Author: alison@tinyblueorange.com

Because I love teaching.

Because I love photography.

And because I love to inspire, motivate, and foster confidence with YOUR camera.

It’s back.

And you can register today by clicking HERE.

Be Young Photography School is about to be back in session with another Momtography course scheduled for June 26th. Have you been thinking about taking the plunge and attending? Some of our previous momtographers want to share just how inspirational they found this class and share how it’s changed their photography since attending! I hope you enjoy our first in a series of interviews with these special ladies.

Name: Sara

Camera: Canon EOS REBEL T2i

How many kiddos: 2 girlies

Age(s): 2 and “bigger than four-and-three-quarters”.

Tell us a little about what makes your kids tick. What are their interests, hobbies, favorites. What makes them unique? My almost-5-year-old is in perpetual motion: always jumping, leaping, spinning, running…always looking around, always distracted by the possibility that something else might be happening somewhere else that might be more fun than what she’s doing in that moment.  This is a girl who knows what she likes, and this is what she likes: dresses, movie nights with popcorn, the Racing Presidents, Michael Jackson, learning to read new words, ballet shoes, sparkles and glitter, candy, being bossy, and going to restaurants.

My 2 year old is a bunch of sweetness…a hugger, a lap-sitter, a laugher, an enthusiastic user of “please” and “thank you”.  She is a ham who will make her best silly faces for as long as she can to hold your attention.  She likes Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Skippy John Jones, baby dolls, a crib crowded with books and toys, and not sharing.  I can’t resist her big brown eyes, still-plump baby cheeks, and wispy little curls.

Tell us what you love most about being a mom. This is a tough one!  It’s hard to say something that doesn’t sound like a schmaltzy greeting card.  On a practical level, I love the first moments of the morning when they are all sleepy eyes and snuggles and sticking-up hair.  I love discovering the world again with them – the thrill of spotting a rainbow or the adventure of finding a frog or the drama of a thunderstorm.  I even love the tender pinch in my heart at the end of the day when I realize how many hours have passed since I last hugged them.

I find inspiration as a mother by remembering this quote from an “author unknown” email I once received: “As mothers, we are building great cathedrals.  If we’re doing it right, we won’t be seen.  And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.”

Biggest frustration(s) with your photos pre-Momtography? My biggest frustrations were probably best characterized by this running monologue: Do I have enough light?  I thought I did – why does this picture look so dark??  Let me try this again.  That flash is so bright!  Ugh.  Their eyes are red.  I think I have a setting for that.  Wait – let me bring in another lamp.  Hey!  Come back!  Can you just sit down for a minute?  Sit down for Mommy, ok?  Say cheese.  CHEESE!  Try again!  UGH!  That’s blurry.  Can you look at Mommy?  Put your hand down, ok?  Just sit there for one little second.  Hey – wait!  Just one more!  Can you sit down for just a second?  Hmmmm, maybe we should try it in the other room.  Where are you going?  (Sigh.) Ok, I guess we’re done.

What was the best tip or trick you learned from attending Momtography that you were able to use right away? Learning how to use aperture settings was probably one of the biggest concepts that I employed immediately.  Although I am trying to focus most on learning to manipulate the manual settings on my camera, using my camera’s “Sports” function has been another valuable tip.  It’s allowed me to capture some great action shots of my whirling dervish.  The last concept that I’ve really enjoyed incorporating was the “rule of thirds” – it’s really helped me think about the composition in my pictures, whether as I take them or in editing later.

What is the BEST moment you’ve captured of your kids or family ever on camera. Anything special come to mind? My favorite moment ever captured on camera was my older daughter’s visit to meet her new baby sister in the hospital.  I sure wish I’d taken Momtography before that.  It’s my favorite moment, but it’s not my favorite photo!

Why should other local moms consider attending Momtography 101 on June 26^th? Before I took Momtography, I had a great camera and a lot of enthusiasm, but I was pretty much a zero at getting a photo that I felt captured a moment or told a story.  95% of my camera’s features and functions were a mystery to me.  Beryl is a great teacher: she focuses on what techniques and tools are most helpful and usable for the kinds of photos a Mom generally likes to take and she makes that scary photography vocabulary not-so-scary. If I had learned only half of what I did at Momtography, it still would have been enough.

She turned 7 months this week. Where is the time going? Easter was the perfect excuse to get outside and celebrate Spring! That was about all we celebrated in this dress.  60 minutes seems to be the upper limit for this little girl and her high fashion. At least we got to capture the dress on film because tomorrow I am sure this one isn’t going to fit anymore.

If you are a momtographer, I’ve got two giveaways today that are going to rock your world!

