Easter Spring Photoshoot

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday yesterday!  My new favorite thing lately is setting up cute little photo shoots with my kids on the holidays.  I never do anything crazy- but if I look for ideas online I can always find some really cute and simple ideas and I literally only spend 10 minutes with the kids to get lots of cute pictures.  Here are some simple ideas if you want to do a Spring Photoshoot with your kids:

Living Room Redo- Board and Batten DIY

So for my birthday this year I requested a little spruce up of the living room/kitchen where I spend most of my time and where there are some things we have been wanting to change and add since we have been living here.  We did board and batten in the living room then decided to use the leftover pieces and get some more to do the bathrooms while we were at it.  It made such a huge difference and after doing that I changed out a few accessories and felt like I had a whole new house!  I also touched up the white paint in my whole house (baseboards, cabinets, dresser, etc) so that made a huge difference too.  I was able to complete the whole house revamp for under $700- here is the breakdown:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy belated Valentine's Day!  I made my kids do a quick photo shoot before church yesterday - mostly a success except that Jensen's kissy marks looked like bruises haha!  Oh well- next year I'll improve on those ;)

Favorite Things Friday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!  I have a couple things today that I am REALLY excited to share and tell you about.  First of all:

1. Apple Cider Vinegar:

I just started drinking a Tbsp. of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) in a cup of warm water and a little Truvia to make it drinkable and I CAN'T BELIEVE the difference it is making.  Not only does it completely curb cravings and give me energy, but I also have NO appetite lately (not sure if that's a good or bad thing with all this yummy food around haha...)  There are all sorts of health benefit claims of ACV, so I was curious about it and started drinking some of the cheap store brand, then once I noticed such a difference I bought this Braggs brand with the 'Mother' that supposedly adds to the health benefits.

2. Twice! 

Oh my goodness I am beyond excited about the clothes I have gotten off of this site!  I have maybe spent $12 and have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of clothing!  Read more about it here and you can get yourself $80 of clothing for under $5 too!

3. Jamberry Nails

I have to make a confession- I have a bad habit of picking at my nails.  Gel nails only lasted a couple days for me, and regular nail polish looks bad after one day.  Jamberry nails have stayed on longer than any other product!  I'm going on a week right now!  Plus, you can't get super cute designs like theirs with anything else.  Plus, they aren't messy and have no dry time, which makes them super great for little kids (my 6 year old loves "girl parties" and asks me to have them with her a lot, so doing these for our "girl party" was super easy, fun, and not messy at all.) You can buy them here- they make great gifts!

4. These babies I got to photograph this last weekend:

5. Inka Coffee Substitute with Cafe Mocha Coffeemate Creamer.  YUM! 

I have been drinking this in the evening as a little treat after dinner and to get myself warm- it is SOOO cold!  Combined with the ACV in the morning, I have no desire to eat any other treats-which for me has meant losing the remainder of my baby weight!  Yay!  

Busy Busy Busy

I have neglected this little blog SOO much this summer!  In case you would like to see what I've been up to- take a look at my photoblog.  Such fun, beautiful weddings!

Mini Session Photo Shoot Giveaway!

I just wanted to give all of you (or at least those of you in Utah) the chance to win one of my photography giveaways!  Here is what I am doing right now:

Just go HERE to like my page and you are entered! 

Photography Tips: Cards and Kids

    I don't post a lot about photography on this blog since I have a separate photography blog, but for the way I feel about photography, I just HAVE to share some tips with all of you.  My photos are some of the most valuable things to me, mostly because they preserve my memories for me since my memory isn't the best, so I love when I can share tips to help others take and preserve those memories too.

My mom sent me a VERY helpful article the other day about memory cards.  I have to say that a memory card going bad is one of my greatest fears as a photographer.  It hasn't happened to me yet, but the day that it does I am sure I will probably have a little anxiety attack. :)

Here is the article on memory cards:

http://improvephotography.com/676/9-things-photographers-need-to-know-about-memory-cards/

If you don't want to read it, I will go over the main points:

1. Sandisk & Lexar are not the same and Sandisk will work better with some Nikons.  Do your research before buying a memory card.

