Melanie Rice Photography | Utah County Newborn and Family Photographer

Henry | Utah County Newborn Portrait Photographer

2012-02-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

What an honor to capture these precious, brand new little spirits! I am so lucky. I would like to share some (well, maybe a lot) of my favorite images from sweet Henry's newborn session at just 6 days new. I know how much his family is excited to have him here and with good reason... isn't he just perfect?? I got to photograph his big sister Emme back when she was just 6 months old and it is amazing how time flies. What an incredible opportunity it was to capture all of those precious newborn features that he will grow out of far too quickly. Congrats, Chris and Annalisa, and thank you for allowing me to enjoy your sweet little boy!

Display Idea!

2012-02-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share this display tip for some time now, but somehow I kept putting it off. Well now I'd like to just take a quick minute to share a simple display idea to use your photos! Because as you all know, I am a firm believer that photos should be printed and enjoyed rather than sitting on a CD like many people end up doing. :)

Anyway, this is a fun idea for those of you who, like me, can't just pick ONE photo to display. I am terrible at narrowing down my favorites! Another great factor of displaying your photos this way is that you don't have to buy a whole bunch of frames. You can just have your local professional photo lab mount your prints on a rigid backing and you are good to go!

So I started with two of these shelves from IKEA. I went with the 45" wide shelves. Can't beat the price tag of 15 bucks each! I was originally going to fully mount the shelves on the wall, but I was afraid of damaging the walls too much with those big drywall anchors. I figured the photos would be light enough to try an alternative method. I was sorta right, but I know the proper way would have been to anchor those things to the wall. :) What my alternative method was, was to just use those velcro-esque pull tabs made by 3M so I didn't even have to leave a mark on the wall. I have hung a lot of photos using this method so I thought it would definitely work. Well, the shelves were a little to heavy and awkward sized for the pull tabs and they came crashing to the floor after a few minutes. Whoops. So I decided to supplement the pull tabs with a few small nails in the nail holes in the shelves. It's not perfect, but it has worked and so far no crashing shelves since then. :)

On to the photos! As I mentioned earlier, you can have photos printed or mounted a variety of ways that allow for no framing. It's a great alternative look to add to your home. I have many of the different types of prints in my home, including gallery wraps, gator foam mounts, and more. For this project, I decided to go with a thinner mountboard, so I went with 1/16" matboard- just to try something different. I also had my photo lab spray the images with a luster coating, which is important to always do if you aren't covering a photo with glass. It protects the print from dirt, spills, fingerprints, UV rays, and more. In retrospect, I probably would have gone with a more rigid mounting substrate like styrene or the thicker gator foam, as some of the larger prints have curved ever so slightly. But all in all, they still look great and I love how much it adds to my home!

Here are the photos of the final product! The sizes I ordered were: 2 11x14's, 4 8x10's, and 4 5x7's. Family photos courtesy of my good friend Kelli Brewer (with a few of my own mixed in as well). If you are one of my past clients and would like me to help you create a wall gallery like this or provide you with an in-home consultation on how to best use your images, I would be more than happy to help!

And stay tuned, 'cause I have a very cute little newborn baby boy to feature on the blog very soon!

I'm hoping to get back into the swing of posting tutorials and display tips when I can, so don't forget to subscribe to my blog feed and "like" Melanie Rice Photography on Facebook so you can keep up with my latest work! Also, please feel free to comment or contact me with any tutorials you would like to see featured here. Have a good day!

Bronson | Springville Utah Newborn Infant Baby Photographer

2012-02-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Not only did I get to photograph his gorgeous mom just weeks before his arrival, but I had the pleasure of meeting precious little Bronson when he was just 12 days old. What a sweet little guy! I love that full head of brown hair, those perfect features, and his calm demeanor. I know his family is just in love with him and it's easy to see why! His big sister Alaina was so proud of her new title and I know she will love having a sweet baby brother to take care of. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce Bronson!

I also got a few shots of Alaina too during Bronson's session. She just turned four recently and she is so much fun! She gets along so well with my oldest too- they are only about a month apart and it is so fun to watch them play together. What a fun age!

Senior Representatives Needed!

2012-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

Calling all seniors!!

I’m now looking for Senior Representatives for the class of 2012 and the class of 2013!

Graduation is already around the corner. Can you believe it?? You have so many years of work behind you and you are just about to take the leap into the rest of your life. These are some of the best days of your life- so make sure you get some fabulous senior photos to commemorate this big event!

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be a Senior Representative for me? I am looking for fun, outgoing seniors in any of the Utah County high schools to represent Melanie Rice Photography and tell their friends all about my services. I will only accept a maximum of two senior reps per high school.

What does it take to be a Senior Rep?

-Be willing to represent Melanie Rice Photography, share your photos, and hand out your rep cards to your friends.
-Agree to sign an exclusive contract with Melanie Rice Photography, agreeing that you will allow me to use your images on my website, blog, facebook page, and other methods of promotion. Parental approval required as well.
-Be on Facebook and be willing to keep one of your watermarked images as your profile photo through at least April 2012 (or April 2013 for those in the class of 2013).
-Must be actively involved in your school (sports, clubs, etc.) or your community (church, leadership, etc.) -- please specify to me which activities you are involved in when you apply.
-“Like” Melanie Rice Photography on Facebook and recommend my page to your friends at least once, via a Facebook status update.
-A deposit of $100 is due if you are selected as a rep. This will be turned into a print credit once you refer at least two friends who book sessions with me!

What’s in it for you?
-Complimentary senior session (for 2012 seniors, session will take place by mid-March. 2013 seniors will be photographed in July-August of this year).
-25-30 of your best images on a high resolution CD with print release, as well as several watermarked images for you to use on Facebook.
-Set of 50 gorgeous double-sided senior rep cards, personalized with images from your session and with my contact information. Cards come with a silver tin for portability and easy storage!
-Your deposit of $100 will be used towards any prints or products (including wallets, specialty prints, and more), once you refer at least two friends who book with me.

Other awesome incentives:
-A $25 gift card to your favorite clothing store when you refer at least 5 booked sessions.
-A $75 Target gift card when you refer at least 12 booked sessions (great for stocking up on dorm room decorations and supplies for college!).
-A $150 Target gift card when you refer at least 20 booked sessions.

Deadlines for application:
Class of 2012: February 15, 2012 (I will accept 1-2 reps)
Class of 2013: April 15, 2012 (I will accept 4-5 reps)

So that’s how it all works! Please email me at ricemelanie@gmail.com if you would like to be considered, and please answer the following questions in your email:
-Your name:
-Your high school:
-Year of graduation:
-Link to your Facebook profile (this is required in order to be a candidate):
-What activities are you involved in?
-Describe your personality- What are your favorite things to do?
-Do you feel that you are a good influence on others? Why?
-Why do you want to be a senior representative for Melanie Rice Photography?

And… that’s it! It’s that simple! Even if I get all of the senior reps I need, I’d still love to hear from you so I can send you my senior session information and we can start planning a fabulous senior portrait session!

-Melanie

P.S. Did you know that with my senior sessions, you can actually split the session fee when you bring a friend? What a fun way to celebrate your friendship as you embark on life's journeys ahead by capturing a couple fun images together during your session!

Dani | Provo, Utah Pregnancy and Maternity Photographer

2012-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the absolute honor of capturing my dear friend Dani in her final stretch of pregnancy, who looked absolutely beautiful for her maternity session. Time just seemed to fly on by (at least for me anyway!) :) and before I knew it, I was doing her baby boy's newborn photos too! I had so much fun just capturing her right in her element at home. I know how excited her little girl was to be a big sister, and I can't wait to share some of the shots I got of the two of them.

I have to say I absolutely love capturing these moments. Not everyone thinks about getting professional portraits during pregnancy, but I think it would be one of the most incredible times to get some photos done. Those pregnancy days seem long at times (I know, I've felt that way many a time during my own pregnancies!), but before you know it, the baby bump and the feeling of those little feet kicking inside are just fleeting memories. For anyone else out there who hope to capture this incredible time for themselves, don't forget that I always offer the maternity session fee at half off when you book a newborn session (see my investment tab for more details).

Anyway, without further ado... I'd like to share a few of my favorites from Dani's session!

On a final note, I posted a few sneak previews of her precious new addition, baby Bronson, on my Facebook page- so if you haven't already, now's your chance to go head over there and "like" my photography page! Check back soon here for Bronson's newborn session!

Calvin | Utah Newborn Photographer

2012-01-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting sweet baby Calvin at just one week of age. He was welcomed by the most fun family and I know how much they adore him. It was so fun to be able to capture him right at home and also be able to incorporate a little of the Christmas spirit with their tree in the background since he arrived shortly before Christmas. He was so excited for his session that he wanted to be awake for some of it, which made for some precious shots of him just taking the world in. Enjoy a little preview from his session!

Meg and Kate | Utah County Photographer

2012-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

I had such a fun time capturing my gorgeous nieces Meg and Kate last month! They seemed so little once upon a time, but they are all grown up now and of course just beautiful gals. Enjoy this little preview from their session!

