I still managed to do something, in two parts.  #1 I went for the literal reflection shot and played with using unexpected surfaces to get the photograph.  That wasn't my favorite version, so I shifted my perspective a little.  #2 I decided to think of reflection in terms of pausing and reviewing.  In this case, it was the relationship between my kiddos.  We've been super intentional about creating a close knit family and I'm so glad that the kids (even as teenagers) get along so very well.  So here are my kiddos, who've grown up with baseball, enjoying each other's company.

  Having said all of that, for this week I photographed a family water balloon fight because what says summer more than water?  As a little bonus, I've got a few summer photo tips for you.  So here goes...

1.  The harsh light of summer can be a challenge for any level of photographer.  But don't just run for shade (unless it's Africa hot and then TOTALLY go for some shade).  Get the light behind your subject.  With the exception of the summer solstice, odds that you can get the sun behind your subject even at noon.

2.  Expose FOR your subject.  That's how you avoid dark, underexposed photos.  If you're using a DSLR, make sure that your exposure meter is set to spot metering and get that 0 to +1 going so that your subject isn't dark in the backlight.  If you're using a phone, apps like Camera + use a pinch and separate method to separate exposure from focal point and you can dial in your exposure that way.  If you're using the Lightroom app, you can set your exposure manually and make sure your subject looks exactly the way you want it to.

3.  Embrace that summer looks different.  Get creative with those hard shadows, because they usually come with some amazing skies, blissful expressions on your kiddos faces and loads of fun moments.  Dramatic shadows can be amazing storytelling elements, so go with it.

  Each of us wrote several that included ice cream!  Ha, looks like ice cream is the key to summer happiness for the Tomczaks.  One of my faves are these brownie ice cream bars.  Bake up your favorite brownie recipe in a sheet pan, let it cool completely.  I froze no churn ice cream (look it up on Pinterest, it's the best thing EVER!) in a 9x13 pan for a couple of hours at least.  Smoosh the two together and trim the brownies to the size of the ice cream.  You can add peanut butter, caramel, or some fun topping to the ice cream and freeze it again.  Next up, cut into bars, coat with home made magic shell and leftover brownie crumbs.  100 degree days...meet ice cream bars!

  Along comes 2021 and the whole family is vaccinated.  Now, we get invites that I've got no excuse to say no to or Zander has 812 baseball games that have us socializing again, I've found myself stressed out and exhausted.  For those of you who don't know, introversion isn't shyness and the inability to handle social situations.  Instead, introversion is a personality trait that recharges their batteries when they're alone and social situations are draining.  So all this "getting back to normal" is wearing on a girl.

  From a photography standpoint, it's created one heck of a creative slump.  I can't even tell you how often I've had to make myself pick up the camera.  So, it's time for some slump busting.  I'm starting a new Project 52.   One theme a week to work those creative muscles and find my groove again.  This week's theme is Day in the Life.  What could be more perfect for me to kick things off, right?

  So enjoy a day with the Tomczak Adventure Team!

Night Night.

  If you're feeling the same way, I've got a suggestion that will help you get your maximum summer on.  If you're a Colorado resident, chances are you've heard of or been to Water World.  I honestly thought everyone had been there (my hubby has been going since he was 15 years old) but I recently met a bunch of people who haven't been.  Waaaah?  I'm gonna be honest, that seems impossible.

  To be completely transparent, I've been photographing Water World professionally for 3 years and it is absolutely one of my favorite jobs.  And since I've been EVERYWHERE in that place, I can whole heartedly.  If you've got littles, Wally World and the brand new Minnow Creek are going to be your favorites.  Bigger kiddos?  Mine gave the two new rides in Alpine Springs a 10-10.  Thunder bay is a can't miss and if you're old like me, the lazy river is the perfect way to beat the heat.  Seriously, I know I sound like a commercial, but it really is a great way to spend the summer day.  It's one of those things you need to do at least once a summer.  

  So if you're looking for a good way to spend your summer weekend, go check out Water World.  It's a Colorado institution for a reason!

  Ivy had an SCFD Teen Council meeting at the Botanic Gardens (where she was announced as Communications Chair and I did a proud mama dance) and we packed up the family to soak up some nature.

  If you need a little nature therapy, here are a few photos to tide you over until you can get outside.

  Yup, I know I wrote that in reverse of the quote you know.  I've been thinking about change a lot recently, partly because both of the kiddos are going to be in high school this fall and it occurs to me that our time as a foursome is dwindling.

  Take these trips to Elitch Gardens, for example.  I went to Elitch's as a kid (in a different location) and was the daredevil on every ride that held the potential to make me sick.  Then I had babies and Elitch's was off the menu for a while.  When they got old enough, we'd go on the little kiddie rides.  In a flash, they were tall enough for the big rides, but they still wanted me to ride with them.  Now, my stomach isn't as resilient as it was once and they just run off to the next thrill ride on their own.

  Same Elitch's, same four people...but the experience keeps changing every time we go.  It's always a moment when I remember to slow down and notice these two humans that mean the world to me.   If I don't, things will change on me again and I'll have missed it. 

  Miss Ivy had been excited for a month to volunteer at the Four Mile Historic Park Independence Celebration.  She'd missed 2019 when my sister passed away and we all know what happened in 2020.  Rhonda the Honda...it's a long story, don't ask...had other plans.  Right after we dropped her off, the alternator died on the way to Midas to get checked out.  The weekend went to Defcon 2 just like that.  Thank goodness for awesome mechanic nephews who save the day and loan you a car until they fix yours.  

  But just like that roller coaster I was referencing, after the sickening drop you start having fun.  The car got fixed and we enjoyed a beautiful night in Castle Rock and I got to play around with long exposures during the professional show the town put on.  Whew, we made it!  

  That's good news for Ivy, because that means I can make skillet cookies with ice cream and caramel sauce.  When the boys are away, the girls will load up on sugar!  

  I used this recipe, which has become a staple in our house over the last couple of years.

  We've been huge fans of Four Mile Historic Park forever.  In fact, miss Ivy volunteered there for a year.  So when we got the email saying that they were extending December ice skating into January, my big girl demanded we buy our tickets immediately.  Turns out, we had the place to ourselves.  The light snow, big laughs and Pearl the Goat made it a perfect winter day.

  The good news for you?  I'm going to link to the recipes that I'm using, so you can get your bake on too!  So for these super yummy chocolate caramel brownie cookies, head over to Half Baked Harvest for the recipe.  I'm a HUGE fan of Tiegan's and you should be too.  For these, I did adjust the flour.  My kiddos like a more cakey brownie, so that's what I went for.  No matter how you make them, they are sooooooooo yummy.  You should definitely bake some up.

Until I figure out what’s next, here’s the last batch of photos I took for the 365!

On our end, it was actually nice to just be the four of us. Sometimes the driving all over creation to make appearances can be hectic. So a quiet Christmas is in the books.

  Hopefully, you're all staying safe and warm!  The holidays are in full swing, so I'm wishing you sweet treats and warm moments with those that you love.

