Print Your Photos - Part II | Photobooks From Your Phone | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I take a lot of pictures. (Maybe unnecessary to state. And maybe an understatement as well. ;-)  I've worked out a pretty solid system for organizing most of my images on my computer using Lightroom.  Having a system makes it easier to find my pictures when it's time to order prints or put together photo books (which I look forward to sharing in another post). The exception to my system is my phone pictures.

I've already written about the importance of backing up your pictures, including the ones on your phone. But what about getting them off your phone (where you may never look at them) and into your hands?  I love the pictures I take with my DSLR and I love the photobooks I make with them. But there are so many moments from our life that I capture only with my phone. And these photos don't make it into my photobooks.  At the most, I'm reminded of them by the Facebook or Google popups that tell me what I posted one or two or however many years ago. Otherwise, they live silently on my phone.

I've tried incorporating my phone images with my DSLR images on my computer.  It's a workable solution, but it is time consuming to transfer the files.  Also, while it's possible to take beautiful images with a camera phone, I haven't mastered that skill. Most of my phone pictures are snapshots and I prefer to keep them together with other snapshots rather than integrate them with my other images.  So I needed an easy and quick solution to make sure my phone images and the memories they hold aren't forgotten.

Enter Chatbooks.  I'd been seeing their ads on my Instagram feed for months and when they ran a summer sale a couple of months ago, I decided to try them out. Chatbooks is a phone app that compiles pictures from your phone into a cute 6x6 book that features one picture per page. They start at $8 a book for 30 pages.  There are lots of great features to this service (including an automated series option and the ability to add captions and include dates and locations), but the main draw for me was the ability to collaborate with others.  My husband takes a lot of pictures with his phone as well and I wanted to include both our photos.  Once he downloaded the app, I sent him a code and he was able to begin adding to our book.  Super easy.

One downside I found with Chatbooks was the lack of editing features in the app.  Instead, I edited all the pictures I wanted to include in my book in the VSCO app and then saved them to my phone.  It made the process a little longer than if I had just taken the photos as-is, but it still only took me a day's worth of of spare moments to compile a month's worth of photos for my book.  Another downside for me was that the automated series feature seems to be restricted to use with Facebook or Instagram only.  I was disappointed that I couldn't automate use of photos directly from my phone.  That would be the ultimate convenience.

So I ended going with a custom book, which starts at 30 pages, and adding an additional ten pages for $1. With shipping, my books were about $10 each. For that price, the quality isn't bad, but I was disappointed in the discoloration on the cover once I received them. Perhaps it's more apparent because I used a black and white cover image, but the yellow tinge was pretty noticeable.  I contacted Customer Service and they quickly shipped a replacement which was improved, although still not a true white.  Ultimately, I think the summer heat may have reacted with the paper during shipment, so I'll try again to see if there's any difference.  

Overall, I'm still happy with my books because the process was convenient and quick and now I have at least one month's worth of phone photos printed in something tangible that my son can look through. Bonus points that the books make good gifts for his grandmothers as well. :-)  

Have you tried Chatbooks or any similar apps for printing phone photos?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

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Preserving Memories in a Series | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I was inspired recently by fellow photographer Camille Arner's post about photographing a series.  Camille's words about recognizing a theme in her personal work really resonated with me and also spurred me to begin posting some of my work undertaken as a participant in the creativity exercises led by Sarah Wilkerson over at Clickin Moms.  It was an honor to be featured on the CM blog as part of the 'series' exercise and even more meaningful to reflect on the value that I found in recognizing themes in my own work.  I also realized how my personal themes translate into the work I do for other families.    

Being a photographer involves a lot of observation - of light, of lines, shapes and composition, and of moments.  Being a mother is especially helpful for this last piece.  Parenting brings a wealth of opportunities for observing some wonderful aspects of humanity - the growth of your child, the love of family, and the humor and exhaustion in it all.  Being in the thick of it myself makes those meaningful moments more recognizable to me while shooting for others.  And documenting these moments, both for my family and others', is what makes my heart happy both as a photographer and a mother.  

I love looking back on these images of my son and seeing his growth - our family's growth - and our love for each other (even when exhausted :-)). I especially love sharing this facet of photography and life with other families.

Here are the images I submitted as part of the CM 'series' exercise.  I love shooting at windows, but I love even more the way these images evoke my own sense of childlike imagination and wonder - something all parents relish (and reminisce) in observing their children.  Check out Sarah's article for some the beautiful ways that an image series can be a powerful means of telling a story or conveying meaning.

Visit my website to learn more about a documentary session for your family and sign up below for my email list to receive tips for photographing your own family. 

