Rites of Passage

We photograph moments. They may be small or large, but the point is the same: we are freezing time as it rolls on by us, so that years later we can look back and say "oh I remember when he lost his first tooth! Or - what fun we had at the beach that summer!" 

Sometimes, the moments are so significant we take special time out to capture the memories. Recently I had the opportunity to do this for three families whose children were having their First Communion. We met at Santa Clara University, with the beautiful mission church and lovely grounds, and snapped away. Here are some of my favorites.

Over the years, I've photographed Ariana so many times. She is such a great subject - always willing to try what is asked of her and a natural in front of the camera!

I loved photographing this young man and his gorgeous familia! 

This lovely girl was a trooper - she went from sleeping in the car after an overnight with her swim team to all-smiles in front of the camera.

For the Dogs

A few weeks back, I got to photograph a meetup group of German Shepherds - some with their owners, but most without.  It was a lot of fun, and a chance for me to learn some new things about photographing animals. Here's what I discovered: Dogs are just like furry toddlers.

1. They won't want to sit still for their photos, but bribery helps.

2. Like toddlers, they will watch their parents. So if you want them to look at the camera, have mom or dad stand behind the photographer making goofy faces and silly noises.

3. If you have two dogs, good luck getting them to sit still at the same time. It takes a miracle.

4. You can't force a smile. In the case of dogs - it's all about the ears. (I did not know this! But apparently ears UP means a dog is happy.) Some of them were happy, some were not - you gotta just go with it.

5. The best photos are the ones that show connection. I've found this with people, and am finding it with animals now too. When there are two subjects, I like when they are looking at each other or interacting in some way - it shows how they feel about each other and tells their story just a little bit.

When and Where to Capture the Best Photos

Hiring a photographer to capture precious moments with your family is a big decision. Most of us don't do it all that often, so when the time comes, we want to make sure we choose our setting carefully. Usually the photographer you hire will have some ideas about where and when to take the photos, but it helps if you know what you are looking for. These tips should also help you get some great photos of your own family on the days when you are in charge of the photos!

Many clients think a bright sunny day should be ideal for photos, and get disheartened if the weather is predicted to be cloudy or overcast. In fact, that couldn't be further from the truth! My very favorite days for photos are overcast days, because the clouds diffuse the light beautifully, making for a soft, even light over my subjects. I don't have to worry about blotchy sun splotches or harsh shadows - we can run around anywhere and capture great photos.

An overcast day in an open field.

If the forecast is clear, the best time of day to shoot is either early in the morning or late in the day, so that the sun is less direct. Another option is to find open shade. Open shade means any nice, even area of shade where the light still gets in from the sides. At noon this can be hard to find, as the light is coming straight down. At other times of day, though, you can find this by the side of a building, in the shadow of a hill, or under a tree. Beware of trees - their leaves sometimes let the light peek through and you get "hot spots" on your subject. You want to find a nice solid area of shade so that doesn't happen.

Photo taken during the late afternoon at Almaden Meadows Park. The sun is behind a hill, creating lots of open shade.

Since many of my photo sessions take place during the day, I'm always looking for areas which allow me to use open shade and still have a nice background for my photos. The photo above was shot at Almaden Meadows Park. I particularly love this park late in the day, as the sun sets behind the hill and the golden light is gorgeous. Earlier in the afternoon, there are areas where nice even shade can be found as well.

Picchetti Winery in Cupertino is another great location, with a variety of settings. The wall of the barn makes great open shade when you need it.

Picchetti Winery

One thing that separates professional looking portraits from snapshots is that they tend to have a shallow depth of field. That means the subject is in focus, while the background is blurry. The further your subject is from the background, the blurrier the background can be. So by choosing a location that is big, this becomes easier to achieve. 

The distant background is nice and blurry.

Sometimes the perfect photo can happen in a small space, too. If you have a favorite park or a cute backyard, as long as there is some shade (or we shoot early or late) we can get great results.

A cake smash birthday celebration in this little sweetheart's backyard.

So, to sum all this up: 

1. Take the time of day and the weather forecast into account. You'll have more options on overcast or cloudy days, and earlier or later in the day tend to work better as well.

2. Select an area with plenty of open shade. The closer to mid-day you are shooting, the more crucial this is.

3. Wide open spaces are good. This is particularly important if you are a group of people; I can get a nice shallow depth of field pretty much anywhere if I am only shooting one or two people. A bigger area also means it is easier to avoid things like cars (on the neighboring street) or random picnickers in your photo.

