Holiday Photo Planner :: Mamatography Photo Workshops :: Photography Lessons for Moms

With the Holidays in full swing, there's no end to the photos we'll be snapping. So, this week I've put together a little Holiday Photo Planner to help get you through. The Planner is printable, in high resolution for your enjoyment! 

Just click on the Planner to view it in high resolution.
Then, right click and choose to save the file to your computer.
Open the saved file from your computer and go to File, Print!

The main thing that I struggle with as a Mamatographer I think is simply the age of my daughter Safi. She is a rambunctious almost 2 year old! (Surprise, Surprise) So for her holiday pics this year, I called upon my most avid student, Jodi for her hand in capturing my sweet little "monster".

For these in her Laura Ashley gold dress, I had a particularly difficult time as I didn't have an "assistant". (A Daddy in the same room doesn't count ; )

But I got incredible joy from the few shots where she wasn't sucking her thumb or picking her nose!

Camera Settings f/2.8 at 1/50 Shutter Speed & 320 ISO

I used flash for these as you will need to for indoor, Christmas tree pics.

Camera Settings f/2.8 at 1/60 Shutter Speed & 500 ISO

This month is FULL with fun Mamatography activities, local classes and webinars! For a complete schedule, check out my Facebook Page and "click" on the Calendar.
Happy Holiday Shooting,
Vicky

A Spectacular Family Day & a Story Book Giveaway : Children's Photography Techniques : Mamatography Photo Workshops

This past weekend we had a detour in our plans. For weeks, I've been scheming with a new friend here in Panama to venture to the Caribbean coast so that I could start a photo documentary on the Kuna Yala indians and camp with our families. (My camera having been collecting dust for weeks.) But, the "sicky spirits" had a different intent for us. Both of us and our kids were completely laid up with a mega virus that apparently shows up here at the beginning of the rainy season. There are no seasons here really, just rainy and dry! With that, we wouldn't be venturing on a 3 hour car ride then to an hour wooden boat ride to a remote Caribbean island with 2 sick moms, 3 feverish kids and 2 WELL husbands.

Feeling a little better, Safi's Daddy and I decided to make lemonade out of this situation and take off for an overnighter to El Palmar Beach, a shorter drive on the Pacific side.

There, we enjoyed splashing in the water and just escaping the city. Sunday morning we took a stroll on the sand and had an al fresco breakfast. The light was perfect to snap some shots, so of course I did!

One of our favorite activities to do with Safi is reading. She especially enjoys it at breakfast time. So with the light what it was, I captured her enjoying a good read. 

I have these brand new colorful books that I've been dying to show to Safi. Back in May I attended the Mom 2.0 Summit in Miami and mingled with the best of the best Mama bloggers. There, I met an extraordinarily warm and smiley lady, Leah Lesser. She's the Communications Director for Barefoot Books, an independent children's book publisher with a vibrant twist! This month on their Facebook page they asked "What does storytime look like in your family?" and photos from moms around the world flooded in. I took quite an interest to this concept. So, this is our take on it…

Check out the giveaway that Barefoot Books is offering to Mamatography readers at the end of this post!

Later that day, we took a drive up to the mountains to El Valle for a cool off and to stroll the zoo that was highly recommended by my friend, the co-sicky. An hour drive up, then slightly down into "the valley" we arrived at  Zoo Nispero. It was an ethereal place made from my dreams I tell you! Like The Secret Garden of Panama. All the surrounding mountain peaks were covered in mist and everything was a glistening green. With that, it was PICTURE TIME!

Inside the zoo was a wide open garden with a dreamy pond and of course the backdrop of the mountains. Safi was dressed in her same vibrant orange dress from the morning which was a nice contrast to the green around her.

Now for some shooting tips…

1st, make sure that your shutter speed is always fast enough when shooting under low light conditions. As the clouds rolled in I had to increase my exposure but leaving your shutter open longer isn't usually the best way to accomplish this because you will see blur in your photos as did I. When I reviewed my shots at home, I noticed I had used 1/60 for many of what could've been my best shots. Thus, having to scrap some of them due to motion blur. Don't make my mistake! Stay in the safety zone of 1/80 when shooting off of a tripod and subjects in action.