  I don't even want to think about it.  Even though I know that my job as her mom is to prepare her for her own adventures and her own journey, I'm in no way emotionally ready to give her up.  So I'm going to be soaking up my moments with these squirts of mine until they're totally sick of me.

  Of course there was more food than you could shake a stick at, but leftovers rule!  I hope your family enjoyed your holiday safely and had as much fun as we did.

  I've said "this year" more times than I can count because 2020 has been a doozy.  I really do appreciate all the time we're spending together though.  And, I'm baking my brains out, so there's all kinds of different creative outlets to explore.

  What about you?  Is it nice where you are?  Are you turning off the TV and social to try to maintain some kind of sanity or are you locked in.  (My hubby is obsessed with every Steve Kornacki update!)

Here we are, on the back 9 (or 10) on this little journey of mine. I’m so glad you’ve been around to share it, whether here or on Instagram. Hope you enjoy this weeks photos!

  This may be the first year in forever that I haven't gotten to head to the hills to go check out fall colors because it's fall baseball all weekend, every weekend.  I've just got to get through this month and then, hopefully I'll be able to do more fun stuff.  Of course, it's 2020 so...

  The kiddos are old enough now to really get in on the celebrating and Ivy made us a cake.  I love my big kids so much!

This week, it finally died for real.  Nothing would fix it, but since I learned my lesson the first time I didn't lose a single photo or video.  Whew!  So do me a favor, back up your stuff.  And not just to an external drive, because those puppies die too.  

And with that PSA, here are some of the photos I didn't lose!

So many people are stressed about what to do about kids returning to school, I'm doubly grateful that we homeschool.  So until it begins, time to soak up the last of summer break.

And finally, finally, FINALLY major league baseball is back.  I think Ken would have lost it if he had to wait one more day.  Go Cubs Go!

  I understand that my family and I experience privilege that many do not have.  I ache for the families that are hurting because of the disgusting actions of others.  This must end.

  As a photographer, I really wish my portfolio was more diverse.  I haven't had a lot of POC reach out to me.  But that's going to change, because I'm going to go find them.  I kept looking for the happiness this week.  And I'm hoping that in the weeks to come, part of that happiness is derived from meaningful change.

  We found out Zander's baseball season is going to resume.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  It's awesome to watch him play, but I'm not happy about possible exposure.  Normally, you could call me a worry wart.  Buuuuut, I've been experiencing symptoms of asthma for a while now-so I've entered into a potential at risk category.  

  Still, sunshine and flowers are lifting spirits around here to be sure.

  Have your kids finished school?  How about work?  Are you at home or back to work in the world?  As restrictions start easing up, are you going out or are you still cautiously at home?

  We're still keeping to ourselves for the most part.  My daughter is pretty shaken by all of this and she's really worried about people who aren't being careful.  It's been challenging, but I'm still shooting through it all.  I hope you're documenting this time too.

 Routines provide us with a sense of comfort.  We LIKE knowing what we're doing because it gives us a sense of control and security.  But over the last two months our routines have started weighing on a lot of us.  That fatigue makes people reckless.  I don't know about you, but that's when other people start going nuts, I double down on staying on course.  

 While I've been doing a lot of behind the scenes work on my business, I'm super cautious about relaunching right now.  I'm tentatively looking at mid-June for outdoor sessions.  Are you thinking about heading out and hitting the ground running?  Or are you being super cautious?

  In the meantime, the project rolls on!

This was a weird week for us.  We've got some vacation time coming up and we were supposed to be preparing for a big road trip to Arizona.  I'd be getting excited to see a new ballpark, go to the Grand Canyon and spend some quality time with the family.  I know everyone has had to face disappointing moments these last months.  We keep telling the kiddos that a lot of people are having to adjust and make the best of things.  Here's to being flexible!

Here in Colorado, we're actually coming out of our stay at home order much sooner than I (and from the polls 2/3 of everyone else who lives here) think is wise.  I feel for all of the people who've lost work and are struggling, I really do.  However, as a photographer who technically "could" start taking sessions; I'm also a human who feels like the lack of testing and immunity is a risk that's not worth taking.  I was just telling my son, just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean that you SHOULD.

I miss photographing families.  I miss little kids who want to run around and play with me.  I miss family sessions that begin and end with hugs.  And that connection is key to what sets me apart.  The experience that I believe in giving can't come with a mask on my face and from six feet away.  So until I can give the type of session that makes me the photographer I am, I wont.  But I'll be here for you as soon as we all get through this!

But we're keeping our spirits up.  I made the kids their own face coverings, we've baked our brains out, celebrated Easter with wads of chocolate and Lucy is getting spoiled rotten.  

  But THIS time, I'm way ahead of the party.  A decade ahead.  I can hear you now..."Christine, what are you talking about?"  Well, the Covid 19 virus has wreaked all kinds of havoc on the world we know and many people are finding themselves homeschooling for the first time.  No worries, with 8 years under my belt, I've got your back.  

  The key to successful homeschooling is embracing just how different from a brick and mortar school it is.  Yes, your table is an awesome class room.  Yes, the lessons take less time because there's only one kid (or two or three).  And yes, it's perfectly fine to break things up throughout the day.  A schedule helps, but the thing with homeschool is that you can space things out and do what works best for you.  Now, if your child is remote learning, they may have a more strict schedule than the traditional homeschooler, but make sure they're taking breaks, walking around and stretching.

  Another thing I've got a head start over the trendy people out there...bread baking.  I've been doing THAT for well over 15 years and I've got a wild yeast starter that is as old as Ivy is.  My first tip for you, don't buy all the flour!  (I had to)  Now for my first real tip, make Peter Reinhart your very best friend.  He's a bread baking GOD!  All of his cookbooks are amazing, but The Bread Baker's Apprentice is my all time go to for pretty much any bread.  If you're trying out no-knead bread, then my suggestions are Jim Lehey's My Bread and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  These three cookbooks are really all you need to be well on your way to kick butt home made bread.  But seriously, you'd better leave some flour for me!

    I've included three old photos from my childhood in this post.  Once you get past the 1980's flashback, it's clear that two of the snapshots are not at all in focus.  The last was a portrait session that my parents plunked down their hard earned cash for.  I'm sure my mom and dad would say that the professional photo is the most valuable.  After all, we all got dressed up and they paid for it, so it's more valuable, right?  I don't really see it that way.

  The first photo represents a simpler time.  We lived in a house in the country and I could roam around, catch bull frogs, eat watermelon and just be a goofy 7-year-old.  The second photo is my sister and I and our beloved dog Puff.  My parents got Puff a couple of months before I was born and she was my cherished companion for 12 years.  We taught her to jump over hurdles, went on those bull frog expeditions and she was just basically the best dog ever.  When she died, I was so grief stricken I had to be sent home from school.  All of those memories flood through me when I look at that blurry photo. 