2. The thing you need high-performance memory cards for most is shooting in RAW.

3. NEVER "erase all images" on your card.  ALWAYS "format" it.

4. NEVER erase the images on your card using your computer.

5. Treat your memory cards gently- they break easily.

6.  High-capacity memory cards use a TINY bit more battery life.  Its totally worth it if you need it for shooting RAW though. :)

7. Both Lexar and Sandisk professional cards come with a free program to help you recover the images if you accidentally delete them.

8. Lexar will actually let you send the card to them at no charge to recover deleted pictures.

Okay, so that is enough about memory cards...

The second topic that I have been thinking about lately is how to get good pictures of children.  I am not really that great with kids, so family sessions are always the most work for me.  I really loved this photographer's tips and tricks on how to get real smiles and expressions from kids.  Go read it if you are needing help in that area like I am- it is simple and short and really helpful.

Just curious, how many of you are interested in photography and would like more posts on that?

Can it be Fall Already?

For some reason I am SOO anxious for Fall this year.  Usually I am so sad when summer starts to leave, but I can't wait this year! 

I can't wait to wear Fall clothes:

images via

And to eat Fall food:

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And to take pictures with the pretty colors:

image via

Are you anxious for Fall and cold weather?  Or is this just a pregnancy thing?

What's on My Wish List?

Right now I am loving:

Sequin Skirts: (for after-baby body of course:)

Stylish Camera Bag that I can also use as a diaper bag/purse:

This doormat...for in front of the apartment office of course :)

Feather Earrings!  Love them ALL!

Feminine grey blazer...love this one and this outfit:

Fall nail color-this one is perfect:

images via

What's on your wish list right now?

Maternity Pictures!!

Happy almost-weekend everyone! 
I am SO glad this week is over-it was a CRAZY busy one for me...

While I was in Seattle mid August, my sister's friend took some maternity pictures for me!  I was only about 24 weeks along, so not showing a ton, but I knew it would probably be my only chance to get them done.  So, here are some of my faves:

You can see more of them on my photo weblog if you would like!

Also, remember to enter the Navoh Handbag Giveaway and the My Memories Scrapbook Software Giveaway.

Winner of the Navoh Handbag will be announced Monday!

Flash Photography Made Simple

Have you heard of Lightscoop?  For all of you that take pictures inside and just can't get your flash to do what you want it to- this is for you. 

Lightscoop is so easy to use.  In fact, I didn't even watch the instructional video.  I just clipped it on my camera and started shooting. 

I think Lightscoop is ideal for those that want an even flash for those indoor pictures you take on a weekly basis.  As a mom, there are so many moments indoors that I would like to capture, especially of my daughter, that I just don't have time to add my huge external flash to get.  The Ligthscoop is light and small enough that I can simply leave it on my camera ready to use.

Here are a couple pictures I took to compare my on camera flash and my on camera flash with Lightscoop:

Before Lightscoop:

(harsher light and red eye)

After Lightscoop:

(softer light and no red eye!)

I would definitely recommend Lightscoop to all of my friends that want a soft flash without all the hassle and expense of an off-camera flash.

Living Room Remix

If you like change like I do, you get bored of your home every six months, pretty much on the dot.  Since moving wasn't in the cards this time, I decided to mix things up a little bit.  There are so many little easy and cheap things you can do to change things up in your home.

First of all: Declutter

Getting rid of odds and ends that you don't really need (or don't need out where everyone can see) makes SUCH a huge difference in the way your place looks.

Accent Pillows

They are so easy to change and inexpensive if you buy fabric on sale or clearance.  I took all my mismatched pillows and made 4 faux leather covers for them.  I LOVE them!

