happy monday! today i am posting at the lovely anderson crew on how to take better photos! hop over there to see some easy tips. if you are new to the anderson crew, then stay a while and read. emily has the most adorable family and it a very clever writer. she warms my day! have a great day! xoxo
your arms must be full! is the reaction i hear on a daily basis concerning my 3 kids under 4. this pictures proves it, sadly we are minus one little. i’m missing you lucy! the days can be long, my temper short, my house a mess, but my arms ARE full of the most precious things in the world.
all you mommies, today is embrace the camera. i DO NOT like being in front of the camera, only behind it:), but I DO want my children to look back and see some photos of me. challenge yourself to be in front of the camera! join others embracing here
i love our small town parades. people line the streets for a good old parade of tractors, horses, floats and fire trucks. you always have friends to wave to in the parade and lots of candy gets thrown. milk, frozen yogurt and cheese were passed out along the route {celebrating dairy} and it is one thing that i love about our small town. it feels so 1950′s and you can’t beat that in a world that is so face paced.
i love how people line the streets – so 1950′s right?
the girls thought the sirens were a little too loud! 
of course tractors made an appearance!
lucy waving to her friend jolea in the parade
the theme was “dairy tales” and jolea was cinderella. all the floats are dairy themed – look at the detailing of the blue bell ice cream lid on the wheel. my friend jen did an amazing job! 
michael anne was in awe and loving the access to the sucker!
here is another photo example of why learning your camera is so important! sunday morning before church lucy was swinging. the photo on the left i took using my shutter speed mode the photo on the right was set on auto. DRASTICALLY different! your shutter essentially freezes motion depending on its settings. both of these photos are untouched as far as editing. WOW! keep learning your camera people! it is so worth it!
ok here is my tip {2 tips} for the week!
1. ALWAYS have your camera out. mine is always ready to go, i take it almost every where with me. i document our daily life. you don’t have to have a reason to take a photo, just capture your day. there are plenty of things to take photos of,whether you have kids or not. this photo was taken last saturday morning. we were all just playing in the living room {lucy watching a movie, ryan reading the paper, michael anne dancing to lucy’s dvd, and me capturing that toothy grin!} i think kids do better when not posing….just have your camera ready and catch them being them. that’s how i want to remember them anyway!
2. when photographing small children, get on their level. see what a difference this photo makes? the photo on the left,i am literally on the ground. the one on the right i am above her. 
the photo on the left is {sooc – straight out of camera} you do not have to have photoshop to get great results! yes the one on the right is a bit blurry, but you can at least see as far as composition what makes a better photo!
my sister and her partner built this amazing banging wall found in this post . it truly is amazing and i highly suggest building one for your kids. yesterday i found this and already called my sister to see if she can help build this for us. i would have loved a water wall as a kiddo – heck i would play with one now!
i woke up at 6 {one hour before the rest of the house stirs} to have some quiet time. at 6:30 lucy is standing in my doorway. here is our conversation:
mommy: {quietly enjoying me time}
Lucy: “mommy, i just want to stay in my bed and sleep a little longer”
mommy: {a little confused because i was not even trying to get her out of bed??? but glad that she will hopefully go back to sleep….crossing my fingers} i tell her…to…well….go get back in your bed then.
she marches off and in the back of my head i know she is awake for good. i hear her rustling around in her room and 12 minutes later she is back to show me what she has dressed up in. the temptation to dress up, out beat going back to bed. i love that girl! here she is sporting a summer tank, under a summer dress, ballet tights and red kitten heels {on the wrong feet} does she look tired to you?
ok well i feel like i am not one to be throwing out photography tips as i am still learning all about photography, but some of you have emailed and asked so i thought i would hopefully share some tips each week.
First and foremost:
~this is something that has taken me almost 3 years to get where i am. photography is an amazing hobby, but it is something you must practice and learn. it is not something you learn over the weekend! it can’t be taught “real quick”. that would be like going up to a professional chef and asking him to tell you how he made this amazing meal, when all you know how to do is whip up boxed mac and cheese……it just wouldn’t make sense. you would need to practice and learn and take it step by step…… so…..here are a few basic pointers.
1. you don’t need the higest end camera. i shoot with a canon 40d {it is one step up from a rebel} i don’t think they make it anymore?? point is, my camera is not the higest of ends {not that i don’t want one some day} but i still get great shots!
2. you have to learn your camera. i made it a point to know what every single button does and how it works. i read my manual over and over again
3. learn to shoot in manual – ahh! this was so confusing. but i was determined to do it. my friend mandy picked it up in no time and i thought something was wrong with my noggin:) i read pioneer woman on the subject of manual photography over and over again until in finally clicked!!!
i am a very very firm believer that if you know your camera, you can manipulate the light and get the shots “you” want, not what your “camera” wants you to get.
see the difference? the top photo looks kind of drab, dull, dark and you can see that the auto flash came on. i don’t like it.
the second photo is {sooc} straight out of camera meaning i did no editing what so ever. this is me manipulating the settings to what i wanted them to be. i like this one much better! its much creamier and softer
so that is my first tip if you want to start getting great shots – LEARN YOUR CAMERA and LEARN TO SHOOT MANUAL! its a little overwhelming, but fun!
hooray its friday! and everyone in my house seems to be feeling better! can’t wait for a whole weekend with daddy home
