Goodson Family ~ Gresham Family Photography

Even though it rained, well more like poured, we found a covered place that allowed us to get some amazing shots of this beautiful family. Thanks Goodson family for coming out to Gresham to spend some time with me last week.

Becoming a cell phone photographer ~ The Background

Another very important rule you should always follow and never stray from is "check your background before taking a photo."

I know you all have seen those awkward wedding photos with the dog crapping in the background or the family beach photo with the streakers running behind everyone. These do happen and sometimes can't be avoided but if you are setting up your perfect shot, you do have a little bit of say in what goes behind your subject. Lets see some examples.

You may be thinking to yourself. This is a nice looking family photo. It is, except for one thing... The infamous man bending over in the background. Do you see him? If I had noticed this while I was taking the shot I could have positioned myself just a little bit more to the left and hidden the man all together. Now, in order for me to use this nice shot, I have to do some creative editing which takes some time. I am willing to do this for my clients, but If I had been paying closer attention to my background, it wouldn't of needed to be done. NEXT!  

Precious shot with a mother holding her son, but it's ruined by a passing truck. Some times this can't be avoided, but if I would have maybe positioned myself on the other side of my client, I wouldn't have been facing the road and would have still caught the expression on the boys face when he was tossed in the air.

There are always more than one angle to a shot. Keep your eyes open and always watch your background. You don't want that disgusting porta-potty ruining your next family photo, you know the only shot you took with all the kids looking at the camera. Yeah, that one. 

As always, I love to see your photos and answer your questions. If you have a subject you would like me to cover or are in need of a few tips, please feel free to email me at shendersonphoto(at)gmail.com

Becoming a cell phone photographer ~ The rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a photography technique that can be applied to any photo (even cell phone photos) to improve the composition of your image.

Of course, like any rule, it should never be followed blindly, especially in art. Think of it more as a guide line than a rule (said in my best Captain Jack Sparrow voice)

What is the rule of thirds?
Look at the picture below. It is sectioned by a grid. When you are taking a picture you want to visualize this grid and try to place your subject near the lines, especially where the lines intersect. As you can see, my son Ronan is placed at one of the intersections. This is the rule of thirds.

The idea is that a photo that is off center is more pleasing to the eye than a photo where the subject is in the center. It also encourages you to use negative spaces (that's the empty area around your subject).

When you are taking a photo, think about your composition and placing your subject near the line. It doesn't have to be perfectly on the line, just near it. This may mean that you have to move around to get the best angle, but thinking more about your shot is a good thing to do even when you are not using the rule of thirds.

Examples:

Becoming a cell phone photographer ~The Angle

I wanted to share a short tip with everyone today that will help you get the most out of your cell phone photos and hopefully turn you into a better home photographer.

Everyone want to take great photos of their kids, but not everyone has a camera. And those who have a camera don't want to haul it around to the park and play dates. I know I don't want it getting in the way when I'm trying to spend some quality time with my boys.

Most the time you have a cell phone in your pocket or purse. Who doesn't these days? You get it out, you snap some photos, but they just don't look great. Here is your tip for the day - Change your angle!

I took a few photos with my cell phone to illustrate my thoughts.

This is a photo taken from above the subject. I was standing. See how all you see is the couch around my youngest. It's an ok picture.

Instead of standing above the subject, get low. Crouch down on their level and give the shot a new angle. This way your eye is drawn to the subject instead of them getting lost in the background.

Now, there are always exceptions to the rule, but give this a try and see how much your photography changes.

Now, for all of you who Instagram, don't forget to add a filter and share your photos :)

How I Edit my Images

There is a lot to be said about editing your photos and it can be easy to over process the image.

From the camera to the final edit there is a process that I go through to make sure that my images look clean and natural but also have a pop of color and depth to them.

The photos start in the camera. I try to get the best natural lighting during the shoot so I don't have to do a lot of messing with contrast and color in the office later. Most the time it works out, but there is always that one photo that you want to keep, but the lighting isn't right. In those situations a black and white image might be the best choice to save the photo.

Next, the images come out of the camera as a RAW file. This is where I an tweek the color and contrast so when I do my final color popping edit, I don't have to add a layer of dark or light color to the images. It saves me a lot of time in the office.

The last step and definitely the most time consuming is the final color pop edit. This is where I can get the blues to be more blue and the greens to be more green. I can give the image a depth that I wouldn't be able to just out of camera. I can also remove blemishes and background objects that don't need to be there. (So don't worry about that zit on your chin. It is easily removed.)

Here are a few before and after edits from my past sessions this year. Enjoy!

Hartley Family ~ Tigard, Oregon Family Photography

With the light dwindling we headed to the lake. It was a calm and beautifully warm night in October and these girls brought all the charm. Thank you Shannon for allowing me to spend some time with you and your adorable girls. They are such a blessing and I am glad you were able to make it to the park with me. I hope you enjoy your photos. ~Sara~