Cleaning Up Digitally

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Becky

Are you one of the many people who feel like January is a time for cleaning out the old and making room for the new? Whether it’s the closets, bookcases or the garage, it seems our living spaces are begging to be reorganized and de-junked. Your computer is no different. Through your daily tasks with work and family, your computer can become over stuffed with unnecessary items, or cluttered with a lack of disorganization. Either way, it can hinder productivity and weigh you down!

Take a day or two to sort through your digital files. Organize things by category and also by date. Move anything that is old and unused but still valuable onto an external hard drive. Delete the unnecessary files and temp files. Create separate files for your family members to keep their data in so that it stays organized and functional.

Your picture files will always be better organized when you save them by the year, then the month and then the event. It’s smart to create all of your monthly folders for 2015 right now, so that when you go to download, the space is there and waiting.

To set it up, create folders for each year, then inside the folder labeled by the year, create a folder for each month, and in there have different folders for every photo shoot or event, so you can easily find where that specific picture you need is. We remember events in our lives by time, so it is easiest to use dates (month and year) to organize your photos, whereas if you titled each folder by the name of the occasion there is a thousand ways to write it, and the odds aren’t very good that you’ll remember the exact title.

When you have all of your files organized, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being prepared for a new 2015!

5 New Years Resolutions for the Picture Lover

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Becky

This new year, find some new ways to explore life and picture taking, so you are getting the most out of every experience! Here are some ideas…..

Print out your Instagram pictures. There are so many companies that have made this possible, and so many different products you can get as well to print your
pictures on- books, magnets, cards, Polaroid’s, you name it! Just Google exactly what you are looking for (example: print Instagram pictures in a book) and sort through the many companies and results to find what best fits you. This is an awesome way to turn your virtual documentation of life into something tangible that will last forever!
Go live. Instead of tying yourself down to social media, technology, or any other simulated distraction, challenge yourself to get out and do something, anything! Try a new restaurant, take a nice drive, check out an old music store, or pick up friends for a treat. Then, record it. Take pictures of what you did, and keep track of every time you turn off the technology and live a little.
Try video. Pictures are an awesome way to make a record of your memories, but so are videos! Try videoing your life, especially vacations or holidays. You’ll never regret capturing those special moments through video.
A picture a day. Many people have taken on this challenge, and it is a fun way to journal your life through the camera. Every day challenge yourself to take at least one picture of anything, especially things that are important to you at that point in your life. This is an awesome way to record your life!
Capture your family with professional photographs. This is an investment you’ll never regret, because it marks your family at that specific point in time, in the best possible way, and you will have those pictures to look back on forever.

7 Things That Will Ruin Your Pictures

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Becky

1 – Photo bombers
You know the drill, you’re at your child’s High School graduation, about to snap a picture of your kid and just as you push the shutter button a young teenage boy jumps into the background of your photo and totally bombs it! Watch for photo bombers in big crowds.

2 – Trees
Trees are a great addition to any photo, depending where they are placed in the composition. If you want your subject to stand by the tree, place them next to the tree, not directly in front of it. Having a big trunk coming out of their head can look terribly awkward!

3 – Awkward backgrounds
You need to update your profile picture and happen to be in the bathroom fixing your hair. You snap your own “selfie” and love the photo! Later looking back you realize that the bathroom hand dryer and feminine napkin dispenser also made it into your image. Uh-oh! Trash that one!

4 – Don’t shoot from low angles
Unless you really love the look of double chins, hold your camera above your eye level when shooting yourself, or above your subject’s eye level. This helps to thin out the face of the subject whereas shooting from below the chin puts more emphasis on the extra baggage commonly referred to as a “double chin”.

5 – Avoid shooting in direct sun
Contrary to popular belief, shooting in the direct sunlight isn’t the ideal place for lighting. It causes your subjects to squint and also creates harsh shadows under their eyes, nose and chin. Instead, look for a shady spot that is still evenly and well lit. Your subject will have a nice evenly lit face and much less squinting. Way more appealing and professional picture!

6 – Hold the camera still
Especially if you are shooting in low light situations, it’s important to hold the camera very still when shooting. Any movement from your hands can cause your photo to turn out blurry.

7 – Avoid dark situations
When you shoot in a low light situation and your not using a flash, your shutter speed will slow way down in order to get enough light on the subject. That slow shutter speed can be the reason for blurry photos. Always choose the most well lit area possible for the best quality picture!

Shooting your kids sports

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April Newsletter

Taking pictures of your kids playing sports can be a really fun activity for both the athlete and the parent. However, it can also be very challenging if you don’t have the right set up with your camera. Here are a few recommendations to help you get the best shots of your kids.

When available, use a long telephoto lens. If your camera can switch lenses and has a long lens, this is a great option for capturing the action as if you were right next to your athlete.

Another tip is to shoot in the daylight for high shutter speeds and sharper images. Images shot at night or indoors can easily have motion blur because of the low light.

Cloudy days are better than sunny days. Does this sound off? It’s true! Clouds create a filter over the sun’s rays and so there are no harsh shadows. The lighting is more even all around.

Also, if you are shooting with your camera phone or a point and click, find out if you have digital zoom or optical zoom. Optical zoom will take much higher quality pictures than digital zoom.

If your child’s sport is an indoor only sport, like gymnastics, then bump up your ISO to get more light and have less blurry pictures.

And if all else fails, hire a professional!