Photography

If you have a little girl, and have not been to the store UnBOWlievable in the Dulles Town Center mall you need to RUN not walk and get yourself there! Co-owners Kristin and husband Chad excel in creating classy, colorful, stylish and affordable hair accessories for infants all the way to young adults. I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin back in November while shopping for Brie and she is one of those people you feel like you’ve known a lifetime.  She was so kind and helpful while shopping and made accessorizing my little one a breeze!

UnBOWlievable is gearing up for a fantastic 2011 and this weekend I had the opportunity to work with some adorable little models showing off their January 2011 product line and some of their other amazing products.  K., C. , E.1, E.2, M., and their families were troopers for being so willing to spend a chilly afternoon at the Waterford Mill in historic Waterford. VA. They all came super prepared with multiple coats, boots, scarves, and mittens in coordinating colors with the many bows and hats we had to shoot.  And, the snowy backdrop was the perfect scene for these girls to strike a pose! They were so good at posing that I had a difficult time narrowing down my favorites from our session.

Here is a sneak peek of the UnBOWlievable January product line.  I am excited to share these images first on the blog, but you may just see some of them hanging in store too come 2011! Thanks again to the families for all of your assistance and flexibility.  And, a big thank you to Kristin for your organization and making our shoot happen. You all made my job easy!

I am thrilled today to introduce to the winner of the free spot for our first Momtography 101 class set for February 27, 2011 at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA. Megan couldn’t have been more excited to win the free spot exclaiming “I’ve NEVER won ANYTHING before!!”.  Like most moms out there Megan loves her kiddos, loves her family, and wants so badly to capture beautiful photos using her dslr camera. I asked her to share with us a little bit about her family, her photo frustrations, and some of her images she so badly wants to fix.  It’ll be fun to post some after images once the class is complete to show you all how just a few tweaks with your camera settings can make all the difference.  I can’t wait to help you and all the other attendees in February.  To register for Momtography 101 click the link here and send me a message letting me know you want to be at that first class too!

1) Tell us a little about yourself and your kiddos. What makes your family tick?

My children and family are my #1 priority. I work full time and wish that I could cut back so I could be around more during the days with my kids. Georgia is 3 years old going on 25! and is in her first year of preschool and loves it. She is a very social little red head. Lorelei is our very independant child. She must do everything herself. But shes also a mamas girl and Im enjoying every minute of it. We are expecting baby number 3 in July and we should know the sex by the time of the class! Our family is silly and crazy and loud and we love it!

2) When did you get your camera and how long have you been using it?

My husband and I bought our camera as our Christmas gift to each other last year.

3) What is your number one frustration when taking photos?

My number 1 (I have to pick just one?? grrr) frustration is blurry picture and incorrect lighting. I never know what setting to use. So I end up guessing which leads to blurry pictures and a run away child. Moment lost.

4) If you could come away with ONE thing at the Momtography class what would it be?

What I hope to get from the class is to be able to take classic sweet pictures of my children.

5) What was your favorite thing to play with as a child?

As a child I loved riding my bike. I would spend hours outside riding around the neighborhood until the street lights came on.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered to win a free spot to the first of what I hope will be many Momtography 101 classes. It is fun for me to see so much excitement around this class and I hope all of you who entered will sign up to take the class in February. Unfortunately there can be only one winner and last night after a random drawing using Random.org a winner has been chosen. And the winner is….Megan L.!! I contacted Megan last night to give her the good news and she was soooooo excited because she’s never won anything before. I’ll be featuring a little interview on the blog on Monday with Megan so you can learn a little more about why she wants to take the class.

Until then, registration is open! If you would like to book your spot in Momtography 101 send me an email at info@beyoungphotography.com and we’ll get you registered. Or, get a husband, family member or friend to email and reserve your space as a last minute holiday gift. Gift certificates are available and space is limited so get your spot reserved soon before they run out!

My apologies once again. My track record for family photos on Fridays has not been so good during the past month! However, this Friday brings more exciting things…announcing the winner of the Momtography 101 giveaway. Have you entered yet?! You still have a few more hours. I’m taking entries up until midnight 12pm EST! Details on how to enter can be found here.

How are things in your world these days? Big changes have been going down in our house this month. I’ve returned to work full time & photography sessions are keeping me busier than expected during these winter months (LOVE!). My Calmer began a new job venture & is working on the final few classes of his Bachelors degree (YAY!).  Winter days are shorter and we leave for work when its dark and return home when its dark which leaves little time with Brie, little time for photography, and zero light for photos (DISLIKE!).

