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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Fabulous Fall: Photography Tips


I can't believe Fabulous Fall Week is almost over! We still have two days left, so let's make the most of it! Next up we have Katie from Sweet Rose Studio and I'm so excited for what she's sharing... Photography Tips for the holidays! Woot! I just bought a Rebel recently, so I'm really psyched about this. 
Take it away, Katie!
(P.S. There was a little glitch in the HTML, so don't mind the extra numbers...oops!)

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Hello Destination: Craft readers! My name is Katie and you can regularly find me at Sweet Rose Studio blogging about all things pictures, parties, planning, and pretties {that means basically anything I want to blog about ;)}. I was lucky enough to recently be paired with sweet Kathryn as part of a Handmade Gift Exchange and I can already tell that she is incredibly awesome; I mean, we both have sons named Luke. How cool is that? Since I am a photographer by trade, Kathryn invited me to share some of my fave tips to get the perfect picture of your family and I am super excited to let you in on a few tips and tricks that I've found to work for me. Some of these may work when you're having your portrait taken by a professional, some will work when you're attempting to take pictures of your own precious kidlets, and some can work for both. Let's get started!
  1. Wear what you are comfortable in, just a little nicer. I can't say enough how much this plays a role in getting the perfect picture. Imagine you are a jeans and t-shirt kind of family and you try to get your daughter to wear a dress with itchy tulle underneath. If she isn't used to it, it will be written all over her poor face -- and your pictures -- forever. Along those same lines, think about the mood or feeling you’d like your pictures to convey and have your clothing match that. It doesn’t usually make sense to wear jeans and a t-shirt for a romantic, more formal type shoot and vice versa. 
  2. Don't feel the need to all wear the exact.same.thing. Don’t be matchy-matchy with your clothing. It is okay to have color variations, pattern variations, and lots of texture! It actually is a more visually-interesting photo that way! Some of the best pictures I've taken are ones that involve layers and bright colors. Have fun with your wardrobe! I have a board on Pinterest dedicated solely to what to wear for a photo shoot. Feel free to check it out if this isn't your area of expertise and need a little extra help. I won't tell anyone. ;)
  3. Time is of the essence. I would be hard pressed to find any person that would enjoy being woken up at 3am and then be asked to be happy-go-lucky and ready to listen and follow directions of someone you've probably never met. Right? Same theory applies to your little ones. Don't schedule your portraits to be taken smack dab in the middle of nap time. In that same line of thinking, make sure your kids take a solid nap (or as best as they'll take) before you go. Seriously, trust me on this one.
  4. Food for thought: feed the animals. Another easy way to make sure that your kids will cooperate better is to make sure they have full tummies prior to the beginning of your photo shoot and I'm not one to look down on small food bribes while pictures are being taken. I've taken more than one adorable picture with a lollipop in a kid's mouth. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have smiles with a lollipop in hand versus a screaming toddler flailing on the ground. You choose.
  5. Life isn't 100% posed, your pictures shouldn't be either. Unless you have an angel baby (and then I might be super jealous), most kids don't -- and won't -- sit still for all of your picture requests. Take what experiences you can and you might be surprised how much you like how they turn out. And I know it might go against much of what you think, but not everyone has to always be looking at the camera. Promise.
  6. Have fun and feel free to try something out of the box. Random chair in a field or in front of a dirty brick wall? Yes. Sitting on top of a ladder to get a different perspective of a picture? Sure. Taking out an umbrella in the middle of a dry summer day? Why not? Climbing through a corn field, stepping on bugs? Absolutely.
  7. Get a dose of fresh perspective. I often come home from photo shoots covered in dirt and very stinky. I lay on the ground, jump all over the place, climb walls to get a better vantage point. To get a variety of good pictures, you'll never stand in the same spot asking for the same pose. Kids are lower to the ground; get down on their level. Taking a picture from a higher angle is more flattering for everyone, especially those who are worried about the extra skin under the chin. Just sayin'.
I hope you've enjoyed all the helpful tips I've rounded up for you! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to find me over at the blog and I'll answer them the best I can. Thank you again Kathryn for having me! You rock!

Thank you soooo much Katie! I know I learned new things that I'll be using this holiday season. Especially cause I have little kiddies!

Linking up: 36th Ave., Fireflies & Jellybeans, Katie's Nesting Spot


Thanks for dropping in!


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