Your Family In Pictures - A Book Review

Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh

Filled with beautiful photography and 'recipes' for you to take your own pictures, this book is an easy to read instructional guide in family photography. 

With an organized layout and explanations that even the beginning photographer can understand, Me Ra brings her years of photographic expertise to your finger tips. I especially like the photo recipes. They give a sample photo, with the exact exposure used to get the shot, in order that you can more easily replicate it on your own.

I enjoyed the down to earth feeling in the writing of this book and the helpful tips. There are also internet links to Me Ra's you tube videos produced by the Disney Channel. Her passion for capturing the essence of the family dynamic in digital photography is evident all throughout the pages of this book. 

I would recommend this as a good resource for the personal library of any budding photographer. By following the tips in the book, you will no doubt improve your photography skills and capture pictures of your family that will be cherished for years.

You can find your copy on Amazon. 

* Disclaimer - I recieved a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review from Blogging For Books, 

Spreading Christmas Cheer For All to Hear ,er... kind of

My Mom, came up to visit recently with my sister and her kids. We had a fun time crafting and hanging out.  Although it always feels like we spend most of our time preparing meals and cleaning up after eating the meals. 
While they were here, I took advantage of the opportunity to get a fun picture of the cousins.

With Ella being the only girl in this crazy bunch of kids, I couldn't resist posing them this way.  

I think Ella really liked it too! 

That's not a fake smile.

I got the basic idea for the photo off of Pinterest, but the photo I saw was a romantic pose of a couple tied up in the lights. Well, we just tweaked that idea a bit and we came up with some fun alternatives for the kids.

For the most part, the boys actually enjoyed taking these pictures.  It helped that they were allowed to be goofy and didn't have to look at the camera.

Some of them got into it more than others.

Of course when I wanted to take the shot of them all looking at the camera and smiling, things got a little hairy.  What is so hard about looking at the camera and smiling with a normal smile?  You would think I was torturing them.  The problem is, it becomes torture because they take FOREVER to cooperate and look pleasant instead of like deranged children. 

Wyat's smile is totally fake in the above photo. 

The boys got to get their sister back with this shot.  I wonder why only one of them looks happy about it?  

Overall, as photo shoots with children that are related to you and especially the ones that came from your womb go, this was pretty painless with some really fun results.  I did have a few snowflakes ruin a shot or two because they happened to land right in someones eye in the photo, but other than that, it was good.  The snow outside kept things nice and bright so I didn't have to use a flash. I was able to keep my iso low and the shutter speed fast enough that the kids didn't turn out blurry. 

Seeing as how it is IMPOSSIBLE for one child who shall not be named to sit still for 5 seconds. Ever. 

So this is our version of Christmas cheer.  

I hope you enjoy it.  

It makes me laugh!

Oh, if you have any tips for getting your kids to cooperate when getting their picture taken, I'm willing to hear them.  

Comment below. Please.  I need the help.

Boys and Pictures = Comic Adventures

 There are times when I give up the hope that I will ever get these 3 boys of mine to sit still long enough for me to get a good picture of them.

Apparently, they equate sitting for a picture with torture of the cruelest kind.

Which then means it turns into torture for me as well.

I mean really, how hard could it be just to look at the camera and smile, right? 

I guess for boys, it's pretty hard. 

Let's look at some examples of how my boys have changed in their approach, so to speak, of having their pictures taken over the years.

I used to get smiles like this:

Which morphed into smiles like this:

Which have now become faces like this:

What is a picture taking Momma to do?

Taking pictures of my own kids brings out the ugly side to my mothering. I have cajoled, bribed, threatened, manipulated, scolded, yelled, employed the power of the guilt trip, and done just about everything within my mommy powers to get my boys to sit for a nice photograph for me.

I succumb to these tactics after asking nicely fails, of course.

I know this isn't good.

I know these are bad qualities.

I know a good, patient, loving mother wouldn't ever do any of the above listed things.

I am not always a good mother.

At least, I ask for forgiveness later. 

Because I am a loving mother.

So why do you think that sitting for a photo is so hard for my boys? Could it be because they have been staring into the black orb of my lens since the day they popped free of my womb?

Hmmm.

When all is said and done, they finally manage to pull themselves together long enough for me to get a couple of good pictures. (Thanks goodness for fast shutter speeds!)

Then later, when I've calmed down  I have time to download the pictures onto the computer, I have plenty of opportunities for a few laughs.

Oh man, my life is never dull.

Never.

And I guess, in spite of it all, I wouldn't have it any other way.

But if you have any good tips for getting boys to enjoy having their picture taken, shoot 'em my way, will ya?

Thanks,

Jana

Alexa-loo-whoo

This summer, one of my girls agreed to pose as a model for my photography exploits.

I thought I'd share a few of the results.

Those were a few of my favorites.

Here are a couple photo collages.

