I'll spare you all the once upon a time drivel and get to the point.  Okay moms of girls, admit it.  We're all suckers for the tutu.  It's where the dreams of little girls and their mommies colide into magic, whimsy and living-room twirls.

On the other hand, you've gotta admit, the tutu photo card has been played! I've caught myself thinking 'If I see one more newborn in a shocking magenta tutu...' well, I'll let you fill in the blank.  That's why today I was so excited to see fellow Momtographer Megan's precious photos of baby "I".

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In the early stages of "learning" photography second only to nutso crazy post processing is the urge to go prop happy! And while props can be fun for sure, most times they end up just looking silly OR worse steal the glory from the star of the show!

So a word of caution, before you go out and invest little joey or jill's college savings on that chair, couch, background paper, miniature castle, crystal tiara, chickens, rabbits, birds or the like, DON'T! :) You will end up using them much less then you think or wish you had!

BUT, if you insist on using props, please take note of a few suggestions we hope will help offer a more rewarding experience!

1. Before hanging up that gorgeous new sheet or swatch of cool fabric as your very first background, grab an iron or a steamer and get rid of the wrinkles. Yes we know it seems obvious but, in all your excitement, we promise it's easy to forget or just not "see" the wrinkle s. We can't tell you how hard it is to get rid of the wrinkles later, so save yourself some heartache and either skip the fabric or grab the iron!

2. Resist the urge to use props that have more "wow factor" than your subject! The last thing you want to do is have a sofa or baby chic upstaging your cutie patootie! Props should be subtle aids to help tell a bigger story, they shouldn't BE the story!

3. Don't underestimate the "novelty factor"! Some of the best moments happen when your little one sees something for the first time, so don't spoil that by letting them play with the prop ahead of time. The element of surprise is one of your best tools as a momtographer!

4. Before spending countless hours and dollars setting the scene ask yourself one question, "will I still think this was a good idea in 6 months?" If the answer is yes then by all means keep truckin'! But if the answer is "hmmm I'm not sure" then drop the glue gun and run!

(What is it about holidays that wrecks our judgement?!?!?)

Finally, PLEASE always keep safety in mind! Sometimes we get caught up in the cute factor and overlook things that have potential to be hazardous. We KNOW no one would ever intentionally put their precious little munchkins in harm's way, it's just so easy to do without realizing!

If you made it this far then feel free to be on your prop happy way! Snap to it!

 

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Before you think we suffer from short-term memory loss, we know that we say this often, but we can't say it enough. Everything that you choose to include or not include in the frame of your picture has the power to turn your picture from just ho-hum to wow wow super wow. And the background you choose sets the scene for not just visual impact (or lack thereof), but storytelling as well.

Backgrounds - we're not talking the painted kind that you stood in front of for prom - (though bonus points if you can make something like that work).  We mean a living background. Everything that sets the stage behind your child as he or she zooms through their great big world.

It's hard to lay out definitive rules when choosing a background because the options are endless and ever-changing - but here are some things that we find helpful to look for when setting the scene for our little one.

LOOK FOR CONTRAST
Here we see Sydney with her blonde hair and bright white outfit practically jumping off of the screen in front of a wall of dark green shrubbery.

The same thing goes for Chloe - only in reverse.  Her raven curls and cafe-au lait complexion command your eye against the blown-out path ahead. It's also worth mentioning that the brigade practically leads your eye smack to this incredible moment between daddy and daughter.

LOOK FOR FRAMING
Under the Camelias and dreaming, the canopy of brush around, overhead and the petals leading to Sydney frames her naturally.  Don't see what we mean? Squint your eyes and look how everything around her is dark while she alone glows.

LOOK FOR STORY
Sure, at first glance this graffiti's wall may look too busy to be a good backdrop, but it's the perfect setting for this super dope daddy and his cutie-attitudie.

Bottom line - we can't tell you the rules, because you'll find limitless scenarios when it comes to backdrops. But look for opportunities to practice the examples we've given, and your eye will begin to instinctively see what will put your little star on center stage.

 

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Now that we've turned off the flash and found our pocket of light, let's deal with what's going on behind, in front of, or maybe even all around your subject. Is there a visual obstacle course cluttering up your images?  If so, clean it up!

Start by taking note of everything around you... make a mental list.  Toys, cabinets, poles, telephones, furniture, blankets, laundry, fence lines, literally everything.  It's amazing the stuff we visually "tune out"  that come back to haunt us in print.

Once you've made your list, ask yourself - does this thing add to the story I'm telling with this picture?  Does this thing compete for attention with the star of the show?

For portraits (that is, intentionally posed pictures) the surroundings should never take away from your subject.  Every item should only enhance it, or help tell your story.

Here is what seems like an extreme example of background clutter, but believe it or not when taking this photo Krista didn't notice ANY of it. She couldn't see past those sweet brown eyes!

 

Now look at this shot, while the background isn't jumping out at you like the above example, notice how the crib frame goes right through her sweet little head cutting it in half? This is a big no no, and a very common thing that takes you training your eye to notice.

For action shots, you want your background to give context, but not be so cluttered that it competes. (photo examples of good and bad)

Since we've limited your surrounding to your pocket of light, lets start by making sure all of the clutter is removed from the picture.  Take a test shot.  Chairs, phonebooks, grandma's spoon collection - if it's showing up and distracting from those baby blues, ix-nay from the icture-pay. 

If your background still isn't working, don't be afraid of some heavy lifting!  What's a little redecorating in light of a lifetime of fabulous pictures? (Hint - when furniture looks good in pictures, it usually looks even better in real life!)

Down the road we will talk about how to create backgrounds using props, papers, and other fun fabulous things, but for now, we are going to keep it simple and teach you how to work with what you have.  Here's a fun fact - Krista has never used a manufactured background in a picture.  When she wants a blank canvas, she either clears the furniture off of a living room wall, or uses somethi ng neutral like the front of a building.

Here is one in her living room, she moved a love seat over so that Chloë could sit in front of one of the only clear walls in the house.

Like learning to read light, it may take some time to develop your new eye - but once you start "seeing" the clutter in your surroundings, you'll never take pictures quite the same way again!

 

 

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We said it before in Brand Spankin' New, but we will say it again, because it is worth repeating! Learning to master composition is one of the single most powerful ways to transform your photographs! Learning how to tell a story, by what you do or don't put into a frame is an art form! And one that can be mastered no matter what kind of equipment you have, seriously, even an iphone! In the coming sections we will go in detail into some areas of composition that well make a big difference fast! But like everything in photography the best way to master it is PRACTICE, so snap to it!

In this section we will explore:

Angles- A look at how your vantage point can completely change your story

Rule of Thirds- A tried and true photography imperative

Backgrounds- Learning what to do, not to do, and what to watch for

Positive and Negative Space- Understanding the story that perspective tells

What NOT to do with props!- Come laugh with us on the do's and don'ts