Tag Archives: atlanta photographer

To thine own self be true! {Authentic Life & Love}

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I’m not sure if this whole post makes sense but here goes! This is what’s been on my mind lately.

Though I love learning and being inspired…I’ve been recently thinking a lot about authenticity. You’re probably familiar with the words of Shakespeare, “To thine own self be true…”( in Hamlet).

If you’re like me, you love looking for inspiration in everything around you. One of the ways I love getting inspired…besides the beauty of my natural surroundings and the everyday life I experience…is by surfing the internet.

With today’s popularity of such sites as Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and the like…we are constantly bombarded by visual stimuli of what others are doing. For me, I’ve slowly discovered that as I look to be creative and inspired…I can also kill my soul’s own creativity, ingenuity and imagination!

Of course, not everyone is like me! And I’m not saying that I’m not or haven’t been trying to be true to myself but I do find that if I’m not careful, I can get tangled up in trying to look and be like everyone and/or everything I see rather than simply using it as a tool to dream. And rather than allowing what I see to inspire me to dream…it becomes the dream (without me even realizing it).  At least this is what I’ve sometimes found to be true for me. How about you? Do you find it easy to be authentic in who you are and what you do? If you wouldn’t mind sharing, I’d love to hear the ways you try to be a creative and authentic!

Anyway, I basically share all this to say that I’m on a journey of discovering the authentic me!

I want to be inspired to dream! To find what encourages and challenges me to be better than today..to discover what can help me to be creative and true!

So with that thought I’ve decided to begin a series of post called…”Authentic Life & Love”.

This  is where I’ll be sharing either photos, videos, or whatever it may be that helps me to be real and true to who I am. Sometimes my post may be specific to photography, being a wife and/or mom (because that’s part of who I am) but other times, it may just be something general in life and/or love!
My hope is that some of what I find through my journey will also be helpful to someone else. And I just want to say that this is NOT inspiration for the sake of inspiration or being different or even the most “liked” or popular…but it IS, I think, a discovery for the passion that exist for life and love in everyone!

So to get things started, here’s what I thought would be a great start to this series…
A video of Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford University Commencement Address titled “How to live before you die.”

Until next time…

Camera phone love: Take better pictures with your camera phone (part 1)

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I do love my camera phone! And you should to. It’s light weight and you usually have it everywhere you go! Have you heard the saying that the best camera is the one you’ve got! Well, it’s true! People often ask me what kind of camera do you have? And follow with “I want better pictures but I don’t have a great camera yet”. Sorry folks! If you’re waiting to take great photos with a great camera, you’ll be grossly disappointed. Most photographers will tell you it’s not all about the camera! Truly…It’s about the person taking the picture.

So today, I thought I’d help you…the person behind the camera with a few tips on how to take better pictures with your camera phone.  This is really a 3 part series on Camera phone love! First, i’ll be discussing the phone settings you can look at to help bring about better pictures with your camera phone.  Part 2 will discuss what the person taking the pictures needs to think about when taking pictures with a camera phone. And part 3 are the numerous apps available to you on your camera phone and ideas on what to do with all those pictures you’re accumulating.

So first things first, let’s make sure your camera phone is at its optimal settings for the best end result possible.

1. I suggest reading your phones manual. Usually the camera phone section is a very small section of the booklet and  so it won’t take much to look over but you’ll be surprised what you didn’t know about your camera. I couldn’t find my manual and so looked it up online. Nowadays, you should be able to look up any manual rather easily.

2. Make sure you are shooting at your camera’s highest resolution possible. This will make sure picture quality will be at its best.  Hopefully your camera phone allows you to modify the picture size and picture quality. My phone’s picture size goes up to 5M.  And the picture quality allows you to choose from normal, fine to superfine. If possible, go to the highest megapixels allowed and superfine quality.

photo from pcmag.com

3.  When possible, set your white balance. If you’re unsure which setting would be best, just go through the different options. Usually you’ll see your screen change accordingly as you change your white balance settings even if you haven’t taken a picture.  Of course, I do recommend taking a picture of the same thing at different white balance settings so you can see what each setting does to your photo.

