Spring is in the Air!

I know...I am a Midwest gal and it is still in the 30's here...but it is just about April and my flowers don't seem to care what the temperature is outside!  As we brace ourselves to possibly see one more snowfall before April, I am reminded that our outdoor sports are about to kick into high gear...and so should our cameras!

Take advantage of these cold weather opportunities to capture your favorite athlete in action!  While we never see the uniform in some instances (coats covering those cute baseball/softball/soccer uniforms!) these are the moments that tell the story!  In the beginning of June, we'll fondly* look back on those days when the sport began and the temperatures seemed too cold to allow for outdoor games!  Capture those moments and look for the candid shots of your athlete--when they don't know you are looking.  That's where your story is told. 

As we begin to venture outdoors again, we'll have regular tips to help capture your special moments! 
See you at the rink & fields!!

Amazing Photographs from Space

Photo from Col. Wheelock, Isle Juan de Nova in the Mozambique Channel
between Madagascar and the African mainland. The beautiful colors rival the
 amazing places in the Caribbea (11-15-2010). Space Photo: NASA, Astronaut Wheelock

This is not my photo--I am sharing an amazing link I was sent that will just take your breath away!  Below is a post from www.triggerpit.com ...photos that make you go WOW!  My aunt, a fellow momarazzi, sent these to me and I was immediately amazed.  Colonel Douglas Wheelock has taken amazing photos and I am completely in awe of his talent.  I am literally copying the post from triggerpit.com below--but visit their site and check out Colonel Wheelock's photos!  This is one guy who knows how to Capture Every Moment!!

On September 22, 2010, with the departure of the Expedition 23 crew, Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock assumed command of the International Space Station and the Expedition 25 crew. He is also known as @Astro_Wheels on twitter, where he has been tweeting pictures to his followers since he arrived at the space station. We thought that we should put some of them together as a tribute to him and the whole ISS crew. The images bring breathtaking views from our only off planet Vista point. The following pictures are all visible on Astro_Wheels' twitpic account and for these we are eternally grateful to him for sharing these with the world. The captions are all his own words. [29 Pictures]

http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/incredible-pics-nasa-astronaut-wheelock/

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my fellow momarazzi's out there!!  Cheers looking forward to new opportunities to capture new memories!!

Capturing Those Holiday Moments...

It seems that the holidays provide a time for endless posed photos of families gathering together--we did exactly this over Thanksgiving! And while I do enjoy seeing the progression of how the children have grown each year (not to mention the DISLIKE for how some of us adults also age), my favorite holiday photos are those that capture a moment that is unrehearsed and not posed.

Whether you have children or not, be sure to have your camera ready when the gift opening process begins.  I love to capture the expression when my boys see their gift...even if the camera doesn't see what it is. The emotion they express usually tells the entire story of that gift! Wide open eyes, wide open mouths, smiles from ear to ear, whatever the expression is, it is priceless.  I've even captured a few.."huh?" expressions!

In addition, when photographing family members in front of a tree, consider having good lighting in your room and not using your flash. This will allow the tree lights and ornaments to show nicely and not be overly bright or reflective in your shot. 

Some unique ways to capture holiday moments beyond the present-opening experience:  walking in the door (welcoming your guests); catching someone under the mistletoe--just as they realize that is where they are; eating--particularly those turkey legs or sweets; children sitting on the stairs waiting for Santa; children fast asleep in their beds; children all dressed in their holiday pj's! The opportunities are endless and they all have the same affect...they tell a story of your family together during the holidays!

Happy Holidays to all my Momarazzi Treatment Friends & Family!! 

Choosing the right Holiday Card Photos

The greatest dilemma many parents face...which photo(s) should go on our holiday cards this year?!

Here are a few things to consider when selecting photos for your holiday greetings. 