However, family snapshots are not always about finding the right light or the right pose.  Sometimes that moment, that time, that place is just right and it needs to be captured. We may not get to spend a lot of time with our little one during the week but the time we DO get to spend with her is so much more special.  The mood, the feeling, the space in this photo is the story of our life right now.  Cold winter days mean snuggling on the couch, trying to keep warm when the wind is howling out your front door, and spending time with those who matter most. And when I look back on this photo I’m not going to curse the poor lighting or the wardrobe they were wearing, I am going to remember how special this time in our life really was.

So far the response to Momtography 101 has been great and I am thrilled to see raffle entries and registrations already coming in! I can tell this first class is going to be a huge success and can’t wait for February. I’ve also been answering many questions this  past week about the class and what to expect.  So, I thought everyone could benefit from the Q&A and below is the Momtography 101 FAQ.  Feel free to add any additional questions you may have about the workshop by leaving a comment to this post.

Don’t forget…there are only 3 more days to enter to win a free spot to the February class. Click here for all the details and to register your entries. I’ll be announcing the winner this Friday on on the blog so come back then to find out who the winner will be!

Do I have to be a mom to attend Momtography 101?

No! Anyone is welcome to attend this course. Dads, grandparents, singles, teens. However, the class is geared toward taking better pictures of children so please attend with that in mind. The technical skills can be applied to many photography situations though so anyone looking to learn about their dslr can leave learning something!

What is a DSLR camera?

Most consumers are familiar with compact cameras such as your pocket sized point and shoot. However, DSLR cameras are increasingly becoming much more popular and prevalent amongst the general public.  DSLR stands for digital single-lens reflex. The two most commonly seen brands on the market are Nikon and Cannon.  But, that doesn’t really help explain what a DSLR is or what the advantages are of having one. Let’s dig a little deeper:

• With a DSLR camera, you see exactly what the lens sees and you typically view through a view finder (no LCD screen display)
• You can change the lens on a DSLR
• DSLRs have large image sensors that produce high-quality photos
• A DSLR in the right situation has a near-zero lag time, and is ideal for action photography
• DSLR cameras are versatile.

Do I have to have a dslr camera to attend Momtography 101?

Yes. This is a firm requirement. The technical details we will be discussing will be much more applicable to those with DSLR cameras. We will spend a majority of our time together disscussing manual functions, beginner settings, and lens options. Even though some of these settings are available on compact cameras they are not as sophisticated and do not always function in the same capacity as a DSLR.

What can I expect to learn at Momtography 101?

A little of everything! We’ll begin with the basics of taking better photos from composition to framing to lighting and location. From there we’ll dive into using the camera on a more technical level with basic manual settings. We’ll explore what settings work well in various situations and also discuss the advantages of different camera lenses.  Participants will also be given the chance to ask questions, participate in a hands on shoot with models to practice what is learned, and enter to win prizes and giveaways at the end!

How many participants will you be accepting for this class?

The class is designed for no more than 25 participants.

My wife (friend, coworker, daughter, son, mom, dad…) would really enjoy this class! Can I buy them a gift certificate?

Yes! I am happy to customize a gift certificate just for you.  A spot in this class would be a great gift for any holiday or special occasion.

I can’t attend the class on the date you’ve set. Are you planning to offer another in the future?

This Momtography class is one of what I hope to be many more to come. If the response is positive for this class I will definitely plan to offer another class during the Spring or Summer of 2011.  However, I also am happy to offer private small group classes either in your home or mine (for you and 3-7 of your friends), or one-on-one private lessons. Contact me for details if you are interested in either of these options.

This may be one of the bravest most adventurous families I’ve had the chance to work with to date. When the K. family contacted me to do a session in early December I knew we were going to be in for some chilly weather, but I didn’t expect it to dip to temperatures in the mid 30’s so quickly!  It was definitely colder than average for our holiday session in Brunswick, MD but Daria, Jeremy and son Logan braved the cold with no complaints and I think the results were well worth it! We met up at the train station in downtown Brunswick and captured some shots around the station and down by the C&O canal before heading inside for warm drinks at the local cafe. K, family, thank you for being so open to time outdoors in the cold, I had a great time getting to know you and capturing these special photos. Here is preview of our time outdoors, I can’t wait to show you the rest!

As you may have read Wednesday, I am absolutely thrilled to be adding Momtography 101 classes to Be Young Photography. And I am even MORE thrilled to announce that I’ll be giving away a free spot to the February workshop to one lucky reader! See below for the when, where, and how you can be a part of the first Momtography 101 class and then keep on reading for all the details on how you can enter to WIN and attend the class for FREE.

Are you excited yet? Space is limited to allow for plenty of time to answer individual questions and incorporate hands-on activities during the class.  We’ll be spending the afternoon at the gorgeous Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Potomac Falls, VA.  Mark your calendars now to make sure you don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity to learn, have fun, and meet other moms interested in photography.