Typically, if you are taking shots outside in an overall sunny day, you’ll want to use the sun (daylight) setting. Unless it’s cloudy and overcast, then you’ll want to use your cloudy setting.  The icon that looks like a upside down lightbulb is your tungsten setting and this is used for indoor shots with your incandescent light bulbs (your 60watt light bulbs).  This is the white balance setting that will usually get rid of that yellow tinge in your indoor shots.

4. Never use your flash! I’ve never seen a decent photo using the camera phone’s flash.  If you can choose your camera’s ISO setting…I would do it here. ISO settings on a camera phone usually go from 100 and possibly up to 1000. My phone doesn’t allow me to change any ISO settings but there a number of apps you can install on your phone that will allow you to do so. Or move to where more light is hitting your subjects.

5. If your camera has an exposure setting then use it! My camera allows you to modify the exposure setting from -2 to +2. Basically brightening or darkening your photo because (+) will help bring in more light and (-) will stop light from coming in. If you’re taking a picture and it looks like it could be a little brighter, you can easily just boost the exposure +1 or +2.

6. One last thing, you can make your camera a little quicker at taking that shot by setting focus mode to Infinity instead of Auto. Ty it! You’ll notice your camera will be a tad quicker at taking that picture in Infinity mode versus Auto mode.  This may not completely stop you from having the streaks or blurs because of low light conditions or moving objects or people but it won’t hurt and may actually help. This tip works best if you aren’t trying to take any real close up shots (less than 2.5 ft in front of you).  If you are doing extreme closeups you may want to return your setting to Auto mode. It will just focus better.

In the next post “Camera phone love: Taking better pictures (part 2) I’ll be discussing ways to compose your shots and what to think about being the person behind the camera.

Here’s a photo of a camera phone in one of my maternity sessions…

And finally, but not least, if you have the iphone and want to learn more about using your camera, check out this awesome 2 day FREE creative live workshop that begins tomorrow! Youtube video here (about the workshop).

Until next time…

From a distance: I Heart Faces {Challenge}

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I would like to preface my photo I’ll be sharing with you by saying two things.

First, I’ve recently discovered a love for my camera phone!  Inspired by fun photos that are popping up all over the place thanks to fun photography apps, I’m on the search for the best photo apps for my android.  If you’re like me, I love bringing my camera most everywhere but with a newborn in hand and two other kids in tow, getting my camera out to capture those “life as it happens moments”  isn’t easy and always convenient.  And more often than not (at least for me and my life), by the time I get my DSLR  out, the moment I was hoping to catch had just passed.   My camera phone somehow is always in hand and helps increase my chances of capturing that shot at least for the simple reason of capturing that moment.  Later, if I have the time to grab my DSLR, I can then try and capture the shot again with no pressure to do so.   For me, I’ve definitely found my camera phone not only a fun alternative to my DSLR (and/or point and shoot) but so convenient and easy!

Secondly, though composition is always in the back of any photographer’s mind, it’s been in the forefront of my mind since Susan Keller’s recent composition post on I HEART FACES.  So here’s what I spied with my little eye sometime last week with composition in mind and my camera phone on hand…my little JellyBean‘s face taken from the front seat passenger’s side of the car as I looked back to check on the kiddos (and I have 3 of them).  Do you see her face?

If you haven’t tried using your camera phone or some of those amazing photo apps, I highly recommend going for it! It’s so much fun and highly addicting.  And for those who are using their camera phones, how do you compose your shot?  The photo above was taken using the free vignette demo app.  Well, thanks for checking out my photo and blog!

And one last thing,  show some love for I Heart Faces by clicking on their button below.  I HEART FACES is my newest find and I’m LOVING it! Check them out!