Eli | Utah Child Photographer

2012-01-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm finally starting to get caught up with my bloggin.' Next up is my adorable nephew Eli, who I was able to capture last month. I did some photos to honor his 8th birthday and LDS Baptism. I did the same for his older brother Lincoln just a couple years ago. I can't believe how time flies... I feel like I just barely did those shots of Lincoln! Anyway, enjoy these shots. Eli was a trooper, it was freezing outside so this might have been the quickest session yet!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, all! Hope you had a wonderful new year's celebration. I know I did! I'm grateful for so many things this past year, and the future can only get brighter for next year! Thank you to all of you for cheering me on this past year. I know I have made several changes this past year as I have grown as a photographer and have tried to find the best fit for my business and my family, and I so appreciate all of you for your encouragement and support. It means so much to me, truly. I can't wait for another exciting and adventurous new year ahead!

Just thought I'd kick off the new year with a little incentive, for those of you who are considering booking this year! I always find that the fall months through December can be quite busy with my photography, due to the holiday season and the fall colors that we all love. But truly, you can capture amazing memories any time of the year. There are so many amazing seasons and colors all times of the year. Here's your chance to get a great special offer for booking early! I am going to offer a complimentary 16x20 print mounted on gator foam to all those who book sessions to take place from now to July 31st. This can be any session- family, child, newborn, senior, you name it! The only rule is that it is for sessions booked at my current rates and it may not be used with any other special offers or mini-sessions. This is an amazing $135 value just for you! If you prefer a different print style, you may instead credit that $135 towards a different type or size of print (must be from my a la carte print pricing list). But seriously, I love gator foam mounted prints. They are gorgeous. :) I have them all over my house, and they make an amazing statement with the added bonus of not having to buy a frame. Check out a quick look at some of my gator foam prints HERE to see what they look like.

So that's it! Happy booking! Feel free to email me with any questions about the process and if you would like to see my full price list. I'm taking a very limited number of sessions this year and the next few months are already filling up. Don't miss out on your opportunity to get beautiful images this year.

And since no post is complete without a photo, here's one of my favorite shots from 2011.... sigh. Love the beach. Love those two beautiful girls of mine. It was a great day!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Long time no post! Guess that's a reflection of how busy this last month has been. I've been reduced to posting just little previews on my facebook page lately. I will definitely get back to blogging with the turn of the new year and I have so many awesome sessions to share!

In the meantime... just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!! Hope yours has been wonderful, magical, and fun. What a happy time of year. I know we've been having a great time so far! I'm excited for another new year that's just around the corner and the new experiences and opportunities that await. Have a wonderful holiday season! Catch up with y'all soon.

James | Utah Newborn Photographer

2011-12-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Meet sweet little 8-day-old James! I was so excited to meet this little guy and also to meet his new parents, who are just fun and wonderful people. I love getting to know awesome people! My streak of baby boy newborn sessions continued with this little guy and I loved every minute of it. How lucky am I to be able to capture all the perfect details of these sweet little babies, straight from heaven! He didn't want to sleep as much, but even when he was awake he hardly cried. I think he just didn't want to miss out on any of the action! Thanks again, Jordan and Chelsie, for allowing me to capture you and little James during this happy time!

And last but not least, I had to share these final shots. James definitely had us laughing with some of his funny facial expressions! I can just picture him thinking, "who IS this lady and what is she taking pictures of me for??"

Emily & Aaron | Utah Portrait Photographer

2011-12-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Well on this dreary cold day, I'd like to bring back a little bit of spring sunshine with these cute photos of my sister and her husband! Yes, I shot these back in May... and I'm finally catching up with my blogging a little and wanted to share a few. Emily and Aaron both work so hard and are incredibly smart and are going to go on to amazing things! Aaron is finishing up law school right now and Emily is in her final year of family medicine residency and will be joining a family practice group next year! I think that's pretty darn cool. These guys are too cute together and we love having Aaron as a part of our family. Enjoy a few shots from our "mini" session, shot out in Colorado in my parents' big, beautiful backyard.

Eddie and Liv | Springville, Utah Child Birthday Photographer

2011-11-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

My adorable little blond-haired, blue-eyed niece and nephew are back! It is crazy to think how quickly these little ones have grown up before my eyes. Alivia was the very first newborn (besides my own child) that I ever photographed, and her newborn post is actually the oldest one on my blog. (A little nostalgia for you HERE... it's amazing to see how much my photography has evolved!)... Now she's a very grown up almost-three-year-old and we had to celebrate with a photo session! It's pretty nice that she and Eddie have such close birthdays because we can do both of their birthday photos in the same session. :) It is always so fun to see the growth progression on all of the kids I have been lucky enough to photograph over the last couple years, and it's no exception with these two cuties.

Eddie is also growing up way too fast. Here's a look at his newborn session and his 6 month session. Time sure flies! He is such a sweet little guy and is definitely entering the active toddler stage! The great thing about 1 year sessions is that you can plunk a birthday cake in front of them just as they are getting ready to completely abandon ship, and you can get a handful of fun and priceless images. Good times. All of these cake shots make me hungry...

A couple quick side notes, my Black Friday 30% off print sale is still going on through December 2nd. Don't miss this great opportunity to give the gift of your images this holiday season! Also, I'm booking a very limited number of sessions for 2012. I've posted more info and my session calendar under the "investment" tab. I encourage you to book early if you would like to reserve a spot, because once they're gone, they're gone! Now, back to Eddie and Liv's photos!

Black Friday Sale!

2011-11-25T04:36:00.000-08:00

Give the gift of your beautiful images this holiday season! There is no greater joy than seeing your loved ones unwrap photos of those you love the most. And what a truly personal gift!

I'm offering my first ever Black Friday sale! Today only, you may get 40% off of any print order (digital images excluded from this offer). You must order or inquire by 12:00am midnight tonight, MST. I would be happy to reopen any online galleries or send out my print pricing sheet to those who would like to order!

That's not all! If you miss out on today's offer, you may still get 30% off of any print order through ONE WEEK from today, December 2nd at midnight. Happy shopping!!

Winner, winner!!

2011-11-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those who entered the InPrint Designs giveaway!! The time has come to select a winner, and thank you to Random.org for helping me do so! Drum roll, please...

The winner is comment #9, Katie B. P.!! Please contact Melissa at inprint@sfcn.org to finalize your card design!

And for the rest of you, there is still a chance to get a discounted card design. For one week only, use the code BLOGBONUS to get a custom design for only $9.99! Special offer ends Wednesday, November 30th. Happy shopping!

Matsuoka family | Utah Family Photographer

2011-11-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

I recently had the privilege of photographing my good friend Karen's darling family! You may remember her maternity session earlier this spring. I know how excited they were to welcome their beautiful little girl into their family, and I can tell just when I am with them how much love they have for her! Enjoy this little preview from their session.

Also, don't forget... only ONE day left to enter the InPrint Designs giveaway!! Win a darling card design to send out to all of your loved ones this holiday season. Winner announced tomorrow afternoon.

Back to the photos! :)

InPrint Designs GIVEAWAY!!

2011-11-18T13:13:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is already in full swing!! Can you believe it? I must be getting old, because it seems like the days and months just fly by. Well, make sure your holiday plans include sending out some fabulous greeting cards to keep in touch with your friends and family!

I’m excited to announce that I am joining forces with my good friend Melissa of InPrint Designs to offer you these awesome card designs! Her cards are fun, unique, and classic… not to mention affordable. I’ve had her design several cards for me, including holiday cards and birth announcements. Her design shop allows you to purchase the digital file so that you can order single-sided photo prints on your own, or order top quality double-sided press printed cards through her. She is awesome to work with, and customizes your card if needed to make it something you will love! She can design cards for all occasions, whether it be holidays, birth announcements, birthdays, graduation announcements, and much more.

Here’s a quick sampling of her 2011 holiday collection. Check out her Etsy store HERE and her Facebook page HERE.

Here’s mine for this year and I can’t wait to get it printed!!

Here’s the fun part! You get a chance to WIN one of her custom designs to use for your own holiday card! Winner will be able to choose from one of her many designs, and may submit photos and have her build a card just for you. You will receive the digital image file so you may order prints wherever you would like, or you can order press cards through her! She can do 4x6, 5x7, or 6x7.5 sizes, so there are a ton of options. Contest is open to all U.S. residents. By no means does it have to be with images I've taken, so feel free to enter and use any favorite image of yours from this year!

HOW TO ENTER:

• Go “like” both InPrint Designs and Melanie Rice Photography on Facebook. Then come back here and leave a comment saying that you have done so (the comment is your entry!).
• 2nd (optional) entry: Write the following on your own Facebook wall: “I just entered to win a holiday card design with @InPrint Designs through @Melanie Rice Photography!” Be sure to include the @ sign so it will link back to our pages. Then come back here and leave a comment saying that you have done so.