Puppy Love Adoption Story | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I recently spent a (hot!) summer evening in Alexandria, Virginia with this busy family and their two dogs, Chex and Champ.  It was a special session with the kids to mark the adoption of their new puppy, Champ, to the family. The family recently lost their precious older dog, Chili, and Chex took the loss of his companion pretty hard.  So it was especially sweet to see the immediate bond not only between both dogs and the kids, but also between new friends, Chex and Champ.

Puppies grow so fast, so this family wanted their session to document this fleeting time with their newest addition.  After lots of play in the back yard, these guys needed a break!  It turns out puppies are like babies in other ways too.  Great daytime nappers, but not a lot of uninterrupted sleep happening at night, especially for a hound dog puppy. ;-) 

Sweet dreams, Champ!  And I hope you guys are getting some rest, Catherine!  

And if you'd like to support a budding young author and animal welfare advocate, check out Lindsay's story of Chex and Chili! Lindsay will donate 50% of profits from her book to charities benefit animal welfare.  I hope to see a sequel featuring Champ, Lindsay!

Learn more about a documentary session for your family here.  And stay in touch!  Sign up below for my newsletter to receive tips for documenting your family's story.

July 365 Project Faves | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I made a lot of pictures in July.  And even though I missed shooting a couple of days, I made up for it on others.  With baby number two almost here, it suddenly became really important to me to document these last days of our being a family of three.  It's such an exciting time, if still a bit nerve-wracking even though we've been through it once. :-)  Here are a few of my favorites from this month.

Despite the heat (and pregnancy!), I love summer in Northern Virginia.  There are so many things to do outside and plenty of respite from the heat inside or in the long evenings as well.  

We love our local parks and access to the Potomac River.  The variety at Jones Point Park in Old Town Alexandria (first three images) is fantastic, as is the family-friendly hiking at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton (last image).

Other than these mini adventures, it's just been nice to enjoy some leisure time at home and in our own neighborhood park.

Interesting in starting your own 365 project?  Check out my tips or see previous 365 shares here and here.  And please keep in touch!  Sign up below for my newsletter to receive more tips on documenting your family!

Print Your Photos - Part I Follow-up | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Life has been a bit busy around here lately with normal summer fun and planning for Baby #2's imminent arrival.  I'm not usually much of an interior decorator (or housekeeper, for that matter), so I've been enjoying the nesting phase and making some plans for maternity leave projects. One project is to get more pictures printed to display in our house.  So I look forward to sharing some of those tips in the coming months.

Today I wanted to follow up from my first post on printing your photos with another example using Artifact Uprising's square prints.  I loved the idea of using fun clips as holders, but I was having a hard time figuring out where to put them.  Between an adventurous toddler and two curious cats, there aren't many places that are free from curious paws.  We'll see if I've found success, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy a couple more areas that now have a more personal touch.

I can't believe I haven't put family prints in the nursery yet.  Even though we don't spend a lot of time there, the room seemed a little generic without any real family reminders, so having these prints, especially of my son and us make the room much more homey.  And I love that I can switch them out whenever I feel the urge.

I also decided to add a few non-family images to the guest room.  Since these are on the dresser, I imagine they're most likely to be knocked down (and possibly cause annoyance to our guests as they're a bit of a pain to stand up and keep aligned :-/ ).  So I'll be on the lookout around the house for more out-of-the-way areas...

Just as I mentioned last time, Artifact Uprising isn't sponsoring this post in any way, I just love the convenience of their prints and that I can get them practically free with their occasional codes.  I promise to share the code on my Facebook page next time I come across one, so give my page a like if you want to be in on it too! 

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Happy printing!

Photographing Summer at the Playground | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Even though my son isn't in school (and doesn't have a summer break) and my husband's and my work schedules haven't changed, there's still something magical about summer.  Maybe it's carryover from my own childhood - a sense that when the weather is hot and the days are long, life is just different.  A little more carefree and spontaneous.  A little less scheduled and serious.

Summer brings an abundance of life.  In Northern Virginia, we're graced with green and growth everywhere. Towering trees, vibrant wildflowers.  Even the thunderstorms that roll through are welcome, bringing restorative rain and a bit of respite from the heat.  Summer just seems to ooze childhood and fun and evoke calls for dripping watermelon and melting ice cream. Sprinklers in the backyard and walks to the playground.

The playground is one of my favorite places to document family life.  Play is such a vital part of childhood and the playground is a perfect place for imagination, social interaction, and physical exertion.  From new games to new friends, it's been fun to track my son's growth as he masters more complex equipment like going down the "big" slide for the first time or graduating to successfully climbing up the big slide using well-practiced muscles and sheer will after weeks of trying.  These are things I want to look back and remember.  Things I want my son to look back on and be able to see glimpses of himself at such a young age.

This summer I've made an effort to document more time at the playground.  Here are a few of my favorites so far with some tips I've found useful for making images that unique to your family.  In each case, it's all about perspective and choosing an angle that best frames the story you want to tell.

