My Favorite Fall Photos

I am not sure why, but I have grown to love fall more and more every year. It may be because I have grown to appreciate the beautiful colors it brings right before we enter into the barrenness of winter, or it may be because as my kids get older they remind me of the beauty it brings during our outdoor adventures. Whatever the case may be, I absolutely love fall and am sad to see it disappear as it does every year during this time.

Since the completion of my Project 365, I haven’t posted many of my recent photos on the blog. I feared that since my project 365 was over,  I wouldn’t use my camera much. However, I am happy to say that is not the case. I am still shooting away and am currently doing a lot of practice when it comes to post-processing. I use Lightroom 6 to edit all the photos you see posted here on My Beautiful Everyday. I have learned a lot about the editing process, and have grown by leaps and bounds, but I still have a long way to go!

Recently I read a blog post that explained what the radial filter does in Lightroom. How I went so long not using this tool is beyond me, but I am so glad I am now! You can read the post here.

The radial filter was used in this photo of my daughter to brighten up her body and face without brightening the background.

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As I have stated in previous posts, I love working in my sketchbook. It is the place where I can quickly put down all the creative ideas I have swirling around in my head. Over the past few months, I have been obsessing over patterns! Whether I am out at the store, taking a walk outside, or browsing the internet, I have been noticing patterns everywhere!

Here are a few of the patterns I have recently done in my watercolor journal. Take a peek!

Sketchbook Patterns

For more sketchbook and pattern inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!

The post A Peek Inside My Sketchbook: Patterns appeared first on My Beautiful Everyday.

When it comes to our kids, the phrase “They grow up fast” is an understatement. One of the main reasons I bought a DSLR was to capture the fleeting years I have with my children. I want to remember both the big and small things that happen in their lives.

There are so many variables involved when trying to get a good shot of your kids, but there are definitely some things you can do to make the process easier! Wherever you are in your photography journey, I hope these tips will help you take photos of your kids that will provide lasting memories.

8 Tips For Photographing Kids

1. Take Photos Often
Not only will your kids get used to you having the camera in their face, but taking photos often will give you more opportunities to get shots you love.

2. Get Down to Their Level
By positioning yourself at your child’s level, you can allow the photos to show things from their point of view. It also prevents you from taking awkwardly angled shots, you know, the ones where you are looking up their noses. Yikes!

3. Let Them Lead
There were many times when I had an idea of a “perfect” shot I wanted, so I would try and position my kids in a certain way. 99% of the time that ended up in disaster. I find that the best shots are natural and not forced.

Now I usually just let my kids do their thing, and I follow their lead.

This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t strategically place some toys near a well-lit window and encourage your kids to play. You can still have some control without your kids realizing it.

4. Stop Saying “Cheese”
I have tried to eliminate using the word “cheese” when photographing children. Why? Well, because you get what you ask for–cheesy smiles! In my experience, the photos come off artificial.

In the photo below I had my son tell me a funny joke and then got him to smile naturally; which, in the end, is what we really want.

5. Find The Light
I am kinda a sucker for dramatic light. But no matter your preference, the bottom line is that you NEED LIGHT when trying a get a sharp photo.

If you are in your home, open the shades. Pull back the curtains. Find out what rooms in your home get the best light, and at what times.

6. Bump Up Your Shutter Speed
Have you ever taken action shots of your kids and the results were blurry hands and feet?

When I first started shooting in manual I had plenty of blurry shots. One solution to getting those crisp action shots is to make sure your shutter speed is no less than 160. I usually try and have mine between 160-250 when photographing kids.

7. Be Flexible, & RELAX
Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting the perfect shot, that we make the whole experience miserable for everyone. If we are trying to capture these precious moments of our children to create lasting memories, let’s make sure the photos we take don’t remind us of how we were yelling at our kids to pose a certain way. If you don’t get the perfect shots, it’s no big deal! There is always tomorrow, so RELAX!  We don’t want our kids to feel fear and dread whenever we take out our cameras. Remember, photography is fun! Or at least I think it is

8. Take Photos of Their Everyday
One final tip: Take photos of those cute everyday things your kids do that you never want to forget. Whether it is playing dress up, coloring, or rolling toy cars along the stairway banister, take photographs of the normal everyday activities your kids love to do. These are the times when they are completely in their comfort zones.

These younger years with our children will soon be but a distant memory. Thankfully we have the opportunity to cherish these memories forever by capturing them with our cameras.

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I received my very first DSLR camera a little over a year ago. Within a few weeks, and after a lot of researching online, I started shooting in manual mode. Through my research, I learned that a great way to grow as a photographer is to complete a 365 Photography Project. So what is a 365 Photography Project, or what I like to call a Project 365? It is a challenge to take a photo every day for 365 days. Starting a Project 365 is a huge commitment, but definitely worth it if you desire to grow as a photographer.

Doing a Project 365 was one of the best decisions I could have made as a “newbie” photographer. Not only did I learn so much about shooting in manual mode, but I was able to capture and document my life with my family over the course of a year. I have so many photos of my kids and my family that I will forever treasure because I was intentional about taking a photo every day.

