Happy Birthday To Ya...
It was just one year ago that my good friend and co-founder of this site Adrienne and I hit "publish" on our very first blog posts. Full of hope and enthusiasm and a little trepidation. We had no expectations, only dreams for where this burgeoning community would take us.
To be here, one year later with a thriving community of unbelievable people all over the world is humbling. There are not words to describe the gratitude that we feel towards each and everyone of you. Every blog comment, facebook post, and message board thread confirms what we believed to be true when we set out on this journey, which is that there is a community of moms (and dads) out there who want to tell their story. Who want to share that story, and who want to help their fellow moms do the same. You are cheerleaders, and inspirations to one another, and I am proud to be a part of it all.
I asked you to send me your personal best images for 2010, and they came pouring in! It was special for me, because I have watched most of your grow from your first post and the progress is jaw dropping. So here's to you Momtographers! Thank You, for making this community a place that I am proud to call home.
Audrey Woulard
If you're reading this, chances are you've already been influenced by her. Audrey Woulard changed the face of children's photography, and now she's here to Help A Momtographer Out.
Head Transplant!
I know you've seen the commercial... the new Microsoft commercial that promises to magically produce perfect group shots by offering a choice of heads from different photos. I'm not going to say I don't think it's possible, because it is... BUT, doing it well takes a little more human finesse than I think a computer is capable of. So until someone can prove me wrong (I'm calling gimick!!!) here's a video tutorial I did last year for my local newspaper's blog.
Last Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with the 4 generations of women in my family. When the 2-year-old was happy, we were just okay. When the rest of us were genuinely smiling, well, the 2-year old was doing other things. So after a quick reiview of the lcd screen, I knew I had a choice. I could drag things out hoping for all the planets (and faces) to align, possibly turning those smiles into grimaces, or I could spend a little time fixing it later. Here's my "later".
Enjoy!
| Family Holiday Photos - Head Transplant! | ||
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Lillyblue
If you have so much as wiggled your baby toe into the world of children and family photography, then you have probably heard of, seen, and/or drooled over photographer Leah Zawadzki's work, better known as Lilyblue. She is an amazing photographer with a knack for making every photo she takes feel like an instant classic! And her actions and presets are the things dreams are made of! We are so grateful to have had a chance to talk with her about her style, what inspires her, and how you too can find your signature look.
Momtographer Spotlight- Poptographer, Andrew Adler
"One of the great things about using a point and shoot camera is being able to do just that - point and shoot"- Andrew S. Adler
If that's not Momtography 101, we don't know what is!
Browsing through photo albums on facebook (one of my favorite past times), I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this one! HOW FREAKING CUTE!!!! :) I absolutely loved the way sky was so bright and beautiful at the same time so was Violet! You can imagine how excited I was to find out that my good friend Julia's (you may have heard of her she started a totally awesome site, Planet Awesome Kid)photographer husband had taken this shot, not with his oodles of fancy equipment but with his trusty Canon S90 point and shoot!
Keep reading for a little bonus mini tutorial about shooting at the beach, straight from the man himself! Thanks Andrew!
May/June Challenge- SUMMER
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER: ANDREA!
STAY TUNED FOR JULY'S CHALLENGE!
Thank you to all of our amazing Momtographers for their participation in the SUMMER challenge! The entries were just too good to pick only 5 so ALL entries are going up for vote this month!
Vote for your favorite entry by logging in and posting a comment with the number of the photo (click on the polaroid to see the photo number) and the word "vote". Please remember that you can only vote once. Voting will start today, July 1st and continue through the weekend, The winner will be announced on Monday morning, July 5th.
Good Luck Everyone!
Stay tuned for July's challenge - you're gonna LOVE it!
To see previous winners and finalists, go here!
Beating Ourdoor Sunspots and Haze!
Our winter cave has been abaondoned! The grass is growing, the birds are chirping, and the swingset is a-calling. Spring is officially here!
But shooting outdoors, especially in the late-afternoon hours, remind us that we have to be mindful of a few things when making use of the great sunlight. Specifically, avoiding the glare, haze and lens flare that can occur when the angle of the sun intersects with the angle of lens.
Our playground faces South, so in the late afternoon it gets direct sunlight from the West. This isn't a problem when I shoot with my back to the South - my lens 90 degrees to the sun.
April's Challenge - Anticipation
Congratulations to BRIANNE - the winner of April's Photo Challenge - ANTICIPATION!
You won a $30 gift certificate from Amazon.com and you will be the featured mom on LittleLunalu.com!
Here are the runners up!
Stay tuned for May's challenge - you're gonna LOVE it!
To see previous winners and finalists, go here!
David Bean
We've followed Photographer David Bean for some time - both on twitter and on his Pro Corner group on Flikr for Semi-Professional and Professional Photographers. We're big fans of not only his stunning images of celebrities and his commercial work, but his truly approachable and open desire to help other photographers along the way. A few months ago, I was talking to a fashion-world friend of mine about stand out photographers who would offer something valuable to our moms - and David's name made the short list. We leaped at the opportunity to connect -and a phone interview (with SIX DISCONNECTS!) he was every bit the wealth of experience and graciousness we thought he'd be!
MT: David - I'd like to start with something I saw on the bio of your webpage. It says "Art is not my life… Life is my art." That's something that resonates so strongly with us and with our moms because of what the nature of a Momtographer is. How did you get there?
Basically, I'm not an artsy-fartsy person at all - I don't like artsy fartsy people… someone who takes themselves way too seriously, like what they do is so important that without them the world would be this tragic place. I really appreciate arts and I appreciate the craft of photography, but it's not saving the world - I don't have any grand illusions that I'm saving anyone's life!
Journaling photo milestones
I've always wished I lived in the kind of house where there would be a perfect door frame on which to etch the growth of my family from month to month, year to year. The kind of door you'd find in a family farmhouse that's been around for generations - one that practically cue's Amy Grant's "If These Walls Could Speak". But alas, I'm one of the modern families of nomads who commit to address nor decorating long enough to make generational graffiti on my walls.
This past spring break, as my daughter was running down the boardwalk to the ocean ahead, I had a flashback to the year before and the year before that one. As it turns out, I have roughly the same image of her, year upon year. I have my own photo milestones...
Here she is at one - waiting for Daddy to come and take her hand and help her pull her wagon.
Again at two - skipping merrily towards the sand.
