How to Make Sharable Photo Stories and Books Directly from your iPhone or iPad with the NEW Blurb Mobile App

As much as Halloween is supposed to be about “scary,” in reality, it’s a lot about “cute.” It’s about kids in costumes, creative pumpkin art, and way too much sugar for everyone involved. Halloween is a holiday of sights and sounds. You’ll be taking photos and video that you’ll want to share that very night, but also keep forever. And, since you’ll likely be busy greeting trick-or-treaters, putting on costumes, and rationing candy, you need an easy way to capture the night’s events!

That’s where Blurb mobile comes in!

Blurb mobile is an app for the iPhone and iPad that lets you create sharable online photo stories—and turn those stories into beautiful 7x7 inch books. What’s a story exactly? Well, in the Blurb mobile world, it’s a sequence of photos and other media you capture on your phone. It can tell a literal written story—with beginning, middle, and end—or it can be just a collection of photos. 

First, take photos and video with the app, or import them from your camera roll (including those saved Instagram photos on your phone). You can add captions to your photos too. You can even record your little monsters saying “trick or treat,” and attach the audio track to your photo.

Get 15% Off a printed Blurb Book! Use Code:AUTUMN15 at checkout when you link to the Blurb mobile site below.

Want a printed version of your story? Blurb’s Small Square books are a great way to remember these special occasions!

So, whether you lean toward the scary or the cute or some awesome combination of the two—share your stories on Halloween night on your favorite social media sites with Blurb mobile. And then in a few weeks, get a beautifully bound photo book that you can look at for many Halloweens to come. 

Mamatography Tip:

Did you know that your iPhone and iPad have spot focus and exposure features? All you have to do is touch the point in the picture you want to be focused on or exposed for. Then click!

Happy Snapping, Vicky 

Capturing Fall Moments in the Pumpkin Patch :: Repost :: Mamatography Photo Workshops for Moms

Happy Fall 2013!
We haven't gone to pick out our pumpkin yet, but here's a little recap of our trip to Bedner's Pumpkin Patch in Boynton Beach, FL in 2011. My little Safi wasn't even 1 yet! Memories....

This thriving family fun spot was SMOTHERED with Mamatographers! I was so busy with my cranky girl that there was no time to solicit photo lessons ; ) 

Here are some tips for shooting in a busy pumpkin patch: 

1st, don't go at mid day! The best light is going to be early in the morning or late afternoon.I like the technique of a soft gleaming sun coming through my lens so Safi's back was always to the sun.
With that said, I experimented with Flash for filling in shadows. This gave my shots a nice saturation in the sky, pumpkins & her shaw.**Invest in an external flash, you won't be sorry you did**  

CAMERA SETTINGS: Try to use your lenses WIDEST Aperture aka Fstop i.e. f2.8 or f3.5 for a painterly blurry background. To achieve this you might have to use a low ISO, i.e. 200 becuase there will probably be quite a bit of sunlight in the scene. As for your Shutter Speed, it will probably fall in a fast range of i.e. 1/500th of a Second.

For More on Camera Settings, Read my book or ebook, Photo Basics & Bayond- A Mamatographers Camera Bag Companion 

As far as beating the farm stand crowds...we booked it to the back corner of the farm where they had laid out cucumber plants to serve as imitation vines for the pumpkins. (It's very unlikely to find naturally growing pumpkins in South Florida). I tried to be mindful of my background and avoid capturing other patrons or farm workers in the frame. This gave my shots a feel of peaceful isolation so that the focus was ONLY on Safi.
I brought my Mom with me to help with Safi. Of course she wanted to eat dirt and gnaw on the bright orange pumpkins so it helped to have Grandma as a "Baby Stylist".

Here's some varied lighting examples...

Without Flash~

With Flash~

Happy Fall Shooting!

xo, Vicky & Safi