  I don't have any warm fuzzy feelings around the posed photo at all.  I don't remember it being taken.  It doesn't even really remind me of us as a family.  My dad only wore a tie to church, to a funeral and, (wait for it)...picture day.  Same thing with me in a dress.  I was a jeans with holes in the knees tomboy.  I remember how badly it hurt when my mom would french braid our hair for photos.  That collar on my sister's dress looks like something that would have driven her nuts.  Can you see where this is heading?

  I wish that those snapshots were clearer.  I wish I had more pictures of Puff playing with us.  But as bad as those photos are technically, they mean so much more to me and I'd save them from a fire before the other one.  That's where Documentary Family Photography really comes in for me.  I strive to use my skill with a camera to give my own kids what I don't have.  I feel like professional photographs of real life gives my family a gift of present and future.  In the now, I get beautiful photographs that I can put on the wall and show off via social media.  In the future, my children, their children, and their children's children will be able to bask in the memories of the things and people that meant so much to them.  One story in a photograph can lead to others.  I make these pictures with the hope that they'll preserve the things that are most cherished to them right now.  

What about you?  What makes a photograph valuable to you?

Watermelon on the front porch. 1980

My sister and I with our dog Puff.  1980

           My family in front of a fake book case.  I don't know when it was taken, but it looks like I'm around eight?  

  Off to Columbine Open Space for this super fun session.  They need to come back more often!

  We braved a cold and rainy afternoon to watch them lose, but we're fans rain or shine!

  When I'm out and about with the family, a lot of times I'll throw on a wide angle lens to capture whatever might catch my attention.  Usually said events don't involve inherent danger...but on a recent family hike we found these bees swarming.  A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do to get the shot.

  Things here in Castle Rock start (slowly) changing from brown to green.  We're not quite in full bloom just yet though.  So the kids and I head to the Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street to really get our flower fix.  Here are some fun shots I got from our last trip to the gardens.  These are the moments that get me through the spring snow storm that will inevitably hit once more before summer makes it way to my neck of the woods.

May FlowersWhat do April Snow Showers bring? Why May Flowers of course! May FlowersWhat do April Snow Showers bring? Why May Flowers of course! May FlowersWhat do April Snow Showers bring? Why May Flowers of course! May FlowersWhat do April Snow Showers bring? Why May Flowers of course! May FlowersWhat do April Snow Showers bring? Why May Flowers of course!

  I'll be honest, if I'd known that being a Lego Master Builder was a real thing, I might have made some different choices when I was younger!  I hope you enjoy these photos of my family enjoying the displays!

  These pieces really do warrant close inspection.  The amount of detail they are able to add to a Lego building is incredible.

  It's not often that my little guy looks small, but a 15 foot Washington Memorial will do it.  

  Like most of the guests, I probably spent the most time around the capital building.  It's absolutely massive!

There's something really neat about seeing the young and old really enjoying these pieces.

Getting a close up look at the arches of Lego Independence Hall.

  Lego Lady Liberty.

  In addition to all the Lego monuments, there are tons of other displays to check out.  This one is a Lego Mall with it's own Americana Road Show.  Take a close look and see if you can find Homer Simpson...

   And I was so excited to find out that Georgia took a photography class as an elective at school.  She wanted ME to take a look at her stuff.  Woo Hoo!  I have a new photography buddy!

     Lucky for me, I have the coolest clients in the world who barely bat an eyelash when I tell them we're going to skip and play simon says.  And they laugh at my horrible jokes, too!  Who could ask for more?  

     I can't wait to shoot the Sieck family again!  Here are a few of my favorites.

  I offer gift certificates that make the perfect stocking stuffer.  You can purchase any amount and your recipient can use it towards a session or prints!  

  Winter is not the time of year to be styling anything outdoors, so I decided to come up with something indoors.  Since the holidays are in full force and I love doing crafts with the kids, it came to me...gingerbread house decorating.  Things quickly changed!  While scouring Pinterest for inspiration, I stumbled on a gingerbread house decorating party.  When I showed it to my daughter, who just happens to have a December birthday, my styled photo shoot morphed into my daughter's all time favorite birthday party.  Oh well, I'll have to come up with something else. 

  Of course I still took photos though...

When her mom contacted me to shoot her senior session, I found out that her aunt is a photographer in California, so the stakes were pretty high.  :)

Mother Nature was bound and determined to put a halt to the session, but I wasn't going to throw in the towel.  It rained like cats and dogs right up until session time, but once we got going everything went great.  Beautiful glowing light and a rainbow as we loaded into our cars at the end.  What else can you ask for?

I absolutely loved photographing Jaimi and Joe's wedding at Raccoon Creek Country Club and their beautiful Barn. 

I met Jaimi and Joe for the first time at another wedding and then more officially when I took their engagement photos at 17 Mile Marker House in Parker and we hit it off instantly. They are so authentic and playful, so it was a perfect match!

Who else would let me take a photo like this? 

Their wedding day was perfect! They went for a rustic/country style wedding; complete with wood platters for the cupcakes that Joe made himself.  By far, my favorite moment came when Jaimi read vows she'd written to her new stepdaughter.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house (mine included).  Everything about the ceremony was so touching and genuine...just like Jaimi and Joe! 

I wish Jaimi and Joe many more years of love and happiness!! 

I also invite you to try and take more unposed, candid shots of your holiday.  Have you ever gone back through your photos and noticed that most of them are of your family lined up like pickets in a fence standing in front of something (Christmas tree, grandmas fireplace, holiday display in your town)?  Maybe try something different.  

The kids wanted to make cookies yesterday, so I grabbed some detail shots of the action.  And yes, at one point I stood on top of my dinner table.  Just don't tell my husband.

Georgia is still an avid reader and probably reading more intellectual stuff than I do.  Lily is a firecracker, but she's growing up so fast!  That baby face of hers is so grown up looking now! 

And, it goes without saying, Beth is such a dear friend!   It's hard to not become friends with someone like her, she's so grounded, honest and (best of all) tons of fun. 

When Beth was ready to do their annual holiday session, I immediately began counting down the days to our session! 

And as for the day of the shoot, we had to do a little rearranging to avoid putting them in snow drifts, but I think Cheeseman park worked out even better than my original location.  We laughed, ran, climbed trees, played in leaves and just generally had an amazing time.

Okay, enough text. Check out this awesomely beautiful family! 

What more can I say?  Take a look for yourself!

I honestly cannot put into words just how much I enjoyed photographing this young man over the last year. Every session, he had changed so much, and the same is true now that Ryker is a whole 12-months old!  From the first time I saw his smile to those early steps he took in front of my camera, to chasing him everywhere; Ryker has been so much fun.   My daughter has declared more than once that she wants to babysit him as soon as she's old enough! :) Crazy how fast they grow up, huh?

And what better way to show you what a big boy he's turned into than with pictures!   Here's Ryker in all his 1-year-old glory!

  He's a competitive wrestler and he's been doing his off season training at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  He's fallen in love with it so much, naturally he chose it as the setting for his senior photos.  Since it's one of my favorite places to shoot too, I happily agreed!

I can't even begin to express the gratitude I feel when someone hires me more than once.  And getting to watch these families grow together is, honestly, one of the most amazing parts of being a photographer.  

