Have the Camera Out Often

I find that the more I have the camera out, the more relaxed my kids are in front of the camera.  If I go for a while without photographing them, they become more conscious of it and tend to want to look up and smile.  That is okay, too, but definitely seems less candid than if I had captured them engrossed in what they are doing.

AND, it doesn’t always have to be the “big” camera.  I have totally been enjoying my iPhone camera lately and have been picking up more tricks for getting better shots with it.  If that is what you have handy, then use it.

Get on Their Level

I love candid moments when they are captured at “kid level.”  And by “kid level,” I mean eye-to-eye with them.  Being eye-to-eye shows them from an angle that we as adults don’t usually see–as one peer would see another.

Typically, that means that I am either laying on the floor, sitting with them at the table, or kneeling on my knees.  As my kids get older, I notice I don’t spend quite as much time in these awkward positions!

Yep.  I thought so!  I certainly have.  It seems so futile to spend time getting the perfect image in your camera, editing it to perfection on your computer, and then getting a print from the lab that looks totally different from what you created, and sometimes, well, YUCKY!

The reason this happens is that every monitor comes from it’s manufacturer with different color and brightness settings.  Some are more accurate than others.  If you have ever stood in the TV section of any electronics store, you have probably noticed how much the color and brightness varies from TV to TV.  The same is true for your computer monitor.

Calibrating your Monitor

To correct the color, you’ll need some help.  A calibration device can be purchased from Amazon and there are several different brands to choose from.  Most range in price from $80 to $200.  I have used a Spyder that I purchased for around $100 and have been super happy with it.  There are others by Pantone, and X-Rite which I am sure are comparable.

Each calibration tool will come with software that will walk you through the calibration process.  The tool will ask your monitor to display all the red, green, and blue hues and values.  It should also walk you through adjusting the brightness of your display.

Photoshop and Lightroom Settings

There are a couple of settings that you should also make sure that are changed in your editing program if you are printing and sharing your photos online.

Photos that will be printed at a print lab or shared online need to be in the sRGB color space.  I can tell you how to make sure this is happening in the two editing programs that I use most often–Photoshop and Lightroom.

In Photoshop, go to Edit>Color Settings.  A dialog box will pop up that looks like this:

Under the Working Spaces section, in the RGB box change it to sRGB.  There will be some letters and numbers after it.  That’s fine.  Then under Color Management Policies, change the RGB drop-down box to Convert to Working RGB.  This just ensures that files that you open in Photoshop will be converted to sRGB if they aren’t already using that color space.  I also check all the check boxes since I want to be notified if something I am working on doesn’t fit that profile.

In Lightroom, make sure that photos that you are exporting as JPEGs are being saved to this color space, by selecting sRGB as the Color Space under the File Format area of the Export Dialog Box.

Also, I have told Lightroom that any time I tell it that I want to edit a photo in Photoshop, that it should automatically convert the file to the sRGB color space and an 8 bit file.  You can do this by going to Edit>Preferences>External Editing (tab) and selecting sRGB for the Color Space and 8-bits for the Color Depth.

Test Prints

After your monitor is calibrated, you’ll want to make some test prints.  This is simple to do.  Just edit 5-10 different photos and have them printed at the lab you’d like to print at.  Compare the prints you get from them with what you see on your monitor.  If there are glaring differences and you are able to adjust your monitors RGB controls then you can adjust them to match the print.  For instance, if the print has more red in it than your monitor does, you’ll need to add more red to your monitor.

One major difference between your print and your monitor will always be brightness.  Monitors are backlit and prints are not.  If your prints are too dark, then you might need to darken the brightness of your computer to help it match.

TWO CAVEATS

• Newer and more expensive monitors seem to be better at having better color straight out of the box.
• Printing at a professional lab will generally get you better color printing results than a lab at your local “big box” store.  Why?  Because their sole purpose in existing is to make your images look great (keep in mind they are not miracle workers!)

And, yes, I know he is wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt! He is also learning to pick out his clothes and this is what he chose, so I went with it. He has to learn, right?!?

Photography 101 for Moms

I watched a portion of this class offered at CreativeLive yesterday.  I was curious since I teach similar classes to mom’s here in Utah.  I thought there was a lot of good information for moms who want to know more about photography!  Definitely worth the $19 it is being offered at right now.  I felt like she was moving really fast and rushing through a bit, but that was likely a result of the class being recorded, being nervous (it is broadcast ALL OVER THE WORLD–that would make me nervous), and making sure to get through the information in the time she had.

Window Light

I feel like I have been writing a lot about window light lately.  I stumbled across this video over at Photography Concentrate and thought it was a great visual way to see how I use my windows.  Great stuff!

Self-Portraits

I loved this segment on our local KSL Studio 5 this week about taking self-portraits or getting in the photos with your kids!  Brooke did an awesome job!  I know how nerve-wracking it can be on TV (even though the host’s of this show are wonderful and helpful!)

Enjoy these great tips and see you next week for another round of photos and tips!

I think they are beautiful and would love to have one in my yard someday. But for now, I will save some of the beauty for other areas of the earth besides my yard !!

Today, I wanted to share how I take photos indoors on a sunny day.  These were taken in the morning next to a north-facing window.  I used the same window I used for this post (so that you could compare the settings I used.)

Step #1: Find some light!

Finding good light is trickier indoors than it is outdoors.  A nice window with the blinds and curtains open will always be your best bet.  These photos were taken about 4 ft (or a bit more than a meter) away from the window.

Step #2: your ISO.

I typically set my ISO to 400 when I am photographing indoors by a window on a sunny day.  It is possible that I could have gone down to 200, BUT I was photographing my son—a moving boy!  I wanted to be able to keep my shutter speed up high enough to get at least a few non-blurry shots so I stayed at 400.

Step #3: Your Lens.

All my shots indoors are taken with my 50mm f/1.4.  A 50mm f/1.8 would work, too. The reason I choose this lens indoors is for it’s ability to shoot at open apertures and let in LOTS of light.  Any lens that lets you open your aperture to AT LEAST f/2.0 would be great!

Step #4: An Open Aperture.

Keep it open.  REALLY open.  All my shots today were taken at f/2.

My Settings Summary

North-facing window on a sunny day.  The window is to camera left.  Curtains/blinds FULLY open.  Approx. 4 feet (just over a meter) from the window.

Aperture: f/2  Shutter Speed: 1/160  ISO: 400

This before is as it came out of the camera with only a white balance tweek–nothing else.

Do you have a favorite walking path? We just discovered this one last year and now head there regularly for walks, photos, or just quiet time!

A little snippet or two from our walk!

I am sure you all think that I am the SLOWEST person on the planet! You’re right. I totally am.

Ever since I began creating the Take Better Photos e-book/pdf, I meant for it to be in print, too. I like print. I like the smell of paper and ink. I like writing in my books. Some things just need to be printed.

And since I don’t have a publisher–all the details of printing are up to me. And, remember, I am slow!!

So two months after I released the digital e-book version, the PRINT version is now available for order and shipping!

Limited Release

There are only limited copies available. So I anticipate that they will sell out. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, I suggest that you do it quickly!  I’ll remove the button when the books are gone!

You can purchase copies at the link below!  These first copies will only be shipped to US addresses.

$49

Apple blossoms fall into that category of “overlooked.” But these blossoms caught my eye the other day. They were HUGE and beckoning! I succumbed.

And the closed apple blossoms were showstoppers! WOW!