Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tuesday’s Tip: Photographing Kiddos {Indianapolis Children Portrait Photographer}

Happy Tuesday!  For those of you new to photography & for those of you who want to simply take better pictures of your kiddos, you might really enjoy this post on posing kiddos- http://digital-photography-school.com/posing-guide-21-sample-poses-to-get-you-started-with-photographing-children

Also, I encourage you to stop saying “say cheese” to your kiddos, too!  Instead, do something funny, ask them questions, and make the experience interactive.  You’ll get more natural expressions that way!!   🙂

PS. There’s also posing guides listed at the bottom for couples, men, and women, too!  This is a great asset to help you get thinking about photographing your own kids or if you’re new to photography, it might help give you a few ideas for your sessions.

 

My Manifesto…POW!

Yep, I said POW! 🙂  The word “manifesto” is such a strong word that it deserves a POW right after it. Lol. Wondering what the heck a manifesto is?  No worries, you’re not the only one!  I had to look it up! 🙂  A manifesto is “a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer.”  It gives language to your purpose and focus in what you do.  I think I might create one for my home and maybe even home-schooling, too!

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My Manifesto for Raindancer Studios…

The sunshine is always there; sometimes it is simply hiding behind the clouds waiting to be seen.  

My purpose is to provide you with a fun memorable experience that will help you savor a moment in time & draw nearer to the sunshine.

I believe photo sessions should be personal interactive experiences that allows family to draw closer & see the beauty within each other. (More than just saying “cheese!”)

I hope your experience will bring a smile to your face & dancing in your heart for years to come.

PS. I also think everyone should dance in the rain at least once, so if you haven’t yet, it’s your turn!

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I read about the idea of creating a manifesto online at http://www.brandcampblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Circus-Circus-Chapter-One.pdf and it intrigued me!  I hope you find the process of writing a manifesto invigorating for either your life or the work you do.  I find it sums up my purpose of why I do what I do and helps me to value my special place in the world of photography.

****Oh, and sorry I’ve been MIA.  My step-mom passed away and I’ve been away for a couple weeks.  Trying to get back in the swing of things!! 🙂

Super Bowl 2012 Here in Indy

It’s been pretty cool to see our city prepare for the Super Bowl!  What an amazing opportunity for the city of Indianapolis!!  The energy here has been high and everyone has been so excited. Here’s a few of the photos I shot.  You can see about 40 more on my facebook page by clicking here.  Enjoy!  Happy Super Bowl!  Way to go Giants!!!!

Brooke Snow Advanced Pro Class- Intro to Beloved

3 pics in the exact same pose using different perspectives and techniques:

3 other favorite pics:

this particular photo was liked the most times on my FB page. 🙂

this one was too! 🙂

My thoughts:

I entered this beloved session with tremendous preparation especially since it was my first time doing a beloved session.  I had a script, which I’m not used to having, but for beloved sessions, I find it very helpful to create a purposeful order of the activities I will guide them through.  I didn’t stray from my plan, but I was happy to see Brian and Katie extend some of the invitations I gave them and make them their own.  It was super cool to see the spontaneous moments that evolved between the two of them so naturally through this approach.  At the end they said it was the most fun they’ve ever had taking photos.  It was the least stressful photography environment they’d ever encountered.  I did not exhaust my location for this session because I wanted to be more sensitive to the environment created between Brian and Katie than I did the backdrops.  It was a new location though!  We shot in about 3 different settings within the same hallway and I think it worked out really well to not hop around too much.  I also was trying to get some natural light shots and Indiana dreary weather makes that hard.  So I stuck to 2 spots that had the most light and as the clouds rolled in thicker I had to switch to flash.  I also did not love the location.  The walls where the best light came in clashed with the colors they were wearing so I had to turn most of the images black and white.  I went to this location without scouting it out fully since it’s a locked premises.  I only went blindsided because my friend could get us in and I figured I could make it work some how in some way.  I was struggling to decide between lighting (REALLY wanted natural light pics) and sacrificing color knowing I’d have to convert a lot to black and white.  I would try to scout it out first next time.  I took a total gamble.

What I enjoyed most:

-The extra preparation and intentionality beforehand made me have more ownership. My heart was more in it.

-The candid interactions between Katie and Brian…the gentleness and sweetness that shined through from both of them AND their playfulness with each other.  It was REALLY SUPER cute to watch them flirt and be silly.

-How much Brian was willing to participate.  With something like this I wondered if he would think the activities were kinda lame.  He was just as into them as Katie.  In fact, he was even more sentimental and thoughtful at times, which made me smile deep inside to see him share that part of himself with Katie.

-Watching Katie light up when Brian revealed something she didn’t know about him.  She was so touched you could see her melt before him.  She told me she almost cried.

-Capturing authentic expressions without trying to be funny.  Whew!  Took the pressure off to have a little toolbox to start from (Thanks, Brooke!)  I needed idea starters to help me.

-That I came up with at least half of the activities myself.  I know it’s probably different from the activity cards sold by Beloved’s originator, Jesh de Rox, but I had ownership in it and I loved the results.  I’m proud of myself for being brave enough to discover me…my own way of doing it. (Thank you, Brooke, for pointing this out to me.  I didn’t recognize my bravery in doing that!)  I think it is what has probably been the most impactful.  I’m not trying to fit into a box of what is…I’m exploring who I am and making this my own.  My heart is in it.

-I SOOOOO loved this type of session because I felt like I was giving a gift to them and their marriage.  Knowing them as friends and knowing some of their personal struggles, it was such a delight to see my plan executed successfully in a way that brought more love, joy, tenderness, thoughtfulness, laughter, and hope into their marriage.  It was so much more purposeful than a posed shoot.  I will most definitely intertwine the activities you shared with us, Brooke, with my own ideas into every session from now on.

-Passion is exploding within me.  I’m so excited for my 2012 sessions!!!