Now that I have completed the project I thought I would share some tips that I hope will help you complete your own Project 365.

10 Tips To Help you Finish a Project 365

1. Take your camera everywhere  
I can’t count the number of times I was out somewhere without my camera and ended up kicking myself for not bringing it. You never know when a great shot will be available!

The 2 photos below were taken in the parking lot of a Target believe it or not. I will repeat, take your camera EVERYWHERE

2. Invest in a camera bag
Since you will be taking your camera everywhere, you need a safe place to store it while you are out and about. At first, I didn’t have a camera bag so I would just put a towel down at the bottom of my purse for padding (Don’t laugh); I was nervous all the time that I was somehow going to damage my camera. I finally broke down and bought an actual camera bag that not only held my camera but everything else I normally hold in my purse.

There are a lot of awesome camera bags out there that will fit your individual needs. I chose a Kelly Moore Bag because they are not only super cute but large enough to hold everything else I need when out with my four kids.

3. Take photos of any and everything
When I got my camera I knew I would mainly be taking photos of my kids. There would be some days however when my kids would be sick or just not in the mood to have my camera in their faces, so I would instead just take photos of everyday objects. I am glad I did because some of my favorite photos are of random things that caught my eye.

4. Search for light and let it inspire you
I learned early on that I loved shooting in natural light. Being a home-school mom, I spend a lot of time at home during the day. Over time I was able to know which rooms in my house had a good natural light source and at what time of the day I could find it. For example, I now know that a great time to take photos in my dining room using natural light is anywhere between 3-5:00 p.m. If I want more of a dramatic lighting effect, I can find beams of light peering through my bedroom window between 7-8:00 p.m. I could give lots of examples, but I will spare you. Basically, I have learned to look for light and find the beauty in it. Below is a photo that I love that shows dramatic lighting.

One night before the kids went to bed I saw this beautiful light peeking through my window and onto my bed. I asked my daughter if she wanted to grab a book and read it in that spot, and luckily she was happy to do so!

5. Get out and explore
Being home a lot during the day and learning how the natural light is around my house is great, but after a while, it can get a little old and redundant. I found that getting out of the house, exploring nature, visiting parks and gardens etc. inspired me to take lots of photos. It also added more variety to the subject matter seen in my Project 365.

6. If you miss a day, it’s OK!
Taking a photo for 365 consecutive days is no easy task. There would be days when I was unable to take a photo because “life” happened. Either my kids were sick, I was sick, or I simply wasn’t motivated. I learned not to beat myself up for the few days I didn’t take a photo. I could have quit the project altogether the first time I missed a day, but then I would have missed out on all the photos that I DID take on the days after. There really are no rules for a Project 365. The project is YOUR project. Don’t beat yourself up.

7. Start a blog to post your photos
I truly believe that the main reason I was able to complete my first Project 365 was because I started a blog. Posting my photos every week and seeing them organized online allowed me to see my progression as a photographer and it held me accountable to take the photos. Posting my photos publicly was a little scary at first, but I am so happy I took that leap and started “My Beautiful Everyday”.

Courtney Slazinik has a great post titled How to Start a Photography Blog on her site Click it Up a Notch that I found extremely helpful when I started my blog. I am not a techy person whatsoever, so if I can start a blog, there is hope for anyone

8. Follow other 365’ers and give encouragement
A great source of inspiration on my 365 journey came from other Project 365 bloggers that I began to follow. I was able to connect with others by giving feedback and encouragement each week and it was very encouraging to get feedback from them as well!

Another great resource available on the website Click it Up a Notch is the Project 365 Link Up. There you will find hundreds of other photographers taking on the Project 365 challenge and links for you to connect with them and see their photos.

9. Join a group challenge with monthly prompts
A huge source of motivation and inspiration can come from joining a group challenge with monthly prompts.You can find great monthly challenges that offer daily prompts on Pinterest and Instagram. One group on Instagram that I would recommend is #thebethadillychallenge.

10. Seek out constructive criticism
Putting your photos on social media is a great way to receive feedback about your photography. I found that an even better way to grow as a photographer is to get feedback from other photographers. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism–seek it out. Clickin Moms is an amazing group you can join that will give you just that, as well as tons of awesome photography tutorials.

It has been so rewarding to look back over my photos from this past year. I have grown in my understanding of how to shoot in manual, in what subject matter I like to photograph, and how to edit my photos. Doing a 365 Photography Project pushed be to take so many photos I know I wouldn’t have taken and has given me so much more confidence to pick up my camera. Though I have learned so much, I know I have only scratched the service of all there is to know about this art form. I am excited to continue growing as a photographer and to use my lens as a way to see the beautiful in my everyday.

The post 365 Photography Project Tips appeared first on My Beautiful Everyday.

Thank you all for the encouragement you have given me through this year-long journey. Your support helped me immensely, and gave me the extra push I needed to complete this difficult, yet very rewarding challenge. If you are interested in reading about how this project all began, please read my post Project 365: Are You Up To The Challenge?

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