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!
1-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.
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.
(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.)
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!
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!
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 :).
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.
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%.
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!
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.
I hope these tips help! What would you add to the list?
