Yesterday I saw the most adorable photo of a baby nestled in his father’s guitar case. Brilliant. That’s the kind of creativity I wish I had exercised when my daughter was a baby. Whereas I was (and still am) a snap happy parent, I don’t have many images of her in unique poses ala Anne Geddes. Who thinks of dressing up an infant as a bird and placing her in a nest or wrapping up a newborn to look like a pupa, and then documenting the moment with a camera? Fortunately, you don’t have to rack your brain to capture … Continue reading →

Have you identified your look of love yet? If you are planning to take self portraits to gift to your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, there are a few more tips to consider before you get snapping: Make it fun: This is especially important if you are taking couples shots. If your goal is to capture an image of you and your sweetie being yourselves, then you need to be comfortable in front of the camera. Rather than striking formal poses, loosen up a bit. Be playful and fun with each other, and then hit the remote to snap the photo. … Continue reading →

What’s your look of love? Does it include a dreamy smile, glazed over eyes and raised eyebrows? That’s what my face looks like whenever I see Dean Cain, Jason Bateman, Anderson Cooper (I know) and Ryan Reynolds… with their shirts off. I prefer not to think about the looks they’d give me if it they were to catch me looking at them. Why ruin a good dream? With Valentine’s Day right around the corner many shutterbugs are trying to capture a frame worthy look of love to gift to their sweetheart. Others skip the surprise element all together and strike … Continue reading →

As an avid photographer, it can be challenging to exercise patience for camera shy subjects… especially if you are related to them. Still, a little humility can go a long way when you are trying to get a shy person to pose for the camera. After all, smiling into a lens can be a nightmarish experience for individuals who freeze up when a camera is pointed at them. What’s more, there’s no way you are going to be able to capture a frame worthy shot if you are working with a reluctant model. If you are put in a position … Continue reading →

Chinese New Year is in full swing around the world. Welcoming the Year of the Dragon with fireworks, long noodles and dancing lions is something you don’t want to miss capturing with your camera. Delicious Chinese dishes and prancing wildcats are easy to snap in the daylight, but what about all those incredible nighttime Lunar New Year aerial pyrotechnics displays? If you are planning to document the many festive firework shows that will be exploding in the skies during the remainder of the 15-day New Year’s celebration, consider the following tips: Tripod: It is extremely challenging to capture decent shots … Continue reading →

News about a recovering economy means little to freelance photographers struggling to find enough work to feed their families. Even when times are good, it is very challenging to find decent work as a freelancer. Photojournalists especially find that competition is tough and that there are far more applicants than available jobs. That said, if you are exceptional at your craft there are ways to profit from your passion. Talent is a huge factor in the world of photojournalism. However, there are other factors that will help you advance in the market. For example, the niche you select could mean … Continue reading →

A friend made fun of me for posting my previous piece about giving the gift of floral photos for Valentine’s Day. I stand by that blog. I’ll have you know that when I was a sophomore in college my then-boyfriend presented me with a framed black-white-photo of a Hawaiian sunset… on Valentine’s Day. Sure, I got dinner and some flowers too, but the photo is the only thing from that relationship that I still have today. It’s a gorgeous shot; much too pretty to part with despite the fact that we parted ways more than a decade ago. Whether or … Continue reading →

Ideally, all photos would be snapped using natural lighting. While it’s true that you cannot control the sun, there are many ways you can capture stunning shots when you are taking photos in the great outdoors. One of the most popular techniques for snapping frame worthy shots when you are at the mercy of Mother Nature is backlighting. Not only is the technique popular, it’s also extremely effective and relatively simple to master. Start by making sure the sun is in front of you. Light should be aimed directly at the camera, and your subject should be lit from the … Continue reading →

I got a new camera for Christmas, but I’ve yet to experiment with all of its features. According to the owner’s manual, I won’t be able to snap the “best” images possible if I don’t utilize the camera’s advanced options. Whereas I agree that it’s easy to hit the “auto” function instead of experimenting with different modes, I don’t believe a camera alone makes or breaks a photo. For starters, a stunning image includes a balance of colors, shapes, and lighting. If you don’t feature contrasting colors in a shot, you won’t get that “pop” which draws attention to an … Continue reading →

In a few short weeks the price of flowers will increase exponentially. Roses that are selling for $10 a dozen today will cost you five times that amount as we creep closer to Valentine’s Day. If you are pinching pennies, but still want to impress your sweetheart with some beautiful blossoms, then consider snapping stunning pictures of flowers. Mastering flower photography is not too difficult once you get some experience under your belt. If you are serious about snapping an awe-inspiring flower photo that you can frame and gift to your beloved this Valentine’s Day, then now is the time … Continue reading →