1. Get far.  Often the neighborhood playground is a special place for families.  In our case, it's within walking distance from our house and a place where we can make impromptu visits and catch up with neighbors and friends.  Showing that context can be a powerful way to tell the story of your family's playground.  

In this image, we were visiting family who've lived next to this playground since their teenage kids were very small.  The playground is on the school property where they've attended all their lives.  So I knew I wanted to capture part of the environment as a reminder that this wasn't just any playground, but their playground.  

It can be a challenge to incorporate all the equipment and activity in a way that isn't cluttered and chaotic.  Using lines to frame your subjects or draw the eye into the image can be a good way to minimize the distractions.

2. Get low.  With the variety of platforms and places to climb, it can be fun to play with perspectives at the playground.  One easy way to do this is to get low to the ground and shoot up.  This can minimize distractions like playground equipment or random people in the frame.  

Summer sun can be bright, especially mid-day, but it can also be fun to play with sun flare at this angle.  To combat the harsh light and shadow during the middle of the day, I exposed for the sky here and brought up the shadows in post processing.

3. Get high.  Similar to getting low, climbing up to look down is an easy way to show a unique perspective and minimize distractions.  With all the angles and lines at a playground, it can be fun to use them to frame your subject.

What are your tips for capturing summer?

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Capturing Childhood in Motion | Washington, DC Documentary Family Photographer

A big challenge in photographing children, especially toddlers, is how fast they move!  One benefit of documentary photography is being able to embrace that quintessential part of childhood and incorporate it into photographs - there's no need to beg - er, request- your children to sit still for a portrait.  In fact, building that movement into childhood photographs is what makes these images so honest and meaningful months and years from now.

A few months ago, I participated in a creativity exercise with Clickin Moms, that focused on capturing movement.  I was honored to be chosen among some amazing photographers for the feature post. The image I submitted was one of personal work (you may recognize the DC metro if you're local :-) ) and not my usual family subjects and since wrapping up the challenge, I've tried to creatively capture movement in my family images as well, especially of my active son.  He's growing and changing so fast that I want to document the sometimes wild and crazy, inherently "kid" things he does.

In the exercise, Sarah highlights three ways to capture movement in photography: suspension, motion blur, and visual flow.  Here's my take on the three.

1. Suspended Movement. This is my favorite to shoot, especially with children.  Freezing a moment of action to savor a point in time and capture details we wouldn't otherwise be able to see.  Facial expressions are particularly fun for these shots, but I also just love marveling at the awesome ways our bodies move.

2. Motion blur.  I love the way using motion blur adds to the storytelling dimension of photography.  The dynamic between what's static and what's in motion can say or imply so much about what's happening.  I've been trying to capture more moments in my pregnancy this time around and I love including my son in these pictures. For these two images, I chose to highlight the energy of my young son against the sometimes stillness (or exhaustion! :-) ) of pregnancy and parenting.

3. Visual flow.  Visual flow happens when the eye is naturally drawn through an image, such as with lines, curves, or color.  I love using lines to frame an image.  Thankfully, kids often repeat their actions when they're having fun, so the challenge of finding a unique composition and waiting for the right moment is often rewarded (with a little patience :-) ).

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June 365 Project Faves | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

June was a fun month with lots of time spent both outside and staying cool inside.  I can't believe summer is already passing by so quickly!  And even though it's been hot and humid here in Northern Virginia, I'm still relishing the longer days, pretty light, and carefree fun that comes along with it.  :-)

These are my June documentary faves from my ongoing 365 project.  Find tips for starting your own long-term photography project here and come follow along with me (and share yours!) on Instagram!

Photographing Your Vacation | How to Take Pictures that Tell a Story

Earlier this summer, we had an epic vacation - two weeks traveling from our home in Northern Virginia to Texas, New Mexico, and Montana to celebrate two beautiful nieces' high school graduations and spend time with grandparents and extended family. It was wonderful and I have a ton of photos to prove it.

Now that I'm home, I'm working to put the images together into a photobook that we can share with family.  While I likely won't get around to actually making the book until it's time to order for Christmas gifts (!), I have been thinking about how best to put the images together.  And that thinking actually started while I was shooting the images on vacation.

At it's heart, documentary photography strives to tell a story and a family vacation is a wonderful story to tell. Moments with loved ones, details of fun activities, and scene-setting panoramas all make up the story of time spent outside our daily lives.  

Here are some of my recent vacation favorites and a few tips for capturing your next adventure - whether it's a multi-state road trip or a quick day trip to a state park.

1. Capture the journey.  Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end.  Think about those elements of your story when you pick up your camera.  I usually try to capture travel details, especially plane rides, but you might also feature details like packing your kids' clothes and activities or the 4am alarm call for your early flight.

