Tag Archives: photos

Groovebook Review

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

Okay, guys confession time: I take too many photos. But, if you follow me on instagram, snapchat, or my blog – you already know that. When Gracie was born, we invested in a new camera (Sony A6000) and it started to become a little hobby of mine to learn how to use it! About a million photos later, I feel like I’m getting the hang of it. I seriously practice taking photos every day. I just love being able to capture each moment with Gracie with high quality shots. It’s so much fun!

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

I take so many photos with my Sony A6000, then transfer them to my phone (with the built in camera wi-fi!!!!). I love having them on my phone because I can easily share to instagram or Facebook. But… I’ve run into a little problem. My phone keeps running out of storage because of my picture-overload situation. But, I think I’ve found the solution! You guys, I can’t wait to tell you about this company- Groovebook.

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

Some of you may have heard of Groovebook because they were on Shark Tank in January of 2014. This couple created an app that solves all of my picture problems! It’s so easy. You download the app. Then you upload 40-100 photos from your phone. Of course I fill up the 100 easily, but it’s nice to know you only need a minimum of 40. Then Groovebook takes your photos and puts them in an adorable photo book for FREE. All you have to pay is $2.99 for shipping. Three dollars for 100 photos printed out! It’s amazing!

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

The app is really easy to use. It’s as simple as selecting the photos you want and hitting upload. Honestly, it could not be easier. Ordering prints from walgreens is harder + more expensive.

Each month, you get a new Groovebook. The covers of the photo books are adorable. My first month I got the adorable coffee cup cover, which is so perfect for me as I’m always tired and drinking coffee! #momlife. I can’t wait to see what cover I get next month!

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

Groovebook really does solve a lot of my photo problems. I can get my favorite photos printed in my Groovebook and that frees up storage on my phone! Plus, it is so refreshing and fun to have photos printed out. I have so much stuff on my phone, so it’s SO nice to have physical photos of Gracie to look at.

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

I almost forgot to mention one of the best parts! The photos in the Groovebook are on easy-to-tear sheets! That means you can just tear out the photos if you want! I’m planning on leaving some in the book, and tearing some out to frame, do DIY projects with, and give to family members! Which reminds me… you can rip out photos to give to family, but you can also gift one of your monthly Groovebooks to a family member! How neat is that!

Another cool thing about the Groovebook is that the date, time, and location shows up on each picture. It’s not actually on the picture (which I love!), but it’s in the binding of each shot. This is great for remembering baby milestones! I know I’ll appreciate these dates when I’m looking back through old Groovebooks down the road.

I really recommend getting set up with Groovebook. Download the app, and get started uploading your favorite pics! Use code GRACEFULMOMMY to get your first Groovebook FREE!! After your first book, each book is only $2.99. You cannot beat that price!

Groovebook Review- A great way to preserve those precious photos! Read more at gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to Take Better Photos of Your Kids

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

I am a total momarrazi (see definition below). I am obsessed with taking photos of Gracie. I cannot get enough! I want to capture every moment and every memory so I never forget these times + when she is this little. I’m a total amateur photographer, but I have learned a lot since Gracie was born. Since starting my blog, I have been asked tons of times what camera I use + what I use to edit my photos. So I thought I’d answer a few questions + give my tips! Well- here ya go!

momarrazi1-Good lighting

Lighting can truly make or break your photo. My favorite spots to take pics of Gracie are either outside, or right in front of a window. The light coming in from the window catches her eyes and it just looks so pretty! The picture also turns out more sharp + less grainy- which always looks better.
10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com 10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

2-Look for small moments

We do photo shoots with Gracie constantly. I dress her up in adorable clothes, set up a photo area filled with props and accessories. This is so fun. However- to be a great momarrazi, you need to search for those small moments. Whenever I think to myself “oh my gosh, I hope I never forget this”- that’s when I take a photo. It’s little things like how Gracie sleeps with her mouth open. Or how Gracie giggles when I kiss her neck area by her ear. Or when Daddy, Gracie, and Chika were all hanging on the bed relaxing. Those sweet, small moments turn out to be my favorite photos.

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

(This is not the best quality picture, but it is by far one of my favorites. Sometimes, the lighting sucks and you have to use your selfie camera… oh well! I will cherish this moment with Gracie forever.)

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

3-Invest in a camera

This is not totally a MUST. But it truly will improve your photos. As soon as Gracie was born, I knew I needed a real deal camera. Sure, I have no idea how to operate the thing (I am learning, though!!), but these precious moments are worth every cent of that camera! The iPhone can take some remarkable pictures, but there are still things that a professional camera can do better. My new Sony A6000 (and other professional cameras) allows me to adjust the aperture (to get blurry backgrounds), shutter speed, and the ISO (to get better lighting). This is key for catching Gracie during those oh-so-important milestones without getting a blurry baby because she moves so much!

