Weekly DIY | 7 Tips for Quick Pics with Elders

For those of us blessed to have a network of grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and close family friends, we can never forget how important it is to include them in photos with our children. True, we could snap pics of our little jam faces defining every facet of cuteness all day, every day, but these memories… they’re not going to make themselves! Legacy photos will forever be images that encourage us to stop for a moment and take us back: to the person, to the time and to the love.

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

Those photos of everyone gathered and smiling at the camera are fine n’ dandy. But why not take it a step further, and document all those little times in between when everyone gathered to enjoy together, and not just for that one obligatory group shot. 

*Notes on photos below: All are SOOC in a room featuring a full-wall of windows, taken at about 4:30pm, with no external flash. I have edited versions of these photos for my own personal use, which can be seen here on Isla’s baby blog. 

1. Let them be. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

When we first arrived, Isla’s Gran was on the phone securing some appointments. Even though Isla is very comfortable and loves being around her Gran, I plopped her on the floor with some toys anyway, letting her get used to the room and us all being there. This is especially key with children who “play strange” or adults who are easily flustered by the whirlwind activity of toddlers. If you want photos of them together, a casual, stress-free warm-up period can go a long way than an instant “shove in your face” smooch session. 

2. Catch the action. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

If you wait too long for that so-called perfect shot, babe(s) on Gran’s knee, everyone looking at the camera smiling, you could find yourself out of luck. While it’s not impossible, there are so many other opportunities you could have missed along the way. Keep shooting. Worst case scenario? You can delete bad ones later. 

3. Don’t say “CHEESE” *every* time

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

You know what your child looks like. You know what your grandmother looks like. So get pictures of what they look like when they’re together. And I don’t mean side by side, smiling for you. I mean interacting, engaging and enjoying each other’s company. 

4. Keep moving. Quietly. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

They may not be side by side, but they’re both in the frame, without question. By moving from one side of the room to another, a new perspective was found without distracting from their playing. 

5. Still think like a Mamarazzi

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

Mind your backgrounds and details. Here I saw her hospital bed and cords were hanging about. If you want the environment of the room to add context, that’s one thing, but don’t be afraid to zoom in tighter (see below) or crop in post-production. 

6. Keep everyone comfortable. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

Kids can be overwhelming energy zappers. One thing hard for elders to accommodate is the busy nature of children, especially if there are lots to go around. Our own matriarch on my husband’s side is the proud great grandmother of six, soon to be seven little ones under the age of six. But they’re an active bunch and, while she’s tough and ready for them every time, many in her position are not. 

If this had been a photo a few months ago after Gran had surgery on her wrist, we would have propped Isla up beside her, or had someone hold her close. Respect everyone’s limitations and you’ll go far in lengthening the shoot, rather than cutting it off abruptly and not getting those pictures you want for your frames.

7. Don’t fret the small stuff. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 400

This photo may be blurry, but it’s a keeper nonetheless. A bad photo taken yesterday is better than none taken at all. If you don’t snap what you’d like to this time around, what a great excuse to get together again soon. 

Have a question for me? Send it to Ask Mamarazzi here!

13 July 6 Permalink

Week One: Let’s Go Auto

This is a bad photo. I tried to save it with a few tricks in my book — and, let’s face it, Isla goes a long way to distract from the badness (those teeth! that baby chub!) — but technically, it’s a poor showing. Her skin tone is way off. It’s blotchy with a side of grain… Blown out in the top corner (as a result of me trying to fix the exposure)… A blemish on the face of my photographic journey. Oh, the dramz. 

The only way to spare Isla from therapy for my failure to capture her donning her Uncle’s hat is to learn from it. What could I have done? Well, technically I should have been more on point. I should have metered, adjusted, fixed the exposure through aperture and shutter speed. 

But really, I should have just clicked over to automatic mode. 

Purists with DSLRs will often balk at the thought of cruising in automatic mode, but the truth is that when baby is being all “too cute for words”, fiddling with settings and meters — no matter how quick and skilled you are — goes a long way to lose the moment. 

The project this week is to use all my cameras in fully automatic mode when photographing Isla around the house and see what it is about that feature I like/dislike on each camera. Already I’m thinking I’ll groan at the:

• flash automatically firing
• shutter speed not fast enough (on my DSLR)
• red-eye (on my point and shoot)
• blur (on my iPhone) etc.)

But who knows. We’ll see. Try with me?

13 May 4 Permalink

Welcome fellow mamarazzi!

My name is Tamara and I’m a new mama as well as lifestyle photographer specializing in children’s and family portraiture. I’m the first to admit how easy it is to fill an 8GB memory card with countless photos of my lil’ baby doing something cute. 

But now that I’ve moved into a new home with blank walls, I’m realizing how torn I am between the editing eye of a photographer and editor wanting only the one best shot front and center, and the bias of a mother wanting *every* shot wallpapering the walls. And while I take photos for clients every week, my poor child does not need her entire life to be a full-on photo shoot. There’s got to be a happy medium!

Enter Mamarazzi & Co. I’m hoping to drag you along this journey, walking the fine line between professional and amateur photography as we learn, re-discover, hone, fine-tune, start from scratch and continue to master the art of taking amazing photos of our children and family. We’ll also explore everything from affordable to pricier photo and archival projects, software and post-production tips, equipment, reviews, 

Let’s face it. While hiring a professional once a year is a beautiful investment, it’s not feasible on a daily basis. And they’d fail to get *those* moments; you know, the ones you, mama almighty, knows are coming, knows best and knows the true emotion of. Here, no matter your skill, equipment or interest level, I’m hoping there’ll be something for everyone to put into play in your daily lives in hopes of making those Facebook photo albums a little more click-worthy and the fireplace mantel a little less spare.

And I’m hoping you’ll join in and send your photos in for proud display as well. Email me at tamara (at) ehgoodlooking (dot) com with your personal photo triumphs, disasters, questions and tips. 

13 May 1 Permalink