2. Don't forget the details.  Not every picture needs to feature a family member to be part of the story.  While on our vacation, I couldn't help but notice the beautiful flowers each place we visited, so I decided to incorporate them as a bit of a theme to provide context to our story. Now seeing them will always remind me of the time of year that we visited these places - how we went from almost summer weather in Texas / New Mexico, back to early spring weather in Montana.

And, of course, get in close for the little things like dirty hands and messy faces. 

3. Set the scene.  Provide some context to the activities you're capturing, whether indoor or out.  Close ups and details are great, but these wider images capture the broader environment and help set the scene for the whole story.

4. Don't discount the in-between.  These pictures (and the couch image above) were taken on a restful afternoon between activities.  Nothing much was happening, but I kept my camera out anyway.  And I'm so glad I was able to document my mother-in-law making tortillas - a delicious family tradition.

5. Have fun (and maybe let the rules slide a bit)!  Vacation is the perfect time to let loose, try new things, and let rules slide a bit.  Jumping on the hotel bed?  Sure, get that energy out! Sitting in the dirt to get a fun angle?  Why not? Staying up way past bedtime to keep the fun going (and take advantage of that beautiful golden light)?  We can just sleep in tomorrow!

6.  Finally, as always, get in the frame!  Because you were part of your vacation too!  Happy summer!

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Print Your Photos - Part I | Quick and Easy

We document and share our daily lives through pictures more than ever before, but we’re printing less of them.  It’s almost as if having so many images (smart phones, tablets, cameras…) to choose from makes it harder to decide on any to print at all (at least that’s my personal dilemma).  And who has wall space for all those prints?  I'm not arguing printing ALL our photos, but there are few excuses to at least print more of them when we have access to so many different (and easy!) printing options today.  Online photo labs are inexpensive and quick and innovative companies make it even easier with smart phone apps that can automate the process for you, organizing your digital images and shipping products right to you. 

So, today I’m beginning a "Print Your Photos!" series sharing the reasons and ways I print and display my photos.  There are so many wonderful reasons to print your photos and I hope you’ll come away inspired both to print more of your own photos and share your ways of making the process easy and fun!

But, first, a plea.  Please, please back your photos up.  It’s super easy to back up smart phone photos for free and there are many options for backing up pictures on your home computer as well.  We all know (or are) a person who’s lost or damaged their phone or whose hard drive dies, losing all their images.  It’s especially heartbreaking when there are irreplaceable family photos lost.  So, please go back your photos up!

Okay, now that your droves of photos are safe in the digital realm – how often do you actually look at them?  It’s nice to have the Facebook timeline reminder of images you posted years ago, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of meaningful moments in your life that have been abandoned to electronic memory storage.  There are some arguments why these files may not even be accessible years from now, but even if they are, will you be spending much time looking through them?  Not likely.  But you will appreciate being reminded of special moments while walking through your house putting away laundry or working (or playing) at your desk.  And think of how fun it will be looking through physical albums with your children or grandchildren, recounting the stories behind those moments years from now.

Framed prints and photobooks are both great ways to get images off your phone or hard drive and into your daily life.  I’ll share my ideas for both these options in other posts, but I want to start this series with my favorite quick and easy way to print images: Artifact Uprising’s square print sets.  If you post lots of images to Instagram like me, you might notice how fun it is to see all your images together on the grid in the app.  That’s what I find so great about AU’s square print sets.  Every few months I pick my most recent faves and, using their online application which connects to my Instagram account, I just drag and drop the ones I want to print, enter my promo code (more on that in a second), click submit, and I’m done.  A week or so later, my prints arrive and I get to figure out fun places to put them.  And AU connects to your home computer and other photo platforms just as easily as to Instagram.

I have them all over my cube at work and in front of my son’s car seat to keep him company. ;-)  I’ve used them to add a personal touch to gift wrapping.  And most recently, I created a grid on a not-so-pretty wall in our home office.  And the best part?  AU frequently has promo codes for free square print sets, so for the three sets I’ve ordered over the past six months, I’ve only have to pay for shipping.  [A quick disclaimer: I'm not being paid or receiving anything from Artifact Uprising for this gushing endorsement.  I just really like their prints and how easy the process is. :-)]

Pros:

-     Quick (set of 25 chosen and ordered in less than 5 minutes) and arrives within a week or so with standard shipping

-     (Practically) free, except for shipping, when you catch a promo code

Cons:

-     Not accessible to order via smart phone, so you have to order through your home computer

For fun, here's a behind-the-scenes look at how I created the gallery wall grid in my office. Artifact Uprising has a convenient blog post about other fun ways to display your prints, which is where I got this inspiration.  And I promise to post a code to my Facebook page as soon as I see the next one, so go like my page if you want in too!  Happy printing!