That’s it!! You have until Wednesday, November 23rd to enter. Winner will be randomly selected via www.random.org and will be announced here on the blog next Wednesday. Winning entry subject to verification. It’s so simple to enter, so don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Luker Family | Utah County Family Portrait Photographer

2011-11-11T23:23:00.000-08:00

I feel so honored to have captured this amazing family. Megann and I went to nursing school together at BYU, going on four years ago now! I so was delighted when she contacted me and asked me if I could photograph her beautiful family. They came from many different directions across the country for a short time, and I'm so glad they made time for a family session with me. I hope these images will bring back a lot of fond memories for them down the road. I had a lot of fun with their session and I loved capturing everyone's personalities! I rehearsed everyone's names over and over again ahead of time, but somehow I still ended up making up the wrong names for some of them about 30% of the time while I was concentrating so hard on getting that perfect shot. ;) Good thing they were so easygoing with me regardless. Enjoy this preview from their session!

Phillips Family | Springville, Utah Family Portrait Photographer

2011-11-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

I was so honored when Ashlee asked me to not only photograph their new baby Summit, but also their entire family! We had a blast during their mini session and got some fun shots. The fall colors were absolutely amazing that day. They have such a truly beautiful family and they made my job easy. I love seeing their love for brand new little Summit... it shows in the images! Enjoy this little preview from their session!

I love this series of shots!

Zeke | Provo, Utah County, Utah Newborn Photographer

2011-11-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Zeke, 7 days new and just perfect in every way! He was such a sweet little guy and slept through nearly the entire session. It's so funny, he is my 4th newborn boy to photograph in the last few months and I have three more baby boys coming my way in the next month or two. I haven't photographed a newborn girl since, oh, January?? So random! (And can you believe it's really November already? Where does time go?) Anyway, I can't wait to share a few of my favorites from Zeke's session. I even got a couple smiles out of him... newborn smiles are some of the best things in the world. :) Enjoy!

Tutorial: Post processing

2011-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well let's get real here... I haven't done a very good job of doing these weekly tutorials now, have I?? I have so many lofty amazing goals that I try to keep going all at once and I'm not always the best at achieving all of those. I'm still working on that one. :) Back to my post though, I love it when photographers share their "SOOC" (straight out of the camera) shots and then the final "after" shots. We all have such different ways of processing our images and it is fun to see what other people do! Many people consider this to be a secretive process or something that you just need to "figure out," but I really feel like there is no harm in helping each other and sharing ideas.

Let me first say, Photoshop is a valuable tool to help enhance your images. Note the word enhance. It is not intended to fix bad lighting, bad exposure, create bokeh (that out of focus background look we all love), or many of the other things people think Photoshop does. Those kinds of things need to happen in camera, using proper exposure techniques and a careful selection of equipment in order to achieve certain looks. I recently read somewhere a good description of photography: Photography is just that, PHOTOgraphy... not PHOTOSHOPography. I got a good laugh out of that but it's so true! Photoshop is definitely invaluable but people need to get away from the thought of, "oh, I'll just Photoshop that" while they are out shooting photos.

I always shoot in Manual exposure mode. I try to expose my images right at a neutral exposure in-camera (so I try to place my settings so there are no bars to the right or left of the "0" in my in-camera light meter). This will produce an image that may appear a little darker SOOC than what you see as a final result, but I do it this way so I can still retain detail in the highlights rather than blowing them out

So here's an example of a session I am working on right now- the beautiful Phillips family. The top image is completely untouched, and the bottom one is the finished product. Camera settings: Focal length 85mm, 1/320th of a second, f/3.5, ISO 200.

I start by uploading and sorting my images. I back up my unedited images onto two separate hard drives before I do a single thing to the images. This is SO important. How many times have you heard of people losing images of births, weddings, or more? It happens, and it's devastating to lose images. Knock on wood, I haven't had that happen to me yet and I feel pretty good about having three unique backups before I even touch the images. After I upload, I begin sorting. I look for the best composition, facial expressions, clarity, and much more. This process can often take a long time, as I want to make absolute sure that I got the "winning" images in sharp focus, and sometimes I just can't make up my mind on my favorite shots! (don't we all have that problem??) I narrow it down to 40-50, and then as I process I narrow those down even more to about 30-35.

After I have my favorites chosen, I begin editing. I open them up into Adobe Photoshop CS5 and get started! I start by doing minor cropping, if needed, to straighten the images or adjust my composition a little. After that, I run my own actions to give that boost in exposure and contrast. I highly recommend making your own actions! This saves a ton of time and also gives your final images the consistency you hope for. It's very simple- just make sure your Actions box is open and then look for the icon at the bottom with a piece of paper with the corner folded over (hover your mouse over it and it will say Create a New Action). Then just make your typical adjustments while the action is "recording," and then hit the Stop button when you are done. Easy as that! I have SO MANY actions. I have made them for my standard exposure edits, color correction, B&W, and much more! There are many actions available for purchase out there, although I have mainly stuck with ones that I have made on my own.

Okay. So my standard exposure adjustments for the above photo were something like this (and this is what I use a lot for my outdoor photos- I do something totally different for newborn sessions):

-Boost in curves (two markers on the curves line: First one is input 173, output 191 and the Second one is input 77, output 71)

-Brightness set to 45, Contrast set to 0

Then I ran the FREE Coffee Tea Photography's Baby Powder Room action (love this one!!) to paint in a little extra detail over the facial features, using the "eye define" layer (make sure you are on the layer mask- the rectangle to the right of the layer, and I use a soft paint brush sized just large enough to paint over the areas I want to paint. Make sure the paint brush is the opposite color of your layer mask in order to make this work (so it should be white if the mask is black, or black if the mask is white). This action has a skin softening layer as well, which is really helpful for smoothing out skin areas. But with both aspects of this action, I can't emphasize enough that LESS is MORE. Raise your hand if you've seen any photos out there of people with plastic barbie skin and eyes that look radioactive???? Yep, I thought so. And yes, I am totally guilty of this when I look back at some of my old photos. Freely admit it. But I've learned a lot and I use a very low opacity brush now with this action. It's an amazing tool when it is used correctly!

Then occasionally, I will use the burn tool to enhance a few of the darker areas, such as the grass and the roof of the barn. Not too much (I'm not a big heavy vignette type person, although that's just my style).... once again, less is more.

Oh, and see that lady in the background by the tree? Yes, there were hoards of photographers out there capturing family photos on every possible angle. I seriously thought three years ago that nobody had heard of my secret favorite location, but apparently word got out. ;) And with good reason, the fall colors are always spectacular there. So yep, the lady had to go. This can be done in many various ways, such as using the clone stamp. But since she took up a major part of the tree's structure, I decided to open a different photo of the same setup that I had, in which she *wasn't* in the background... and I took the lasso tool (make sure Feather is set at 0 pixels), and selected the whole tree trunk area as well as some of the ground below it in the other photo. I then went to edit > copy and copied that selection, then went back to the image I was originally working on and pasted that area over the tree. I used the free transform tool to line it up just right over the original tree. Then I created a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All) and used a soft paint brush to paint around the hard edges of my lasso selection to make it blend with the original image. Then I flattened the image, and done!

So, yep. That's all. Editing an image is an involved process no matter how you look at it, but it can be simple when you get a workflow going that you like and when you can create actions to help streamline your process. Does this tutorial help? Leave a comment and share what YOU do to edit photos!

And I must note, this truly just scratches the surface with Photoshop. The options are endless!! I pride myself on a clean and simple editing style, but everyone has their own unique way of reaching the final product. Also, I'm definitely not the Photoshop guru (or the photography guru for that matter). I just know what works for me. :) Just had to throw that disclaimer out there. Hope this tutorial was helpful.

Drake Family | Utah County Family Photographer

2011-10-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

What a fun session we had, and the Drakes are such a beautiful family! Siblings Maya and Bridger were so great for the session and it was fun to see them interact (and P.S. I seriously love their names!!). I love capturing the relationship between parents too and I love the shots I got of Kristin and Scott.

It's funny, I was going to just take them to my favorite "blue wall" spot and I was driving down the road the day before just to check out the lighting and happened to see the most incredible fall colors scene I have ever seen. I think I saw that set of trees from a mile away. The Drakes were so easygoing and were up for anything, so they were great about getting their kids out of the car twice for this session. I'm so glad- the images were worth it (and wahoo for spontaneous last-minute locations!). :) There's nothing I love more than beautiful backlit images in the fall... Tangent aside, enjoy my favorite shots from their session!

Summit | Springville, Utah Newborn Photographer

2011-10-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Meet 5-day-old Summit! I absolutely love his name. I love that soft, peach fuzz hair of his and I love those squishy cheeks! What an honor to capture him during this fleeting and magical time. He was so good for his session and I could have shared like 20 more shots! His proud big sister jumped in for a few too. I had to throw in a "monster" hat shot since, after all, it's Halloween season. :) Without further ado... enjoy little Summit!

Schedule update.

