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!!

Quote for Today...

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.  ~Ansel Adams

Spread the News~Share the Excitement!

Every momarazzi can capture incredible moments, both on and off the field. But the truly successful momarazzi spread the news and share the excitement with others.  This is much easier than you think...

Most communities have newspapers that focus on community news and events.  These same papers often have online versions of the print edition--here is where a true momarazzi lives!

First, you will need to register with your local paper.  Visit the paper's website to locate how to begin "posting/sharing" photos and stories.  This usually requires you to enter your email address or create a user name and password.  AND...this is usually a free service. 

Many community newspaper editors just don't have the budget dollars to have reporters and photographers at every event going on in town--so they appreciate when "community reporters/photographers" submit their stories and photos.  There is always an obligation and opportunity for the editor to do any necessary "editing" of something you post--so don't be offended if your original story doesn't appear in its entirety!  I've got a journalism background, been published, and have often had my submitted stories edited for clarity or simply space available for print!  Photographs also may need to be in a specific format~either re-sized for upload or of a high resolution for printing.  Specific instructions are always available on paper websites.

The best part of sharing your excitement online...even if the news/photos don't make it to the print edition, it is so easy to share the link of the story/photos with family and friends online!  Point your team families to the website address of the online story/photos and they'll be just as excited as if it were in print!  Plus, this provides families and friends from across the miles to see what is going on with your little athlete!!

• Tips for photos...clarity. Your photo should capture an exciting moment (whether on or off the field), but the photo must also be clear to view. Fuzzy or slightly out of focus photos will now show well online or in print--don't use these, even if it is the only great shot of that touchdown!  
• Tips for stories...score of the game & players' names are key. First...ensure your coach is aware you are going to post a story--get his or her permission and comments from the game whenever possible. Second...ensure that your team parents are in agreement on using names in a story. Most will be thrilled with the fact that you are sharing the good news! But privacy is a big issue--particularly on the web.

Parents should have the final say on whether they want their child's name or photo used online or in print.  A quick email to all team families is an easy way to let them know what you hope to do, and whether anyone has any objections. 

Now...spread the news! Share the excitement! Get out there and find your local papers to submit your game/event photos and stories!! You just may see your efforts pay off in print...and begin the process of creating your own momarazzi portfolio!!

Capturing Your Moments for FREE!!!

The Momarazzi Treatment's Fall Deal...everyone is entitled to amazing photos that capture their child in action! Through October 31st, the Momarazzi Treatment will waive all event fees and photograph your team's games/events AT NO CHARGE TO THE ORGANIZATION!

I know...it's crazy...but every child deserves to have his or her amazing moments captured, and not every parent has the time or ability to be a momrazzi at every event!  That's where The Momarazzi Treatment comes into play!  We will photograph your event at NO CHARGE...the only way The Momarazzi Treatment benefits from this is if the photos are fantastic enough that your parents & families want make a purchase!

Working with fantastic third-party production companies, The Momarazzi Treatment is able to offer parents and families amazing products--from prints to specialty products like magnets, t-shirts, mouse pads, & more!  AND...the Momarazzi Treatment has worked hard to provide you wonderful products and momarazzi prices! Our prices are extremely competitive...just check us out and see for yourself!!

For more information or to schedule your memory-making event, contact The Momarazzi Treatment today!

How Do I Get Those Great Action Shots??

Capturing those great action shots of your amateur athlete, dancer, or dog (jumping through the yard!) can be easy if you know how to work with the settings on your camera. This is also where choosing the right lens comes into play.

First...lens choice. I have found a valuable online photography site that offers helpful hints regularly, http://www.picturecorrect.com/. Recently, there was a post from Morris Scjomin, How To Pick the Right Camera Lens that addresses this issue in such a concise way that I'd rather link to him than try to comment on my own!  If you are a budding momarazzi, definitely consider visiting Picture Correct and subscribing to their online newsletter for tips and techniques to assist you! 

Using a 1/2000 shutter speed and a f/4.0
I was able to catch the players as
they flew through the air in this tackle

Stopping action...it can be difficult and many blurred photos can result if you don't have your camera setting correct.  While there is an artistic reason to have a blurred action shot, most of us would like to see our young athlete mid-air catching that pass, making that check on the ice, or in the midst of a pirouette.  Here's a few things to consider if you have a SLR camera that allows you to manually select the settings.

