Stomping your Way to Blog Success

Are you still using Photoshop to make collages and prepare your pictures for your blog? Are you resizing, fussing with templates and basically pulling your hair out to get the look you want? You are? Then have I got the product for you!! Blogstomp.

Some of you probably already use this time-saver, this most excellent blogging tool. But I was surprised to find when I was in Seattle that many photographers had never heard of it. I've been using it for over a year and let me tell you, it practically changed my life. In literally SECONDS, that's right, SECONDS, you can create beautiful images for your blog, website, even Facebook, that look like they took hours.

 And what's great, is that when you group images, you're not just showing your work, you're telling a story about your session. When you put multiple images together from the same shoot, you're letting potential clients know that you can get more than just a smile out of people. It looks clean, professional and appealing.

 Blogstomp is an application that lives on your computer and it's totally affordable. You can buy it just for yourself ($49 for two computers) or for your studio ($89 for five computers). Just think of the time you'll save. And we all know that as photographers, time IS money.

Happy Stomping!!

Megan Evans is the artist behind the lens at Megan Evans Photography!  She's won numerous challenge's here at LPB and all over the web.  And we are so lucky to have her as a regular guest contributor!  

Examining Your Frame | Guest Blog by Colie James

This is where I tell you to SLOW down and really look at your frame before you shoot.   Just like some people take a shot to then review their settings and adjust, the same can be true of the elements of your frame.  Take a shot and re-evaluate the frame.  If you can identify any objects that don't belong remove them.  If they can't be physically removed then it is your responsibility to either move your subject or reposition yourself to eliminate distracting elements from the image.  

My biggest pet peeve in my living room are my lamp and that recliner.  I hate that recliner.  No really, HATE.  For planned shoots in the living room earlier this year I would push it into the dining room or even the kitchen to get it out of my living room.  Now, my daughter simply will not allow it.  She LOVES sitting on the recliner during the day.  There is no need for the lamp during the day so I try to remember to remove it first thing in the morning.  If I forget, I usually remember when I am looking at the back of the camera because it is quite an eyesore for me.  It is also pretty common to slide the coffee table over to the area in front of the fireplace leaving a nice open space for Chloe to play in and a clean frame for me to shoot in.

Here are some nice clean images taken once the room is rearranged.

 What do I do with the permanent elements that can't be removed?  Namely the wall outlets or the air vent on the floor.  Well, with my lens I can try to shoot in a direction that eliminates them from my frame or when that doesn't work shooting at a wider aperture so they are not as noticeable.  I also have the option of removing them in post processing but that isn't always easy.  This picture of my daughter would look SO much better with the vent removed but it is no easy feat.  I might "fix" that someday.

What about the temporary items that are in the frame but do not relate to the story?  Typically these are toys that Chloe was playing with and they don't play a part in my story.  I have learned to wait until she leaves the room to clean up the room, otherwise she literally walks behind me putting the toys I am picking up exactly where I found them.  I swear the kid LOVES mess.

 Sometimes it just takes too much effort to clean the room.  Look at these two images.  The first is a moment between my husband and daughter.  She is wearing her new big girl panties and showing him her guitar.  Such a sweet moment.  The frame is certainly not clean, but everything in it has meaning.

For this second image, the story here is that her old stroller has become her new personal recliner.  Admittedly there is a lot of clutter in this image that does not add to the story.   It was my anniversary and I just did not want to clean the frame.  This image still tells a story, but the clutter is distracting.  What about for you, do you ever shoot and leave the clutter?

Thanks for reading.

By Colie James – Boulder, Colorado

Colie is a storytelling lifestyle photographer based in Boulder, Colorado serving all areas between Ft. Collins and Denver. She is an on-location photographer who loves to tell the true stories of her clients, just as they are. She also writes a weekly blog column for LIght Inspired sharing her own work and others.  While her love of photography started long before the birth of her daughter, Chloe, it has taken on a life of its own as she strives to capture all of her own moments and now her clients. Colie equally loves espresso, her husband of twelve years, James, and her daughter who is two going on twenty.

http://www.coliejamesphotography.com

http://www.facebook.com/coliejamesphotography

http://lightinspired.net/author/colie-james/

Everyday Beauty | Guest Blog by Ginger Unzueta

I am often asked how my style evolved and what brought me to this point in my photography. It is no secret that I have a great passion for capturing the story of my children.  First and foremost, I give all the glory to God.  My passion, my talent, and my inspiration are all gifts from Him.

