This morning I watched Brayden’s BFF, Dakota, for a couple of hours while her mom ran to the dentist.  Brayden is one day older than Dakota and when they were babies they looked so much alike.  White hair, big blue eyes, and pale skin.  So, they are practically twins.  Except they were born to different parents.  A day apart.  And they aren’t related at all.  So, I guess they are nothing like twins.  But, whatever.  You get my point.

This was my first time watching two 2 year olds by myself.  I got a little dose of what it would be like to have two kids.  Brayden got put in time out 3 times in the first 45 minutes because he didn’t want to share his toys (you see how carefully he’s watching Dakota’s every move in the picture above?).  After that they had a lot of fun.  Dakota was a doll.  I really want a girl.  But, what if I end up with another crazy boy like Brayden?  Scary!

*** I used my Canon 16 – 35 lens for both of these shots.

Brayden is in a phase right now.  A non picture taking phase.  And it makes this Mom*tog so very sad.  The funny thing is I really think I take way less pictures than your average mom.  But, either way he’s in a phase and I’m hoping he snaps out of it soon because I love taking this cute little guys picture.

Most of the time I get pictures like this…

But, sometimes I get gems like this.  And they make my heart happy.

You don’t even want to know what lengths I have to go to get him to smile for me!

All images taken at 2.0, 1/320, ISO 1250

A lot of Moms get frustrated with out of focus images when trying to capture their kids in action.  We all know that kids don’t sit still for a second!  A little motion blur can be okay.  But, we’ve all had those disappointing moments when we see that an image is completely out of focus.  Here are some tips to capture your crazy kids:

1)  It’s important to learn how to shoot in Manual mode.  In automatic your camera can lie to you.  I know.  Not cool!  It may not know exactly what you are trying to do.  With Manual YOU are in control!  If you are shooting in auto, make sure that you have the mode set to “action”.  The icon usually looks like a guy running.

2)  Make sure your shutter speed isn’t too low!  If your shutter speed is too low it won’t freeze the action.

3)  Make sure your aperture isn’t too wide.  The lower the aperture number, the harder it will be to get your image in focus.

4)  Take a ton of pictures!  That’s the great thing about digital.  Shoot a lot and trash the images that don’t turn out!  Remember that even professionals don’t get every single frame spot on.  The more you shoot the more likely you are to get a few images that are perfect!

Brayden is really at an age where he does not like to have his picture taken.  That’s not a lot of fun for a Mom*tog.  I knew that I would have one chance to get this shot of him running around the corner in his Dad’s shirt and tie.  I tested out my light on Hauggy right before Brayden turned the corner to make sure that I would get it right.  You can see the motion in his feet and the shirt, but his face is in focus.  I had my shutter speed high enough where there wouldn’t be too much motion blue.  My aperture was at f 2.0.  I shoot at 2.0 all the time so it’s easy for me to do.  For beginners you’ll probably want to stay at a higher aperture (around F 2.8) until you’ve practiced a lot!  You have to be spot on with your focus to shoot at a wide aperture so practice, practice, practice!

There are toys everywhere.  The carpet is dirty (getting new carpet next week!).  It’s not a perfect shot.  But, it’s a memory.  Chuck comes home from work and Brayden says, “Daddy!  You change clothes!”.  They go into the bedroom.  I hear laughter.  Brayden comes running around the corner wearing his Dad’s shirt like a superhero cape.  He’s happy.  And that’s what I love about this image.

F 2.0, 1/320, ISO  320

*** There are more specifics on everything in this post in the UNmanual.

Our family pictures are in and they were definitely worth all of the stress trying to make every little detail perfect!  Trista Lerit did an amazing job at capturing us.  This shoot was mainly for new head shots for the unveiling of my new DrewB site, so we did a lot of those and let the boys be in them when Brayden wasn’t being “difficult”

I feel it’s so important as a photographer to be in front of the camera every once in a while to really remember how awkward and unnerving it can be.  To know what it feels like to have a 2 year old melt down when you just want to capture your family being happy.  To remember what it feels like to wake up in the middle of the night with anticipation for your shoot.  It’s so easy for it to just be a “job” for us and forget that the shoots we do for our clients can be a once a year, every couple of years, or even a once in a lifetime experience for them.  What can you do to make this an incredible, easy, and fun experience for them?

Here are a few of my favorite images.  To see the rest visit the awesome Trista Lerit’s blog!

Red Skirt:  Wings Hawaii - Bought this skirt in Maui.  Everything in the shop is handmade by the four girls who own the store.  It’s made out of vintage material and it has pockets!

Yellow Dress:  Brass Plum – Nordstrom

Green Shoes:  Steve Madden

Black Shoes:  Christian Louboutin

Yesterday we went out on a boat.  Brayden’s first real boat ride.  In Newport.  It was cold.  But, we had fun.  And we saw a seal.  The end.