2011-10-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick schedule update! I had one spot open up for my mini sessions next Saturday, the 22nd. Remember it's a session fee of only $30 with prints and digital images sold separately per my standard collection prices. This is a huge savings off of my regular family session fee, so it's an awesome opportunity if you were considering fall photos! I also have a pretty full schedule the next couple months already with photography sessions, so please contact me ASAP if you want one of the final spots for 2011. Thanks to everyone for a great year so far!

And since I can't post without a photo... here's a quick look from my session last week with 5-day-old Summit. He is so sweet! I have a couple more sneak previews from his session on my Facebook page, so don't forget to start following me over there if you haven't already. Full blog post coming soon!

Ezra & Jack | Pleasant Grove, Utah Child Photographer

2011-10-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's so fun to photograph the Acosta family and especially these boys! It has been a blast getting to know these guys over the past year or so and I feel like we are old friends. I was so excited when they asked me to photograph Ezra and Jack, and celebrate Ezra turning one with a little cake smash! It's so hard to believe a year has really gone by since I photographed Ezra as a newborn! And I get to enjoy baby boy #3 in a newborn session in just a couple months. I'm so lucky and honored to be a part of capturing this family's memories! Enjoy these photos of such cute little boys.

Okay, if you've followed my blog for at least a little while and have seen any of the Acosta's past sessions... you might recognize this trademark Jack facial expression!! I love it!

Happy birthday, Ezra. May you celebrate many more wonderful birthdays to come! Thanks, Jason and Heather, for letting me be a part of his one and only first birthday.

Two little cuties.

2011-10-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Howdy there! Just a fun and quick post for the day. I apologize for yet another post of my kids all in a row like this (although I know their grandparents will be happy!) :), but I had to share a few cute shots I got the other night. Remember that session I posted of my own family a few days back? Well, we were short on time and daylight that particular day so unfortunately there wasn't time for individual kid shots. But I knew I had to get a few of them since I have a fun wall gallery in mind that I can't wait to put together- plus this part doesn't require me being in front of the camera so I can do it any time. :) I'm super excited about the little gallery I have in mind. Hopefully sometime soon I will be posting a segment on my blog about display ideas. Stay tuned!!

The light was a.maz.ing that night. My perfect lighting scenario would be a partly cloudy/hazy day, not too cloudy, but just enough to diffuse the sunlight but still have some gorgeous evening backlighting going on. Couldn't have asked for better lighting that day! It might sound silly but when I looked out the window that day, I knew I had to take advantage of the beautiful light so I threw their outfits on and went for it. :) Enjoy. Check back soon for lots of fun sessions coming up-- families, newborns, children, and more! I can't wait!

Brewer Family | Sundance, Utah Family Photographer

2011-09-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't usually blog twice in one day but I know Kelli is dying to see her family's photos!! So here we have part two of my mini-session swap with my good friend and fellow photographer Kelli's family. I'm loving the location, the fall colors, everything about this session! This is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. And really, it's perfect since their darling little girl is named Autumn. :) Aren't those baby blue eyes of hers just to die for?? And of course Kelli and Adam were looking great themselves. Beautiful family!! Don't forget to check out Kelli's site if you are looking for a photographer in the Virginia/Washington, DC area. She is amazing!

The four of us!

2011-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

So this post isn't about photos I have taken, but rather photos taken of me and my little clan! My good friend Kelli came into town from Virginia, and I was lucky enough to snag her for a few minutes to get some family photos of us!! She and I have become great friends over the years, even though we live nearly across the country from each other. It is so nice to have a photographer buddy and a fellow mom who just knows some of the same things I go through and who I can bounce ideas off of and chat about life in general. We all need a friend like that. :) She did such an amazing job and was so patient with our crazy little group!

If you are in the Virginia/DC area you must check her out. Even if you don't, you can still of course keep up with her on her blog and facebook page! Thanks again so much, Kelli! I can't wait to make some big prints of these. :)

I got to photograph Kelli's adorable little family too that same day. I will be posting those soon so stay tuned!

Dancing in the sand.

2011-09-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, the beach. I could just move right on in there. I've always been obsessed with the beach, even as a little kid. Must have something to do with always having lived in a landlocked state. :) I'm totally going to retire in Hawaii one day though. Sorry for another ginormous photo post of my personal photos. But I guess this is what a photography blog is for, right? Hoping to post some real family photos of the four of us sometime soon...

P.S. I think I must have a "thing" for putting my kids in matching outfits. If you have checked this blog at all in the past year you might know what I mean! What can I say... cute little girls are even more cute with matching outfits. :)

Well, not exactly the shot I was hoping to go for (big sister wrestling little sister instead of looking cute and posed) but it could have been awesome!! :P Hey, this is a "true to life" sibling shot if you ask me. :)

Baby Jordan | Provo, Utah Newborn Baby Photographer

2011-09-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Meet sweet little Jordan... just over a week old and 6 pounds of perfection! He did so wonderful the entire session- hardly made a peep! He is such a beautiful baby boy. I love his tiny, perfect features, that heavenly peach fuzz on his skin, and his calm, sweet demeanor. It's amazing how their personalities are apparent at such an early age! His mommy looked just as beautiful too and it was a pleasure capturing them both. I had such a tough time narrowing down which images I wanted to share on my blog that I'm basically sharing almost all of them. :) Every time I get to photograph a newborn I realize how special and fleeting this time really is. Any of you out there thinking of booking a newborn session? Go for it! I promise it will be worth your while to be able to have keepsake images of your baby that will last forever.

And the winner is.....

2011-09-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, a HUGE and heartfelt thank you to all of you for entering my contest!! I so appreciate you sharing about it and spreading the love. It means so much to me! And I have to say it was really fun too. :)

Now for the fun part.... drum roll, please!! I plugged in the numbers for how many comments I got on the last post at www.random.org and here's what they gave me:

...The winner is Ashley Shaw, Comment #13!

Ashley, congratulations!! I will be emailing you shortly with details about your free session!

And since I am so appreciative to ALL of you for entering, I'd like to extend a parting gift of a FREE 8x10 print (a $35 value!) with your next session, for those who have entered my giveaway!! Thanks again for participating!

A final note... my mini sessions filled up quickly! I am waiting on one or two individuals to confirm their sessions that they inquired about, so you are still welcome to email me and be on a waiting list in case any of those people back out. And if you are unable to get on my mini session day, I still have a few openings in my schedule this fall for sessions if you would like to schedule a standard session. It really is one of the best times of the year for family photos, with the cooler weather and beautiful fall colors!

Thanks again to all of you for participating! Stay tuned for a beautiful newborn baby boy to be featured on the blog soon!

Fall 2011 Mini Sessions... and a GIVEAWAY!!

2011-09-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'd like to announce that I am offering my first ever mini-session event this fall! There is no better time to capture your family in the beautiful outdoors than during the crisp, cool fall months. Save the date for October 22, 2011! It's your one opportunity this year to get great outdoor photos at a reduced session rate. I am offering 20-minute sessions for families up to 6 individuals at one of my favorite fall locations. Session time blocks begin at 4pm and I am offering 6 spots. Session fee is $30 plus tax, which covers my time and talent with your session, and includes access to a private online proofing gallery with 10-15 image proofs from which you may order prints and digital images. Print purchase of $50 minimum required. My standard print and digital collection prices apply; please inquire to receive a full price list.

My other exciting news... I'm offering my first GIVEAWAY! I decided that I've been doing this long enough that it's time to give back to my loyal clients and blog readers for supporting me along this journey. And it's just in time for the upcoming holiday season! Want to know what you will win? One lucky winner will be able to choose from a mini-session for a family, child, or newborn. You will receive 10-15 edited images on a CD with a print release with your session. If the winner chooses the family session, it must be redeemed on my 2011 Fall Mini-Session date of October 22, 2011. If the winner chooses the newborn or child session, it may be redeemed any time by the end of next year (December 31, 2012). Child session for a is a studio session for up to 3 children in the same immediate family. Newborn session is for a newborn baby up to two weeks old. Clients who already have any type of future session booked are still welcome to enter.

So how do you win?? It's pretty simple! Each comment you leave below counts as one entry. For your first entry, comment below with your first name and last initial, your email address, and tell me what type of session you want to win. Want additional entries? You may choose from any or all of these options (don't forget to leave a comment for EACH entry!):

1. "Like" Melanie Rice Photography on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you have done so. (If you already "like" my page, just leave another comment and you're all set!)

2. Post on your Facebook status update about this giveaway and leave a link to my blog or Facebook page in your status update, and leave a comment below telling me you have done so.

3. Blog about this giveaway! Please copy and paste the giveaway photo above in your blog entry. Leave a comment below with a link to your blog post telling me you have done so.

4. Share about this giveaway on your Twitter account, and leave a comment below with a link to it.

Winner will be randomly selected via www.random.org on Saturday, September 17th at 10:00pm MST. The random number that is generated will used to match with the corresponding comment number on this post to select the winner. Winner will be notified via email and also posted here! All entries subject to be verified.