When my oldest daughter (who is now almost 9) was younger I took picture after picture of her smiling perfectly at me in her beautiful smocked dresses, with her pretty bows in her hair, at a planned location of choice.  Sometimes these smiles were even real and no doubt, beautiful, but I found I was bored with these pictures.  Her personality and life were missing.  There wasn't a story to them. 

I never put my camera down. I kept picking it up and capturing the beauty around me. (I have consistently taken over 1000 pictures of my own children per month for years—I KNOW, A LOT.)

I fell in love with capturing the everyday for what it is.  I fell in love with the images when my children weren't aware that I was there.  I fell in love with images where I could look back and feel the connection again.  These images told me a story that made my heart skip a beat and made me nostalgic for one reason or another.   I became so alive and passionate as I learned to capture the light and its’ glory around the scene of my children. 

I am very passionate about other mothers learning to capture these same moments with their own children.  I have teamed up with the Bloom Forum and teach a workshop entitled EVERYDAY BEAUTY.  My next class will begin July 22^nd.  You can read more about my workshop here: http://www.everythingbloom.com/workshops.  I will be announcing early registration on my facebook page and blog in early May. 

This is where I normally write a little snippet about the artist, but her about me is poetic and so much better than anything I could have hoped to write.  Her work is captivating and I love her work in my newsfeed, in fact I look forward to it.  

From her about me:

Ginger is a natural light lifestyle photographer located in Central Florida.  She is a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend.  She is a lover and seeker of the light and she longs to capture the love and connections of the people she is with.  She wants to capture the stories of today to be tetold tomorrow.  Ginger yearns to capture the beauty of the imperfect and the details of everything around her.  She strives to give back to this world;  for she has been blessed in immeasurable ways.  She looks for God's direction in all of this with hopes to fulfill His purpose for her life. 

You can find more about Ginger Unzueta here: www.gingerunzuetaphotography.com

and here:  https://www.facebook.com/gingerunzuetaphotography


If you are interested in sharing or guest blogging with Love Photographs Beautifully, please email hello@lovephotographsbeautifully.com - we love gorgeous guest blogs from talented artists.  

Putting Your Own Twist on Inspirational Images | Guest Blog by Andrea Breci

As a creative person, I always have tons and tons of crazy ideas running through my head!  But let's be honest, I know sometimes it's not easy to come up with something creative, something fresh, something that's your own.  You're tired, worn out, running around like a crazy person with all your errands and events, or you've just plain hit a mental creative block.  It happens to everyone - don't let it get you down!

So you're wondering how to get out of this creative block rut?
I have some great advice that will help inspired you to get inspired!

As a photographer, I know there are a million other photographers out there, and a ton of them are fabulous!  I see images and say "Wow! That's gorgeous!" all the time.  It's a competitive market out there and sometimes it's easy to get down about your own work when you see so much beauty being created by others.  But you don't have to let their beautiful work discourage you - in fact, just the opposite - let it encourage you!  Let it inspire you!

Don't get me wrong...I'm not advocating being a copy-cat.  By no means should you 100% duplicate someone else's work.  They worked hard to get their photography to the level it's at, and you should respect that.  Inspiration and Duplication are two completely different things.

When I look around at all the awesome images out there, I still want to be able to do something unique, that reflects my own personal style and the style of Green Feather Photography.
Here's how I take inspiration from other photographers and make it my own with a few twists...











What do I like about this image?


If I see an image I like, I try to analyze why I like that specific shot.  Do I like the pose, the light, the composition, the background?  Then I take those elements and try to produce a similar effect with my own images, while still maintaining my own photography style.
I don't want to completely copy it, but I want to get some great ideas for my own work.
Next time you're looking at images you love, as yourself why you love them, and see if you can produce the same elements in your own photos.


























Inspiration: Background
I liked the image on the left because of the foreground and background elements.  When I found my location for the image on the right, I was reminded of how I liked the interest of having an old building in the background of my image.  But I didn't want the building to be the focus, so I made sure my subjects were far enough away to out it out of focus and bring attention to them.










Inspiration: Pose
I liked this pose because of the focus on the female subject.  I decided I wanted to do something similar, but still keep a bit more of the males subject as well.  Plus, I made it my own by sticking to my lighting style and use of lenses.
Notice how it is not an exact copy, but you can definitely see there is an influence here.


