Thursday, October 25, 2012

Start Smiling With A Holiday Photo Time Giveaway + A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION!!!

Can you tell how super excited I am to be hosting this amazing giveaway just in time for the most photographed time of the year!??

Thanks to The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) I have an opportunity to let all my readers know about a chance to win a Professional Photography Session PLUS the chance to win an Organic Bloom Frame!!!

Ok..now that I have had time to calm down lets talk about photos. If you are a regular reader of Maria's Space you know I love my photos. Taking pictures of my kids, life, friends, things, is a passion of mine. Trying to create memories in a split second is something I spend at least 35 minutes a day doing. Whether I am photographing, organizing, editing, or just looking at photos I LOVE every second. I also enjoying learning from other photographers and the following tips are so great, I just have to pass them on.  

My Favorite Shot this year:

 


TOP TEN TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS OF
 YOUR CHILDREN
National Association of Professional Child Photographers Shares Insider Tips for Parents

ATLANTA (October 23, 2012) – Preparing a photo session with children can be a daunting and exhausting task. Most parents can barely get their children to stay put long enough to eat a full meal, yet alone pose for an entire photo shoot. Despite the challenge, the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) has a few tricks to help make an at-home photography session painless for everyone while still producing plenty of frame-worthy shots:

Get on their level: Lay or sit down on the floor to capture the perfect picture. Not only will you be able to see the world from their vantage point, but you’ll also have better perspective and angles when shooting.

Lighting is key: Most parents think that having great lighting can be replaced with a camera’s flash, but the flash can actually make children appear washed out. Instead, utilize indirect, natural lighting by shooting near a window in the house or under the shade of a tree.

Never stop shooting: For every good shot, there are typically about 8-10 bad ones, but that’s the beauty of having a digital camera! Change the setting to continuous shooting mode to capture lots of shots in the midst of action. Even most standard point-and-shoot cameras have some sort of “sport mode” that can accomplish this task.

Get to know your camera: Consult your camera’s manual or look up the settings online so that you can take full advantage of all of its different settings. Three key ones to experiment and get comfortable with are the aperture setting, the shutter speed and the ISO setting.

Consider black and white: Black and white photos are not only timeless and classic, but they can also easily cover up the redness and blotchiness on newborns and babies. Adjusting the black and white settings is usually easiest to do after the photo session in photoshop or picasa.

Make it fun for them: Kids love to play with their parents, so turn a photo session into play time! Play games, tell jokes and sing songs with them – pretty soon, they’ll forget that you’re taking pictures.

Get up close and personal: Get close or zoom in to capture all of the small details that make your child unique.

Pay attention to the background: Before you start shooting, make sure that any unwanted or distracting items, like a vacuum cleaner or piles of clothes, are out of the way and out of the shot.

Bring your camera everywhere: You never know when inspiration will strike. Camera phones make it easier to capture the everyday moments with your children – they can take decent pictures, but don’t always print well because of their low resolution.

Show off their personality: Standard portrait photos are parent favorites, but don’t hesitate to shoot pictures of them in their natural settings and behaviors. Their quirky and adorable habits today can usually create the best photos that you’ll treasure years later.

OK, so now for the really fun part!


 
Enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a frame from The Organic Bloom Frame

But it gets even better, the winner will also be entered to win a Grand Prize photography session. OK, OK...I know, I am rambling but this is so exciting...here is the specifics...ready? There are 35 bloggers participating and we will submit our frame winner's information to NAPCP and a winner will be randomly drawn for a full professional photography session with Mandy Johnson.  Check out Mandy's site! She has photographed celebrities such as Ashley Williams and Sheryl Crow. NAPCP will fly Mandy out to your   hometown so that the photography session can take place in the comfort of your own home!! Imagine?!

If you are looking for a professional photographer in your area check out the NAPCP website .

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
About NAPCP:
The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) is an association whose mission is to promote and support the artistry and integrity of professional child photographers. The NAPCP connects parents searching for child photographers in their area with its professional members by providing a comprehensive directory of photographers and informative articles on what to expect from their professional photography experience. Serving as a valuable resource for both photographers and parents, NAPCP continually strives to raise industry standards in child photography. 

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation to post this information.

16 comments:

  1. I love the Mary Ann Frame ( with 3 photos 5x7) . It is so hard to pick , they have BEAUTIFUL frames!

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  2. I love the Coat Rack Frame! But my favorite single frame is the Cary Grant.

    Thanks!
    h4schaffer at gmail dot com

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  3. I like the Eva shape.
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. I like the meg shape

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  5. fave: johnny
    xoxo

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  6. I also love the coat rack frame too! I didn't see that one till one mentioned it !! :) Very nice!! I'm a bit of a photographer myself so I find these frames beautiful !

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  7. Is there a way that I can find out what other bloggers are participating for the frame giveaway, I'm really interested in them and would love to increase my odds of winning one :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole,
      I will try to find out.

      Delete
    2. Carole, Mommy Moment is participating http://www.mommymoment.ca/2012/10/top-10-photography-tips.html#comment-90322

      Delete
  8. I llke the Meg shape the best.
    winit6@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the Lucy - Metallic Taupe with Brown Glaze

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  10. Marlene10:10 PM

    I like the meg shape

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  11. I like the Lucy shape

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  12. Nicole8:04 PM

    I like the gilligan shape

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like the Eva shape

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  14. Kelly9:13 PM

    I like the coat Rack frame!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to talk to you further