Summer girls | Utah County Child Photographer

2011-09-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just had to share some shots I got a few weeks ago of my two little cuties. For the record, they are for sure the hardest children to photograph! Maybe it has something to do with being in front of the camera constantly. :) Who knows. I sure do love this time of year though. I think all of those sunflowers that are growing like crazy everywhere I look are just calling my name, wanting to be photographed! I had a gallery wrap made of one of these shots, that I will have to share a photo of sometime. I also will share some cute beach photos from our recent trip sometime soon. All in due time...

But in other news, my GIVEAWAY is coming very soon! Stay tuned in the next day or so for all of the details. You won't want to miss this one!!

Lundwall Family | Springville, Utah Family Portrait Photographer

2011-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

I keep wanting to blog all of the fun photos I've been taking and some of the specials I have been dreaming up that I mentioned about a while back, but it's just been a crazy last few weeks. I will catch up eventually! We got to go to Disneyland in the middle of all of that though, so it doesn't get much better than that (especially if you ask my 3-year-old...). :) I've been posting little sneak peeks and stuff on my Facebook page though- I seem to be better at updating that one lately than my blog! Don't forget to go "like" Melanie Rice Photography if you haven't already, so you can keep up with my latest work!

Well tangent aside... What a great session I had with the Lundwall family recently! I can hardly believe that seven months have already flown by since I photographed sweet little Alyeska as a newborn. These guys are just the cutest little family and are just great people all around. Alyeska is just as beautiful as she was when I met her as a newborn. I've enjoyed getting to know them better and it is always a huge honor to have a client come back for another session. It's funny, Ashli found me through a mutual friend but then we found out later that her husband also used to drive tour buses through Alaska with my brother! So random, and what a small world we live in! Anyway, it was a fun session. I love trying out new locations, and I think I definitely found a new favorite spot! Enjoy these fun photos.

Tyson & Tiana | Salt Lake City, Utah Engagement Portrait Photographer

2011-08-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm long overdue for a photo post. And what better than photos from my fun engagement session with Tyson and Tiana! Tyson is my 'little' nephew (who's only, what, a foot taller than me?? And is an amazing college basketball player, by the way!) and Tiana is his fun and absolutely gorgeous fiancee. I know I speak for everyone when I say we are so excited to have her join the family. I'm thrilled that they asked me to shoot their wedding next spring. They are such a beautiful couple and it is fun to see them so happy. I think I might break my record for the most photos in one blog post because I could not narrow down my favorites. They were just so fun and easy to photograph!

Acosta Family | American Fork, Utah County, Utah Family Photographer

2011-08-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

What a fun session! I have gotten to know Heather and Jason Acosta well over the last year. What a huge compliment it is to me to be able to photograph their sweet family again! They are both RN's, as am I, so it is really fun to chat about all the good times we have at the hospitals we work at! And if you remember, I photographed their sweet little Ezra last fall when he was just tiny and brand new. Now Ezra is going to be a big brother himself- baby boy #3 is joining their family in just a few months. What a fun family they are! We shot their family photos at Star Mill Antiques, which is one of the most awesome little spots. The variety is endless there! Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Russell | Springville, Utah Newborn Photographer

2011-07-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Meet sweet baby Russell- the newest precious addition, and baby number 5 for my good friend Ruby and her beautiful family! He was so sweet, and so very modest... he very much disliked being naked. I don't blame him! So we got mostly wrap shots, but I think they still turned out great. He has the most beautiful skin, full lips, and that soft peach fuzz hair that is just heavenly. I love that he opened up his eyes just in time for when I got shots of him and his mommy. Perfect! Without further ado... enjoy these shots of little Russell!

Friendly Reminder

2011-07-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the fall months are already just around the corner?? I can't. It always goes by too fast for me! Well, I just thought I'd make a "friendly reminder" post that if you are interested in fall family photos, contact me ASAP! My evening session space is limited and these spots always fill up fast. I'm already getting inquiries coming in, so don't miss out on your opportunity for new family photos! As the saying goes... the only photos you will regret are the ones you don't take. Don't let that be you!

Had to share a fave shot from last fall. I have always loved this image! The facial expressions, the beautiful lighting, everything.... perfection. I can't wait for all of the lovely new faces (as well as my awesome return clients!) I get to photograph soon!

Liv and Eddie | Orem, Utah Child and Baby Photographer

2011-07-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Crazy to think that my sweet little nephew is already 6 months old. Oh, and he does have a name now... Eddie! :) He is such a sweetheart. He has the most amazing eyes and sweet demeanor. He wasn't my biggest fan that day. But even his crying photos I had to share because he has the most perfect "sad face" ever. Scroll down and you'll see what I mean. :) Big sister Liv was her usual energetic self and worked the camera like a pro! Enjoy!

Still had to share this shot... so funny. She wanted nothing to do with being photographed with Eddie!

Melts ya, huh?? Keep scrolling to see the other shots!

Tutorial: Liquify tool

2011-06-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hello, blog. Long time no see! Sorry for the absence. I have so many more photos to share that I'm just chipping away at! So I'm going to tide you all over with a quick tutorial post in the meantime.

Have you ever taken a photo or had a photo of yourself that you wish you could inch that arm in a little, or flatten out your hair a little, or open up a squinty eye? Enter the liquify tool.

It is found by accessing the top toolbar. Go to Filter > Liquify... and it will pull up a whole new screen with your image. You have a ton of options now. You can try each "tool" to see what happens. For the most part, I use the very top tool (the Forward Warp tool). I then go to the right side of the screen and adjust the brush size, density, and pressure based on the size of the area I want to move. Then all you have to do is click on the area you want to move and slowly drag it until you see fit!

The following shot is a good before/after of this effect. I loved her expression in the image but she must have had some crazy hair day because it was all sticking up in the back and kinked in weird spots. But I'm not going to let that ruin a good shot! Just a few quick hits with the liquify tool and it magically smooths out!

Note: This is a complete before and after shot. The first image is straight out of the camera, and the 2nd image is the final product. I'd be happy to share my full workflow in a future tutorial post, if anyone is interested!

P.S. Go take a look at my session prices! I've decided to slightly lower both the child and newborn session fees based on some feedback I have been considering. I hope it makes a potential session even more affordable for those of you who are considering some new photos! Don't forget that the return client and facebook discounts make an additional discount to these prices.

Rusty | Springville, Utah County Child Photographer

2011-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I got to photograph Rusty again after doing his cute little family's photos last fall. I always say it, but what an honor it is to photograph return clients! There's nothing better. And when they come as adorable as Rusty, they make my job easy! His momma did this session for a Father's Day gift, so I had to keep the images a secret until now. :) It was worth the wait! Hope you all enjoy these shots from Rusty's one-year session.

Tutorial: Lenses

2011-06-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Finally, another tutorial! Sorry, I know I've been slacking in my promise to do one tutorial a week. I gave it a good effort. :P Really though, I'm gonna keep trying! I've been asked some great questions on my Facebook page, and as promised, I will answer them in the order they are received.

This week's tutorial is all about lenses. Where to even begin? There is so much more than meets the eye with lenses. If you are new to the photography world, you may be wondering why one lens costs $100 and another one costs $1000. The answer is in it's capabilities.

Remember my tutorial a while back in which I discussed exposure terminology? In a short review, aperture and shutter speed are the main controlling factors in the look of your image. ISO is the third component in that, and it mainly determines the sensitivity of your camera's sensor to light. But in order to get a fast enough shutter speed to avoid motion blur, the aperture must be wide enough to let enough light in. The aperture is described in "f-stops," with the lower f-number correlating to a wider aperture. This wide aperture also allows the effect of creating a more shallow depth of field, such as having the subject in focus and the background out of focus (despite common belief- this is not a Photoshop trick!). :)

So therefore, a lens that has a wider aperture capability is generally going to be more useful to you because it will allow you to get sharper images because of a faster shutter speed. Now if you are starting out with an entry level DSLR camera, it probably came with a kit lens or two. If you go and look at the lens, it will first say the focal length (such as 18-55mm, or 55-200mm) and then it will say the widest aperture capability (for example, I'm looking at my 55-200mm lens and it says 4-5.6). This means that your lens will only open up the aperture to that particular f-stop. The reason it is in a range is that it will allow certain apertures at certain focal lengths. For example, at 55mm I can open the aperture to f/4, but at 200mm it will only open to f/5.6.

Here is where you are going to find the huge price difference. These "less expensive" lenses (I have to laugh when I say that- photography equipment is a huge expense no matter how you look at it!) usually can only open to those apertures of f/4 or even less. This is fine most of the time, unless you are working with low lighting or if you want the shallow depth of field look that you can get with an aperture of say, 2.8. So then you enter the realm of the true "pro" lenses, which offer the zoom option as well as the ability to maintain the SAME aperture throughout all focal lengths. And they come with a hefty price tag.