My Canon Rebel has two settings that I use regularly for action photography.  TV stands for Time Value, and it can be used to freeze or blur your action.  To freeze the action and catch that mid-air reception, you want to have your shutter speed higher--between 1/500 sec. to 1/4000 sec. This takes some getting used to, and you'll want to check your own camera's instructional manual to determine how to set your shutter speed.  Ultimately, the faster the shutter speed, the better you will stop the action. The lower the shutter speed (1/60 sec. to 1/250 sec.) the more blurred action you will get.  Depending on your lens, you may not be able to get as high as 1/4000...but don't worry, go as high as you can go and your pictures should turn out!

AV stands for aperture value. I like to use AV for most of my sports photography because I am able to blur the background and focus on the action in front of me. This way, the distracting field house in the background doesn't take away from the player I am capturing in action!  I have learned that photographers who use a wide-angle lens don't have to worry about this setting, since wide-angle lenses have a wide depth of field; however, telephoto lenses have narrow depth of fields and this is where setting the AV correctly can give you the shot you want.  The higher the aperture value, the slower the shutter speed--so when taking photos at night or under dark, overcast conditions, you can control the amount of light that is available by working with aperture value. That said...the long shutter speeds demand you are working with a tripod/monopod to keep the camera steady.  Momarazzis taking photos of a night football game can struggle with this challenge--which is where choosing the right lens comes into play.

Lenses for action photography...most digital SLR cameras come standard with a standard f/3.5-5.6 lens. Many people also choose (or sometimes get in a package deal) a 70-300mm, f/5.6 zoom/telephoto lens.  Working closely with the aperture value and shutter speed can provide you with quality action shots with these lenses. That said, a better (and more expensive) lens for shooting action at night is a f/2.8 lens.  This is an investment, and you need to be sure you are getting the proper lens for your camera type.  Typically, if you have a Canon, you cannot use a Nikon lens...and while there are more generic brand lenses out there, it is important to consult with your photography supply expert to ensure you are getting a lens that will fit your specific brand camera.

This is by far the most technical posting I have written--and I am not a technical person! I have many resources to thank for providing me with the knowledge I've gained--my personal "coaches" include Glenn Nagel and fellow momarazzi Becky (Becky truly is a talented momarazzi, but she doesn't have a website for me to link to!).  I also scan through several online resources (note Picture Correct above) to gain valuable tips and techniquesues along the way. 

It may take a little more time to prepare yourself, but with practice (and it truly just does take practice with the settings) you can achieve the photos you want over time!  Good Luck with the technical stuff...
...and see you at the rinks and fields!

Preserving Your Memories

I've written before about preserving your summer memories by creating a video of still photographs you took all summer--but after seeing so many parents on the bus stop this week with their video cameras, I realized I should add how to incorporate both video and still photography.

And in my research to provide the most useful information, I came across a vimeo post of Brandon Bloch that I found both informative and hilarious!  My friends at Animoto connected me to this...visit animotopro on Twitter and you, too, can learn some great tips!  Brandon Bloch posted his comparison of the Canon 7D (SLR camera AND video camera in one!) to the Barbie Video Girl camera.  It is worth the few minutes watch!!

As my friend Amanda pointed out...this Barbie Video Girl is actually a great idea!  The Canon is a heavy camera and doesn't fit into your purse as easily as a Barbie doll. And the Barbie can double as a great toy to distract young children--if you have girls.  As for me, I'm not quite sure my high school football player-son would appreciate my holding Barbie up to video his games--unless of course I can get her a cute cheerleading outfit!!

So in the end...I am still a Canon fan!  Envious of the great options on the new Canon 7D, I may just have to look at this camera more closely!  And as for recommending some tips on incorporating video and still photography...take the time to visit my friends at http://www.animoto.com/ to see how any momarazzi can create wonderful FREE 30 second video creations that incorporate both photographs and video.  For a very small fee, you can upgrade to what I call, Momarazzi status (not quite "pro), and create videos as long as your heart desires!!