Baby Paige! | Posed Newborn Session

Sweet baby Paige was a rock star on her first photo session!  She slept like a champ through the photos and then woke up and showed us those gorgeous eyes!  What a sweetheart- congratulations Gray family!

6 Tips to Better Vacation Photos

Everyone loves vacation.  Getting away, enjoying a new place, a new perspective.  Slowing down.  And if you're anything like me, you love capturing all that wonderful goodness to look back when it's over way too fast and you want to hold onto those memories!

Here are some tips on how to take great vacation photos!

1. Where is the light??

The key to any great photograph is LIGHT!  You can have a beautiful scene or subject, but if the lighting is poor, it will never look quite like you imagine!

The most flattering and interesting light is when the sun is at an angle- so closest to sunrise and sunset.  

When the sun is directly above, it’s harsh and unflattering. 

Of course there may be times you need to take a photo in the middle of the day under harsh light, but find a shady spot for your subject, or position the sun so it is slightly behind your subject!

2. Interesting Angles

Think about the angle of your photo!  Most photos are taking from a standing position, making them all look the same and not very interesting.

Get low!  Get high!  Look UP!  Look down.  Just do something DIFFERENT then standing with your camera in front of you!

3. Don’t forget the details!

Often times we focus on the sweeping landscapes or the grand sunset.  But what else is going on?  What are the little things that make up your experience?  Don’t be afraid to get close and get some interesting shots of your surroundings.   Let your photos tell the story of your vacation.

4. Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a way to make your photos more interesting and pleasing to the eye!If you visualize a grid on your photo divided into thirds, the concept is to place your subject in one of those intersecting lines.
This creates a more interesting and pleasing composition then placing everything dead center!

5. Look for natural framing

It can be a fun way to draw attention to your subject by findings things around it that give a natural framing to the subject and some context as to where you are!

6. It’s not about the camera

Often times people will assume your photos are good just because you have a good camera.  But like an instrument, if you are not trained to play it, it’s not going to sound good!  So don’t worry about needing to spend a ton of money on a camera.  The best camera is the one that you will actually USE because you’re comfortable with it and will carry it with you!  If that’s your phone, then embrace it!  I take a TON of photos with my iPhone and most people are surprised to learn it was not from my super expensive DSLR.  Applying the above tips will help turn any photo into a work of art!

The Why Behind Black and White

With every session I deliver, I turn a portion of the photos black and white.  Here's how I determine what I turn black and white and why!

1. To focus attention

Sometimes there is a lot of color and elements going on in the photo and the black and white helps focus the attention back down to the person or central focal point of the photo.

2. To show the emotion

There is something about black and white that conveys an emotion and feels deeper and more timeless in black and white.  (especially if the subject is not looking at the camera)

3. Great contrast

If there is great contrast in a photo it is even more exaggerated in black and white and gives more power to the overall photo.  

4. To hide bad lighting or color

Sometimes black and white is the answer to conceal bad or mixed lighting.  If the DJ goes too crazy with colored lights or there is a hard mix of warm and cool light, black and white takes away that issue instantly!

5. Give something a timeless feel

Black and white is often associated with "old" since that is once all there was!  Black and white often feels more timeless and that it could be 1800 or 2018 and if still feels the same.