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

What a great day we had at Chatfield Botanic Gardens ! Holly and Chris arrived shortly after 11 after they got ready at the cottage and grooms quarters at the venue.

Holly looked stunning in her dress.  I think all of the bridesmaids agreed!

The wedding went perfectly!  Holly and Chris were obviously happy and playful and I think the guests really enjoyed every minute of the ceremony.

The reception was a blast! Everyone loved the food.  What a unique approach to a garden wedding...boxed lunches!

The whole day was amazing. Join me in wishing Holly and Chris many happy years. 

Without further adieu, Mr. and Mrs. Martinez!

Can you believe how big this little fella has gotten since then? I had to blink a few times to make sure I was seeing things clearly! He is already crawling and pulling up on things to try and walk. It's amazing how fast they grow!

Baby Ryker is the grandson of a farmer, so we had to shoot at the 17 Mile Marker House Barn.   And mom and I couldn't resist letting him check out the antique farm equipment!  

They really don't get any cuter than this!  Mom was thrilled and now the wheels are turning for this guy's 9 month session!

P.S. Want to learn more about my milestone packages? Shoot me an email @ [email protected] and I'll get you all the info!

I recently had a fantastic session with the Davis family. I've said it before and I'll say it again – I truly have the best clients ever! This family was no exception, either. The kiddos are a blast and you couldn't ask for sweeter parents.   And Dad's a Chicago sports teams fan, so we get along great!

We met a hundred years ago (give or take a couple) when Randy and Rebecca first started dating.  And you know what they say, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage.  It was only a matter of time before I got to take their family portraits!

 I love shooting at Westlands Park because there are so many places for kids to be kids.  It really lends itself to authentic photos.  It doesn't hurt that there are big beautiful trees everywhere!

It truly was an amazing photo shoot. And if any of you are considering a family session or are prepping for an upcoming session, take a look at these photos for some inspiration!

Okay, on to pictures of the Davis family!

I love how graceful and poised Georgia is.  And I love that Lily's carefree spirit balances perfectly with her big sister.

And, it goes without saying, Beth has become a cherished friend over the time we've worked together. 

When (insert who called to book session) called me to take their photos again, (I don't think I could have scheduled them fast enough. / I immediately began counting down the days to our session! / I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day.) 

And as for the day of the shoot, I had a blast, even if it did rain on us! They had a pretty great time, too. 

Don't these look yummy?  Yup, I found the recipe on Pinterest baby!

  Since then, I've had clients want me to recreate a photo they saw on Pinterest.  I'd like to hope people hire me based on my style, not because they think I can copycat their favorite pin.  Even then, I don't get upset.  I use Pinterest to inspire my creativity all the time.  If there's something my clients like, I find a way to make it my own.

A breakfast of champions!  I'm totally ready to pin this photo.

  Then, of course, there are the epic fails when making a recipe.  To be honest, they kind of crack me up.  I'm not sure why a human resources manager or accountant thinks that they can miraculously become a food stylist because of Pinterest, but it happens all the time.  There are many out there who never cook but were invited to bring something to a family holiday and they turn to Pinterest.  When the cookies spread too much or the dish looks funny, it's Pinterest's fault, right?  It's set up to make mere mortals fail, right?  Ummmm, no.

  Trust me, food styling is hard.  I love pretty food, and sometimes that means using tweezers to arrange everything perfectly and some kind of crazy food styling tricks.  (Which, by the way, weren't used on any of these photos, because I was hungry.)  The people who food blog or shoot food commercially are very, very good at their jobs.  If you're boxing out of your weight class, accept it.  Besides, even though the adage is "you eat with your eyes first", if it tastes good...does it matter if it looked like the picture?

By the time I got to this photo, the tarts were wilting.  Whatever...that means it's time to eat!  I love food photography! 

 So what do you think?  Are you pro or anti Pinterest?

​   Normally, when I'm looking at other photographer's work, I find it inspiring and deeply enjoyable.  In fact, I'm usually cruising through gorgeous photos by photographers I follow on Google+ every morning while I sip my coffee.  I love great photography!  But when I see someone, especially someone that I know is charging for their photos, fail to accurately capture a white background (or a white wedding dress), I get a little nuts.  It's like a musician hearing a song that's out of tune.  

  To make matters worse, I really, really, really, REALLY dislike the color grey.  Remember how your mom told you never to use the word hate?  Well, that's why I used so many "really"s.  If you don't believe me, you should ask my husband about the time we went to a linens store to get a new bedspread to go with our mango colored walls and the sales woman suggested we get dove grey.  I almost punched her.  So think of my strong aversion to seeing my least favorite color where I know white should be.  Yup, I breathe a little fire!

  I covered this when I talked about taking pictures in snow, but know that changing your exposure compensation is critical when you've got an abundance of white in any form.  If you let your camera decide what the exposure should be, you'll get grey (or now in the iPhone universe, blue) whites.  Why?  Because your camera doesn't perceive the color white.  It's seeing what it thinks is a ton of bright light and it believes that the perfect exposure is 18% grey.  So that gorgeous wedding dress you paid an arm and a leg for?  If your wedding photographer doesn't know what they're doing is going to look grey.  You know those beautiful, bright and airy newborn shots you see on Pinterest?  Not gonna happen if your portrait photographer doesn't take control of the exposure.    Here are a couple of examples.  Granted, they aren't wedding dresses or babies...its my rocker son, but you'll get the picture.

   A couple months back, I let the kiddos put on their daddy's old concert t-shirts, threw up the white backdrop and we played.   Now, I'll be honest, this first picture represents what would have happened if I had let the camera decide the exposure.  I had to do it in Lightroom for demonstration purposes, because when I shoot with fixed lights, I always shoot manual, so the exposure was spot on.

  I can hear your laughter and I'm with you!  His expression is priceless.  The focus is sharp, the elements are all there, but the fact that it's underexposed makes it look drab.  Put all that grey around someone and their skin starts to look drab and yucky too.  

 So how should this photo look, you ask.  It should look like this...

  My big boy in all his rock star glory.  The background is white and he pops right off of it, the way he's supposed to.  Can you see how big a difference it makes?

 So the next time you see your pictures coming out too dark and grey, you'll know that you need to increase your exposure.  And the next time you think you can save a couple of bucks by hiring your friend with a nice camera to take your wedding photos, you might want to reconsider.

 Better yet, give me a call and I'll make sure your pictures are perfect.  I'm the Castle Rock Photographer on a mission to make whites, white again!

  Recently I've been seeing a lot of photographers labeling shots as "lifestyle photography".  To be completely honest, I didn't know what it meant.  The fact that I couldn't find a consistent element in the photographs didn't help.  When I took to search engines, I ended up seeing a lot of marketing mumbo jumbo, but no clear definition of what, exactly, the term lifestyle photography meant.