Picture Collages/Big Statement Pictures

You can tell I'm a photographer when you walk in my house because I hang photos EVERYWHERE.  They are inexpensive when you buy frames secondhand and get your pics printed online.  I actually really like this online company when they have deals going.  Just don't print at Costco or Walmart, unless you don't care how they look I guess.  It is fun to be able to change them with the seasons.

Accent Lighting

I actually just bought these paper lanterns secondhand for 50 cents each and strung white Christmas lights through them.  You can find all sorts of cool lamps in secondhand stores or yard sales.

There are still things I need to work on in this room...but for now I am happy with the changes.

What are some things you do to mix things up in your homes?

This will be posted HERE

How to Take Better Pictures: Guest Post

 I wanted to share a guest post I did a while ago on my friend's blog...

Why and how did you get started in photography?

I got started with photography about 7 years ago.  My first digital camera was a Canon Powershot and I have always loved those for point and shoot cameras.  I still use a Canon Powershot when I don't want to lug around a big DSLR in my purse.

After owning my first digital camera I realized how much fun photography was and decided to slowly get into it.  I bought a $200 camera (Kodak) that looked a little more professional and started doing free photo sessions that I would advertise on Craigslist.  After getting more practice I started charging a very minimal amount to save up for a DSLR.  Then I bought my Nikon D100 for $500, Nikor 50mm lens, then eventually my Nikon D90 that I am currently using.

For someone just starting out (whether for a professional reason or just for family pictures) I would definitely suggest saving up for a D90.  It is definitely worth it.  or, buy a used D100, D70, D80, D90 etc. on craigslist or KSL.com.  For a starter lens, I would definitely go with a 50mm 1.8f.  And never buy the cheaper lenses.  They aren't worth it.

Are there classes you would recommend for beginners, or did you learn more from other means?

The first class I took was a beginner's course at Utah Valley University (after hours and not just for UVU students)  It was taught by Rex Allen (owner of Allen's Camera) and it was on $35 for a 6 week course.  It was definitely a good starting class for me.  However, the classes that I would recommend for all starting and intermediate photographers is Nicole Hill's classes.  She has a few different ones and they are all AMAZING.  You will learn SO much and it is worth EVERY SINGLE penny.  Here is the website with more info about those.

Do you have a favorite photo shoot? 
 My favorite shoots are always the ones that I have fun with, can relax while I'm there, have good lighting, and the pictures turn out really good.  I have had a lot of favorite shoots, but the one that I can think of last is this one I did last November.  The weather was a perfect 72 degrees, I had a gorgeous couple to work with, who I knew and could relax with, and the pictures turned out great. The second part of the shoot here.

My second favorite shoot recently was this one I did.  I just love photographing couples and bridal/groom sessions are really fun.  It was another gorgeous day and a gorgeous location in the foothills of the mountains.  Plus, I had my MIL there helping out, which is always a lot less stressful and makes the shoot MUCH easier.

What's your favorite thing about doing photography?

My favorite thing ever is when I can show someone how beautiful they really are.  When I see them look at their pictures and they are surprised at how good they look.  I love to see the confidence that a good picture can give someone.  My favorite part of a shoot is when I come home and put all the pictures on the computer.  It's like opening a present to see all the pictures on the big screen and adjust them just how I want them; especially when they turn out even better than I thought they would, and when I captured it just how I wanted to.

What's your least favorite thing about doing photography?

Bad weather, difficult children, and stressful shoots that don't go as well as I was hoping.

What are some tips you'd give us amateurs who'd just like to know how to take better pictures?

Hmmm. There are so many tips I don't know where to start.  First of all, try to keep your backgrounds as simple as possible.  Try to shoot in the best lighting available (no direct sunlight, 1 hour around sunrise or before sunset, and in shade)  Make sure the eyes of your subject are in focus.  Use the white balance settings on your camera so the coloring looks good.  You can read more about some of these tips here.

I hope that this helps and please feel free to email me any specific questions about photography!  You can see more of my work on my photoblog.