Kids Photography: Children's Style Guide 2017 – #3 for Girls
Waterproof Cameras – should you get one?
Waterproof cameras – should you get one? In my last post, I talked about getting a pocket camera to carry around in your pocket/purse to take family snapshots. I will admit that we have several of these “pocket cameras” sprinkled all over the house. That may be overkill for a non-professional photographer family, but it’s nice to have one handy when you need it! And the whole “handy when you need it” concept it what I want to talk about today. Specifically, waterproof cameras. I have found that you can get an affordable waterproof camera. Let’s call “affordable” in the $150 – $300 range. But then the quality of the photos is lower than in a similarly-priced regular camera. That is, unless you go up in price to the $250 – $450 range to get a similar quality level of images with the waterproof feature. You can also get a waterproof housing for many of the cameras….for about $200. Those are great b/c they are usually waterproof to about 100 feet which means you can dive with them. Still, waterproof housings can be a pain to use. So, if you will use your camera in lots of wet but not deep water situations (kid’s swimming, beach trip, soccer games in the rain, etc), then go ahead an consider getting a waterproof one. They are also often more rugged and can handle a few falls. I use this one, because I wanted something very rugged….but I would probably pick something different next time. Something with better image quality – like this one by Nikon. As a loyal Cannon shooter (you should see how many Canon cameras I have bought over the years), I feel disloyal recommending a Nikon – but I think their waterproof cameras seem better.
That said, I did make this image below with my current waterproof camera. And if I didn’t have a waterproof camera with me that day, I would not have had any camera with me at all – as I was in the pool at the time that I saw this great scene and just HAD to capture it. There is a saying, “The best camera is the one you have with you.”
Top 3 Tips for Making the Most of Your Family Photos
3 Tips for Making the Most of Your Own Family Photos
Don’t loose your memories!
The New Year is a great time to make sure all your digital images are backed up – either to the cloud from your phone, and/or to a backup service from your computer. Your photos should always be backed up in at least one place, preferably two. You can use the autoback up feature on your phone (b/c chances are, most of your photos are there – right?), as well as an auto back up for your computer like Carbonite or Backblaze, or even Dropbox.
The power of touch:
Speaking of your digital images, how often do you print them out? January is a great time to review your photos from the last year, and print them out. Some people do books, and others make framed prints. Even if you don’t often print your images, at least print a few for your kids. They LOVE having physical prints of their family, parents, friends, pets, themselves. Print out a few small sizes and let your kiddos use them as bookmarks.
Gear up – Top 6 things to look for in your pocket camera.
I love my iphone for convenience, but a good pocket camera will take much better photos than your camera phone. Esp in low light situations like indoor, early morning, and dusk. (One exception – the new iPhone 7 Plus really does take decent everyday snapshots.)
If you don’t have that specific iPhone, I suggest a pocket camera like a Canon Powershot . Rather than recommend my favorite model (which changes frequently), that link will take you to a search function on Amazon.
You want a camera that: 1) has at least four stars from reviews AND has at least 250 reviews, 2) is available Prime (which means it’s fairly current) – even if you aren’t a Prime member, you can use that as a selection criteria 3) does video in 1080p, 4) has “image stabilization” for taking non-blurry photos in low light withOUT a flash. A flash (usually) just ruins the mood when you are taking low light photos, 5) has “wireless technology” to connect to your phone, so you can send/share/post the images right away, with just a few extra touches, 6) is between $200 and $400. This puts you in the sweet spot for decent quality, but not so expensive that you are a sad panda if/when it breaks or gets lost….and pocket cameras, if they are used frequently, do eventually get broken or lost. 7) optional: is a fun color! Although honestly, it seems the really good quality ones only come out in black, silver and white.
Watercolor Cameras Image credit: FreePikKids Photography: Children's Style Guide 2017 – #2 for Girls
Darling accessories pair well with mini skirts in our second style guide. Just add: ballet flats with pom-pom details (seriously, how cute are these?), rose-gold metallic boots, and sweet patent chelsea boots with a crochet beret, pink fur stole, or pretty cognac purse.
Kids Photography: Children's Style Guide 2017 – #1 for Girls
This style guide focuses on fun textures and pops of metallic. Liven up a subdued knit with goldenrod corduroys, or black slacks with a sequined bomber. Double points for pairing in-season embroidery with fun metallic skinny jeans.
Denver Family Photography – New "Explainer" Video
Here is mine, hot off the presses. Well, the digital presses that is:
Natascha Lee Studios 2016 Explainer Video from N Lee on Vimeo.
If you are looking for family portraits, that video gives you a super quick overview of me, the kind of photos I create, and my style. Below are a few more key links that people like to have, when they are looking for a Denver family photographer and considering working with me. Feel free to check them out. And, if you aren’t in the area looking for a Denver family photographer, ask your local photographer if they have similar links available for you to check out. In addition to pricing and their gallery, be sure to see a video or a sample of a full session – I always recommend seeing an entire session by your photographer. Because anyone can take one or two good photos, but you want a photographer that will deliver and entire gallery of great images for you to select from. Not all photographers have a studio, but if they do have one, you’ll want to ask where it is and what it is like. Their studio is a great meeting place, you can see their product samples and it also provides a back up shooting location if your outdoor location gets rained/snowed out. (Although it can be very fun to shoot in the rain and snow! 1. What people say about working with me 2. My photo galleries, (one for each of my specialties so you can see my photography style) 3. Videos to see what an entire session would look like 4. Pricing Overview 5. A bit about me 6. My N Denver Studio Tour ]]>
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