 After taking a couple of ibuprofen, as far as I can tell, the aim of lifestyle photography is to capture the subject in their natural environment...but in an artistic way.  This is where things get sketchy.  One person may take a highly staged photograph of a child in their room.  Yet another might feature a guy in a hoodie checking his iPhone.  Who's right?  And what in the world does it mean if you choose to hire a lifestyle photographer?

This is a "lifestyle" shot of my little girl reading to her stuffed animals. 

Here's another example.

  You could say that lifestyle photography is a little like reality TV.  It is meant to be beautiful and seem spontaneous,  However, if you hire a lifestyle photographer, be prepared for them to set the stage and then try to document a more relaxed and natural interaction with you and your environment.  

 A perfect example of this is a newborn "lifestyle" session I recently saw posted.  The photographs were beautiful and relaxed, but just like reality TV, they weren't "real".  I've never met a mother of a newborn who wanders around her house perfectly dressed to match her furniture, with perfect hair and make up gazing lovingly at her child.  In real life, that mom hasn't showered in three days, has her hair in a ponytail and wearing her husband's t-shirt and sweats and is gazing lovingly at her baby through bloodshot eyes.  

  So think of lifestyle photography as art that makes an attempt to portray real life, but prettier. 

  I've loved antiquing since I was a kid.  I remember saving up my allowance and heading out to little antique shops and buying all sorts of weird stuff.  I think my first cast iron skillet was bought when I was 13 at an antique shop for $2.

  Things have changed a lot since I was a kid.  The antique store in town is in a historical building and there isn't a single thing in it that you can buy for $2.  I still love visiting, though.  In fact, if I ever win Lotto, it'll probably be one of my first stops. There are great old chairs, trunks and picture frames and gobs of hand made gifts.  It's the hand made gifts that get me in all kinds of trouble on the home front.

 There are so many cute scarves and flower headbands that I'd love to use as props when I'm shooting.  Inevitably, though, I take a look at the price tag and immediately pass out.  On a recent trip with the family, I saw an adorable crocheted owl hat.  I tried it on my little girl while uttering "awwwww" and then the infamous sticker shock.  The thing is, I know how to crochet.  I know how much yarn costs (even the fancy schmancy alpaca yarn) and I know about how long a hat like that would take.  In my mind, I knew I could find a pattern online and make a cute hat all by myself for 1/6 what they were charging.

 This is where I get in trouble.  By the time I look up the pattern, see what yarn I have available and whip it up, I've ignored my loving husband for several hours.  He's gone at work from 7AM to 7PM most days, so when he gets home and I'm wasting all kinds of time on a YouTube tutorial, it's a little frustrating.  Maybe I should just pay the $$ to keep the peace.

  Although I think the test run came out pretty cute.  Now I've gotten the colors I want and I'm going to do it again.

  To be truthful, the answer is a little long, but I'll try to condense as much as possible.  I'm referencing the song regarding my exodus from Facebook.  My history with Facebook never really boded well for a long term relationship.  When friends started badgering me with invites to join Facebook in 2004, I had no idea what was going on.  I joined and then quickly realized that this really wasn't for me.  I kept watching people post the most inane things and I didn't really enjoy the interaction.  I disabled my account less than 6 months in.  My husband, however, fell in love with the platform and was extremely active.  Fast forward several years as I developed a passion for photography and started considering starting a photography business.  Almost universally, the "conventional  wisdom" was that I would HAVE to rejoin Facebook, start announcing that a business was forthcoming and start a business page.  Hopefully, all of my friends would like the business page and I'd be off to the races.

  The thing is, all of that work to build a community on Facebook went down the tubes when the algorithm for businesses changed.  Where my business page was once a place where I could share my work, ask questions and work to create compelling content for my feed and know that the people who liked my page would see it, it became an echo chamber.  I used to get tons of views on every post.  Now, if I get 40, it's an awesome day.  And why?  Because Facebook proved itself to be an ineffective marketing tool; so much so that General Motors notoriously pulled their Facebook advertising budget.  To overcome the loss of large advertising dollars, Facebook created a policy that limits the number of your fans that see your post.  Depending on their response, that dictates how many others will see it.  If you want your "likers" to see your post...you pay for it.  If you want new likes?  You're going to pay for that too.  The only way to ensure that all your likes see your post is to "boost" it.  Many small business owners, myself included, did pay.  We paid for boosts and ads, hoping to re-engage our audience. 

  Gradually, it became clear that this was not an effect means of managing our communication with clients.  Right underneath our noses, there was another social platform that offered a lot more benefit.  Google + was Google's answer to Facebook with a little more benefit as a business.  Firstly, Google doesn't decide what ends up in your feed, YOU do.  You choose your circles and customize your engagement.  As a business owner, I can create a more organic experience for my followers.  My activity on Google + also greatly improves my SEO (search engine optimization).  Facebook only feeds into...you guessed it!  Facebook.

  So I'm moving on up, to Google +.  I've found a community I actually like interacting with, where engagement actually means something.  If you love Facebook, go for it.  For those personal posts, it's become so much a part of the culture that I think few consider anything else.  For some, it's what makes them feel connected, and I respect that.   If it's not your thing, or your a business that's looking for more, check out Google +.    Or do both.  You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket.  If you click on the photo below and add me to your circle, I promise to add you to mine! 

 Sometimes, though, my path isn't quite so clear.  Recently, I was playing around taking some pictures of my little girl.  Now, the expression on her face is definitely moody, and I can't decide which version of the photograph I prefer.  I like them both for very different reasons.  

I love the way the color brings out her eyes.  I like the glowing sunshine and how happy and bright the color version is.  But I love the black and white, too.  I love it's simplicity.  I love that it matches the mood in her face; serene and muted.  I'd be happy to provide both edits to a client, but I wonder which one they would pick?  Which one would you pick?  Leave a comment below to let me know!

  It isn't just my photos I dislike.  My Facebook feed is filled with bad photos taken on phones.  Really bad.  And since I'm a mom, a lot of the bad photography I witness is of kids.  It makes me sad to think that the record of these children's lives will be nothing but blurry, white eyed, ugly photos.   I've tried to get a little perspective on it, because I know that plenty of crappy photos of me must have been taken.  But the thing is, when my parents got a blurry photo back from being developed-they threw it away!  Most people didn't put the bad ones in photo albums.  

  Recently, I took my own kiddos to the Butterfly Pavilion here in Colorado.  Of course I brought the big gear because I love taking pictures of butterflies and flowers.  During a little break where the munchkins played in a maze, I watched a mom whip out her phone to take a picture of her adorable son peeking his head through one of those "put your head here and become a butterfly" things.  She was struggling to get the camera app opened and said out loud "I'm going to miss it."  It must have loaded a second later because she pressed her shutter.  The next words I heard were "It's blurry, but it'll have to do."  She walked away before I could tell her I'm a professional photographer and I'd love to get a decent shot for her.  I'd be willing to bet that 10 minutes later that picture ended up on Facebook.  She probably got likes on it too, because we've become used to seeing bad iPhone photos.  

