Better Photos- In the Best Light Outdoors

We all love to relax outdoors in pleasant weather.  What better time for a portrait?  Just keep in mind that direct sunlight is harsh and unflattering to the human face.  Those dark shadows under the eyes and nose cast by the sun detract from the beauty of your subject.  Not to mention the squinting and…

Better Photos – In the Best Possible Light Indooors

It’s surprisingly easy to create stunning indoor portraits of family members with window light. Of course, it’s easiest to just grab my phone and take a slew of candid shots wherever my grandchild is. But just a little more effort gets me from ok to stunning. I have learned to see light. I notice how…

A Little Girl and the Doves

Many years ago there lived a little girl who loved her grandmother’s garden. You may know a girl like her or you may be like her. Summer evenings were the little girl’s favorite time. That was the time the mourning doves came to drink at the small garden pond near the front porch where she…

A Shoebox Love Story

Every year, a Christian organization called Samaritan’s Purse facilitates the distribution of shoeboxes filled with small toys and useful items to children in poor or war-torn countries. The boxes are filled by people across America in the spirit of giving to those less fortunate at Christmas. “Back in 2000, an 8-year-old girl named Joana in…

Better Photos – Toothless

Did your child (grandchild) sing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth?” this past December? If so, did you record a keepsake image of his/her condition? As a professional children’s photographer, I suggested parents bring the child to me for an excellent professional image at this once-in-a-lifetime age. What’s cuter than children…

Overcoming Overwhelm Part 2

When I have more than I can handle, I want to complain to someone, anyone who will listen. I want to spout off about how much I have to do and how little time I have to do it in. I want some pity and maybe if I’m honest, I want to feel important. (I…