Ten on Tuesday..errr…Wednesday | Rhode Island Photography

The whole snow days last week into the MLK holiday this week has totally thrown my sense of time off.  I thought today was Tuesday.  Turns out it’s not.  It’s Wednesday.  Yay for being one day closer to the weekend!!!  But EEK for having lost a day somewhere!   So today, my Ten on Tuesday on Wednesday!

1.  I am off for an adult vacation starting this weekend.  Can’t WAIT!  It’s only been six and a half years since we really did anything without the kids that wasn’t work related.  🙂  So so so looking forward to it.  I even rented a different camera body and fun wide angle lens to play with on the trip.  So look for some ocean / beach landscape stuff sometime in the next few weeks!

2.  Are you due in February or do you know someone who is?  I will be announcing a special for February newborns only tomorrow (Thursday) so check the blog and Facebook Business Page

3.  I keep getting people asking me about how do I get babies to sleep.  Let me tell you, I am soooo due a sleepy baby!!  My last three newborns have slept – but only after a few hours of being awake!  🙂  They were still awesome but I just feel that I am due a nice super sleepy the entire time newborn bundle of cuteness.  The upside of not sleeping babies?  Lots of snuggling on my part  😉

4.  How did you learn Photoshop? If you are “self taught”, are there any books or resources you really like?

Self taught.  🙂  Lots and lots of trial and error though, and taking time to learn what the different tools do.  I definitely went through an “actions are AWESOME” phase hahaha!  Then I backed off of that.  I still don’t know what everything does – I was on a board the other day where they were talking about a radial tool (I think?) and I had no clue what they were talking about!!  In terms of resources, I really highly recommend the Scott Kelby books.  He explains everything in very simple, easy terms.  I started with him when i started way back with PS Elements.  I also go the regular photoshop book when i moved to that but I haven’t tried any newer books.  You start learning what things are and what they do.

5.  What is your favorite book?

This is actually really REALLY tough for me!  I even gave myself an extra week to think about it.  It ends up being a tie, but only slightly because they are the same author.  I have to say one of the most powerful books I have ever read was A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  Absolutely amazing.  So hard to read but so incredibly amazing.  I read the entire thing in one sitting – I couldn’t stop.  My other favorite, also by Hosseini, which was equally powerful was The Kite Runner.  Two just heart wrenching novels.  On a more lighthearted note, I adore the Harry Potter series.  😉

6. How do you prepare your images for Facebook?

Ahhh great question.  For a while I didn’t really do anything special.  And I still don’t have a “perfect” method because there is something in Facebook’s interface that messes up colors and sharpness.  All of my images from camera to the end are shot in sRGB (though technically because I am shooting in RAW there is no profile until it is brought onto the mac)  I know that the widest image it will display is 600px.  I use a free resize and sharpen action that I got years ago (I believe on ilovephotography.com).  I size it to 600px for horizontal and 428px for vertical.  Then once it is resized the action sharpens it for web with two different unsharp masks.  The last step that I so is Save for Web.  This helps to prepare it for the web.  Then I just add “fb” to the end of the filename so I know which version to upload!

7.  What is your favorite (and most used) lens for newborns? kids/families?

For newborns the 50mm 1.4g.  Definitely.  And for kids, my 70-200 vrII.

8.   Do you ever use off camera flash for newborns?

If a house is really really dark and i find myself having to crank up to ISO 3200 or something, I will throw a speedlight on and bounce the light behind me, preferably off a window.  But in general, no.  You will almost never see me use a flash, ever.  I find the light and make the shoot work there!!

9.  Where do you find your inspiration for new ideas?? Do you ever get the photographers version of ‘writer’s block’?

All the time!!  I feel like I get suck in the rut of doing the same thing over and over.  Sometimes I just peruse Flickr.  Literally, I relax my eyes and scroll through images.  I don’t know if this will make sense, but things register without becoming permanently imprinted on my brain.  Like if I am doing a couple’s shoot, I will go to the blogs of some of my favorite people.  I will set back in my chair, relax and scroll down their blogs.  I don’t stop and read and I don’t really stop and focus on the images – I kind of let them wash over me…  Another new site that I am finding very useful is pinterest.com.  I see things that others “pin” and get ideas from that.  I flip through catalogs, store advertisements, etc.  Ideas come from all over!

10.  Do you have to jump up and down to get the kids to look at you?

HA!  Oh my goodness do I!!  I jump up and down.  I dance, I hop.  I sing songs.  I lay on the ground, I quack like a duck and moo like a cow.  I put things on my camera, my head, my nose.  You name it I’ve done it.  Even farting noises for the boys.  Anything to get their attention. 

Four weeks | Rhode Island Newborn Photography

At four weeks old, baby S. was a little older than my typical newborns.  So I was a little apprehensive when we scheduled and I made sure to tell mom and dad that there were probably going to be lots of awake shots and not too many traditional sleepy bendy ones but that I would try!  Turns out I didn’t really need to worry at all.  She was still teeny at four weeks – right around eight pounds and once she slept, she slept really well.  To add to my joy with that, mom and dad had an AMAZING bedroom that I want to rent out for newborn shoots, especially when there is snow on the ground.  A secret to snow – it is a fabulous natural reflector of light.  Combine that with a wall of windows / sliding doors, a beautiful screen system behind the bed and a gorgeous family and you have a newborn shooting dream.  Though we didn’t get everything on the first day and I went back for more, I had an absolute ball getting to know this family.  So sweet and already amazing parents at only a few weeks old!!  Thanks for having me out twice, guys.  I am so glad we got to do it, the pictures were SO worth it!!!!