Until next time…

Ocean’s 6

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I posted a sneak peek of this little guy last week and hinted at his name.

It did have something to do with water and if you said…

“Ocean”…well, you guessed it! Isn’t that a cool name?  Do you love it as much as I do?

Well, I loved getting to take pictures of this little  ocean voyager and his family.

These are a few from the day…

I know he’s crying in this one (below) but I just love it anyway.  I think the drool did it for me! =) Also, babies aren’t always happy and I think you’ve got to capture a child’s whole personality…and that includes the not so happy ones too! =)

Of course, it’s great to have happy cute ones! So I’m ending the post with some of those! =)

Y & H, it was great meeting the both of you and your handsome little guy! Hope to see you again soon. =)

Until next time…

Sneak peek: Captain of the High Seas

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He’s a 6 month old cutie who came up to Atlanta from Tampa, Florida and this little guy has, what I think, is one of the coolest name’s I’ve heard EVER!!! We did these water themed pictures because of his name. Can you guess what it is? Well, I’ll tell you in my next post with the rest of his pics but for now…my sneak peek!

Until next time…

A mama, her son, skateboarding and fun!!!

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This is one beautiful, cool mama and her son “G” who completely made me laugh and smile so big! I had so much fun photographing the two of them. From the very beginning,”G” was totally ready for me and definitely wanted me to know that this is how a skater poses…chin up, no smile, and crossed arms.  Where do kids come up with these things?! lol!

Yup..he’s convinced that he’s got to be one tough little guy!

Well, G could only be “tough” for so long and the truth had to come out…

…he is silly, fun…

…and a real sweetheart!

This one just made me melt…

I told you he’s a sweetheart!

Of course,  I had to take pictures of mom by herself.  Mom’s rarely ever get to do that!

M, thanks for letting me take pictures of you and G! I had such a great time with you both.  You’re an amazing mom!

We’ve got to work out our plan of getting the boys together to play!

Until next time…

Her Little Prince

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I hate that I haven’t been able to keep up with my blog. I just got back from vacationing in San Diego last week and I think we’ve finally started to get back into the swing of things here at home.  I’ll probably share with you what’s been going on with me in another post but it’s been a busy summer. ..fun and awesome but BUSY! Since I’ve been back, I’ve been trying to catch up with some photo editing. I’m also preparing to get the kids back to school.  My oldest daughter is starting kindergarten this year and we’re venturing out into the world of homeschooling. Yes, I’ll be a homeschooling mom.  My daughter will be attending a “school” where she’ll be taught by a teacher for about two days in the week and I’ll be teaching her the other 3 days of the week.  I could talk on and on about this but I’m digressing.  You’ll probably start to read about this new venture in our lives as we get started next month.  While my daughter is in kindergarten, my son will be in preschool 4 days/week.  Back to school is quickly approaching but as of now, we’re still on summer vacation and trying to enjoy these days left of summer.   Anyway, back to the reason I’m blogging….

These photos were taken while I got to visit a great friend (before I left for my San Diego trip).  You may recognize her because I have taken pictures of her before and shared them on this blog.  Though we didn’t get to take pictures for too long, I did want to get a few pictures of her preggo while visiting her.  She’s beautiful…such a great mom…and will soon be a mom to 3 boys!

I loved that she had this cute sign that her mom gave her to put in the baby’s room.  I thought it was perfect for the pictures.

This bed is actually in one corner of the baby’s room. I loved this too!

The second heir in line to the throne couldn’t resist and had to jump in bed with mom and be part of it all! =)

Although this photo wasn’t a crisp shot, it really caught my eye because it seemed to capture the moment in a mom’s day when our kids bring us utter joy and laughter.  It just makes me smile. =)

My fave from this session…

…a mom’s sweet kiss.