Hints for posing: Posing can be a difficult thing to master, so practice, practice, practice!  Find inspiration and try out different poses with patient subjects.  The more you do the poses, the more ingrained in your head they will become...but we'll save that for another blog post :)









Inspiration: Light
The inspiration image has gorgeous light that I was drooling over, so I set out to capture a similar lighting effect.  I had not worked with a lot of lens flare up to this point (now I just can't get enough!) so it took a while to nail the effect I wanted.













If you're stumped, here are some places to find inspiration:

Google - do a simple search for a subject (ie: Wedding Rings) and see what you find, then use that inspiration for your next session.  You can find a lot of unique ideas online.


Pinterest - simply searching "photography" on Pinterest will give you a ton of results!  Browse through some photography boards and gather inspiration images into your own board to reference later.

Facebook - network with and follow other Photographers on Facebook.  Photographers are always posting image from their most recent sessions and this is a great way to see how they direct and pose different subjects, use lighting, and compose their images.  I follow a lot of photographers and when I'm feeling a little less creative, just looking through my news feed inspires me!

Instagram - "iPhonography" has become quite a hit these days, and there are always a ton of creative and inspiring images uploaded to Instagram every day. Follow 'grammers who you find inspirational, even if you don't know them.

Blogs - I follow not only the blogs of Photographers who have similar styles to mine, but also ones who's style is completely opposite.  You can also find inspiration from graphic designers, seamstresses, musicians, stay-at-home moms, etc.  Anyone can inspire you if you're looking for inspiration.

Other ways to get inspired:
Attend workshops and webinars, read books and magazines, participate in forums, talk to other photographers, watch movies, take a walk, Photo-a-Day challenge...
And don't forget - the best way to improve your photography, is to get out there and shoot often!


Inspiration images borrowed from:
johnmorrisphotography.com
freshwed.com
wedding64.com
fimaphotography.com
addtoheart.com
joebuissink.com
* Please be kind and respect Copyright Laws - I have put websites here to give credit to some of the amazing photographers who inspire me.  I do not claim them as my own.*






Andrea is the artist behind Green Feather Photography and co-author behind Rock The Camera Workshops in La Mesa California.   Her awesome blog is full of style inspiration and photographer tips!

www.greenfeatherphotography.com

greenfeatherphotography.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/greenfeatherphoto

pinterest.com/grnfthrphoto

LOVING WHAT IS | Guest Blog from Jude Wood

“Not a day goes by that I don't still need to remind myself that my life is not just what's handed to me, nor is it my list of obligations, my accomplishments or failures, or what my family is up to, but rather it is what I choose, day in and day out, to make of it all. When I am able simply to be with things as they are, able to accept the day's challenges without judging, reaching, or wishing for something else, I feel as if I am receiving the privilege, coming a step closer to being myself. It's when I get lost in the day's details, or so caught up in worries about what might be, that I miss the beauty of what is.” ― Katrina Kenison

  see the beauty in the ordinary day. spend a day documenting your family from AM to PM. make a point to do it once a month and then just do it. it is never easy but it is always worth the effort when you are done! i find having a few projects on the go helpful for me to make the effort to document our days. there are a lot of blog circles going around doing this very thing. if you haven't been invited to one, start your own! (; it will be the boost you need to get the job done! you will have wonderful treasures to look back on in years to come. remember the details. children grow so fast. don't forget to document the little details. my son's dirty feet on the chair. just love.   get them all in the frame. take lots of photos of your children all together. this is such a special time in their lives when they are home with you all under one roof. capture them in their world doing what they normally do.   let go of perfection. it will free you.   embrace the truth. the raw honest to goodness truth. document it. it's ok, it always looks better in photos. (;   shoot what you want to remember. i walked into my bedroom one night and my nightstand looked like that. evidence of sickness. baby girl burning up. this is the throws of motherhood. i want to remember every little bit.   embrace the camera make a point to get in the photo yourself. it is never easy, but do it for your children. to them, you look perfect just the way you are.   evidence they leave behind in their wake capture images without your children in the frame. things change so quickly. in the moment it is easy to be taken for granted, but looking back you will treasure them even more.   shoot what you see what moves you. life is so full of wonder. close your eyes so you can see. it will come to you.

Jude Wood is an amazing lifestyle photographer in Canada, and you can find more about her here.