Taking portraits of your children doesn’t have to take a long time or be super complicated. Follow these steps for a successful session.

1.  If planning on matching clothing for multiple children, go to a store such as Target. They have a great variety of sizes, colors, and styles. 

2.  Since you are at home, there is no need for shoes that the kids will only wear once.

3.  Set up your space and equipment ahead of time and take some test shots to make sure the lighting is appropriate. 

4.  Take each kids picture individually, in pairs, or a combination while the others are busy playing or otherwise entertained. 

5.  Have some kind of non-messy treat ready for the little ones. I use Smarties to sweeten their mouths.

6.  Get kids to feel comfortable by asking about school, friends, or activities they are into. 

7.  Be fast! The attention span is not very long especially for younger kids so be ready to capture and entertain at the same time. 

8.  Take a break to take care of meltdowns and then come back to it. 

9.  Plan on ordering in or going out for dinner afterwards because your house will be a disaster and you will be exhausted. 

10. Display the portraits in your home and enjoy them for years to come. 

I hope this will inspire you to get your kiddos in front of the camera. 

Kids Hands Photography Project

“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.” Nelson Mandela

It was Saturday morning and all the kids were busy working with their hands. I was especially amazed by Aiden’s hands as he was working on the computer. He had one hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse. Both hands knew exactly when to move, pause, or click. His gaze was focused on the screen and I observed this scene for some time. After some thought, I asked him if I could photograph his hands throughout the day today and see what we can discover. He loved this idea. And so this project began. I started using my DSLR but carrying that around all day didn’t work very well so I switched to my iPhone. We took this idea further when Aiden told me that he was working on creating music on this website called Soundnation. It was something that was introduced to them at school and he showed me what he has been working on. I asked him whether he could put together some music to accompany a slideshow of his hand photographs. He was overjoyed and immediately got to work. His creativity is amazing and I was impressed by the work he created. 

I hope you enjoy the music and our Kids Hands Photography Project. 

Sunday Makeover Funday 

Do you remember getting into your mother’s makeup drawer? What was the first thing you picked up and tried on?

For me, it was her red lipstick. I would pull open the lid and twist it up about halfway. I still remember the smell. There was a hint of sweetness, a little bit of warm vanilla, and it reminded me of cotton candy. I would look around to make sure nobody was watching and then adjust her mirror to fit my height. Carefully and with as much precision as a 8 year old could attain, I would apply it all over my lips. After a quick pucker and smooch, it would all be wiped clean with a tissue. My mom would question the used tip of the lipstick some times since she would only wear lipstick on special occasions but my lips were sealed. 

One afternoon, when my daughter was planning her next playdate with her friends, we pondered some ideas of what they could do. We thought about makeup since my daughter loves exploring my makeup drawer. The ideas just kept coming and she couldn’t hold her excitement. She picked out a palate of eyeshadows and blushes and I supplied her with the lipsticks. She also wanted to try out a face mask. After a trip to the store, we had all the ingredients for a Sunday Makeover Funday. 

I had the opportunity to photograph these girls as they experimented with different colors and looks. They admired and encouraged each other to try something new and bold. There was so much laughter and a brightness in their eyes only an artist with a blank canvas would understand. To add to the fun and beauty of this day, it had started to snow that morning. It was the fluffy thick kind and it covered the ground like a soft blanket. It wasn’t enough to accumulate but they did experience the feel of fresh falling snow on their bodies as they walked out onto the deck. 

I hope you enjoy these moments as much as I did. Their youth and free spirits brought back happy memories of my past and I cannot wait for them to do the same with their daughters.