And, if you’re interested in attending for FREE you’re in luck. I’ll be giving away a free spot to ONE lucky reader.  Here are 4 ways you can enter to win:

• Leave a COMMENT on this blog post by scrolling to the bottom of this post and clicking on the comment link. In your comment answer this question: What do you hope to learn by attending Momtography 101?
• JOIN the Be Young Photography fan page on Facebook by clicking here and “liking” us. Then come back here and leave a comment letting us know you are a fan.
• SIGN UP for the brand spankin’ new Be Young Photography mailing list by clicking here. You’ll kept in the loop with information about promotions, mini sessions, workshops and more! Then, come back here once again and leave one more comment letting us know you’ve signed up.
• SHARE this opportunity with others (via Facebook, Twitter, or Email) by using one of the share buttons at the bottom of this post. Then, come back here and leave one more comment letting us know who you’ve shared the love with.

You can earn up to 4 entries by doing each of the above tasks between now and December 15th. I’ll be using your blog comments to pick a winner at random on Friday December 17th and announcing it here on the Be Young Photography blog. Good Luck!

There’s nothing wrong with a Friday posting on Thursday, right? I’ve got to make way for the Momtography 101 details and giveaway tomorrow so I thought I’d go ahead and share what we’ve been up to a day early. We are a two holiday family in our household and have decided to share the magic of both Hanukkah and Christmas with Brielle. The first night of Hanukkah was last night and Brie enjoyed her first festival of lights. She may not remember any of her first holiday season, but we’re hoping to capture a bit of the magic so she can look back and see just how special this time was for all of us.

Today I am excited to announce the newest addition to Be Young Photography – Momtography 101 Classes! As an elementary technology teacher by day I absolutely adore helping students and teachers better their technology skills. I wanted to be able to do the same thing for moms in the area who are looking to better their photography skills! And so, I’m thrilled to introduce…

The first Momtography 101 workshop is scheduled to take place in late February and I’ll be sharing all the details with you on the blog this FRIDAY December 3rd. I’ll be offering special introductory pricing for the first workshop as well as sponsoring a special giveaway during the month of December. Not sure if Momtography 101 is for you? Here is what you can expect from the class:

Momtography 101 is customized for moms in the Washington Metropolitan area with dslr cameras who want to take better photos of their kiddos. Designed for the busy mom on the go, this 3 hour jumpstart course will give you the basics to get that camera out of AUTO mode and working for you in any situation. You’ll leave Momtography 101 with the necessary tools to successfully document the stories of your life from lazy days at home, to sporting events and extracurriculars, to milestone moments not to be missed. Some of the topics we will cover include:

• 10 Tips for Taking Better Pictures of Your Kids
• Introduction to Exposure (why are my pictures from outside so bright and why are there so many shadows on faces?)
• ISO (why are all my pictures from inside the house so grainy?)
• Shutter Speed (Wow, my baby is on the move and all of my photos are blurry!)
• Aperture (how can I take pictures when my kitchen is such a mess?!)
• Using your Camera’s Basic Settings
• Basic Lens Overview

You will not want to miss the Friday announcement if this class is something you’re interested in. Check back Friday for the rest of the details and to enter the inaugural Momtography 101 special giveaway!

Today I want to share the GOOD the BAD and the UGLY when it comes to taking photos of babies (just not in that order). This week Brie and I went on a fun shopping excursion at the local mall. Brie made out like a bandit clearing the clearance rack at GAP. We also met the really helpful and friendly owner at UnBOWlievable a store dedicated to quality bows, headbands, and hats for girls. If you live locally go check out her shop in Dulles Town Center, so much fun! And if you’re not local check out her website, she takes online orders too! It’s any photographers (or mom to baby girls) dream store and we walked out with two headbands in coordinating colors to her new outfits.

I was soooo excited to capture some photos of Brie in her new fashions, so during AM naptime I got all of our photo props setup. Our setup simply included our Boppy pillow and white blanket.  I was determined to get some photos of Miss Brie on her tummy looking up at the camera.

Well, not everything goes according to plan. Especially with babies.

The BAD: Brie was NOT having anything to with tummy time. Just look at this face. She was so disgruntled with me that I decided to put her on her back a snap a few photos of her adorable Mary Jane tights instead.

The UGLY: Once she calmed down from tummy time round 1, I decided to try round two. Back on her tummy she went. OMG meltdown city.

The GOOD: I was about to call it quits so I picked her up, settled her down, and laid her on the rug on her back while I cleaned up our props.  Just then I notice she’s gone from meltdown city to smiling up a storm. So I grab the camera and snap one more quick photo and get this:

This may be my favorite photo of my little girl to date. Lesson learned: keep on snapping that camera even when you think photo time is over. You never know when that unexpected shot is waiting to be captured. ♥