In this digital age, the art of photography and capturing memories has never been easier. Point, shoot, transfer, upload and your job is done. But with this ease, comes a new set of challenges.  Too often I hear stories of momtographers who have lost their these precious memories just as quickly as they were taken.  At my last Momtography class one of the participants  told the heartbreaking story of how she lost hundreds of photos of her wedding, the birth of her first child, and their first years as a family all because of a broken computer and a crashed hard drive.

Can you relate?

SmugMug has absolutely changed my life for this very reason and has revolutionized the way I archive my photos for both my clients AND my family. With unlimited storage, full resolution image backups, beautiful image slideshows and access to pro labs for prints and other products they are an industry leader for moms and pro alike.  I am a faithful member of the SmugMug family, and now SmugMug wants you to be a part of their family too!

SmugMug has generously offered to give away a 1-year PRO level account membership ($150 value) and a $50 print credit to one lucky Be Young Photography blog reader!

To be entered in this giveaway you just need to follow 2 easy steps:

1) Leave a comment on this blog. Tell me “Have you ever lost your family photo memories? How will SmugMug change your life?”

2) Go “Like” SmugMug on Facebook by clicking HERE. Tell them Be Young Photography sent you. Just copy and paste the following to their Wall and you’ll be all set: I am a Be Young Photography Momtographer and I need SmugMug to change my life!

A winner will be chosen at random on Friday. You must have both a blog comment and a SmugMug wall post to be chosen as the winner . (You do not have to been a current or former attendee of Momtography 101 to enter this giveaway. anyone is welcome and encouraged to enter!)

AND now for giveaway #2…

Do you live in the Washington Metropolitan Area? Do you want to be entered to win a FREE seat to the June 26th Momtography 101 class ($125 value)? Well you’re in luck! because the Dulles Moms is giving one seat away this week! Head on over to their website be entered. Click HERE for the details on how you can win the free spot which will be given away on Friday.

Good luck, winners will be announced for both contests on Friday!

Today it’s time to meet another one of the Be Young Photography momtographers! I am so proud of these ladies and so excited to share their stories with you. Are you interested in being a part of the next Momtography 101 group? Check out this week’s giveaways. You could win a free seat in the next class OR free photo storage and printing from our awesome partner SmugMug.  Click HERE for all of the details on how to enter. Good luck, and enjoy this week’s interview!

Name: Keisha

Camera: Nikon D7000

How many kiddos: 2

Age(s): 2 years 8 months, 13 months

Tell us a little about what makes your kids tick. What are their interests, hobbies, favorites. What makes them unique? My son loves Tonka trucks, Thomas the Train, Buzz Light Year (from Toy Story), and he loves to run when we go on our afternoon walks. He is a very particular and cautious little boy that is also curious and has a ton of empathy for those around him, especially when they get a boo boo. My daughter on the other hand is our firecracker. Katy Perry’s song Fireworks is pretty much her theme song. She’s full of energy and sunshine. She also loves chasing after her brother and then running away from him when being tormented.

Tell us what you love most about being a mom? I love watching them sleep, play and learn new things. Having two little ones so close together has been tiresome at times, but the enjoyment I get from each one of them, in their own way, is well worth it.

Biggest frustration(s) with your photos pre-Momtography? My biggest frustration pre-Momotography was trying to figure out how to take photos without using a flash. I relied heavily on my SB600 speedlight, because I didn’t know how to manually adjust my camera settings to get the photos to look the way I would see them in my mind. Two of the example photos I have are from a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house. I was trying to capture my husband and son in front of a Christmas tree. There was a enough lighting in the room, but I could not figure out how to take the photo without using the flash.

What was the best tip or trick you learned from attending Momtography that you were able to use right away? The best tip I’ve learned from attending the Momtography class is how ISO, shutter speed and aperature all interact with each other. I am proud to say that I have not used my flash or speedlight since the class. I’m loving taking photos in manual modes. Instead of letting the camera think for me, I’m now telling the camera what to do and the results have been great.

What is the BEST moment you’ve captured of your kids or family ever on camera. Anything special come to mind? Last weekend, there was a Kid’s Trout Fishing Day in Reston. They stocked a tributary to Lake Audubon with over 200 rainbow trout. That day, my son caught his first fish, and he was estatic. In addition, the Northern Virginia Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be using one of these photos in their next newsletter.

Why should other local moms consider attending Momtography 101 on June 26th? Most people buy nice digital cameras because they want to take professional looking photos. But how much fun is a great digital camera if you’re only using it in auto mode, like a point and shoot camera. Besides the investment we made in our camera, taking this class was our next great investment. I feel more confident taking photos and do not feel as overwhelmed or frustrated in determining the right settings to use in different situations or settings.