That being said, I actually don't own any of those zoom pro lenses. I'd love to get one, one day... as finances allow. I would probably choose the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 since it has a good range of focal length. Since I don't really do weddings, it is not as crucial for me to get those wide angle shots. What I DO use, and I leave on my camera about 99% of the time, is the Nikon 50mm f/1.8. It is a prime or fixed lens, meaning that it does not zoom at all- your feet do the zooming. This is actually a very inexpensive lens. It's about $120. But I use it with nearly every single photo shoot because I can get those wide apertures and get fast enough shutter speeds that I can easily get usable indoor shots with natural light, without even bumping up my ISO too high. Ask any photographer about the greatness of the "nifty fifty" and they will tell you the same thing. It is also nice if you are shooting in Manual mode (as I always do), to have a lens that won't keep changing the aperture as you zoom in and out.

Focal length refers to the angle of view you will see with your portrait. A low number will give you a "wide angle" image (meaning that more of the background and surroundings will be in the shot). A high number means that you will get less of the background in the image (a "telephoto" look). Check out my example shots below. I found a local horse ranch and shot these two photos at different focal lengths. I was standing in the exact same spot for both shots.

When shooting portraits, you must keep in mind the amount of distortion you may get with different focal lengths. The link I just listed gives a good explanation of perspective distortion. Sometimes this is a good thing; for example, if you like the look of "compression" then you can get that with a longer focal length. This means that your foreground and background are going to be more and more out of focus as you use longer focal lengths, and they will also appear to be more on top of each other. The link above can probably explain this better than I can. This compression look is one of the reasons I would really love to get an 85mm f/1.8 lens one day, and maybe even a longer focal-length prime lens.

Well, there you have it- a little crash course in lenses. Was this tutorial helpful?

One year old! | Provo, Utah Child Photographer

2011-06-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well, to say the last few weeks have been crazy for me would be an understatement. I've wanted so badly to jump on here and share all of the fun photos I've been getting but sometimes life comes first! Anyway... I finally have a few minutes to share these one-year photos of my sweet baby girl. Of course I had to get some shots of both girls while I had all of the studio stuff out too. I'm the luckiest mom ever to have such sweet girls to call mine! Happy birthday this week to the most fun-loving, energetic, and sweet little girl in the world. Love you!

I have a fun new feature coming up very soon involving my facebook page. I think you will like it! Stay tuned!

You only turn 1 once! | Springville, Utah Baby Photographer

2011-05-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

...So why not smash up a birthday cake or two?? :) We had a little practice cake smash session with my baby since her birthday's just around the corner. I have a ton more cute "regular" shots coming up too, but I thought the cake smashin' was worthy of its own post. All these photos make me crave birthday cake! And of course crave that cute little baby too. Enjoy!

Tutorial: Photographing Children

2011-05-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle of a somewhat busy weekend (including my first triathlon tomorrow!! Aah!), so I will keep this tutorial short and sweet. Photographing children.... where to begin?? Kids are incredibly fun, rewarding, and challenging to photograph all in one. They grow up so fast and if you ask me, it is SO important to get nice photos of them along the way. But boy, they don't always make it easy for us do they?? I'm just thinking about my own kids especially. They are even more tough to photograph because they always have the camera shoved in their face. But every now and then I am able to pull off a shot like this...

...and it's all worth it. I am in love with this shot that I got just yesterday!! I have many more shots to come from my baby's "almost 1" photo shoot that I will feature in an upcoming post. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Here are some of my favorite tips for photographing kids:

-First and foremost, go at THEIR pace!! This goes for kids, newborns, anyone. If you push them to the brink of full breakdown, you won't get 'em back. They need to know that they aren't being forced beyond the point of return to get their photo taken. Sometimes they just need a few minutes to run around, make messes, and just be kids. (And sometimes you can get some great shots of just this very thing! Candid shots are some of the best ones!). And it's so key to do the photos during a time of day that the child is usually happiest anyway, such as after a nap or in the morning.
-Don't be afraid to be a one-man circus. The goofier and crazier, the better. Who knew, this photographer thing could mean that you are belting out "eensy weensy spider" at the top of your lungs!! Hey, I'm not above it. ;)
-Balloons. I keep a bag of 'em in my camera bag! There's no easier way to get a kid's attention than to blow up a balloon and whack it into your head or better yet, let all the air out making that lovely "thbtbtt" sound. Works almost every time. (I'm thinking about investing in a Whoopee cushion to better perfect that sound. What do you think? Ha ha)
-Props. This is huge with little ones that just want to crawl/run/escape the second you set up a shot. Why not distract them with something that's photograph-worthy? That might be the precise reason what I got out the metal bucket in the shot above.
-Did I mention noise? Jingle your car keys above your head, make a funny Donald Duck noise, start making animal sounds, the list goes on.
-Play peek-a-boo and jump out from behind something. This only works if you have your shot set up enough ahead of time, because you have to act quick! :)
-Cheerios. This works great for many ages of kids. I especially like it for the young babies that are just old enough to escape. I set a single Cheerio (or chocolate chip, or whatever else I have kicking around) where I want them to sit, and then they wander back over to the spot I want! Then I give them a couple more if they start feeling like they want to sneak off.
-Get on their level. This is more of a composition thing than anything, so that you aren't getting a bunch of shots of a kid staring up at you. But also it is a good way to help them feel less intimidated about what is going on.

Well, I'm sure there are other ideas out there... this is just what I can think of off the top of my head. What are YOUR favorite tips? I'd love to hear!

Karen... beautiful mama-to-be! | Spanish Fork, Utah Maternity and Newborn Photographer

2011-05-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Finally, a real photo post! I know I've been behind on this lately, but stay tuned because I have even more fun sessions coming. I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph my friend Karen and her sweet family recently. She will soon be adding a girl to the gang, which will be so fun for all of them! Baby girl will have some very loving and protective big brothers, I'm sure. :) Here are some of my favorites from Karen's pregnancy session!

P.S. Off-topic, but thought I would mention it while I'm posting since I just made the change. I made a slight adjustment to my newborn session price, in that it is lower overall and and there is the option of adding parents and siblings for an additional charge, if desired. I've been thinking about making this adjustment because I know that not all parents want to be in the newborn photos, and this way they can get newborn sessions at a more reasonable price and build upon the session fee if they choose to. See my session prices tab for more information.

Tutorial: Focus!

2011-05-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, show of hands here: how many of you have gone to taken a photo and it turned out to be something like this....

...when you MEANT for it to look like this? :)

We've all done it. I freely admit to the fact that I still have those "whoops!" shots every now and then if I'm hurrying to snap a shot, and I'm sure that any other photographer will say the same for themselves! But how do you make sure that it is not happening in every other shot that you take?

The key is mastering your focus technique. I discussed in my last tutorial a little about aperture. Obtaining a good focus is essential, especially when you are shooting with a very wide aperture. A wide aperture will mean that less of your foreground and/or background be in focus. Another term for this would be a shallow depth of field. This is a great artistic technique to help bring out the subject in your photo and use the background as a means of enhancing the subject, rather than distracting from it. But there's no worse distraction than looking at a photo up close, only to realize that the people and faces are actually a little bit out of focus! Or in some cases, like the first photo on this post, they might be *completely* out of focus. The above images were shot at an aperture of f/1.8, which is as wide as it gets on the lens I was using, my 50mm f/1.8. When such a wide aperture is used, the plane of focus is very shallow and thus it is crucial that you get the desired aspects of your image in focus.

The photography community is a little bit divided on this subject. Like all things photography, some people swear by one method that might be totally different than the next person's style. I just know what has worked for me, which is the focus-recompose method. This is a great way to learn focusing because you can even utilize this method with the most basic of point and shoot cameras. Essentially, I have my camera in autofocus mode (note that this is not the same as "auto exposure" or "auto mode," the focus is a totally different aspect of shooting. I still always expose my images in manual mode!). In my menu screen, under "Autofocus," I have selected "Single point" rather than "Auto-area." This means that I will be the one to choose which area of my photo composition will be in focus, rather than the camera arbitrarily choosing it.

If you look through the viewfinder of your camera, you will see a certain amount of brackets, dots, or other similar variations across the center of the image. These are different focus points that your camera has the ability to "land" on. Camera models vary greatly in the amount of focus points provided. Some have only a few, and some have many. If you start scrolling around with your arrow keys while looking through the viewfinder, you will find that different focus points are selected and highlighted.

Here's the part where the photography community has varying opinions. Some people choose to toggle around all of those focus points to be able to choose which part of the image is in focus. So for example, if you desire to have subject off center a little, you would arrow over to the focus point that is closest to where your subject is. The problem I have with that is twofold: Many times I am photographing kids or babies and I simply have to work fast and get the shot before the kid gets away. This means they aren't going to give me long enough to sit there and toggle around all of the focus points. The other problem I have is that even if I DO have a patient subject who will sit still for me, I find that the outer focus points just don't "grab" a sharp focus quite as well as the center focus point. This is a legitimate issue with many cameras-- the center focus point sensor is known to be more accurate than the outer sensors.

