Lyndal is adorable and so are her boys! Last week when I met up to shoots some Mommy & Me photos for the Edmonton North Mommy Connections group, I was sneaky and squeezed in some adorable shots of Lyndal and the boys! I love that she ‘wears’ baby J, and he is so relaxed and chill just hanging off his Momma’s back!
Thanks for yet another great shoot Lyndal!
Sometimes the best photos come when we least expect it. I just happened to have my camera with me with a regular old lens when Bridget and I went a walk on a muddy day with some friends of ours. The girls just happened to have pink on, and it was a gorgeous bright blue day.
Our friends had picked up donuts on the way for the walk and there was no way Bridget was going to let go of hers, even if it meant being playfully chased by a dog 3 times her body mass. Then they found a giant pile of mud.
The long and short of this story is that the donut got eaten by someone with teeth bigger than Bridget, and her suit was ruined with the splashing black mud she danced in, and I ending up with some beautiful impromptu images of my beautiful girl. There was no planning in the world that could make the shot of her holding hands with her little friend as innocent and sweet as it is.
My tip for today is an easy one. Live in the moment and shoot what you see. Candid shots are often the best because they are real. When you look back on the photos from you childhood, chances are you skip past the posed school photos with the missing teeth and go straight for the ones where you are wearing a fur coat, high heels and big glasses- or maybe that’s just my inner childhood Elton John speaking.
What is your favourite image from when you were a child?
XO,
Amy
www.IslandMistPhotography.com
islandmistphotography@gmail.com
What to wear is always one of the most stressful parts of anyone’s life, starting when you have to make 17 phone calls to see what your friends are wearing before you head out to Junior High. It seems that you can have a closet bursting at the seams with clothes that you LOVED in the store, but now that it’s time to get the kiddos in their Sunday best for some photos, there’s panic at the disco.
Here are a quick couple of rules for you to keep in mind:
• Big companies are always thrilled when you spend dollars on clothes with their big logos. It’s free advertising for them. Don’t let your living room wall become a billboard for the brand names. Steer clear of big logos and opt for fun colors and patterns instead. A couple of phrases that might drive this point home for you; Varnet, Chip n’ Pepper, LA Gear. Just sayin’.
• Coordination does not mean matching. Take a look at any store display the next time you are in the mall. Unless it’s Khaki and White at the GAP, most stores are showing you several different outfits in the same tones so that their display looks cohesive and pleasing to the eye. Rarely will you see 4 mannequins wearing the exact same outfits. Learn from this and mix it up a little.
• There are several laws of the universe you can’t dispute. Cats land on their feet, toast lands jam side down, flat tires happen on rainy days, and kids outside get dirty. While it’s nice to want to preserve that heirloom outfit your great grandmother’s grandmother lovingly hand knit for baby in photos, the park is not the place to do it. If it’s expensive or special or something you don’t want to ruin, leave it at home. You will have a much easier time relaxing and letting the kids have fun.
To give you an idea of what I mean about coordination vs matching, I self sacrificed this morning and did some online shopping. Here are some photos that should give you a great idea of what I mean. Try to stick to the same color palette or the same tones for all of the outfits. All of the shirts don’t need to be primary color polo shirts, nor do all the shirts need to be white and all the pants the same shade of khaki. However, if Frederick is wearing something with orange, it’s not a bad idea to have some element of Francine’s outfit have orange as well.
I appreciate Gymboree having such great clothes so that I can demonstrate this to you this morning! I hope they don’t mind having to get up so early to participate in this what to wear for family photos lesson!
XO,
Amy
islandmistphotography@gmail.com
I was just sitting minding my business looking at Facebook when a friend shared this tidbit of info.
Now, you see I try very hard to keep my opinions to myself these days, being the public face of my company, and a mom, and all of that good stuff that leads you to bite your tongue. But seriously, again? Last month it was a heavily armed and dangerous murderer on the loose in Alberta. Out on a day pass with a plain clothed Corrections Officer, who he ‘over powered’ then went on a little sabbatical.
Now this.
I get that the guy wants to get loose. Who wouldn’t, especially if you are a stand up guy; as all murderers are apt to be. But for goodness sake, reading the article is what turned my stomach. He escaped from a ‘Minimum-Security Prison’. He was noticed missing after a ‘headcount’ and no one knows what he was wearing? Is this a man convicted of first murder and aggravated assault or a ninth grader sneaking into a girl’s room on a band trip?
Who is making these decisions? Who is in charge here? Is anyone accountable?
I am done with my rant now. I have to go make sure my windows and doors are securely fastened. Because no one seems to be in control enough to keep the bad guys in, I sure hope I can keep them out.
Day 3 -How to Take Better Kids Portraits | Watch the Clock
(This is my stepson Daniel, and possibly the best example of what I am talking about in this post. He is very handsome and incredibly good natured, but gives you a very small window of time in which to get him. You also have to butter him up and do a little mild teasing to get him to loosen up a little!)
