Rebecca emailed me a question about camera bags.  The first line cracks me up!

Goddess of photography.  I am agonizing over a camera bag.  What do you use?  Is there a perfect one out there that has style as well as functionality?  Am I going to have to make my own?

Thanks for the email, Rebecca!  I use two different camera bags.  For my everyday shoots and to carry my lenses at weddings I use a Shootsac.  Shootsacs are made out of neoprene (wetsuit type material) and were designed primarily to hold your lenses.  Jessica Claire designed it so she could change her lenses fast while shooting weddings.  While it works well for me, the thing I don’t like about it is it won’t actually hold your camera body.  Also, there are no secure compartments (with zippers) to hold keys, cell phones, or money.  It is good because it doesn’t have any velcro on it.  When you’re shooting a wedding the last thing you want to do is to have to open your camera bag with noisy velcro on it.   The other great thing about Shootsacs is that they have interchangeable covers so you can really express your own personal style! 

The other bag I use is a Think Tank Airstream.  This is a roller bag I use to carry ALL of my equipment during a wedding.  The stuff I don’t need to get to right away.  It holds at least two camera bodies, multiples lenses, flashes, etc.  It also holds my laptop.  It has an TSA approved lock and it also has a lock that allows you to lock it to something else, which is super handy at weddings if I need to leave it somewhere.  This bag is great for traveling as it fits in an overhead compartment on a plane.  

ETA:  To get a free gift with your purchase of $50 from Think Tank go to http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliate and enter the code AP-384

In the past I’ve also had a couple of Crumpler bags.  I like them, but stopped using it for weddings because of the velcro issue and because things were getting lost in it.  The Shootsac keeps things much more organized, but doesn’t  hold everything I need it to, which is why I also have the Think Tank.  Confused yet?

I’ve also heard a lot of talk about the jill-e camera bags.  They are supposed to be stylish camera bags for women.  They look pretty interesting!

Don’t get sticker shock!  Camera bags are not cheap.  But, it’s important to invest in something that will protect your biggest investments, right?  Everything in photography is about investments!  

What type of camera bag do you use?

Here’s a picture that my awesome friend/client Jen took of me during her family shoot on Friday.  You can see my Shootsac  I really need a new cover after seeing all the cute ones they offer now.  And you can also see that I’m true to my word and always carry a backup camera on me!

I didn’t know how to do my own laundry until senior year of college.  B loves doing his laundry!  I’ve got a good helper on my hands!  He likes to put his clothes in the hamper, carry things for me, and anything else that I ask him to do.  He just loves to help!  It’s really cute!

Canon 5D, 50 1.2 Lens – 2.0, 1/80, ISO 1250

Our laundry room is very poorly lit and has no windows.  So what did I do?  I bumped up my ISO to 1250.  And I also converted it to black and white, which helps minimize the noise you get from shooting at a high ISO. 

Last week Ashley asked why I had shot a specific picture at 500 ISO, which she thought was “high”.  Remember, I’m shooting with the Canon 5D.  You can get away with shooting at a much higher ISO on a high end camera like that.  Of course, I always shoot at as low of an ISO as possible (125 outside on a bright day), but I’m not scared to bump up the ISO if necessary.  And on the specific pictures that Ashley asked about, it was a cloudy day and the  light was changing very fast so I changed the ISO and didn’t really worry about it because on my camera it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.  If you’re shooting with a Rebel you may not be able to get away with that.  You really have to know your camera and know your cameras limitations.  That comes from experience.  The great thing about shooting digital is it doesn’t cost you anything to practice.  You’re not paying for film and developing.  So, mess around!  Take lots of pictures at different settings and see what your camera is capable of!

I don’t consider myself a very crafty or creative person.  Everyone always says, “But, your photography is creative”.  Yeah, that’s where my creativity stops.  So, when Jill and I decided to co-host a baby shower for her sister and my good friend, Jamie, I had a ton of great ideas, but I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull it off.  We worked and worked and worked and I think I made 1001 trips to Michaels, but I think we pulled off the vision we were going for!  The theme of the shower was based around Liam’s nursery colors.  Jamie sewed some awesome bedding and the fabric had circles.  So, I also incorporated circles into the theme as well.  

It was a picture perfect, Southern California day for the shower.  I was worried about it being too hot or too windy or even too cold.  But, it ended up being sunny and 85.  Pretty perfect if you ask me!  Besides it being a beautiful day it was just so much fun to celebrate Jamie and Baby Liam.  It was great to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.  Now we just have to wait a few more weeks for Baby Liam to make his appearance!  You can bet he will be a well photographed baby!  

It’s hard being a hostest and getting all the shots, but I tried!  

Even though they were the wrong colors I reused the fun pinwheels I made for Brayden’s first birthday

This is before all of the presents  I made baby onesies with little iron on designs.  Pretty easy with my fancy Cricut!

Contrary to popular belief the Cricut doesn’t cut fabric.  At least I couldn’t figure it out.  So I made stencils with it and traced the fabric.

L is for Liam!

Awesome diaper cake made by 4 Leaf Boutique.  Thank you, Erynn!