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

4-Pay attention to the background

The background of an image can really change it! Usually before I snap a photo of Gracie, I quickly pick up all of the clutter and toys so the background looks more simple. Before you take a shot, just notice what is in the background. Make sure that whatever is there does not take away from the subject of the photo! Sometimes, if I don’t like the background, I’ll put something up instead. For Gracie’s 1/2 birthday photos, we put a sign in the background that really makes the photo special!

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

5-Focus on the eyes

Gracie’s eyes are so beautiful! My favorite photos of her are when her eyes are in perfect focus. To get an even better photo, make sure your camera is focused on the eye closest to you. Sometimes this is a real challenge because of how much Gracie moves around, but I try. Also, eyes always look best when there is natural light! So get in front of a window and start snapping! Watch your baby’s eyes light up :).

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

6-New perspectives

This one is probably the hardest for me. I love just taking the normal front facing photos. But those can get a little boring after a while! It’s hard to remember to take pictures from different perspectives, but it really makes a photo better! I try to get some of Gracie from up above, down below, and of her feet. It just makes the photo more interesting to look at, and helps me remember the little parts of Gracie that I love.

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

7-Learn how to edit photos

Sometimes when I’m taking a photo, I am in horrible lighting. Or maybe I have a setting on my camera all wrong. I usually never get my photo perfect right from the camera. So, I have a few things that I do to tweak them. I don’t like to change a whole lot but I usually always do these things to my photos:

Brighten//This one is simple. It just adds light to the photo.

Desaturate// I love my photos to be a little undersaturated. I’m not sure why, I just think it looks better and makes the colors more even.

Dreamy effect// My favorite app to edit in is Rhonna Designs Magic. It’s amazing! I always put the dreamy filter on my photos because it adds a hazy, glowy feeling to the shot. I never put the filter at 100%, but more like 25%.

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

8-Take TONS of photos

I never want to say to myself “man, I wish I took more pictures of Gracie when she was little”. Ugh. That would be the worst! So, seriously, take tons of photos. I have at least one photo every day of Gracie’s life, but usually its more like 239,304,324. Just kidding (sort of). In my opinion, there is no such thing as TOO many photos. Okay, you may run out of space, but see below for a trick!

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

9-Do not run out of storage!

I feel like this is a common problem with everyone. Is it? Or is it just me and my extreme photo taking problems. I don’t know. But I ALWAYS used to get that annoying pop up on my phone that says “CANNOT TAKE PHOTO: There is not enough available space.. blah blah blah blah”. It
always comes at the ONE time that I need my camera the most. Like when Gracie first rolls over or sits up. It’s the worst. BUT- I have found a solution. Download the Flickr app. Sign up for free. And set it to automatically download your photos. Every time you take a photo, it will automatically upload to Flickr. Then, every so often you can delete all your photos on your iPhone because they will be backed up on Flickr. This has saved my life! I love it because I still have all of Gracie’s photos on my phone- they are just on the Flickr app and not my phone storage. Also, I can access these wherever and on any computer or phone.

You can thank me later.

10-Do something with your photos

While it’s super fun to make Gracie my iPhone background and to upload pics of her on instagram… it’s so important to print some photos out too. Hang them on the wall. Get some picture frames and rotate your favorite photos frequently. Make a baby book. Make photo coasters. Mail random pictures to grandparents + friends. Put an old school wallet photo in your wallet (seriously makes me smile every time I buy something). Make a calendar. Hang photos on the fridge. Scrapbook. It’s awesome having a camera and an iPhone to take pictures of Gracie, but it’s so much more fun to get them printed and flip through the hard copies of all of her sweet moments.

10 Ways to take better photos of your kids! And how to not run out of storage on your phone! Gracefulmommy.com

I hope these tips help! What would you add to the list?

DIY Photo Calendar

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

This is another project I did for Christmas gifts for some of my family- A photo calendar! I got the idea and directions from another blogger-  It’s Always Autumn . You can see the detailed directions to her project here. She is so creative. All you need to do is go to her post  and print out the calendar pages. I printed mine on cardstock so it would be thicker.

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

After printing out the calendar pages, just cut them out.

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

Then, cut your pictures to be 4 inches by 3.75 inches. Use double sided tape to stick the photos to the calendar pages.

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

Then, arrange the photos in calendar order! Look how pretty all of the photos look together. Gracie is just the CUTEST! You can attach magnets on the back of the calendar pages and simply hang them on your fridge like this. Or you can stack them all together and put them on a mini easel.

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

Here is what the calendar pages look like stacked up on the mini easel. I got my easels from Hobby Lobby! They sell a four pack for $5. I just think this is such a cute little desk calendar. Also  makes a perfect gift!!

DIY Photo Calendar. Such a cute gift idea!

Thank you Autumn from It’s Always Autumn for your creativity and amazing calendar printable! Go check it out + make your own!