Sisters~ Olathe Family and Baby Photographer

It's hard to believe that it's nearly been a full year since I've photographed these adorable sisters together for the first time. Time goes by too quickly.

One thing is certain though, this mommy and daddy produce super cute little girls! Add in mom's amazing eye for cute little outfits and it always makes for the sweetest photographs!

Taking Better Pics: Part 1 LOOK AT THE LIGHT

So, I'm going to try this out. "This" meaning share some tips on taking better photos. A lot of what I know, I taught myself, either through reading or trial and error. Mostly trial and error!! I may not be able to teach you the workings of a camera, (we'll see) but there are lots of little things you can do to improve your photos.

First thing is the light. This is THE most important when taking a photo. This is what a photo IS. A camera's function is to take in light. It's your job to either manipulate your surroundings...or your camera's settings, to make the camera take in the light the way you want it to. The easiest thing to do is to manipulate your surroundings.

We're going to talk about working outdoors here. So, obviously your main light source is the sun...and it's SUPER bright. More often than not, your best bet is to GO INTO THE SHADE. How many photos do you have like this?

 

I love these photos and am so grateful to have them, but they could have been so much better if we had rearranged ourselves. That would have gotten rid of the dark shadows on our faces.(Oh, and yes I'm very pregnant in that photo.)Looking  back through my "learning" period I can tell that this was this first thing I set out to master. Finding the Light. I have folder after folder on my computer of files where I was arranging my children in different kinds of light. 

This day was an example. I used to go out and really not know what to do. I made the mistake that many people do....looking for a cool background. I tell my clients now not to worry about the background. We can make almost anything look good if we have good light. I took my sweet (!) middle son to our little downtown area to practice. I picked these old gas pumps thinking "they look cool". Well, the light wasn't right. You can see him squinting. His face is bright. Knowing what I know now, I could have made this location work...but not then. I just made him get up and move to the SHADE.

This worked perfectly. He could open his eyes and smile!





After learning to see the light in a situation I practiced a ton. My kids loved every second of it! You can see the joy in their faces! :)

Okay, not always, but it was worth it.

Sometimes, this is going to be irrelevant. If you're the type to get your kids in front of every landmark on vacation, you may not be able to do anything about the lighting conditions. That's okay, some photos are about capturing a moment more than anything else. But, when you want to get good, clean photos of someones face...get into the shade!

Please leave comments...it let's me know whats going on out there!! :)

What a cutie!! Overland Park Newborn Photographer

This is such an amazing family and I was sooo excited for the birth of their second baby!

He was as adorable as I knew he would be...and they couldn't be happier!

Another Awesome Family~ Olathe Family Photographer

This is my second session with this family, and I really loved seeing how big these boys had gotten!! It's amazing every year to see the kiddos another year larger. These two are total cuties! The whole family is just too good looking!! :)

So EXCITED!!- Olathe Maternity and Family Photographer

I first met this beautiful family late last summer. Their sweet daughter remains to this day to be one of the most talked about little girls I've had the pleasure of shooting. She just has the most adorable face. Her first shoot was HERE. Remember that cutie? Well she is all grown up, and the best part is that she is going to be a big sister. I won't be able to handle the cuteness, throw in beautiful mom and handsome dad and it will be too much. The beauty of it has that I have a whole year of shoots with them to look forward too, so until next time.....here they are!! :)

S Family Mini~ Spring Hill Kansas Family Photographer

I always enjoy photographing families that I know. These boys are soooo cute with their big eyes!

Gets Better Every Time!!! Overland Park Family Photographer

Every time I photograph this cutie I love her photos. She is just the happiest little thing, I think I smiled at the computer screen thru the whole editing process.



How could you not smile back at this face??


LOVE this one. Mom and Dad...this needs to be BIG on the wall!! :)














This was an accident, or rather a "Let me see if the lighting in here will work!" shot. Shot from the hip, and I just really liked it!!