Ten on Tuesday | Rhode Island Photography

1.  Ahhhhhhh does it ever feel good to get back into the swing of things.  This time last week I was writing about how I was still on vacation.  Fast forward to today and I have done two newborn shoots and have another one this weekend.  I love it.  I missed it.  A lot.  Of course I didn’t miss the pressure (that, admittedly I totally put on myself) that comes with editing a session, getting sneak peeks up, etc.  But oh did I ever miss shooting.  And snuggling little tiny ones….sigh.  They smell so good and they are just so squeezable and lovable.  Even if they are pooping on my new white shirt which I just bought…  But I digress.  I am BACK, baby.  Okay.  Kind of.  I go on vacation in two weeks and only have a few newborns on my schedule.  But I am back.  It’s a new year.  And I am SO ready for it.

2.  I want a new camera bag.  And i know somewhere, if Matt is reading this (which he totally isn’t) he is rolling his eyes.  I just got my gorgeous Jo Totes bag which I love love love love love.  But that is my pretty bag.  My take-it-to-my-clients-house bag.  And it’s occurring to me that we are moving out of the phase slowly (very slowly judging by the 12-16 inches of snow we are getting tonight/tomorrow) and I will need a bag for running around the park.  And my equipment has now outgrown my beloved Lowepro Slingshot 200.  The mindless easy way would be to go to the 300.  And I’ll probably do that.  But I’m only 5’4″ and that bag might be half as tall as I am…perhaps I should look around some more.  Any thoughts?

3.  I love love love this shot from last week.  Yes, that is a soothie in her mouth.  She wouldn’t give it up.  But I love the little curl of eyelash.  She had the most gorgeous curling lashes.  And I just love capturing that little teeeeeeeny tiny detail.

4.  My favorite time of the year has started.  Big East basketball season.  If you know me, you know I love sports.  Especially college basketball.  LOVE it.  And I am a Big East girl so it is very close to my heart.  We may suck in football but 7 teams in the top 25 consistently in basketball, we will take your conference on any time.  😉  But every night, I sit on the couch with my laptop working and I have a game on in the background.  So exciting!!!!

5. I have a new website that I have a feeling I will be addicted to shortly.  Pinterest.com.  I started seeing it appear on my Facebook Feed and didn’t know what it is.  But then other friends started talking about it so I joined.  Oh My Gosh.  A virtual pinboard of inspiration.  Anything you see online you can “pin” it to your board.  I have one for inspiring photography, one for food and recipes, one for house decorating ideas, one for clothing and another I am blanking on.  But it’s a giant inspiration board and I love love love it.  Right now I am just loving looking at all of the people I am following on there and their boards – some of my friends have AMAZING taste.  But check it out.  And then ask around for invitations from people.  I guarantee you will be addicted, too.  😉

6.  One extra.  I have made it a personal goal to get to 2000 fans by June on my Facebook Business page (click HERE!!!!) That is roughly 420 more fans between now and then. It’s ambitious, but I hope think have no doubt I can do it.  (I think I can, I think I can!!)  So go fan me, tell you family and friends to fan me.  I provide pretty pictures and funny commentary.  Really, what better way to brighten up your Facebook feed??  😉

And this week’s questions:

7.  How did you get into photography and how long have you been doing it?

I started taking pictures when I was young – probably under ten?  My dad had a film SLR that I thought was just amazing.  And then of course my mom had the long skinny 35mm camera.  The one that looks like a flat rectangle – I think we all had them in the 80s.  I started then and just kind of kept taking photos!  I have been in business for 3.5 years now.  🙂

8. How do you archive all of the photos you take – for clients and personal ones?

Everything goes onto two separate external hard drives as well as a DVD.  Then I print as needed from there which, for my family photos, I admit is very rarely.

9.  How did you meet your hubby?

When I was at Syracuse I was in the marching band in the colorguard (flag).  Matt was also in the band at UConn (trumpet).  I belonged to the sorority associated with the band, Tau Beta Sigma and Matt was in the fraternity at his school, Kappa Kappa Psi.  The two had conferences together several times a year and we were in the middle of nowhere in Clarion, PA when I saw him across the room in his plaid flannel.  (It was the 90’s, remember)  I said to myself “I want to meet HIM.”  So when he showed up at a party a few weeks later in Syracuse I made sure I did  😀

10.  What’s your favorite day of the week, and why?

Thursday!!!  I know for most people it’s Friday but Thursday is Matt’s day off of work so I get to spend the day with him at home and the kids are guaranteed time with him.  We try to have breakfast together after the kids have been dropped off at school.  Our original goal was to try a different diner each week since Nolan is egg allergic and we never ever get to go out to breakfast, but I keep scheduling sessions on Thursday that prevent us from going.  Oops!  Then when Nolan comes home in the afternoon I have extra work time because Matt is home!

11. Do you have an all-time favorite photo?

You know, I really don’t!  I have a few that are special to me but nothing where I am like “wow, this is my favorite EVER.”  I think I suffer from the same thing a lot of photographers do – I love my work when I shoot it.  And then when I look back on it in two weeks or two months I hate it.  Not hate.  Hate is a strong word.  But I don’t like it as much and I can only see what I did wrong.  I guess for that reason if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be a landscape photo because I could find the fewest things wrong with it that bugged me  😉

Curly | Rhode Island Newborn Photography

I got to spend Thursday with sweet sweet little baby A. and her family for some newborn photos.  I am not going to lie – she did not want to sleep for us in the slightest for the first few hours which is rare for a one week old.  She seemed much more content to stay awake and look at the world.  But when she did sleep, she was just perfect.   Curly and teeny and perfect.  It is so great to get them when they are young because really really new babies have this amazing flexibility about them – they can bend and curl and are so content to be bent and curled.  She was a champ at it and made for such a beautiful subject.
I think you’ll agree  🙂



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