meet piper jane { newborn } - Raleigh/Cary/Apex Newborn Photographer

I love photographing newborns. Like, I really love it. There is just something about so sweet about a fresh-to-this-world little person. This session was especially fun because it was personal. Our very own studio manager, Jenny P. just had a baby!!!! If you have been our client or taken our Moms+Camera class or rented a prop, called or emailed us in the last two years, chances are you have spoken to or corresponded with Jenny. Well, now Jenny is settling into her new role as mommy to the sweetest little baby girl, Piper Jane (how cute is that name??) and she is a natural! I love this little family! 

 

 

Yes, your garage { how to } - Raleigh Moms+Camera Class

Every mom I know wants good sharp, clean and properly exposed pictures of their children! In our Moms+Camera Classes we go over all kinds of ways to use your surroundings (light/location/ect) to your benefit to capture those sweet little faces. I always tell my moms, this does NOT have to be complicated, but with a little practice you will be lovin' what you're snappin! So today's tutorial shows you how to use your garage (yes, that's right, and it doesnt even have to be clean!!)  to help you find some PRETTY LIGHT in a pinch. I mean, as moms, we all have those days while we are sitting across from our little one while they are eating their pb&j and goldfish lunch, and they are in a good mood maybe chattin up a storm, and just maybe they even have clean clothes on and we think, "awww, I wish I could just take a good picture and capture their sweetness right now". Well, the good news is you can! So, FACT #1: I always start out with a peace offering.....I keep a bag of Dum-dum suckers in my cabinets for these exact times, never underestimate the power of a good bribe! Find something, anything.....popsicle, favorite fruit snack, bubbles they can do by themselves.....and head out to your garage. Grab a kitchen chair or barstool, doesnt have to be fancy.

 As you can see my gargare has all the random junk in it, our washer that just broke, tons of bikes, a dog crate, a prop chair, ladders, you name it, its in there!If you are shooting with a lens with a WIDE aperture (fstop), like a 50mm, 1.8 lens, it will not really matter what is in the background! If you are shooting with a kit lens like a 18-55mm, f3.5-f5.6, you sill still be fine. Even though you cannot achieve as much blur to your background, if you crop in tight enough and get close to your subject, you will be fine. Remember, this tutorial is all about FINDING THE PRETTY LIGHT! Start by placing your chair just inside the garage where it is completely in the shade. It may be just inside the garage like mine was OR it may be 4 feet back, that is fine. Just make sure your chair and subject are just inside out of the harsh sun. See here is Macy (content and happy to sit since she has a sucker). Her chair is about a foot into the shade of the garage.  I want you to notice how the light falls off behind her....meaning, it gets darker on the side and behind her.....this is perfect!She is facing the light source but shaded behind and on the sides.

Now, you go out into the driveway and face the garage. (thank you to my son and budding photog, Asher for this pic.....mental note, must instruct him on flattering angles when shooting a woman from the back!!!! ugh!) It is ok if you happen to be in the full sun, doesnt matter here. You get in front of the garage and point y our camera to your subject and check your camera settings. Here I was ISO 400, shutter speed 800 (remember, moving children try to keep shutter speed high, like 500+) and fstop was a f2.0. It should be farly easy to balance your light meter with your child facing the light source or the front yard!  Then you have to get in close....thats the key here. As you can see in the above pic, nothing special......but move in close and click:

and here are the results, straight out of the camera:

Pure sweetness!!!! I know I am biased, but you get the picture! You want to note that each picture was shot at the same settings AND from the same distance. If I would have backed away from my subject any, I would have see more of my background and perhaps would have had to tweak my cameras settings as well. You will notice the flecks of light/sky in her eyes......always a good indicator your subject is facing the light source....and notice how the background seems to be darker behind Macy, allowing her little face to "pop" more! We basically just "rigged" up a studio setup in my garage! Here is a progression of standing out in my driveway, and how getting closer and closer you see the picture take shape from being a flat snapshot to a "i LOVE this picture of my baby!" shot. Below you will notice how the closer I get to Macy, the darker and blurrier the background becomes. Easy peasy!

 

So a quick recap: Bribe your child,  and then you have to fill the frame, get on eye level  and get in CLOSE!!!! Always watch that light meter, make sure to properly balance it! And snap away!

 Voila!

 

Videri Chocolate Factory { out and about } - Raleigh

Looking for a fun place to go with the kids on a cold winter afternoon? Try a visit to Videri Chocolate Factory, Raleigh's very own chocolate factory which sits on West Davie Street in the historic Depot building,  squarely across from the infamous southern restaurant, The Pit.

From the moment you walk in you are greeted by the friendly chocolatiers along with the aroma of chocolate and even a free sample of the homemade goodness! Ummm, yes, please....where have you been all of my life? The self-guided tour starts with the products first, big heavy bags of cocao beans....their tagline is "from bean, to bar, to bliss", so you get to journey along that very process. And who can resist not buying some of this amazing choclate when you see hundreds of bars stacked high behind the counter almost a whisper from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and hoping to actually make it home unopened? Pretty much impossible.....so we just sat right there in the lobby area and enjoyed our { all of our } chocolate. Sweet.

meet jhean { graduate 2013 } - Raleigh/Cary/Apex High School Senior Photographer

I have known Jhean since he was a little boy, and it was so much fun for me to take his senior pics! He is such a cutie and has quite the endearing personality.....and throughout our photoshoot you were able to see glimpses of the adult Jhean is growing to be! Thoughtful, funny, kind.....and I love that we were able to show that through his pics!

meet Kayla { graduate 2013 } - Raleigh/Apex/Cary High School Senior Photographer

Photographing high school seniors are so much fun for me because they {usually} are SO into it! They have wardrobe changes, ideas, favorite locations.....so much inspiration and excitement! It was FREEZING when we photographed Kayla but she was awesome....you cannot even tell in these pictures that she couldn't feel her hands or feet! She is beautiful....seriously....gorgeous!