Picture Perfect Holiday Photos: Second Installment

by Carly

I've always enjoyed being behind the camera much more than being in front of it.  Which is why I happily oo'ed and ah'ed over the family photos tucked into the beautiful Christmas cards we received over the years, but never reciprocated with one of our own.  Then the Little Man was born and my obsession with photography morphed into high gear.

The thought of having to book an appointment for a formal portrait, even if it was only at the local grocery store didn't sit well with me.  Likely because Jake had horrible reflux until he was over a year old and the odds that he wouldn't spit up projectile vomit on the chosen outfit before we even left the house were about as good as our chances of winning the lottery.

So while Jake took an unexpected nap one bright and sunny November day, I set the scene in our south-facing kitchen.  I hung a soft white blanket from the pantry cupboards, draping it over the kitchen table I had moved directly in front of the patio doors.  With the curtains wide open, letting in that gorgeous natural light, I carefully propped Jake up on some pillows tucked under the blanket and snapped away.

Back then I had only a film camera to work with and I shot about three rolls of film to ensure I got at least one good photo.  Not long after that we splurged on a good digital SLR and the Little Man learned to recognize Mommy by the black thing in front of her face.

Over the years I've repeated the process in various bedrooms - going wherever the natural light was best, hanging backdrops from headboards and even taping blankets or sheets to the walls with painters tape.  I've gotten great results using both the fancy-schmancy camera and the regular point and shoot types.

So, if you would like to take your own photos for your holiday cards, I humbly offer the following very amateur-ish advice:

1. Take photos in natural light without using the flash.
2. Take a lot of photos.
3. For at least some of your shots, get in closer to your subject, letting them fill the frame, rather than the background.

As far as locations go, some of my favourites include:

1. South-facing kitchens and bedrooms.
2. Rockcliffe Park.
3. Anywhere in the country.
4. The backyard.
5. Gatineau Park, Mud Lake and the Byward Market.
6. Staircases.

Happy snapping!

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Picture Perfect Holiday Photos: first installment

By Shawna Even if you’re an office-dwelling hermit and don’t see the decorations up at the stores and the ads on TV, it’s hard to fail to notice: CHRISTMAS is coming!  (And Chanukah, and the Winter Solstice; Diwali is already here!)   Those of us that celebrate Christmas and have young children know that this is the perfect excuse to foist pictures of our beautiful offspring onto all the relatives and friends that must be dying for an up-to-date pic to replace that one that’s gotten grimy on their fridge over the last year.  After all, it’s not just accepted, it’s expected.  And with the proliferation of high-quality, low-cost digital cameras and free photo software, it’s never been cheaper or easier to do.   If you’re like most parents of young kids, you probably have hundreds of photos on your hard drive to choose from.  And, if you’re like me, that probably won’t stop you from trying to take “the” Christmas photo again this year.  You know the one: every person in the picture dressed in something nice, smiling, and looking at the camera.  And while that is a lovely goal, well, let’s just say it’s not bad to have a Plan B.   (And maybe C.)   (D wouldn’t hurt either.)   So, if the photo session involving you setting the timer on your camera and dashing to get into the frame didn’t turn out, here are some other ideas:   Idea #1  Individual photos of each child. The more kids you’ve got, the harder it is to get them all smiling at the same time.  There’s nothing wrong with taking photos of them one at a time.  Photo printing isn’t very expensive these days and I’m sure Grandma and Grandpa would be thrilled to get more than one picture.   Idea #2 Collage time. With the most utterly basic of software – much of which is available free online – you can stitch several photos together.  Sure it’s a bit Brady Bunch to have rows and columns of smiling faces, but hey, everyone looks good and you can throw in shots of pets or seasonal items to fill any spots that would otherwise be blank.   Idea #3 Take advantage of friends. We all know someone who likes to take pictures and would be flattered to be asked to take some of your family for the Christmas card, so ask already.  They might have more luck than you at capturing everyone’s attention when it’s needed. 

If you’re lucky enough to be attending a wedding with your family at this time of year, you may be able to hit the jackpot – just wait for a lull after all the “official” photographs are taken, then ask the photographer “Hey, can we get one of the group of us?” and then make sure your friend sends you a copy after the wedding.  It’ll be a good photo (or should be if they’re shooting a wedding), and you’ll even all be dressed up for it!   Idea #4 If all else fails, use what you’ve got. There’s no rule saying a photo has to be Christmas-themed.  Halloween, beach vacation shots… all are fair game.  Peruse your already-taken photos from the last few months (the only rule is that it has to be more recent than the one you sent last Christmas, right?).  Do you see a good one of you all?  Or at least of all the kids?  (Let’s face it, while it’s great for us to have a photo-record of ourselves for ourselves, we stopped being the most important ones the day our first kid was born.)  Chances are, when there was no pressure on achieving the “perfect” photo, a beautiful one happened naturally.  After all, the best photos are the ones that show you’re happy during the normal course of your life, not the ones which prove you can smile on demand.