Have you ever gotten halfway through cooking turkey dinner, visiting in laws or dusting your baseboards and thought, ‘ugh, I have been at this for almost an hour already – I wish I had never started?’
Because it’s human nature to tire very quickly of things we don’t want to do, my little tidbit of advice for all you camera wielding parents is to watch the clock.
After working as a wedding and portrait photographer for almost a decade, I have surmised that having photos taken is the toddler and (grown man) equivalent of dusting baseboards. It must be done, but the faster it’s done, the less complaining will take place in the process. To get the best result from your photos, don’t push your shutterfest past an hour. Keep it to half an hour if you can, and if you kids are really little.
Remember on the first day when I told you to relax and shoot what was happening? It’s because capturing your children is more about preserving their little faces than doing still life photos of mannequins. If you have been shooting all of the shenanigans in between the ‘good’ shots, you will find that when you get home, you will have captured lots of ‘great’ shots of the life in between the forced smiles!
No one ever likes to do anything when they are tired, so schedule photo day so that you make sure that little Lola and Luke have had their regularly scheduled naps or downtime. You know the time of day your child is in his best humour- use that to your advantage!
And, if we as humans dislike doing something when we are tired, doing it when we are hungry is an absolute crisis. If you want to take your little beauties out to the local park for some photos to send grandma, make sure their bellies are full before you head out, and you poke a snack in your pocket in case energy wanes along the way. It’s also not a bad idea to keep a little something for mom stashed in your purse; kids aren’t the only ones who lose patience when their blood sugar takes a nose dive.
The very last thing is something that will make a huge impact on your photos. If you can avoid it at all, avoid shooting in the noonday sun. The results are never flattering. In all likelihood you will have more harsh shadows and overexposed faces than you care for. If you have no options and must shoot outside between 11am and 2pm then look for open shade, to block the suns overwhelming, directly overhead power. If you are a scheduling master and can do it at all, try to shoot when the light is the softest. Head out in the early morning or later in the evening. Two hours before dark will safely give you a full hour of shooting before my favourite time of day – dusk!
As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me by emailing me or leaving a comment below!
XO,
Amy
islandmistphotography@gmail.com
www.islandmistphotography.com
Day 2 -How to Take Better Kids Portraits
You may never have noticed it but now that I mention it, it’s all that you will see.
Photos of the front part of your child’s skull, the top of his forehead, and a warped view of his body, as you see him every day while you are standing over him trying to coerce him into changing into clean clothes, or to stop picking on his sister. We all have these snapshot style photos. Facebook is full of them, and so are most family albums. But it just doesn’t have to be that way.
You see, God himself wanted you to capture beautiful images of your children, featuring those big brown or blue eyes, and that smile that lights your soul on fire. That my friend is why he gave us knees.
Bend or kneel down so that his face and your face (with the camera in front of it) are at the same level. Focus on his eyes, and click the magic button. It’s THAT easy. That one single act will improve your photos by 100 percent. Try it, today. Then tell me how big a difference it made!
Don’t believe me?
Fire off a shot like you normally would, then kneel down, zoom in a little so his face nearly fills the frame entirely, then focus on his eyes and say something kind or funny so he looks at you. When you see the difference, you will be astounded. For real, get out your camera and do it.
Then you can tell me what happened in the comments section below!
XO,
Amy
islandmistphotography@gmail.com
Let’s be honest for a minute. When our children are sleeping and their long eyelashes are touching their sweet pink cheeks, they are little angels. When they spend the weekend with Grandma, they are little angels. When you try to get them to stand still so you can shoot a photo or two to send to the relatives to prove you still own them, they are, well, how do you say, not angels.
It’s just a fact of life: Perfectly behaved and well balanced child + camera = child you don’t know, who you suspect was raised by baboons with behaviour issues.
Don’t stress, it’s not you. Bees and dogs smell fear, and toddlers feed on stress, take a deep breath, it’s all going to be ok.
What do you do when you strap on a camera and your kid takes leave of his or her senses?
Get ready for it….
You let them! The best photos of kids I have ever taken are the ones were kids are actually being kids. Running around like they are trying to make their heads fall off, dancing like they have ants in their pants, trying to get their big brother in a choke hold. I kid you not; these are the photos that as parents we treasure the most. It might not seem like it at the time, but a year from now, when they aren’t quite as boisterous and they have moved on from Pull Ups, or Kindergarten, or whatever stage they are at, you are going to want that photo of him or her with that mischievous grin, because, chances are good they will no longer be doing whatever it is that was making you crazy at the time.
So my very first tip for taking better photos of your kids? Relax. Your kids will feel it, you will enjoy the process more, and the expressions you will get in your photos as they enjoy themselves will undoubtedly be genuine and more full of life than if you make them stand at attention and fire off those traditional, stare of the camera and smile shots.