• Select only quality photos--ensure that the resolution is the minimum required for the processing service you are working with.  Poor resolution, dimly lit lighting, and blurred photos will not look any better on a greeting card.
• Consider doing a collage-style card. Many processing companies offer collage-styles which allow their users to upload more than one photo on a card.  Including one photo of each family member, along with a full family shot helps share how everyone in your family is growing!
• Consider what was important to your family this past year--and share those moments on a card.  Help your friends and family see the many activities your children have been involved in--a special vacation your family took--a unique place you visited together.  All of these offer friends and family members a chance to see what you've been up to throughout the year!
• Consider Holiday Postcards! An easy and inexpensive option when it comes to postage.
• Posed Photos...whether you pose your children yourself, or have a professional photograph taken, posed photos can tell a wonderful story, and catch our family in a beautiful moment.  Some easy to do yourself posed ideas:
• dress children in pj's and have them pose in front of the tree, holding presents
• dress children in scarves, hats and mittens, posed in front of the tree
• if your tree isn't up yet, but you are trying to get the photos done for the cards, try visiting your local mall or department stores where holiday decorations are already up! Have your children pose next to some holiday decorations--even visiting a furniture section/store that may have a fireplace decorated!  
• In line with heading out where the decorations are...consider visiting a tree farm to take your photos.  Even if you don't chop down that tree, posing as if you might can create amazing moments!
• make sure your pets are in on the action! Gather the children around the dog, cat, fish, etc...and feel free to try and decorate your favorite pet with a hat, scarf or garland!

And remember...while posed, professional photography photo cards are always beautiful, personally created photographs that you did yourself can sometimes provide more stories, capturing more personal moments, in your choice of settings.  

See you at the rinks and fields!

Capturing those Spooky Halloween Moments!

Whether your child is a scary ghoul, athletic player, princess, or superhero for Halloween, capturing all those Halloween moments is a must for any momarazzi!  Below are a few tips to help make the most of the photos you take.

When photographing your children in front of lighted Halloween decorations, consider NOT using your flash!  This way you will accurately capture the colors of the night with the decorative lights! Not enough light to truly capture your ghost or goblin's face? Then try a diffused light--an easy homemade way to do this is to simply hold an umbrella so the inside is angled towards your subjects and then shine a flashlight into the umbrella. The result should be to cast a soft glow towards the subjects--but the inside color of your umbrella can affect this.  Try it and see how it works for you.

In order to truly capture your child's face, try to avoid having him or her face the sunshine.  While we'd all like a beautiful, sunny day this weekend, cloudy days do tend to photograph our subjects the best!  Placing your child in the shade can do wonders!

Finally, consider carrying your camera while your children trick-or-treat and capture the moments while they are at your neighbors' doors.  Some may turn around and show you their amazement with the "treats" they've received--a magical moment that tells an amazing story of their experience!  In addition, look for those candid moments when your child is interacting with other children in costume--they may just act their part more fully to their friends!

Halloween party at my son's school in 4th grade...the last
party I was able to capture costumes in!

As my boys are now teens, they no longer enjoy the "trick-or-treat" experience--and I long for those memories of watching them excited about dressing up and heading out for their candy!  Capture your moments now, so you have stories to tell when they grown up!

Momarazzi vs. Professional

Technically, if you are a Momarazzi, you may not necessarily be a professional.  Your goal may be to make the most of the camera you have, to capture and preserve the memories of your young athlete, dancer, actor, etc.  As such, you may not have the technical knowledge a professional has...and yet, you want to own the right equipment to make your photos really stand out!

This momarazzi is always on the lookout for great resources--and recently I've found a fabulous website/blog that provides constant useful information for the non-technical photographer.  The topics vary from photographing food, patterns, action, and equipment--and there is always something interesting to learn!  For that reason, I am recommending PictureCorrect.  From his website/blog, Editor and Founder Richard Schneider states:
Hi, my name is Richard Schneider and I manage the day to day operations of this site. I became a photography enthusiast when I received my first digital camera and for many years I was constantly taking photos. I originally launched PictureCorrect back in 2003 as a photo editing service. With only a few customers, I decided to change the structure of the site into a blog full of tips and tutorials for photographers. Needless to say, it has come a long way since then…
[http://www.picturecorrect.com/about/]

The site's most recent post is "How To Choose a Digital SLR Lens", and author Ricky Davies has done a great job of really breaking down the SLR lens decision making process. I couldn't have provided better information than this...so please visit the post to learn more!!

You can subscribe to PictureCorrect, as well as follow it on Twitter!  Check them out--you will not be disappointed!!