:: Project Life 08.29.13 | {bubbly} ::

Bubblies from the witch's brew..

:: Project Life 08.28.13 | {rule of thirds} ::

Woohoo! I am ecstatic to bring you the first installment of my Photography Tips + Tricks series!!! If you ever wondered what you could do at home to make your photos of your little ones even better, follow me! I will share with you some of my tried-and-true methods by showing you some basic rules of composition, as well as beginners editing techniques that will help you make your everyday photographic stories even more meaningful. I will show you how to tame that big DSLR camera and harness its capabilities for gorgeous portraits. And of course, if you'd rather have some one-on-one time with me, you are always welcome to contact me to schedule a private lesson.

One of my favorite composition tricks is using the Rule of Thirds. Think of the photo as a tic-tac-toe board with nine equal-size rectangles: the canvas is divided into Thirds (1/3) vertically and horizontally. By placing your subject at one of the intersections, you allow the negative space/background to frame and highlight that impish smile or mischievous grin.

Move around while you're shooting. Practice seeing your subject(s) from many different perspectives. When I first started doing this, I felt a bit like my kids' personal paparazzi. But once I got the hang of it, I could usually anticipate which angles will bring me the best results. Try framing your subject in the camera, rather than relying on Photoshop to do the cropping later. Again, the more you practice, the more easily it will come to you.

Here's a shot of my son, composed using the Rule of Thirds. Notice how his eye falls at one of the intersection of the tic-tac-toe board. There is enough negative space around/behind him to give the image some quiet interest, but also to create a more dynamic composition overall that draws attention to the subject. To get this shot, I ran up to him as soon as he sat down (on his own), and immediately got down to his level so that I could shoot from his point of view.

Questions? Leave me a comment and let's start a discussion!

Tune in every Tuesday for more Photography Tips + Tricks! *This first installment was introduced on a Wednesday because I was trying to adhere to the Project Life 365 daily prompt :-) *

:: Project Life 08.27.13 | {white} ::

:: Project Life 08.26.13 | {refreshing} ::

:: Project Life 08.25.13 | {memory} ::

Our last hurrah before the first day of school...summer 2013 will soon be a fond memory...

:: Project Life 08.23.13 | {fracture} ::

Fractured Washington Monument under repair...

:: Project Life 08.21.13 | {not a chore} ::

Just a few more days until the start of the new school year...

:: Project Life 08.19.13 | {flight} ::

Time flies by so quickly these days...by the time the next generation of cicadas emerge from their earthen homes, my children will be 23 and 21 years of age...

:: Project Life 08.18.13 | {motion blur} ::

The boy who is always in motion...

:: Project Life 08.17.13 | {matched pair} ::

Back-to-school socks...

:: Project Life 08.16.13 | {obligation} ::

It was her first time on a paddle boat...it had to be done...and she loved it in the end :-)

:: Project Life 08.15.13 | {reality} ::

The reality sank in (pun intended!) during our last swim class of the season...75 degrees of humidity-free, sunshiny goodness...summer is fading and autumn will be upon us soon...

:: Project Life 08.14.13 | {little things} ::

This is for when you think stick-on tattoos just aren't enough...

:: Project Life 08.13.13 | {underneath} ::

She reminds me of when I was a little girl...always playing with the animals and wanting to bring them all home as pets...

:: Project Life 08.12.13 | {above} ::

Our first sighting of the 17-yr cicadas...riding on the back of a dragon..,

:: Project Life 08.11.13 | {direction} ::

:: Project Life 08.10.13 | {in the distance} ::

Funnel cake, cotton candy, impossible-to-win games, gravity defying rides...these are a few of my favorite *summer* things...

:: Project Life 08.02.13 | {reliable} ::

No matter what happens, I still have this smile and chocolate ice cream to get me through :-)

:: Project Life 07.31.13 | {childhood} ::

This summer has had a lot of ups and downs. Our family is taking it in stride and hope to share more of my photography as things in my private life start to settle down.

A sleepover between big sister and little brother after what they claimed was a scary movie. This reminds me of a very distinct memory from my childhood. Our very cool parents took my brother and me to see James Bond -- the one with Jaws, you know, the scary Neanderthal with stainless steel teeth??? I must've been 7 or 8 and it was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. Needless to say, I ended up in a sleepover in my big brother's room, just in case Jaws decided to visit :-)