And the final look from a usually happy 5 year old that basically let me know “Lady, if you aren’t done taking pictures…we SHOULD be done…PLEASE!” (lol!)  =)

Until next time…

The G family

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It was so great getting to meet the G family in person.  The G family was the winner of my first family and friends giveaway from the Sweet T Family session.  After my session with the T family (back in April), I had a special giveaway for the T’s family and friends. Anyone who posted a comment on the “Sweet T’s” post would be eligible to win ONE free on-location photography session with me, a DVD with 20-40 edited images from the photo session AND a print release so the lucky winner will be able to have prints made on their own.  After some out-of-town getaways and busy schedules on both sides, we finally were able to coordinate a time to meet in June.

It was a definite pleasure getting to photograph this wonderful family! The kids were amazing! I have to say that both T and his lil’sister were amazing putting up with this woman they just met for the first time in a totally unfamiliar location asking their family  to smile for the camera.  Also, taking pictures in June in Hotlanta isn’t the easiest thing for any family so we tried to meet as early as possible though it still did get quite hot over the course of our shoot. I know taking pictures is just not that fun for most kids and so hats off to you lil’man T and mom and dad too! =)

So here’s a few faves from that day…

Until next time… and hopefully it will be sooner than later. =)

Photography Tip: FREE Photo Editing Software

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You’ve heard of Photoshop but have you heard of GIMP? GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program that works just like Photoshop except it’s freeware meaning you can freely download and use the software. If you don’t have or want to spend the money on Photoshop or even PaintShop Pro, this might me the answer you’re looking for.  Before I had Photoshop, I used GIMP. Although GIMP does NOT support the CMYK color space there are current developments of CMYK plug-ins to support its use.  This shouldn’t matter for most people but for those that combine photos with graphic designs to create press products (i.e., business cards, greeting cards, stationary, etc.) the ability to work with CMYK is a big deal.

Here’s what GIMP’s screen (version 2.6.6) looks like…

If you’ve used photo editing tools such as iphoto or picasa, you know how easy it is to edit your photos.  GIMP requires a bit more know-how but it allows you to do so much more than these automatic photo editing tools (like those I just mentioned). If you’re adventurous and the type to just go for things and learn as you go, this will be right up your alley.  The installation is pretty straightforward.  On GIMP’s site, there are plenty of instructions on how and what else you’ll need to download and install it.  If you’re not tech saavy like me, i’d recommend having  someone to help you download this application.

The best way to learn to use GIMP is to just use it! (Like anything else really).  Well, I hope this post finds to be helpful.

Click HERE and you’ll be linked to where you can download GIMP for Windows.

Click HERE and you’ll be linked ot where you can download GIMP for Mac OS X.

For photographers, here are tutorials by the GIMPguru I think you’ll find very helpful.

Until next time…

The Beautiful Mama

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I previously posted a sneak peek of this beautiful mama and I am finally getting to share more pictures from her session here.  She’s on baby #3 and expecting in just a few weeks days! I loved getting a chance to take her pictures!  But since she’s a photographer too, I was a bit nervous about how these would turn out and if she’d like them at all.  It was a relief to get an encouraging message from her after my last sneak peek post! Thanks J!

By the way, for those of you who aren’t familiar with my style, I’m aiming to take photos that express you and your life.  Anyone who has me take pictures for them will be able to take a look back and remember what you did and how you felt at at that point in time.  With that said, you’ll notice that what I capture from one shoot to the next is totally different because each person, family, or event is different.

So let’s get to the pics…here’s a good friend and a beautiful mama!

J shared with me that she’s been craving milk, powdered donuts and Fruity Pebbles with baby #3.  So I had to take a photo break and let J enjoy some milk and powdered donuts! =)

This is a picture of big brother showing his little sister some love!

You can tell from this picture that mommy’s got a great helper and baby sister is going to have the sweetest big sister & best friend.

If you can’t tell by the picture, J is reading “Guess How Much I Love You!” to her little princess #2, the same book her and her husband had often read to their kids K and A.

This baby is going to be SO LOVED! A beautiful mama and family!