  So this week I was faced with trying to get a picture I liked using a tool I despise.  Twice I tried to get usable shots and...nothing.  Finally, I decided that I needed some form of my real gear involved so I took this picture of my daughter through my 50mm lens.  It'll have to do, but I'm going to go give my real camera a hug.  I've missed using it this week and I'll never cheat on it again.

 Time to round up my trusty cooking sidekick (my little boy) and get some spicy chili and cornbread going.

   Zander's favorite thing, besides the Broncos, is cracking eggs.  Weird, I know.  So Z man worked on the eggs while I fried up some bacon, which makes EVERYTHING taste better, and chopping veggies.  I'll be keeping those jallepeno seeds, thank you very much!  I did say I was spicing things up, didn't I?

 While I got the chili put together and simmering, my little man started helping out with the cornbread.  Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

 There's that bacon again!  And cheese, we can't forget the cheese.  Did you read my last post about the rainbow loom?  Zander is sporting a bracelet that he made, in Broncos colors of course!  Everything was coming together quite nicely.  

 Finally, we finished everything up and my chuck wagon lunch was ready.  I set out for some yummy cowgirl cooking.  I think I succeeded.  Yee Haw!

   Of course it was delicious.  But after reading through my post, maybe I need to get out more...

  This week's theme is "the little things".  I've done a pitiful job of keeping up with my 52-week project here on the blog, so I'm here to correct that.  The picture above represents my vision of the little things.  Do you know what it is?  Odds are, if you have elementary school aged children, you do.  The odds are also pretty good that you've got a million of these hanging around your house and you've sucked a couple hundred of them into your vacuum cleaner.  So what is it?

  Rainbow Loom bands, of course!  DIY rubber band bracelets and rings are all the rage with the younger set.  There are multiple different types of looms, a million different colors and at least as many You Tube tutorials.  What's interesting to me about this trend is how polarizing these little guys are for adults.  It seems (from social media anyway) that you are either a loom lover or hater.  Now, I've got to confess, I'm a crafty gal.  I knit, crochet, and scrapbook so when this trend took off, I was all in.  But I've got two other reasons to be pro-loom.  

 The first reason for my "rainbow loom is a good thing" stand comes from the inherent kindness in making something for someone else.  As soon as little girls and boys get started on these things, they start sharing.  First they share the knowledge on how to make the little bracelets and then they start making jewelry for each other.  My daughter has made multiple bracelets for me, her little brother, her daddy, her friends, her grandpa and grandma and I'm convinced she's going to start giving them to strangers on the street any day now.  I wear mine with pride to celebrate her effort and the heart she put into them.

Aren't they pretty?  My little princess obviously prefers pink.  And the white ones glow in the dark.

 So what's my reason number two?  If you notice the picture of my bracelets, they're all exactly the same.  My daughter has mastered the fishtail pattern but she struggles with the more advanced ones.  However, I keep encouraging her to try new and more complicated patterns.  I help her when she needs me to, but I let her fail.  I let her experience the frustration of not getting it right away.  This is one of the reasons I love Legos too.  Kids need to learn to persevere.  We live in a society where gratification is instantaneous and we avoid ribbons on field day so no one feels bad.  Sometimes, we've got to feel the sting of messing up.  These little bracelets let them experience victory AND the frustration of working on the thing for 30 minutes and a rubber band breaks and they've got to start over. 

  These are compelling pros, don't you think?  As far as I can tell, the "hater" camp only hates them because they're messy.  That they are.  I think there are pink bands in every single room of my house.  Truthfully, there are toys of many kinds in every room in my house...because that's childhood.  From Rainbow Loom bands to Legos, to Barbie dolls, a child's world is chaotic.  Any parent who thinks it's orderly, or more sadly, all about their desires and neuroses being catered to needs some serious re-evaluation.  I say, embrace the chaos, because they're going to grow up so very quickly.  Do you really want your kids remembering that you nagged them all the time or that you played with them?  I know which direction I'm going.

 One common element is that the snow is not the puffy white confection we see with our eyes, but a drab, dark grey.  Why, you ask.  Ahhh, this one you can blame on the camera...to a degree. 

 When you set your camera to auto or if you're using your phone, the camera's sensor is taking it's reading based on an 18% grey middle tone.  This is an old bit of math that applied to print photography, but has become so ingrained in the photographic world that it's the standard "neutral" for most camera sensors.  I personally hate neutral.  I'm not really neutral on anything, including photography.  

 So here's your camera, trying to read light in a "neutral" way so that it can make it's "neutral" exposure.  However, snow is a highly reflective surface and it fools your camera into thinking that you've got tons and tons of light pouring into the camera.  The camera underexposes the images and your snow looks...grey!  The people, dogs, buildings in your images get underexposed too so your snow photos aren't just grey, they're dark.  It's personal opinion on my part, but I think grey and dark equals a pretty ugly photo.

   Here's an example of an underexposed snow photo and it's nice white counterpart.  I'm probably not winning any awards for this one, but it's meant to demonstrate a point.  There are a couple of ways to get your snow to look snowy white.  You can shoot a raw file if you have a DSLR and fix it in post production.  If you don't have a dslr or you shoot jpeg then you've got to take control of your camera and tell the camera's meter to take a seat, you've got this one.  You've got to deliberately OVEREXPOSE your image.  If you've got a higher end camera, you need to shoot in manual and aim to overexpose your image by up to a stop, or use your exposure compensation and nudge your exposure to that brighter end.  

  Here's the rub, you can never take control of your camera's exposure value if you shoot automatic or in a scene mode.  When you choose these automatic settings, you're basically telling your camera that you don't know what you're doing so you'd like it to take over.  Never forget that you are the one taking the photo, not your camera.  If you're using an iPhone or camera phone primarily, find a camera app that lets you control your exposure value.  If you're shooting with a dedicated camera, find the exposure compensation and use it.  If you have to fix your picture in post processing, it's always an option.  I'm all for doing whatever it takes to eliminate grey snow photos.  

​It's all pretty self explanatory, but I'm all about being thorough.  This is the one and only time that I'm offering up to half off my prices.  Don't worry that you have to do your session knee deep in snow.  Everyone who purchases a package this upcoming weekend will have six whole months to use it.  So be sure to let me know if you need a gift certificate!

 After a lot of thinking and shooting different pictures during the week, this was the picture that spoke to what the word "morning" feels like to me.  Since our kids were born, they've been extremely early risers.  I can't even think of the last time that the sun was up before I was.  Now, my son is ready to go the second he leaps out of bed.  But my daughter is more quiet and snuggly in the morning.  This picture represents what our mornings are all about.  It's dark.  I check my email and she checks out the nook.  I drink coffee and she has hot cocoa.  I cherish these moments, because I know that too soon, she'll be all grown up and on her own.   I'll always remember mornings with my baby and her cookie monster.