We got some sad news that Chuck’s Uncle was diagnosed with Leukemia.  One day he was healthy and the next day he had cancer.  It’s amazing how fast life can change.  Last week we found out that he is going to need a bone marrow transplant.  Luckily he has several siblings and we’re hoping that one of them will be a match.  He just finished his first round of chemo and when he’s healthy enough he’ll have the transplant.  I know Don is going to be okay.  He’s a fighter.  I just wish he didn’t have to go through this.  I wish no one had to go through this.

A couple of months ago I registered to be a bone marrow donor through Be The Match.  I read a story in the newspaper about a local girl who needed a bone marrow transplant and none of her family members were a match.  I thought how if I were her Mom I would hope that everyone would get tested to save my child’s life.  I thought how if Brayden, Chuck, my Mom or my Dad got sick they have a slimmer chance of having a match within our family because they are only children.  I thought how incredible it would be to help a total stranger have a second chance at life.

It’s something so simple that we can all do and it can change someone’s life.  It’s something so simple we can do to SAVE someone’s life.  It takes 5 minutes to fill out all the information online and then another 5 minutes once you receive the package to swab your checks, seal the package up, and put it in the mail.  In a total of 10 minutes you could be on the road to SAVING someone’s life.  Isn’t that incredible?  Do you have 10 minutes to spare to change the life of someone and those that love them?

Yesterday we took our family pictures.  It was… stressful.  Finding the perfect outfits.  The perfect location.  Running around all over Orange County to get my hair and makeup done.  Last minute location change.  Ants.  Crazy two year old.  Crazy Mom*tog with crazy ideas stressing her awesome husband out.  Possibly ruining a new pair of Christian Louboutins.

But it was totally worth it (maybe not ruining the Christian Louboutins.  Hopefully those can be fixed!).  I can’t wait to see the pictures.  For now, here’s a sneak peek of our shoot.  B is taking an i touch break with our amazing photographer, Trista Lerit!

I’m not going to be jumping on the film bandwagon that a lot of professional photographers seem to be jumping on anytime soon.  But, I did have a lot of fun with my Diana camera while on vacation in Maui.  I bought the Diana a few years ago.  I took a roll with it and got frustrated because I couldn’t figure out how to load the film.  I thew it in a cabinet and got it out again last year when we went to Hawaii.  Those pictures turned out horrible!  So, back in the cabinet it went.  I took it to Seattle and didn’t use the whole roll so I decided to take it on vacation this year to see what happened.  And I’m so glad I did because I love the results.

The thing I love about film is that you have to concentrate every time you click the shutter.  It’s a challenge.  And it’s exciting waiting to see the results.

I love the Diana because it’s unpredictable.  And because it makes me look artsy when I’m really not.  It’s just the inherent light leaks of the camera and the film advancing when it’s not supposed to.  The pictures just make me happy.

Here are a couple of my favorites.  You can see the rest on the DrewB Blog.

And one from Seattle

Dear Chuck,

Happy 5 year anniversary to us!  Thank you for being my best friend, my number one fan, my baby daddy, and the love of my life.  Thank you for caring for me, knowing what I need before I even know I need it, and for putting up with me  Thank you for loving me, for choosing me, and for stopping to tie your shoe on that bridge in Kaanapali 12 years and 364 days ago.

143,

Drewbie

Wedding Pictures:  Steve Hoffman

Being a pro photographer is both a blessing and a curse.  I want to take the best pictures of my family possible, but I also want to enjoy time with my family and maybe even be in front of the camera every once in a while.  When we’re on vacation it’s a fine line of capturing the memories, but also being a part of the memories.

Here are some observations / tips on how to enjoy yourself while documenting your families trip:

1)  Don’t be afraid to leave the big, fancy camera in the hotel room.  When I have my DSLR down by the pool I’m scared that it’s a) going to get stolen b) going to fall in the pool c) get dropped.  So, I never leave it’s side.  I don’t get to go have fun in the pool.  I get to sit with my camera all by myself.  Just because you have a big, fancy camera doesn’t mean you have to take it everywhere with you.  It’s okay to leave it in the hotel room every once in a while.  I really only bring mine out when I know the light is going to be just right.

2)  Take the point and shoot.  If I leave the DSLR in the hotel room I bring my point and shoot with me.  That way I have it to snap some pictures if something fun is happening and I’m not stressed about it getting broken / stolen.  Also, if I want to be in a picture it’s important that I have it because people either don’t know how to use the DSLR or are scared of it.

3)  Don’t miss out on the memories because you are too busy capturing them.  My husband will tell you that I am guilty of this.  I’m so busy making sure I take pictures and video of everything that I’m not always enjoying the moment.

4)  Every image doesn’t have to be an amazing, blogable picture.  Shoot for yourself.  Shoot for your family.  And have fun with it!