So what do I do? Focus and recompose. The process is as follows:

1. Make sure the center focus point is selected. My personal preference is to have the width set on "wide zone" rather than "normal zone" in the autofocus settings menu, but both methods are acceptable.
2. When holding the shutter button halfway down, focus on the subject you would like photographed. You may hear a beep when this happens, or the focus bracket lights up. These are options that may be adjusted in the camera settings though... for example, I do not have the beep set to go off on mine because I think it is unnecessary and distracting.
3. If you want your subject slightly off-center but still in focus, continue to hold the shutter button halfway down while carefully moving the camera to achieve the desired composition.
4. Fully press the shutter button, and you're done!

It is important to keep in mind where you are focusing. If it's close up, I put the focus on the eyes. If it's a farther away portrait, I simply focus on the face. It is important when photographing several people to keep everyone's faces on the same horizontal plane to avoid having some people IN focus and some people NOT in focus. This is where aperture is key too, as too wide of an aperture can really limit the size of that "magic horizontal plane." That's why I keep my aperture around f/4 or f/5 when photographing groups (or even higher if needed) so that I don't accidentally have someone out of focus.

Well, hope this all made sense! Lots of real photo posts coming too. Just been busy as usual and haven't had a chance to edit, but I will soon.

Tutorial: Exposure terminology

2011-05-06T08:18:00.001-07:00

I mentioned a while back that I was going to start doing tutorials of a sort, on any and all things photography related that people want to know. I have had so many amazing people help me and mentor me along the way that I feel I should give back a little! I get asked all the time about camera settings, lighting style, Photoshop, and so much more. I thought that blogging about it would be a great way to share what I know and get to know my readers a little better! So, here we go… my first “tutorial!” I am sorry for the delay (well, I guess, if anyone was even interested in hearing my take on photography topics!). It’s just been a busy few weeks. But since it’s now Friday, let’s make these Tutorial Fridays. Sound good?

When I first mentioned that I was going to start sharing my knowledge, I had to throw in a little disclaimer that I am for sure not the expert. I don’t know that it really is possible for anyone to be THE expert on all things Photography and Photoshop, because we are all artists in our own different ways, while using the common medium of photography! We all have our own unique approaches, which is what makes photography so fun and versatile. All I know is what I have learned through my own education and personal experience of what has worked for me. I also have to mention that my photography experience is pretty much solely with digital camera equipment, so I am not a great resource for film photography questions.

I thought that the best place to start would be a discussion of the three key components of exposing a photograph, as these are terms I am bound to use many times down the road. It is SO important to master shooting in Manual mode and understanding what each setting means. Because really, getting the photo as close to correct exposure as possible in-camera will save a major headache in the post-processing aspect (gone are the days of “Oh, I will just fix it in Photoshop”)! It can seem daunting to shoot in Manual mode, but I really feel that it is the way to take the most control of your images. This isn’t meant to be a full-blown lecture on what every camera setting means. Rather, it is a “Cliffs Notes” version so that you get the general picture of what manual exposure means and an idea of some of the terminology. I suppose I can go more in-depth with these individual topics for future tutorial posts. Or, you can Google each term for way more detail and information than you probably ever wanted! :)

The three main components of exposure are the following: Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These are all adjustable settings within your camera that, as a whole, are what make up an image’s lightness or darkness. These different settings can also be adjusted to create the different artistic effects of a photograph, such as making a subject more or less in focus, creating motion blur, and more.

Aperture is essentially the word for the opening in a lens, in which light travels through. The size of the opening can be adjusted in order to allow more or less light into the lens, depending on the desired outcome of the photo. It is measured in “f-stops,” and thus the measurement of the aperture is displayed in your camera as an f/2.8, f/4, etc. Aperture values vary based on the type of lens, but a typical range is f/2.8-f.22. The wider the lens opening is, the larger the aperture is and the greater amount of light that will be let into the camera. However, on the f-stop scale it actually reads in reverse, so that the lower f-number actually equates to a wider aperture. The aperture chosen also affects how much of an image is in focus. A wider aperture means that less of an image’s background and/or foreground will be in focus, while a smaller aperture means that more of the subject and background will be in focus.

Shutter speed is pretty straightforward. It means the amount of time that the camera’s shutter is open. It is measured in seconds, or more commonly, fractions of seconds. As a shutter stays open longer, it lets greater amounts of light in to the camera. On the same notion, a slower shutter speed also means that your image will be blurry if hand-holding the camera (rather than using a tripod, for example). I find that I can still get sharp images with shutter speeds of 1/60^th of a second, but most of the time I use much faster shutter speeds. In order to get images sharp enough, a reasonably fast shutter speed of at least 1/125^th of a second is crucial. This means that a wider aperture is usually necessary, depending on the amount of ambient light. This usually works to my advantage, since I usually prefer the look of throwing a background out of focus. However, many great and artistic photos can be created with slower shutter speeds and the use of a tripod, such as images of moving water, lights, and more.

ISO is the final aspect of exposing an image. It is essentially the sensitivity of a camera’s sensor to light. In the film world, ISO is comparable to film speed. The best way I can describe it is that a lower ISO number (such as 100) means that a camera’s sensor will be less sensitive to the light exposed to it, but a higher number such as 3200 ISO will make a camera’s sensor more sensitive to the light that hits it. Why is this important? Because it allows you to choose your other settings of aperture and shutter speed that are appropriate to the lighting you are in and the “look” you desire, and then it may be adjusted to expose an image with the proper lightness or darkness. The major component of ISO, however, is the amount of “grain” or “noise” that is produced as the numerical value increases. For example, if you have ever taken a photo in a dark area with natural light and you have your camera in Auto mode, you may notice that the image comes out grainy. This is because the camera is realizing that a fast shutter speed is more important than a lack of so-called “grain,” so as to avoid a blurry image from hand movement. As a result, the camera chooses a higher ISO value to make sure that the image is still exposed correctly rather than being completely dark. On the other hand, an ISO value is usually going to be a low number in well-lit or outdoor areas. It is generally best to avoid a “noisy” image whenever possible, so I try to keep my ISO as low as I can and select lighting situations that allow me to do so.

Well, this post is getting rather long. Hopefully it gives you all a little base knowledge about what the three key components of exposure are, as these are things that I will be mentioning many times down the road. I do have to put in a plug for one of my favorite photography books, “Understanding Exposure,” by Bryan Peterson. I can’t say enough great things about it! It was one of the books I came across at the public library when I was educating myself about photography, and it helped SO much. It really explains the key components of exposure way better than I can type out on here, and is full of photographs and examples.

Stay tuned for future tutorials! Don’t forget, if you have a topic idea or question for me, head on over to my facebook page and “Like” the page, and then leave your question on the wall. Have a good day!

What's new!

2011-05-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd give you all an update on what's new with my portrait sessions! I went ahead and posted my updated price list, which can be viewed via the link bar at the top of my blog. Go take a look! I'm still cutting back on sessions; especially outdoor family and senior sessions, just due to the logistics of my schedule. I would like to put the majority of my focus on indoor studio sessions since they are more flexible with my family schedule. I know that for a time I was ready to take a break from photography entirely. But I'm just coming to realize that I'm just not ready to give it up. I love it too much! I simply have decided that in order to make it work better for my family and my life, I will be doing mainly studio sessions out of my home.

I do realize that the prices are a jump from where they were, which is something I addressed months ago when I was getting ready to relaunch my business. But I do feel that I can provide you a product that is worth every penny, and way more!! I feel that my three years of experience and consistent technique will give you the peace of mind that I can give you great photos, every time. Another big change in my pricing structure is that I am simply offering your images on high resolution CD with the session fee. I feel that you are savvy enough to know what you want to do with your photos, and that you should be able to make those decisions on your own time. That being said, the pricing increase also takes this into account since I will no longer be earning any income from prints.

I am giving you all one last opportunity to get a discounted rate, and it's just in time for Mother's day! Portrait sessions make wonderful gifts. Celebrate the beautiful babies and children in your lives by capturing them in images that are timeless and beautiful. Read on for more information!

One final thing... I am still planning on doing weekly tutorials! I have just had a busy past couple weeks and haven't had the opportunity to write the first one yet. Stay tuned this week for my first tutorial about shooting in manual mode!

Head Family | Lehi, Utah County, Utah Family and Newborn Photographer

2011-04-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preview for the sweet Head family! They are such a beautiful family and were so fun to photograph. What an honor photograph their newest addition too, baby Cooper! He had such perfect features from his full head of hair, to his squishy little lips, to his sweet little toes. There's nothing quite like capturing a brand new life in photos. :) He slept like a champ too, which is always a photographer's dream!

Oh, and I definitely had to share a few of the funny shots. Family sessions can't be ALL serious now, can they? ;)

I have to laugh at this shot because my little girl does the exact same thing every time I start taking photos!! Little Lia went and grabbed her own camera and started trying to direct the shoot. :) Awesome.

Scout. Class of 2011.