4. Small cozy spaces are good. As long as there is some shade and the time of day is considered, we can get great shots just about anywhere. Sometimes the best place is your very own backyard! 

A new little one

The best time to get those sleepy, squishy newborn shots are when a baby is less than ten days old. Less than a week is even better!

I'm sure it must seem overwhelming to new parents to try to squeeze in newborn shots amidst the chaos and excitement and exhaustion surrounding a new baby. Yet capturing those early moments is so special, I'm always thrilled when I get to do it!

Just a few days before our session, big sister had bumped her head and had to go to the ER to get it glued shut. Luckily, thanks to bangs and Photoshop, you can hardly tell!

This last photo makes me laugh every time I look at it. Newborns have such cute expressions - and they are not always peaceful! I love her little scrunched up face in this one!

What should I wear?

I didn't realize quite how big a question this was until I tried doing portraits of my own kids for Valentine's day. I had about five different options laid out on the floor, and none seemed to work. Finally, I borrowed a scarf and a sweater from a friend and it all came together in a vibrant, crazy, perfect sort of way.

Of course, I'd been asked this question by clients before. And my answer was always: "try to coordinate without being too matchy-matchy." But after realizing that this is easier said than done, I thought I'd put a few more ideas out there.

1. Pick a palette. I love clothing that's bright and vibrant. Colors that are rich and intense look beautiful in photographs—for example, burgundy, eggplant, teal, rust, or olive.

2. Black and white do not tend to photograph well. That said, sometimes white can create a wonderful innocent and timeless look. Just shun the matching white button down shirts in favor of a sundress and flip-flops and a breezy scarf (Spring and Summer) or a chunky hat and textured sweater (Fall and Winter). Even then, I love a pop of color here and there: a necklace, shoes, a flower in someone's hair, are all fun ideas. 


3. You can use a unifying color with neutrals like charcoal gray, tan, chocolate brown, or olive, for a really nice, natural but fun look. Think of bringing the color into jewelry or hair accessories, a scarf, shoes, or a little girl's dress.

4. Use patterns, textures, and layers to add visual interest. Textured fabrics such as denim, cable knits, linen, and corduroy all photograph well. Layers add depth to photos. Clothing doesn't have to be solid colors; patterns look especially great on kids (floral dresses, plaid shirts) and can add variety to the photo.

5. Don't forget your feet. Shoes can really finish off the outfit. I especially love boots and flip flops, but anything that adds personality can be fun. Of course most photos will be focused on your faces...just be sure one person's feet don't detract from the image by being totally out of line with the rest of your family's look. (For example, everyone in dress shoes and one person in really ratty tennis shoes).

Above all, try to find clothes you love. If you and your family feel good in what you are wearing, it will be that much easier to relax and let your personalities shine through to be caught by the camera.

Tips for Printing

In this day and age, it seems outdated not to offer digital files to photo clients. I know not every photographer agrees with this, but the convenience and flexibility digital files offer, to me, makes it a no-brainer.

That said, there are risks. No one wants their photos displayed above a mantelpiece with heads chopped half off and skin a striking orange.

So here are a few tips for printing that should help keep your lovely photos looking the way they are meant to look.

1. Use a good lab. I recommend www.mpix.com, which is a good mix of professional quality and reasonable prices.

2. Crop judiciously. Most labs, when you place items in your shopping cart, give you the opportunity to adjust cropping. Don’t let them decide for you. Remember – the photos come out of my camera sized perfectly for 4x6 print. An 8x10 print, for example, is much shorter (closer to a square shape) and you could end up with the dreaded forehead-crop if you are not careful.

3. Trust my editing. When you order from a lab, sometimes they will offer to “auto correct” photos for you. Since I have already fully prepared your files, any auto correction that the lab offers should be turned off.

4. Don’t print from Facebook. These files are intended as sneak peeks only. They are low resolution and will not print out nearly as well as the files you receive from me later. By all means, share them online, post them to your web site, email them to your sister-in-law—but don't print them. 

5. Don't be shy. If you are planning to print in black and white, are unsure about cropping images, or have any other special requests, don't hesitate to ask. For example, when I convert images to black and white, I never simply click "convert to grayscale" as the lab would do. By modifying the levels in the image, you can maintain detail and depth that would normally be lost. If you know you want specific changes made, check with me to see if I can help prepare the file(s).

6. Speak up. If you get your enlargement or canvas print or photo book back from the lab and it doesn’t look right to you, call them! Usually they will do everything in their power to make it right, or take it back for a refund.