When I was first referred to Cranial Technologies by our pediatrician because our poor baby has a “flat head” the immediate dread hit the pit of my stomach. “A helmet???” Then there were the thoughts of taking her out in public. The stares. The laughs. The wonders. Friends told me they didn’t notice her flat spot at all. But I did. All the time. And even though without treatment that flat spot would most likely disguise itself under a head of thick beautiful hair, in the end I couldn’t have regrets. I didn’t want Brie to yell at me 16 years down the road because I didn’t “fix” her. This too shall pass and we are going to make the most of the 3 months of our Brielle Rose wearing a “crown”, or as her daddy kindly puts it, her 3 months as “an astronaut”.

We were so lucky to discover the non-profit called Wrap Buddies, dedicated to making these medical orthotics look beautiful.  They are a network of auto wrap shops, dedicating their time and resources to wrapping these bands for free!! Our band was wrapped by affiliate Wrap Buddies shop, Beyond Graphix, in Hyattsville, MD.

We are almost 2 weeks in to Brie wearing her band and we all couldn’t be happier!

Mother’s Day is a day of appreciation and respect. I can think of no mothers who deserve it more than those who had to give a child back.

~ Erma Bombeck ~

It’s was Mother’s Day 2009 that I found out I was going to be a mom for the first time.  20 weeks later we lost our first daughter, Bella, to a combination of medical abnormalities and our lives were forever changed.  Mother’s Day holds a special place for me because it feels like I’ve truly been a mom for the past 2 years.  But this past weekend, my first “real” Mother’s Day, the story of why and how I got into this business has been on my mind a lot. Becoming a mom to our beautiful Baby Brie has stirred up a lot of thought and introspection as to how our family got here and what an emotional roller coaster the past 2 years have been.

I think about Bella, the first daughter we never met. I think about Brielle, and how she would not be here if Bella still was. I think about how lucky we are to have Brielle, such an amazing baby with such an easy going and happy nature. And then I wonder if Bella’s personality would’ve been like Brie’s or completely different.  I think about what Bella would look like now. Would she and Brie have looked the same? Would Bella have had the same beautiful strawberry blonde hair and striking blue eyes like her sister? Or would they have been their own unique selves and not even have looked or acted like siblings.

I think about the loneliness and sadness that clouded our 2009.

I think about the uncertainty, hope, and growth that was our 2010.

I think about the overwhelming joy we’ve experienced in 2011.

And I think a lot about photography.

How it has encouraged me. How it has helped me. How it has healed me.

My mind has meandered around all of these thoughts lately, much like I’ve been wandering the path towards becoming a photographer. During the past past 18 months the road has been winding, sometimes I’ve felt lost, I’ve climbed up hills, and I’ve re-discovered the beauty life has to offer.  The universe surely works in strange ways, but looking back down the path I can see that there must have been a reason for it all. I took a look back at my very first blog post the other day to remind myself where this journey began. October 6th, 2009. I stated my purpose for blogging. Reason #1:

INSPIRE

That was my big dream 2 years ago. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there, or what I would do to make that happen, but I wanted to be an inspiration to others. At the time I was looking for an outlet to share my photography journey, experiment with and express my creativity, and attract an audience willing to listen to my story of loss and new life. I wanted the world to know that grieving the loss of an unborn child is lonely, it is never-ending, and the best healer in the world is time and a creative outlet.

But even after expressing my feelings, expanding my technical photography skills, building my portrait portfolio, booking some amazing clients, and teaching moms the confidence to get their dslr cameras out of “auto” mode, something has still felt missing on this journey.

Until now.

Somewhere along the way of building this business I lost the core reason it was started, Bella. She is the missing piece I’ve been searching for and in the coming month the Be Young Photography School is going be adding a new class to its offerings in order to re-focus on what has mattered most from the beginning.

Introducing…

 

A 4-week online course designed especially for moms dealing with the loneliness, grief, and sadness of losing a child in pregnancy or infancy no matter how long ago that loss occurred. It’s for moms who are looking for a creative outlet to express their emotion and begin the healing process. It’s a way for these special women to be heard and connect with others dealing with the exact same experience. It’s a way for baby-loss moms to slowly step back into the world and learn to live again.

Bella has inspired the creation of every aspect of Be Young Photography from the first blog post, to each photograph snapped, to teaching moms camera confidence. Now, this class unites all of those values into one common purpose.

To get on the mailing list to learn more about Illuminate and all of the details of how you can be involved in this class experience

click HERE

I can’t wait to start the healing process with some amazing, strong, beautiful women.