2011-04-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here's part 2 of my session with Nicole and Scout. Isn't Scout just as beautiful!? She made my job easy! I failed to mention in my last post that Nicole and Scout are both amazing volleyball players and are both headed to college on volleyball scholarships. How awesome is that!? What a fun session this was. It was so nice getting to know Scout! She was even nice to me when I made her hike through some seriously tall weeds wearing only sandals on her feet. ;) Anyway, enjoy these shots! I also added some of my favorites of Scout and her mom, and also of Nicole and Scout together.

Nicole

2011-04-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Nicole, a.k.a. Kolie- my gorgeous niece! I can't believe she is already graduating high school. It kind of makes me feel old! :) I had the honor of taking her senior portraits. I also got to photograph her good friend Scout during the same session, which was so fun! I decided to split their senior sessions into two separate posts since both girls were so gorgeous and photogenic and I couldn't narrow down my favorite shots! So stay tuned for part 2- Scout's photos... coming soon! It's been a busy week for photography so there will be a lot of blog posts coming up! I can't wait to share all of the fun photos I have gotten lately.

The Latest!

2011-04-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hello again! It's been a fun and busy weekend for me, but I'm so excited to post all of the new photos I have taken! First I'd like to first announce what I mentioned last week about what is "coming up." I apologize for leaving you all hanging so long- I just got busy with day-to-day stuff and never had a chance to post what I have planned. Anyway, here goes!

I am excited to announce that I will be doing photography tutorials/Q&A here on the blog! I get asked all the time about the equipment I use, my technique, editing, workflow, and so much more. I have learned so much from other photographers over the last three years of this photography journey that I have appreciated so much, that I feel it is time to pay it forward a little. My huge disclaimer is that I definitely don't know everything there is to know about photography. I learn and grow with each and every session, and my style and technique is always evolving. I also know that there are definitely different ways of achieving the same end result, both in shooting and editing. All I know is the way I have learned things!

Here's the way it works. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. I will make weekly posts on my blog about whatever topics people would like to learn more about. In order to keep the questions all in the same place, I am asking that you "Like" my Facebook page first, and submit your question(s) on the wall, rather than commenting here. I will answer them in the order they are received. I guess if nobody asks anything, or I run out of questions, I will just write about some of the common photography questions I have been asked in the past! Stay tuned for the first tutorial post next week!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the past few days. I can't wait to do full posts on all these lovely people!

Dani & Alaina

2011-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

What a fun session with my good friend Dani and her adorable little girl Alaina! Such beautiful ladies, both of them! Our girls play together often and are only about a month apart in age so it is really fun to see them interact together. Enjoy the photos!

P.S. Stay tuned on my facebook page... I have something fun coming up!

I told Alaina to give her mommy a kiss on the cheek and this is what she did (and she did it so fast I barely got the photo!). Ha ha!! We were dying laughing at this shot!

Emmalee, Kate, and David

2011-04-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Such cute and sweet little kids! David wasn't too happy about being photographed, as you can see. :) We still got some good ones though!

Gator board prints.... are awesome.

2011-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love gator board prints?? I did a collage of them for my daughter's bedroom last year, and I decided to do a few more for my entry way. I LOVE how they turned out!! I am starting to realize that big photo prints are really the easiest way to make a statement in your home. I printed these as 16x20's thinking that they would probably be way too huge for the space, but they are absolutely perfect. I have a lot of smaller framed photos throughout my house that I think I just want to take down and put up huge prints instead. :)

Gator board prints can be done at many professional photo labs. I did these ones at Snelson Photocolor Lab. The folks there are helpful, friendly, and offer a ton of great products. They are a great local resource for my fellow Utah County folks. Gator board is a really light, rigid plastic foam substance. I got these mounted on a 3/16" thick black gator board and then had them sprayed with a luster spray to help protect from dust, dirt, and fingerprints. The spray part really is important if you aren't going to cover a photo with glass. Then I mounted them on the wall with a simple 3M brand photo hanging adhesive from Walmart- just those pull tabs that you can stretch to remove off the wall and they won't remove any paint off your walls. Simple and easy!

With that, have a good day! Go make some big prints. Go enjoy your photos. Photos deserve to be displayed, not just sitting around on your computer.

Baby Ryan

2011-03-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of photographing sweet baby Ryan and his adoring little family recently. What a sweet little guy, and what a loving big brother he has too! :) I loved big brother Kade's facial expressions in some of these shots. These photos make me smile every time I see them!

Alyeska

2011-02-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

Such a beautiful baby girl! It was such a pleasure photographing sweet little Alyeska and her cute parents at their home. Nothing is more precious than a newborn baby! Her mom is incredibly talented with decorating, so I couldn't help but photograph all of the amazing details in Alyeska's nursery!

Hello, 2011!

2011-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a happy new year!! It was a wonderful year for me as far as photography goes (and in many other aspects too!), and it is due in part to all of you. Thanks for trusting me to create memories for your families, and thank you for your friendship! I have met so many wonderful people in this photography journey, and I can't wait to see what the new year holds.

I'm sure I always say this, but I enjoy photography for so many different reasons and keep it going even when life gets hectic. It is an artistic release for me. It is a way for me to tell stories. It is a way for me to document my children as they grow up all too fast. I came to appreciate photography in a way I never knew was possible when my beautiful sister passed away in a devastating car accident several years ago. Literally just days before, we had all gotten together for a the first full family photo in years. The images from that photo session are absolutely priceless to our family now. They are the last photos we have of my sister, who I miss more with each passing day, and the last family portrait of my entire family that we will ever have. Experiences like this have made me realize that life is too short to not take photos along the way, as I'm sure you all would agree!!

Well, thank you all for another wonderful year! I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season and are as excited about the new year as I am. I always love the turning point of a new year and the hope and optimism that it brings. The days start to get longer, the weather (eventually) warms up, and another chapter of life's journeys unfolds.

I don't take a lot of landscape photos (something that I am trying to change!), but I couldn't not get a quick shot of the beautiful scenery today. (Even though it was nearly single-digit degree weather and I only took a few frames before my hands were too numb to adjust the manual settings!). :) I'm not really a winter-loving person at all, but I have to say that the pristine blue skies and the snow-capped mountains that I saw when I looked out the windows today were a great way to greet the new year.

Baby Brother.

2010-12-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited to share these photos!! My new little nephew is just so sweet. This little guy is so new he still doesn't even have a name yet, as far as I know. :) He did amazingly well for this photo shoot and was by far the sleepiest little newborn I have ever photographed! Hope you all enjoy these photos.

So cute!!

2010-12-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

This would be my new sweet little nephew (and my new favorite photo)! Lots more photos to come... I just had to share one for now!!

Barton girls

2010-11-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun photographing my friend Leslie's adorable little girls. It must be so fun to have sisters to interact with, and I can't wait until my girls are older and can play together like them! :) It was fun to get my studio stuff out again too... it's been a while since I've done indoor photos since it was so warm outside until recently, but it was a nice change of pace!

Sippos Family

2010-11-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

What a sweet little family these guys are!! Their two little girls are just beautiful. And I love the location-- new to me and a spot I will definitely go back to! :)

Schafer Family

2010-11-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

What can I say... this is one beautiful family!! Their little boy is just adorable too. What a fun age he was at for photographing-- happy, interested in the world around him, but couldn't crawl away from us yet. :) Oh, and the lighting at the end of the session was unbelievable. And the fall colors... just perfect! I wish this time of year wouldn't go by as fast as it always does. I just couldn't narrow down which photos to share, so sorry for the photo overload!

Banks Family

2010-10-25T21:09:00.001-07:00

Check out my session with the Banks family! What an adorable little family. It was fun to be able to photograph these guys because their kids are close in age to mine and I felt like I was able to connect with them well. And what cute kids!! I had a hard time narrowing down the individual shots of each kid because I liked so many of them, so hence the reason for the big blog post! :) I love the location that they chose-- it's one of my favorite spots. Enjoy!

Ezra

2010-10-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun and such an honor to be able to capture little Ezra surrounded by the most loving little family. It has been a little while since I have photographed a newborn, and I forgot how much I enjoy it! It has been so wonderful getting to know this cute family with each of the portrait sessions I have done with them so far. Ezra is such a sweet, peaceful baby and I know he is so loved by his wonderful parents and proud big brother.

He gave us the hugest smile!! I love it!

Holiday Cards!

2010-10-19T15:12:00.001-07:00

One thing I was hoping to do before it became almost the end of October (wow... where has the time gone?), was to design holiday cards for this upcoming season. Life has been so busy lately though that I don't think I can add one more thing to my plate right now! I am just going to focus my energy on taking pretty photos for all of you for now. :)

So I'd like to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to my good friend Melissa's card design business, inPRINT designs. She does an absolutely wonderful job with card design and can make them for many different occasions. She custom-designed my birth announcements for my own little baby girl a few months ago and they turned out amazing!

Check out her blog here for prices and more info: http://www.inprintdesigns.blogspot.com/