Next, look for some kind of light in the eyes. This isn't always easy, especially when it's overcast. If possible, use a reflector if only to add a "catch light" to your subject's eyes. This means that the eyes are reflecting some sort of light source coming from the sun, flash or any other reflective service even water can produce this quality. So, always be mindful of additional light sources around you.

Lastly, when you're somewhere scenic, create some variety in your series of photos. Shoot the space you're in! Your kiddos are forever adorable, but don't forget to capture the scene itself so that when you output your photos whether it be in a printed album or on Facebook, etc. you'll always have a memory of that special place you visited with your family.

AND HERE'S THE GIVEAWAY: Enter in the Rafflecopter below to win your choice of a Barefoot Book! Check out www.barefootbooks.com/shop and see what's up for grabs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Safi reading Who's in the Farmyard, another colorful publication by Barefoot Books

Now for an end note, I have some very BIG announcements to make in the coming weeks and have been plugging away on the Mamatography Instructional Photo App. 

Stay tuned for all the goodness!

Happy Shooting, Vicky

Photography Today - Blurring Genres :: Photography Lessons for Moms and Pros with Mamatography

I'm pleased to share an ongoing feature here at the Mamatography blog showcasing up and coming (or just up) Mamatographers.

These women are perfecting their craft as shooters all while playing their most important rolls as mothers. This one's a little racy mamas! 

I knew I wanted to feature South Florida photographer Sarit Lauro this time around after I caught a glance of a few of her recent boudoir shots posted on her Facebook page. 

Sarit is a diverse shooter which brings me to the topic of this post.

Modern photographers are having to be more diverse than ever before in order to stay fresh and competitive.

While many a Mamatographer may establish an interest in newborn, children and family portrait photography out of inspiration from parenting, kids grow up! With that, so do our interests. Motherhood commonly sparks a passion for life, and in some cases, photography of ALL aspects of it.

Personally, Sarit touched my life with her photography and I'd like to take this chance to reflect on my coming of a mother through these pictures.

I met Sarit when I was about 20 weeks pregnant. She was working on her birth photography portfolio and what better ginny pig than a pregnant photographer! 

One of the elements I appreciate the most about Sarit's work is her knowledge of lighting. Especially artificial light. She's really taken the time to understand all the facets, not limiting the quality of her work.

It goes without saying that Sarit gave me what was probably the second greatest gift next to the birth of my daughter, Safi. She captured it.  

Our First Kiss

Then, after Safi arrived, she relieved me of the heavy lifting and shot her newborn portraits. It's no secret that in my professional life, I wasn't a newborn photographer. So I was more than glad to leave this up to her!

Now, almost 2 years later, Sarit has transitioned her self as many of us have to and WANT to do.

She launched Boudoir by Sarit in conjuntion with Photography by Sarit but wisely divided her Facebook pages and websites. By doing so, she's able to connect with a vast variety of clientele and yet there isn't a conflict of interest between subject matter.

Use a combinations of light sources for silky smooth skin and overall vibrance in your images.

 Her imagery is tasteful and progressive. Here, Sarit share's some technical notes:

"The camera I use is the Canon 5d Mark II and my favorite lens is a 24-70mm f2.8. 

For my boudoir shoots, I use mainly natural light. I try to position my model by a window and then I fill in the light on the face or other areas of the body that I want to accentuate with my new favorite LED light. 

For children and family portraits I have been bringing my Alien Bees lights with a stand and umbrella. It works great for both indoors and outdoor shooting."

Sarit Lauro is based out of Delray Beach, FL where she lives with her 2 beautiful daughters and husband.

Stay tuned to the Mamatography blog for more on advanced lighting techniques.

Happy Shooting, Vicky

Feelings...Photography is Feelings, nothing more than feelings. :: Mamatography Photo Workshops

What made you and me a photographer? FEELINGS. That's it. 