    A few minutes before sunrise, I ventured out with Ivy to try and catch the reflection of sunrise in a pond near our house.  Unfortunately, there weren't any clouds in the sky to catch the colors of sunrise and the pond was frozen.  I'm not one to completely give up, so we took a little walk in the freezing cold to see what we could find.  Not far from the pond, we stumbled upon this little family of deer.  Cursing myself for bringing my wide angle prime, I tried to get as close as I could without startling them.  (That's why you see so much grass in front; I was crouched down pretty low).  Ivy was thrilled that I got these shots, and I was glad I got SOMETHING.  But it wasn't quite enough. 

 Which brings me to my photography lesson learned for you.  Don't stop shooting.  If the lights not right, or you didn't quite get what you want, keep trying.  I could have decided this was good enough for week one, but I wanted something a little more personal.  So I kept looking for the shot that spoke to me.  If you're on vacation and you don't quite nail it, try again.  Sometimes, something really is better than nothing.  If I hadn't gotten anything else, I would have gone with this picture, happy for the memories of hanging with Ivy and how excited she was that we saw the deer. 

 Ultimately, it was close...but no cigar.

  That's where social media is such a boon.  Even when I don't have a scheduled photo shoot, I can create a project to share.  There are myriad ways to approach a photography project.  You can explore one specific theme, take a picture every day for a year (365 projects), take only self portraits, and many more.  For my photo project, I've decided to do a 52 week project with a different theme each week.  One year of training my eye on a different subject every week.

It took a little while to find a list that I really wanted to tackle.  But I finally found one and I'm chomping at the bit to get started.  So am I posting my first week's photo for you?  No, and here's why.  Every journey is enhanced when you've got traveling buddies.  So I'm inviting you to join me on my journey.  Every Monday, beginning on November 18th, I'll post the weekly theme.  Then, I'll be posting my take on it here, on Instagram and on Facebook that Friday.  I want you to share your pictures on my Facebook page too! 

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!  So what do you say?  Let's do 52! 

  Case in point...I recently made far too much cream cheese frosting for a different recipe.  A normal person would probably shrug and throw the extra away.  Me...oh no!  I discovered an urgent need to make cinnamon rolls.  That's not all that crazy, you say?  Well, there's a little more to the story than that.  For starters, this deep and burning desire to bake struck at slightly after 5 AM; which is not a sane time by any standards.  Secondly, my husband is very, very, very neat.  That's my nice way of describing his anal retentiveness.  So when, at 5 AM I decide to get my bake on, he starts to twitch a little bit.  Honestly, I completely understand.  Baking is, by definition, pretty darn messy.  It gets exponentially more so when you factor in my two kids and cat, who believe that flour is fun to play with.

 Despite the ungodly time of day and the hostile looks from my loving husband, baking commences.  In merely 3 hours, the kitchen is a wreck an I'm in ooey gooey heaven!

Am I crazy, or a mad genius.  BWAHAHAHAHA!

PS- I'm also making spicy pulled pork today.  My poor hubby.  There are going to be some serious dishes to clean!

Family!  

  ​Actually, I'm making that up.  I don't know where family would end up on Richard Dawson's famous list, but I do know that this time of year certainly gets people waxing poetic about their families.  People who follow the Facebook, post what your grateful for in November have been flooding my feed with stories about how great their families are.

 Family is a pivotal part of my personal life and I'm willing to say that my business is all about families.  While that, obviously includes the traditional family portrait...

It also includes those new and growing families that I photograph at Weddings and Maternity Shoots.

Of course, my children are one of my favorite subjects, and I shoot them every chance I get.

These are just some of my favorite photos that I've taken this year.  It is so important to me to capture the spirit of a family no matter what shape, size, or color they may be.  I want to show the shy one hiding behind mom's leg, because it's real.  I love the dynamic of a young couple newly in love and the older couple who have spent a lifetime together.

So to celebrate families, I've got a special offer running in November.  You can sit for a 30 minute Holiday Session  including 15 digital images and 15 Holiday Cards.  I'm filling up fast, so call me to book your appointment!

P.S.  This is my happy family from our shoot last year.  I haven't decided what we're going to do this year, because I've been so busy shooting everyone else!  :)  You'll just have to wait and see...

  So we exchanged backpacks, pencil holders, and mile long school supply lists for the comforts of home.  No desks, kidney tables or school announcements.  When we have reading time, we cuddle up in mommy's bed.

  When it's time to combine some science and math, we cook. 

  I haven't regretted my decision for one second.  The kids are thriving and we get to do so much more than they would chained to a desk.  It's not for everyone, but we love it.

  Ahhh.  I just started blogging, so that's a newer part of my social media experience.  I'm on Facebook, but only as a way to advertise my business.  If you ask my husband, he'll tell you that at least once a week I'm ready to quit because new rules block my posts and fail to publish my pictures.  Grrrr.  But Pinterest is a happy place.  There's a lot of eye candy (photos, you dirty mind, you), great recipes and warm fuzzies.  And like all things Martha Stewart, the stuff on Pinterest is almost too perfect.  Almost.  So when Pinterest sends me my weekly inspiration with this recipe from Martha Stewart, I got all kinds of happy.  Let the fall baking begin. 

Miss Martha says I need a big old batch of roasted fall veggies.  Done and done. 

I wonder if I'll be able to save enough for the pizza.  I've got a wicked case of the nibbles.

Next up, roll the dough.  Now this is where my girl Martha tries to lead me astray.  The recipe calls for refrigerated pizza dough.  NOOOOO!  A new obsession of the kids and mine is The Pioneer Woman on Food Network (that's a different blog post).  So I decided to try Ree's recipe a try.  It was worth the extra effort.

My little helper rolls out the dough.

Time to load up the pizza.  Will anyone mind if I lick the ricotta spoon.  Anyone, anyone... Well okay then!

25 minutes to bake!!!  But I want it now!

Okay, I'm going to get these shots quick because I'm HUNGRY!

Oh my gosh, so good.  You know that moment when you're totally full but your hand reaches out for more anyway...

iMac keyboards are waterproof, right?  Because I'm drooling all over mine right now, which is pretty embarrassing.

Go make pizza.  Go now!  Martha would want you to!

  Fast forward to today.  I shoot with natural light, so I don't need a red dot.  I've learned that 4 year old boys never, ever, ever stand still and smile naturally...ever!  So when my good friend Susie asked me to photograph her son Tyler, I knew going in he was going to want to play.  Game on!  It was my job to capture that spirit.  Those first shy looks, wondering if it was okay.  The mischievous looks when we wrestled around with my reflector.  The curious journey to find more bunnies.  I needed to see the tentativeness and the all out ebullience and capture it all.  

  Tyler has the most infectious, happy laugh.  He is a little powerhouse of energy, curiosity and playfulness.  While a still photograph can't fully capture that, I hope that when Susie sees the pictures of him laughing she can hear it.  I certainly did while I was editing them.  I know that every one who sees these pictures can feel that joy of being a 4 year old boy at play.   Tyler didn't want to stand still and I respected that.  He wanted to play on the John Deere tractors at the location we picked.  Were they an ideal "backdrop"?  Who cares!  Neither he or Susie will remember these pictures as a fight to be perfect.  Tyler was himself, which is pretty perfect in my book.