I wish I had taken a wider shot of this, but I was too lazy to change my lens.  I copied an idea that I saw from Joyful Weddings and Events.  This was not easy to make, but I loved the final product!

Cake from Beverly’s Best.  Yummy!

Cake topper from Target

Flowers by Jenny B!  They were so perfect!

Wish I had taken a wider shot of this as well

I always wanted an occasion to use mason jars as cups

We went for blue and orange drinks.  Unfortunately the blueberry sangria wasn’t really blue

I know it’s faux pas to ask the guest of honor to do anything for their own shower, but since Jamie makes such awesome invitations we asked her to make the party favors.  How cute are they?

And here’s one of Jill, Jamie, Baby Liam, and me

Hope everyone had fun!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU  for all of your kind words and emails about the Unposing Guide!  I can’t even tell you how much it means to me that you are all loving it and finding it so useful!  I can’t wait to see the results when you start implementing the Unposes so please email me some pictures!  I would love to see them and feature them here!

While Brayden may not like dressing up for Halloween he did love the actual holiday and all the decorations that went up in our neighborhood. And life really can’t get much better for a 20 month old when you combine Halloween decorations with Disney characters. Brayden lives for Mickey Mouse so when our neighbor three doors down put a blowup Mickey, Pooh, and Tigger in their front yard Brayden was in heaven. For the past few weeks every time we walk or drive by B has to say hi to them all, tell them he loves them, and give them smoochies. The day after Halloween I realized I hadn’t gotten any pictures of B with his friends so I snapped a few quick ones. I’m really glad I got these pictures because I know he won’t be as excited about them next year.

See! I told you he’s excited!

F 2.8, 1/1000, ISO 250

Pointing to Mickey’s nose

F 2.8, 1/1000, ISO 250

Giving  him a mooch

F 2.8, 1/1000, ISO 250

Saying bye to them one last time

F 2.8, 1/1000, ISO 250

And giving some love to his Baby Mickey

F 2.2, 1/250, ISO 500

This has been a labor of love that’s for sure.  But, I am so unbelivably happy with the finished product!

The Unposing Guide was inspired when people and photographers started asking me how I get such natural looking family shots.  I’ll be the first to admit it.  Posing is not my strong point.  So, from the beginning of my business instead of trying to get my clients to look like models by posing them I focused on capturing each client being themselves.  I wanted to find what was unique and fun about each family.  I realized that on each shoot I was using the same techniques to get families to have fun and loosen up.  And that’s where the Unposes were born.

What is an Unpose?  It’s a means to get to the reactions and interactions I want from my clients.  It’s a way to break the habit of saying “Cheese!”.  And a way to break the ice.  Every time I used an Unpose I got different results because each family is unique and different.  I love capturing families being themselves at that stage in their lives.  I don’t want to pose them and make them something they’re not.  Sometimes it’s the Unpose I want to photograph and other times it’s the reaction from the Unpose I want.  Both are great for capturing relaxed and natural family sessions!

The Unposing Guide is geared towards you Pro Mom*togs, both beginner and advanced, although Non-Pro Mom*togs can definitely learn a few tricks from it as well (don’t worry, my next project is just for you Mom*togs!).  Besides containing 21 Unposes and pictures it also has helpful tips and tricks to get your clients to have fun.  I’m really hoping this will help photographers take their family shoots to the next level!

The Unposing Guide is an instantly downloadable document.  It’s sized at 4×6 so you can either print it out on your home printer or at your favorite lab.  Simply punch a hole in the corner and secure a metal ring or ribbon to the corner so you can keep it on you for reference.  The names of the unposes are catchy making them easy to remember so when you’re out shooting there’s no more struggling with “What do I have my clients do next?”.

I have two big special people that I need to thank.  The Unposing Guide would have not been possible without Jamie from So Divine Designs.  She designed the whole thing and put up with endless changes.  Thank you, Jamie!  Also, I would like to thank Kristi who implemeted all of the new changes to the blog.  She added the side bar over to the right so there’s now better places advertising space as well as a bunch of other cool features.  She worked long and hard on it and I think it looks awesome!

I hope everyone who purchases the Guide loves it and it helps open up a whole new world of shooting for you!  Remember, the most important part is to have fun.  If you’re having fun than your clients will have fun!  Happy Shooting!!!

He wore his costume…

But he was not happy about it.

We put him in his train conductor costume and he wanted it off.  We know so because he kept saying, “Off!  Off!”.  So he was finally able to get himself out of it.  So, then we forced him into his lion costume.  Kicking and screaming.  Once he got outside with his friends he was fine.  Here is he with Sgt. Pepper.

But once I put the headpiece on he freaked out.  So he was just a dorky lion without a mane.  He LOVED trick or treating though.  He carried his heavy bucket around with him.  

We moved into the best neighborhood for trick or treating with literally hundreds of kids filling the streets.  It was a lot of fun and we know next year we have to buy a lot more candy.  It was even more fun because our friends the Greenes came over to go trick or treating with us.  Brayden loved that!  He loves those kids and I do too!

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

PS  The contest that’s going on over on Facebook has been extended to tonight.  With Halloween and the baby shower I threw yesterday I just couldn’t get my act together to announce the winner last night.  So, if you haven’t entered yet now is the time!