BINKIES+NOSEPRINTS {BLOG}: photo a day

15 December 2013

:: Project Life 12.15.13 | {challenge} ::

With tons of year-end happenings, I've neglected to post here. So, to keep me photographically motivated this holiday season, I am challenging myself by taking portraits of *Sparkle*. Yep. She's our beloved Elf on the Shelf.

Nothing crazy and mischievous -- just some pretty portraits of the Lady in Red. Here she is, "letting it rip" with Beyblades:

ISO 1600 | 50mm prime | f/1.2 | 1/100 sec

22 October 2013

28 August 2013

:: 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 :-) *