  To celebrate, we decided to enjoy this gorgeous state that we live in.  Ken and I got engaged and married in Georgetown, Colorado, so it's really special to us.  With camera in tow, we took to the hills.  Here's a little sample from our adventure.  Enjoy!

Celebrating my birthday in Georgetown, CO.Everything was sunshine and beauty on our trip to Georgetown this weekend. We got to see golden leaves, the Georgetown Loop Train, and played at the playground. :)

 I have two very active munchkins and the vast majority of the activities we engage in occur between 11 am and 4 pm.  The are probably the worst times for taking pictures because the light is so harsh.  But hey, life happens when it happens and a good photographer learns to work with all light.

 Most people know that if you take a picture of a person in full light at noon you get some seriously squinty looks and harsh shadows.  Take a look around Facebook and you'll see LOTS of these shots.  Alot of times, the person has a now or never mindset to these shots.  It's high noon, we're in front of the Grand Canyon and this shot is happening no matter what it looks like.  I get it.  

  Then you have the shooter who knows just enough to be dangerous.  They know that these shadows are gonna look bad so they seek out shade.  Good idea, right? Well, all shade is not created equal.  Too deep of shade and you get lifeless photos.  But the biggest offender, by far, is the photo under a tree when the photographer doesn't notice the sunlight coming through the leaves.  It's called dappled light and it looks like this..

 AHHHH!  I actually made my daughter do this on purpose for demonstration sake and I cringed the entire time.  I included all of the worst photo sins in one photo.  Dead center focus, dappled light, and a dead on pose; it all makes for one really bad photo.  What's worse, I have actually seen "professional" photographers post these types of pictures as though they are successful shots!  I put quotations around professional to emphasize that just because someone charges you, they don't always know what they're doing.   The second picture shows Ivy in much better shade.  The light is even on her face and those baby blues are twinkling because she's facing the light.

 So what can YOU do when you go out in the middle of the day to take pictures of your family?  Look at the light!  Even on days when the sun is beating down, you can find BEAUTIFUL shade to shoot in.  You remember that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, right?  Well, that means that at 3 in the afternoon, the east side of a building is going to have some nice shade, so shoot on that side.  When you're against a building, the north side never gets direct sunlight, so you can shoot there at high noon and avoid harsh shadows.  If you do choose to go underneath a tree, hold your hand out in the area you plan to put your subject.  If you see blazing white, hot sunshine on your hand, it'll be dappled light in your photo.  Move around at the edge of the shade until you find an even spot.  And your best friend on a sunny day is a doorway or awning.  

These are pictures of Ivy and Zander, same time of day, inside doorways.  All that beautiful sunshine wraps around their faces, creates soft shadows and twinkly catch lights in their eyes.  Try it out.  When the interior is dark, the light just makes your subject pop out of the picture.  Send me some of your "good" shade shots.  I'd love to see them!

 Autumn, though, just makes me giddy.  I love the colors, the mild temperatures, and all of the pumpkins and apples.  In fact,  we'll be visiting an apple orchard in the next couple of weeks, so watch for that post!  Today, I found this recipe on pinterest and I couldn't wait to get my early autumn pumpkin fix.

Doesn't the happy little "smile" of cream cheese bring a grin to your face?  It sure does for me!  The huge bonus for this one is that it's reduced calorie.  Woo Hoo!  

  So let the Autumn festivities begin.  Check out the leaves changing.  Sip some hot apple cider.  Snuggle up with someone you love and enjoy the changing of the seasons.  If Fall isn't your favorite, don't worry.  Like all things, it's over before you know it!

 I've never offered a mini session for this great of a deal.  What can I say, I love fall!  So if you've been wanting to do family portraits but you didn't have the time, jump on these sessions.  I've made it even easier by creating a sign up for you.  CLICK HERE: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449AAA92AA57-fall

Every family has their own set of traditions.  There are the big ones; turkey for Thanksgiving (maybe ham), presents on Christmas Eve, presents on Christmas Day, does Santa wrap his presents or not.  For the record, we're fried turkey at Grandpa's house, presents on Christmas morning and Santa doesn't wrap at our house.  :)

But we've got tons of little traditions, too.  LIke every Friday being Pizza Night!  Sometimes we make our own (ala the photo above), sometimes we try a new pizza place we've never been to before.  But no matter what, Friday means pizza.  It's not really a big deal, but we make it a big deal.

It's our family "thing" and I think those little "things" are pretty important.  In a world that has become increasingly narcissistic with Facebook, Twitter and every other social media outlet, these little family traditions are about WE not I.  It's that valuable oneness that's pretty unique to family.  

Sure, it's just pizza, but to our family it's a whole lot more.  What are your little family traditions?   

 I wear many hats.  Homeschooling mom, photographer, wife, fitness instructor...but today, I'm going to help mamarazzi's avoid one of the biggest mistakes when taking pictures of their kiddos.  

  If you've visited my website or my facebook page, then you'll notice that I photograph a lot of kids.  In fact, they're my favorite subject to photograph.  Yet one of my biggest challenges is overcoming the "cheese" face. No matter where I go, I usually see at least one mom or dad, belligerently demanding that their child say "cheeeeeeeeeeeese" and look directly into their camera or iPhone.  Every time I witness the child comply and make the most pained, fake smile, I cringe.  How we've all been brow beaten into doing something so ineffective just baffles me.  Before I knew what I was doing, I demanded my kids say cheese, too.  What gives?

  A long time ago, someone noticed that emulating the "eee" sound with the mouth produces a lift in the edges of the mouth; a pseudo-smile.  Notice that I said "emulating" not "making" the "eee" sound.  (Dang, that was a lot of quotations!)  Most people don't know how to pose their faces which is why catalog models get paid to smile professionally.  For all the normal people out there, a real deal smile is the way to go.  Actually saying cheese doesn't create a smile.  It creates kids who hate to have their photo taken and parents who get really frustrated when their kids pictures look bad.   You'll never get a real smile out of a kid, or an adult for that matter, by saying cheese.

 So what's the ls the solution, you ask?  (You did ask, right?)  Talk to your kids!  Ask them about funny stuff in their lives.  Tell them dumb jokes. Make inappropriate noises (you know what I'm talking about).  And if they don't look at you, who cares?  Some great shots are made when a kid is happily playing and not looking at the camera.  So do yourself (and me, when I'm shooting your kids) a favor and never teach them to say "cheeeeeeeeese".  You'll be so glad that you did!

  It was such a pleasure to photograph this amazing family.  Christine requested that we do a Red Rocks shoot and I was more than happy to oblige.  Sometimes I forget how beautiful and unique this wonderful state that I call home is!  We were lucky to enjoy amazing weather and we beat the 20 other photographers who showed up later so we got the best spots without competing for space.  

   I've got to say that my favorite thing was how playful and happy the whole family was together.  This was more than just another family portrait at Red Rocks.  This was The Perry Family at Red Rocks, and believe me...there's a difference.  Frankly, anytime I get to ask a kid if Spiderman farts to get a smile, it's a great day!