Remember last post when I mentioned people who look adorable when taking pictures?  Here’s another great example:

Thanks Emily!  I had a great time and learned so much.

Playing with Pictures

Last week, some friends and I went to the park to play with our cameras.  We were practicing using different shutter speeds, camera modes, depth of field, etc.

The two above are examples of how changing the depth of field can affect your photograph.  The bottom has a shallow depth of field (and is a bit over exposed—sorry about that), which is a nice way to bring attention to your subject.  Incidentally, my goal is to somehow learn to be as adorable as she is while taking pictures. 

I’m normally more interested in portraits than other types of photos, but this picture makes me happy.

Playing with shutter speed (hint:  a fast shutter speed will freeze the droplets in air, a slow shutter speed will make the water look like it’s flowing, but you’ll want to use a tripod for that and I didn’t bring mine).

Just a note:  I’m perfectly happy with my boys.  They’re rough and tough and FUN.  I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  But sometimes, I see something that makes me think it might be fun to also have a little girl.  Like these shoes by a bench in the park. 

This wasn’t at the park, but was a cute one I found on my camera while taking the others off.  We went to a U-Pick farm to get raspberries for jam and summer smoothies, but this little guy read the sign wrong:  he thought it said “U-Pick I-Eat!”

So Sweet

My favorite picture from this shoot keeps changing.  This one is my current favorite.  Thanks again Katie for sharing your wonderful family with me.

Orton

 

This style of editing was developed by a man named Orton.  I can’t decide whether to love or to hate it.  It gives pictures a somewhat dreamy look, but also makes them look very, well, edited.  What do you think?  Love it or hate it?

The Family

 

   

 

K and R

K and R were fun to work with.  They’re genuinely nice people and are raising kind and loving children, so I enjoyed our whole session.  But my favorite part may have been their couple shots.  They adore each other, and it shows. 

 

   

Great Kids

We spent just over an hour at the park taking pictures, which to a kid seems just a little longer than eternity.  I understand the injustice of it all.  I remember enduring the torture of Family Picture Day.  So I have a confession.  I brought foam dart guns, and I told the kids if they smiled nicely, I’d let them use their parents as target practice.  

I think it worked.  And, yes, I use bribery daily with my own children.  Only I prefer to call it positive reinforcement.

 

By the end, I think they really were having a good time.

I have some pics of the parents to post tomorrow, and then I’ll try to pick my favorites of the whole family.  It’s hard to choose favorites when you’re working with such an adorable family!

Come and play with me

What a fun evening at the park!  I hate to post before I’ve had a chance to go through and pick my very favorites, but I know what it’s like to be the mom and have to wait…and wait…and wait…  So here are a few to wet your appetite. 

        

 

This photo was taken by KG.  My contribution was to crop myself out of it.

I Think I’m in Love…

 

 

Isn’t she an angel?