I thought you all might like to see the many expresions of Alexa.

And here's my all time favorite:

Thanks Lex, for the opportunity to take your picture.

I hope you like them.

Jana

Miss E - A Sneak Peek

My friend Caiti let's me practice taking pictures of her adorable little girl. 
She is a sweet and sassy little one year old.
And very busy. 
It's really hard to get a focused picture of a moving toddler.
But I tried my best and managed to capture a few cute shots.

So, please be nice, but I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.  Ideas on what you like and don't like.  Tips for making it better. 
If you are a photog, what's your best tip for keeping the eyes in focus? What photo program do you use? What is your favorite way to edit the pictures?

I would like to know.

I hope this little girls Momma is happy with the pictures. 
It's pretty easy to get some cute pictures when your model is so adorable. 

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts,
                                                              Jana

Learning Some New Tricks

We are spending a few days with our friends Cam and Becca while Troy participates in a VBS program in Mosinee.  The Church that is hosting the VBS chose M.A.P. as their ministry for the week (don't know what M.A.P. is? Check it out here: http://www.nicoletbibleinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=72).  It is a special honor because all of the offerings that the kids bring forward for the week will be given to M.A.P!  The whole theme for the week revolves around flying too! The church really did a great job of putting everything together. We are thankful that they chose to highlight M.A.P. this week.  Maybe one of the kids who attend will be inspired to become a missionary pilot when they grow up.

While we are staying with Cam and Becca, Troy is helping them put in a stamped concrete patio.  Very exciting for them. 

What's exciting for me is that Becca recently started her own photography business.  You can check it out here at www.rebeccasanfordphotography.com.  I am loving looking at her beautiful pictures and seeing how well she is doing.  Especially because not too long ago she was asking me my opinion on camera's and asking me for pointers on what I knew.  She had never owned an DSLR before!  Now, I'm here this week asking her for tips and advice on how to improve my pictures!

So, not wanting to waste any time, today I borrowed her reflector, a little tool that I don't have but have considered buying.  I took the boys to the park and grabbed my camera. 

I am pretty happy with my results.  Of course the best photo's came last, so I have a whole bunch of pic's that are just o.k., but that's all part of the learning process.

So check them out and let me know what you think:

I think I've finally got the updated photo's I've needed for the frames we have hanging on the wall.

I may have also found a new gadget that would be worth investing in.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Morning"

O.k people.  I am going to try my hardest to win one of these fabulous Epiphanie camera bags.  They are doing a give away every month, so I will enter every month.
It's kind of fun because you have to take a photo and post it to enter, so I'm getting some extra photog practice.
This months challenge is: morning

I entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags + Photo Card Boutique Picture It photo contest! http://bit.ly/ITqV5R

I guess if I had to title it, I'd call it: Morning's Blush

I got to play around with it on picmonkey to make it a little more fabulous.  Although, I'm a bit torn about photo shopping pic's.  I really want to take pictures that are amazing, without any touching up or effects. But sometimes it's fun.

Wish me luck! I really do need a new camera bag. Mine is about 15 years old and my camera and zoom lense bang together inside it.  Plus I'm not sure the padding is up to snuff for tip-top protection.

If you don't know me very well, you should know that I drop stuff.

I'm the reason they invented cases for your cell phone.

I've got slippery fingers.  I don't try and drop stuff, it just happens. 

I know I've dropped my camera case at least 5 times.  Usually out of the back of my van. 

I've been eyeing up the Ginger bag.  That sweet bag would give me a lot more protection plus functionality.

As a Mama of 3 boys, don't I need a little something pretty?  

52 a Year - Week 3

I can't think of any curves that are much more adorable than these: pudgy, baby, finger curves. 
That was the challenge for week 3; curves. 
So after looking high and low, near and far, I settled on this.
Although I was tempted to take another picture of this same baby when I saw her all nekked, getting her diaper changed. I tell you what, this little girl has got some curves! (she's got some 'junk in the trunk' if you know what I'm sayin?) 
But I wanted to keep things 'G' rated, so I thought these little fingers would be curvy enough.

52 a Week - 52 photo's for 2012

I was invited to join a facebook group by my old college girlfriend, Cheri from over at tinkerwiththis.blogspot.com, called '52 a week'.  It's a photography challenge to take one photo per week for a year and post it on the group page.  Every week will have a theme for you to work with.  Since I really want to use my camera more and figure out how to use it better and take better quality photo's, this sounded like a great idea.  I'd heard of people doing a photo a day, and although that sounds fabulous, it also sounds really overwhelming and a bit like overkill. So once a week is good. I'm going to try and post my photo on the blog each week, but I missed doing that last week so I included it below.  Last weeks theme challenge was 'new'. Can you guess what this weekes theme challenge was? (that's what the above pic is for) Leave a comment and let me know what your guess is!