Now, I challenge you- go out into the world with your little ducks and try this. Then come back and show me what you came up with at islandmistphotography@gmail.com
I can’t wait to see! As always, let me know what you think in the comments section below!
XO,
Amy
Hello friends and internet! So good to see you all doing well, and so many of you with DSLR cameras! I love that Canon and Nikon have made it possible for all of us to own amazing cameras, capable of capturing stunning images of our children.
I get a quick message every day, asking me how to do something or another with these cameras, and I am always thrilled to answer. I love what I do and I love that if you have taken the time to email me, you must think I do a good job. I consider it an ego stroke, so thanks for that. In fact, as you read this, it means you have found me, and are reading my words, and as such, you are stroking my ego again! I love this!
But I have an idea. If you want to join me every day for the next week, I am going to share with some super tips and tricks to take even better photos of your kids. No fancy gear or software required. Everyone can do every one of these things to make your photos just that much better. So that your photos from a lazy day at the park or your family vacation is just as awesome and frame worthy as the photos you pay me to take once a year. Trust me; this is going to be fun!
I will share tip number one of how to take better portraits of your children with you tomorrow, so don’t forget to stop back. If you have any questions, or comments, I would love to hear them so don’t hesitate to email me at islandmistphotography@gmail.com or share them in the comments section below. If it’s a question, everyone might have it, so by all means post it, so I can answer for all to see!
In the meantime- a quick mini-tip to get you all started. Read your manual. Then read it again. It’s useless to have a fancy dancy piece of equipment in your hot little hands but if you don’t know how to us it to its full capability, you would be missing out on reaching your full potential (listen to me all high school teacher sounding!)That’s it boys and a girls, dig out or Google your user manual. It will do you and your images a world of good!
Meet me back here tomorrow for your first easy to do, super impactful tip on how to take better photographs of your kids!
Until then, don’t forget to get reading! I will talk to you tomorrow!
xo,
Amy
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It’s the time of year again, you know, the time where it’s nice and sunny, and warm – with the forecast calling for a snowstorm any day now. That means one thing, my birthday is getting closer, and it’s high school graduation season. Now, you might find this hard to believe, but a decade ago, when I was ready to do the Grand March to the Smashing Pumpkings, Tonight Tonight, I was involved a bunch of things, had a whole pile of interests and hobbies and things that I would have liked captured in film. But you know, as luck might have it, my mother owns an 11×14 framed print of me with a white blouse collar and my grandmother’s broach peaking out from beneath the teal grad gown I chose to wear to compliment my funky red hair. Not a single thing (besides the Halle Berry fire engine red hair -never did I tell you this was a good decision…) spoke for my personality, my youthful fun side, or my accomplishments. If I could do it over, I would have had photos take with me, at my Grandparents place- my favorite place to spend my weekends, with my fiddle. Or on stage because I loved drama, or any number of other things I loved. Not that I would throw away the teal gown photo- I just know now, that somethings are better. You won’t hear me say it every day, but today I am telling you- the American’s do it better.
What? What’s that you say? Did she just say what I think she said? Why yes! Yes I did. I am not fussy on the way they run their elections, their healthcare system, and how they pick on Sarah Palin, but they are fabulous when it comes to Graduation photos. You see, if we were living in the U.S, by now you would have heard of Senior Photos (and no, I don’t mean of your Grandma, though I am sure she is lovely.) I mean in your senior year of school, before you graduate, you have your very own photoshoot showcasing your awesomeness. Cap and gowns are welcome, but this isn’t a 10 minute, smile and take 6 identical shots with the hat and 6 without, that seriously resemble passport photos.
This is seriously fun, and seriously all about you. Bring a couple of outfits, your grad gown if you want to rock it before or after your grad and your fun side. Spend an hour or two in front of the camera, and have amazing photos to share with your friends and family now, and to look back at when you are a little older and want to remember how fun it was to be a teenager, about to take on the world!
These photos are an example Graduation Photo session that I shot of Courtney last spring. It was an awesome warm evening and we had a few hours to shoot. She chose a relaxed outfit and her grad gown and we switched halfway through the session. It was really fun and I absolutely adore this set of photos. There is no way, in 20 years, these photos won’t bring a smile to Courtneys face!
If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate to the start of your new and exciting life, or you want to congratulate someone who is, book a Graduation Photography session with Island in the Mist Photography!
I look forward to meeting you when you do!
Amy
(780) 271-7082
amydonovan@shaw.ca
Melissa and Frank were another awesome expecting couple I met up with on Thursday night! This baby is due to be born the day after my 30th birthday (which, I can assure Melissa is right around the corner whether I would like it to be or not!). As we all know, Edmonton in springtime, isn’t the most scenic of locales, but I totally thing we made it work. Some late evening light was just what this glowing momma to be needed for a stunning close up!
Congratulations to both couples from Thursday, it was awesome to have captured you during this exciting time in your lives!