For me, it was just a feeling that I got when I looked at my college instructors capture of a field of yellow corn. So simple, yellow corn.

Motherhood is that nostalgic idea that reminds me of the moment when I BECAME a photographer. Something so seemingly simple, just a glance at everyday life, paved the way for what I would do with the rest of mine.

The bold dimension in that stack of corn confuses me as much as does being a mom. Why is this special? I pull my hair out every day and at the end there's that moment, wow, does anything else really matter?

Here, with my Mom. No sweeter view.

In these pictures of Safi with bubbles, my life's questions are solved and the meaning is just there. I've been staring at these shots for weeks waiting for the right time to edit them and what a pleasure it was to look in my little girl's eyes and realize, she sees, she knows, how much I appreciate her.

Now, this type of Mama flattery can't go too far as I know from my own spoiled brat experience what may become of this.

L.O.V.E.

 

 But until she's a little more self aware, I'll keep snapping, and focusing on those eyes that were of my own creation.

Mamatographer to Admire, Leslie of May Faith Photography :: Mamatography Photo Workshops

Recently, I've been paying great notice to my current and past students in their dynamic growth as photographers. This post is no self pat on the back but a shout out to one particular Mamatographer that has knocking my socks off with every shoot she posts via Facebook.

She is Leslie Carpenter of May Faith Photography.

Last year, Leslie and I met when she took one of my webinars just as I was getting Mamatography off the ground, when Safi was just 2 months old. 

I thought I had my hands full but Leslie not only had an infant herself at the time but 2 more little ones AND she was striving to start a photography business. 

Over a year later, this mom of 3 is kicking ass and taking names! 

She's shooting every chance she gets, building her portfolio and fan base to a pro level that is awe inspiring. I seriously don't know how she does it, my brain is mush most days from toddler tantrums!

Located in Vancouver, Washington, Leslie has no shortage of lush, Pacific landscapes where she coordinates test shoots with make up artists, florists, H&M-TEAMS OF PEOPLE! 

These "productions" result in stunning imagery that is turning heads within the photography community and beyond.

I especially love her composition and retouching techniques. She always seems to be paying attention to detail! But most of all, her work is FRESH and original! 

May Faith Photography is: Natural light Photographic Artistry, specializing in making your dream portraits a reality.

Hear how Leslie describes her business and her FAV piece of equipment:

"I do a wide range of types of photography...everything from family portraits, outdoor,pets, events, boudior, location shoots and enjoys doing new things! I love capturing moments to tell a story. My main goal is bringing a professional, fun atmosphere with quality photos that you will rave about for years to come."

This Lens is Available in the Mamatography Store

"My favorite piece of equip right now is the 28-75 Tamron Canon mount. It's amazing because of the range for portraits, and also fast with it's 2.8 aperture. I haven't taken it off my camera since I purchased it. I would recommend this lens or the Canon lens which is the 24-70 2.8. It's perfect for the work that I specialize in. My next lens I will be getting is the 85mm 1.8."

Thank you Leslie for sharing your artistry with fellow Mamatographers!

Happy Shooting, Vicky

Spring Portraits: Behind the Scenes

Spring is here (though theres not much seasonal change in South Florida) and I'm thrilled to output my shots from Safi's Easter Portrait shoot!

Here's a little behind the scenes footage from the session.

PS I used tape attached from the seamless paper to the backdrop stands to keep it from blowing too hard in the wind.

Following the shoot, I performed some retouching adjustments in Photoshop. 

The backdrop had a neat thing happening from the shadows that looked to me like splashes of watercolor so I enhanced that a bit. I then did a little Dust & Scratches filtering to take out the dirt that Safi had trekked on the set, saturated a bit, and touched up the veins on her face that always turn up in her photos!

I made the background to the photos with a few elements I collected including a paper texture from LostandTaken.com and lastly put together these eCards to send to my family and friends because I've been too busy to print and mail the REAL THING : (

If you feel inspired to shoot your own Spring Portraits, please share them in the Mamatography Photo Sharing Facebook page, CLICK HERE!

Happy Shooting, Vicky