Loving 50% Off Halloween Costumes

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween. I just love the day after Halloween, when costumes drop to 50% off. My boys, and now my daughter, have always loved dressing up. I bought several costumes to give them for Christmas as well. It is so good for kids to dress up and play. You can read a million articles that explain why. Needless to say, this prompted an impromptu photo shoot.

 

Here is my blonde version of Snow White.

 

 

I was wishing I had a really red shiny apple, but this is as good as it gets without any planning.

 

Her cousin had a costume too so she joined in the fun. This would be an adorable pose to take with sisters!

 

That is a lot of chubby in the mirror. I love every inch of her.

 

And... the guilty face after she bit into the apple. I hope you have fun and plan your own impromptu photo shoot. Time flies so fast and I just wish I could capture every sweet moment.

 

Our Baby Girl Newborn Photo Shoot

Our precious baby girl has arrived! We are so in love. After having two boys, dressing a girl is a real treat. I was inspired to take some newborn photos when she was a week old. I searched for unique, creative, and original newborn photo ideas and was inspired to come up with some of my own as well. My little one was surprisingly cooperative, but it still took quite a while to capture some of these pictures. I am so appreciative of digital cameras, because I vividly remember the days before we had them. and all the film I used to develop!!

 

I squeezed Miss Anabelle in a bucket and she was pleasantly comfortable after a few minutes. I think she just enjoyed being on her tummy.

 

I am doing the nursery with a vintage theme and I snagged this old baby scale for photographs at a garage sale.

 

Look who just arrived! I am thinking it would have been much easier and less complicated if she truly had arrived by express mail.

 

This is the photograph I took in the hospital when she was 3 days old. The hospital photographers never made it around, so I took this picture a few minutes before I was taken out.

 

Daddy is in love with his little princess. This photo was at the hospital too.

 

Now on to the proud big brothers.

 

Welcome baby girl. Our family is complete!

 

Superman Child Photo Shoot as a Gift for Dad

My husband's birthday is in a few weeks and I am at a total loss for a good present. Honestly, there is not much I can buy him that would fit in our camper right now or for the next few months. Lol! My youngest is obsessed with super heroes right now and he spied a picture on the Internet of a little boy dressed up as Clark Kent. He wanted to make his own costume. I thought a Superman photo shoot was the perfect solution. Plus it only took ten minutes.

 

 

Supplies:

3 D glasses from the movie theatre with the lenses popped out

Superman shirt

Button down shirt

Tie

 

Now to decide which picture is my favorite. What do you think? I am going to make a card for my husband's birthday that says something like...

 

Thanks Dad for always being my Superman!

 

 

Newborn Photo Ideas Tips and Tricks

If you have ever tried to take newborn pictures you know how challenging it can be. Looking for a few tips? Newborns don't normally have a regular schedule yet, they are still quite wrinkly, and their favorite position is often in their mother's arms. However, most new moms don't want a whole lot of pictures of themselves after 9 months of pregnancy, delivery, and exhaustion. They want some sweet baby pictures to send out on announcements and to share with loved ones.

 

I lucked out on this photo shoot for a friend to get a sweet and gentle soul...most of the time...to take pictures of. I always ask the mom if they are comfortable with me handling and positioning their baby. I just ask if they are ever uncomfortable or would rather do it themselves halfway through to let me know. I find it MUCH easier to move a baby around on my own.

 

 

I found this antique baby scale at a garage sale. It was perfect. Not only does it show the little one's weight, but it is a precious prop for her in her pink Tu Tu. I love how her tiny little foot is draped off the edge to show how truly small it is.

 

 

I usually try to take a vertical and horizontal shot of my favorite poses. It always surprises me which one I like best in the end.

 

 

And of course, any baby picture is classic in black and white.

 

My next prop was a basket, a special baby blanket, and an antique little mirror. Her mom wanted her to wear a special dress that had been passed down for generations. The mirror was stashed in the back of the basket, and served to reflect even more details of this baby girl.

 

I always think babies looked almost "fake" when I look at old photography black and white photos from our grandparents generations. With her old little bonnet, and serene look, I feel it captures that old time feel to fit with her dress.

 

 

 

And...like I said...it only goes well for a while. Ha ha. I just picked her up, soothed her back to sleep, and nestled her back in the basket for more photos ten minutes later.

 

 

I always ask the parents to send me some ideas of what type of pictures they want at a photo shoot. It is not because I lack ideas. It helps paint me a picture of what style of photography they are looking for. The mom specifically requested a few photos with their wedding rings. This is such a classic and sweet memory for them.

 

Mom also mentioned she would like to use a chair  from her bedroom. I dragged it outside and stood up on a chair to get this angle. I love how small it makes the baby look. I know she will treasure looking back at that chair, and seeing how tiny she really was, to take up only that much room. I turned the background to black and white and kept the little one in color. (All of this is possible with Picassa which is free to download and easy to use)

 

Just a simple pose. Looks like she is saying hmmm....

 

Most moms also want a little skin in pictures. However, babies are wrinkly, have mottled skin, and often baby acne early on. I have found it easiest to take more head shots showing a little extra skin. Black and white is your friend. I can almost smell that newborn baby scent looking as she serenely rests.

 

Hope this helps. Good luck on your next attempt to take newborn photos. Patience is key.

 

 

 

Couple Engagement Photo Ideas... Country Style

I like to do some photography on the side for friends. My theory is...if you have a talent to share... you should. I am not wonderful at photography, but I get better every time I try. I generally don't charge anything, because it reminds me of the old time country living. (At least my imagination of it) Neighbors just helped neighbors because it was the right thing to do. I feel the same way about my blog.  I really just love to spread the joy of crafting.

 

Recently, I did these country style engagement photos for some friends. Here are a few of my favorites of the special couple.

 

 

I named this photo His and Hers. When they showed up with all of their clothes and a pile of boots I began to laugh. Apparently, they have more at home. I knew we had to capture their boot collection immediately. This is one of my favorite photos!!

 

 

We have an old barn with a flag painted on it at our house. It dates back at least 100 years. The rustic barn wood provided a great back drop for their sweet innocence.

 

My friend John really wanted to incorporate his guitar in their engagement photos. I struggled at first to pose them, and then it just became natural.

 

Props can be hard sometimes, but they are also a great way to incorporate a couple's personality.

 

I always have couples send me some pictures of ideas they have seen and admire. It gives me a sense of what they are looking for in their own photo shoot and a sense of their style. The photo above was inspired by a picture the couple emailed me.

 

We ended up at our next door neighbors house with some of their cool tractors.

 

Miss Sassy britches was perfect for these pictures.

 

I feel like she belongs on the set of Dukes of Hazard. (One of my all time favorite shows for the record)

 

Photography tip: Slant the background horizon a bit to add some interest.

 

And...don't forget to just have some fun with the pictures. Capture the moment!

 

These two brought their old school belts from middle school and we did some cute shots of their leather tooled belts.

 

John mentioned while we were doing their engagement photo shoot that he always loved a girl with a "big wrench" in her hands. I started laughing and dreamed up this playful photograph.

 

When a couples smiles get worn out, it is the photographers job to bring them back. Just ask the couple to frown...and they will almost always start laughing and smiling after an attempt.

 

Another idea is to ask your couple to say sweet nothings where you can't hear it. One or more will almost always start laughing within seconds. There is something special about a good secret.

 

I hope this helps. I have at least 100 more photos. They were having so much fun taking pictures together, we went until the sun set.