  Summertime is fantastic, but I’m ready for a more predictable schedule!

Hugs and kisses (and all that mushy stuff!)

So here we go!   My answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions about basic photography – These are actual questions emailed or asked on Facebook.  Next time I’ll address the questions about professional photography. :)

1-  I can’t get my kids to sit still for a picture.  Do you have any tips?

Oh I could have written this question!  Kids are really hard.  Especially between the ages of 14 months and 2 years.  At that point, the best you can do is try really hard to anticipate movement and to occupy their interest (give them a toy or leaf… something to keep them busy.)

Set up the picture first – make sure your camera is ready and the light is good. Then make noises and take a few shots.  It’s really important not to overwhelm your kids.  Take breaks often and don’t push them.  Let them be who they are.  If you try too hard, you run the risk of turning them off to getting their picture taken.

If they don’t want to look at the camera, don’t worry… I believe that a fun, casual picture is better than a picture with an uncomfortable looking child.

Quick takeaway:  If you’re shooting on manual, be sure that your shutter speed is at least 1/500th.  

(If you’re not shooting on manual, it’s time to learn!)

2- How can I learn take better pictures for sports? All images are either completely blurred or I miss the picture.

This question ties into the first, but I would say photographing a baseball game is much easier than photographing a toddler!

The best way to ensure you capture these in-motion shots is to learn how to use your camera on manual.  Once you learn that, you can try playing with the other creative modes like Shutter Priority.

The shutter speed is what controls motion.  For sports, you want a higher shutter speed AND a good zoom lens.

If you’re getting blurry pictures, I would bet that both your shutter speed and aperture settings are too low.  For sports, I’d try setting your aperture to at least f/8 and shutter speed no lower than 1/1000th.

Quick takeaway:  If you really want to capture the shot, you’ll need to start “anticipating” where the action is going.

3- You show a lot of black and white pictures.  Do you shoot in black and white, or change them afterwards?  Is there a trick to know what pictures should be black and white?

I shoot digital in color.  Any photos converted to black and white are done in Photoshop or Lightroom.  I never know if an image needs to be in color or black and white until I’m editing them after the session.  There is no trick.  I joke that I use “photo feng shui”… what feels like it needs to be black and white?

I love black and white photos for two reasons:

1) They are timeless. I don’t have to worry about trendy colors or outfits.

2) They eliminate background distractions.  Since I shoot primarily indoors, there can be a lot of visual noise.  Converting the image to black and white cuts through the busyness and helps the viewer focus on the subject.

Quick takeaway:  black and white pictures minimize the importance of clothes and clutter.

4- What do you like to use for post-processing?

My goal is to get it right while I’m shooting.  Light is everything.  I’m a minimalist when it comes to processing my pictures.  After I shoot, I’ll bring my pictures into Lightroom for slight universal adjustments (add a little brightness, maybe a little contrast, white balance, and cropping.)

If I need to make some more changes, or feel like it just needs a little something extra, I’ll make those final changes in Photoshop.

I don’t use actions that I haven’t made myself. (I’ve used them in the past and felt they were almost always too much.)

Quick takeaway:  

Lightroom has the ability to synchronize your edits.  Change one picture and quickly sync the same edits to the rest.  Saves so much time!  

5-  I like to take a lot of shots on the grass, in the shade…What can I do to avoid the “ green tinge” lighting?

This question always comes up in my photo classes.  Many times when we take pictures in the grass or under trees with bright sunlight, we will notice that the people look greenish.  This is called a colorcast and happens when light bounces off of a color surface (it can happen from bright clothing, walls, grass, etc…)  Sidewalks are great because you can still get the color from the grass, but not the colorcast.

Quick takeaway:  

Look for the color cast before you start taking pictures.  If you see it,  try putting the sun behind you or move your subject entirely.

Hopefully you found some answers to your own questions. If not, I’m always open to helping others.  If you have a question, head on over to my Facebook page and ask it.  I’d love to hear from you! :)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I can’t believe that Summer is nearly here!

You know what that means, right?

The kids will be out of school and our already busy lives will suddenly feel slow moving in comparison (summer camps, swim team, bbqs, vacations… you know the drill!)

So lets get in a couple of DSLR photography workshops before the craziness of summer sets in.  Plus you’ll get to try out your new photo skills all summer long!

No more procrastination, people.  There are only two classes left this year, so chop chop!  ;)

Below are the links to the only DSLR (fancy digital camera) workshops that I’ll be offering this year.   And seating is limited to 6 people.  This is a hands-on workshop and I need to keep the group small so we can really dig in and discover what we can do with that camera of yours!

Click on the link below to register for the workshop that works best for you:

Wednesday May 2nd, 10am-1pm  (DONE!)

Saturday May 12th, 2-5pm  (DONE)

All classes are held in Walnut Creek, CA.

.

As always, shoot me an email or comment here or on facebook, if you have any questions!