Heidi & Ryan's Wedding | July 12th 2014

there is only one

h a p p i n e s s

in life

to love

and be

l o v e d

Tweet

6 TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING UNCOOPERATIVE KIDS // family children photography

First and foremost, there's nothing wrong with an uncooperative kid. Most of the time I'm asking parents to bring their kids to exciting new places they've never been to before. We can't blame them for wanting to play in the mud rather than pose for the camera. So as their photographer, you have to be prepared to adapt to their mood and try to work with them, not against them.

Here are my top six tips on photographing children . . .

1. M A K E   I T   S I L L Y

This first tip is just as much for you, the photographer, as it is for the kids. You need to be prepared to embarrass yourself for the sake of making the kids like you. If you're just another boring adult, they may be less likely to follow your instructions in a comfortable and relaxed way. We want genuine happiness, not fake smiles!

Don't ever underestimate the power of silly face photos. Ask them to make their goofiest faces and then start snapping! In between silly looks, there's bound to be some laughter, elation, some fun!

2.  A S K   T H E M   Q U E S T I O N S

A great way to get kids to smile and look where you want them to, is to ask them questions. Ask them what colour your camera, shirt or hair is. Ask them what they see when they look up into the sky. If you've heard the parents mentioning a treat after photos if they behave, ask them about it. Are they getting ice cream? What's their favourite flavour?

For the younger tots, what sound does a kitty cat make? What about a chicken? Here's where you can get silly as well. Throw out some hilarious animal noises and you just might get some giggles out of the kids - not to mention mom and dad.

3.  G O   A D V E N T U R I N G

Especially when you're bringing families into the great outdoors, kids can often get excited and easily distracted. That's not their fault! We're tempting them with nature and wonder, what can we expect! So instead of forcing them to sit pretty and smile, take them on an adventure!

Ask them to find a really cool shaped rock, a brightly coloured leaf or some pretty wildflowers. Then have them hold it up or out, or have them look through it or hold it up to their eye! Be creative!

4.  P L A Y   A   G A M E

Try making the photo taking into a game. Have them run a ways away and hide behind a tree or a bush, and then sneak up on them and shoot! Try playing Simon Says. Ask them to do some silly things first, and then throw in a "Simon says, hug your sister!" or "Simon says, smile pretty!"

5.  L E T   T H E M   L E A D

Another great tactic for when you're way out in the forest and all the kids are thinking about is exploring, is to let them pick the location. Ask them to find the coolest looking tree, or the prettiest view of the river. I think giving them some say in what's going on helps them to feel included, and they become a lot more interested in what's going on.

6.  M A K E   T H E M   T H E   S T A R

An especially good tip for when siblings aren't jiving well with one another. Ask one of them if they want to take a few photos of just them! Let them choose or help them pick a nice spot and then try using one of the previously discussed tips. Open up your aperture and ask them to get ready for their close up!

Disclaimer: By no means were the kids in these photos uncooperative or difficult, they're just hella cute.

Tweet

Courtney & Ryan | Wedding | Kamloops, BC

Extra sneaky sneak peeks for these two love birds . . . 

Tweet

Bailey & Martin | June 14th 2014

Such a sweet couple these two are. Incredibly warm and welcoming with two of the cutest little baby boys you've ever seen.

Here's a just a little slice of the festivities that occurred during their big day. . . 

Tweet

Soaking Up The Sushine

hot summer afternoons

long walks in the park

visits to the city

play dates at the water park

bestie baby bellies

the littles

these are some of my favourite thiiings!

Tweet

DIY Bird Feeders

Our backyard is a jungle. It literally has it's own ecosystem.
The previous owners of the house clearly just let it go, and since we bought it last year, we've been so busy with other renovations - mainly indoor - that we haven't gotten around to sprucing it up yet.

The cool thing about having a wild backyard is that you get plenty of birds. Sometimes the not so peaceful and unwanted magpies, but lately we've seen and heard TONS of sweet little chickadees and finchy type birds.

So I had to throw together a few bird feeders. These were really cheap and super fast to put together.

Supplies:

- a mason jar (plus lid)

- a small plate

- 3 beads or something similar

- hot glue

- sand paper

Start by buffing the plate, beads and mason jar lid wherever you will be glueing.

Glue the 3 beads on to the plate to act as a barrier between the mason jar lid and the plate so the seeds have space to pour out.

Then glue the mason jar (with lid on, just the screw part) to the beads.

Unscrew the jar from the lid and fill er up with bird food.

Reattach and flip right side up (outside is probably best).

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.

Tweet

Downtime for this Mama

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4909183/?claim=skf4y3hzvgy">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

The last couple weeks have been spent in Saskatchewan, just me and my little guy visiting my wonderful family! They all had not seen him since he was born, and some had not even met him at all.
I still have a couple more days left with my mum, and then it's back home and back to work. So in the meantime, it's mother-daughter time for me, and lots of gramma snuggles for S, until we all meet back up again in Kelowna this mid June!

Tweet