Tune in for later posts on the theme of family Christmas photos.  Our intrepid Kids in the Capital bloggers will be talking about some great places/ways to take them, as well as what to do with your pics once you’ve selected the one(s) you want to use!

Shawna is mom to 4-year-old Sage and 2-year-old Harris.  She has  been writing online since 2003, and her latest project is a fledgling photography blog.  Christmas is her favourite holiday!

Mer Bleue Boardwalk

by Sara

I have been visiting the Mer Bleue Boardwalk since I was the same age that the firefighter is now.  I have a lot of wonderful memories of wandering the boardwalk with my family.

A bog is is an ecosystem that is most commonly found in the Arctic rather than the Ottawa Valley.  My boys are fascinated by the deep dark water underneath the boardwalk and the spongy peat moss surrounding the trails.  If you want to learn more about bogs and the Mer Bleue Ecosystem, visit the NCC website dedicated to the bog.

There are several trails in the NCC conversation area where the Mer Bleue boardwalk is located.  We like the 1.2 km long boardwalk trail because it is short enough for the boys to walk on their own and there is a lot to see (it is also stroller-friendly).  My boys like all the flowers and plants that line the sides of the boardwalk and the 'funny' shaped trees.  There is a large beaver dam and you can walk through the forest where the beaver's gnaw down the trees.  Last year over the course of a month we visited once a week and watched the progressive destruction of several large trees. 

Each time they try to spot the trails the moose use in among the tall reeds. Our oldest also likes to find the trails the beaver's have left behind in the forest. There is a variety of birds and we once narrowly missed seeing one of the moose that lives in the surrounding forest. 

The boardwalk is beautiful at this time of year. Many of the leaves are starting to change colours and its a wonderful spot for photos. The walk usually takes us about an hour and there is a sheltered picnic area (and an outhouse) at the beginning of the trail (the same place it also ends).

There is free parking but the lot fills up quickly on the weekends. If you can, head our first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. The boardwalk is less crowded and you can take your time wandering the trail.

Photo tips for a family weekend

by Anna Another fabulous Fall weekend is upon us and if you are anything like me you take advantage of all the wonderful things that Fall has in store for us. Are you going to a Fair this weekend, Pumpkin picking or just a walk in the forest? All of these things give us wonderful opportunities for photos.

If you are close to Ottawa then you know that the leaves are starting to change and the colours that are out there are amazing. This is a fabulous time to bring your camera with you and capture some of what you see.

Here are a few tips to help you capture your weekend.

1. Not every picture has to include people. Sometimes we tend to bring the camera out and only take photos of the children or the family. But, after you take one of those shots turn around and take a picture of what they are looking at. Capture the surroundings as well as the family. This not only allows you to remember what a fabulous place you were visiting, but gives you options for creating a photo collage or album later.
2. Capture the colours. Fall is like the last hurrah before the trees are bare and the snow arrives (at least up here in the North). Ensure that you get all of the wonderful colours that are out there for us to see. Make a point of getting the reds, yellows and greens.
3. Fallen leaves. We have had our share of rain up here, but this weekend is calling for some drier weather. Don't be shy to gather up the leaves into a pile and jump in. Have the family throw and gather leaves together and capture all the fun.
4. And this may be the most important tip I have to offer, hand off that camera! Make sure you there are pictures of you as well as everyone else. Far to often those of us behind the camera get left behind.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Anna is a photographer and is offering a "Rock Your Camera" class this November. Love your DSLR but are having trouble getting just the right pictures from it? You are not alone. Join us and learn how to get the best out of your camera. Anna also blogs about her life and family at Life is Good…At the Beach.

ABC Challenge : we're done!!

by Lara Did anyone notice I missed last week's post? Sorry...  my house has been infested with sick and teething for a month and it just couldn't happen.

But this week is a big week!!  It's the final week!  I completed the entire challenge and I know a few others did as well, and several others are close behind.  I am so thrilled that people enjoyed the challenge!

Now we need to figure out what next? A few of us are interested in continuing on with some photo challenges.  Are you interested? Let me know what you'd like to see with regards to photography!

Blog out Loud is tonight! I'll be there with a scrapbook of ABC challenge photos. Will you be there?

Photography tip

One of  the things that I learned most about during the course of this challenge was about Flickr.  It's a great tool for challenges like this. We were able to share photos, discuss all kinds of things and even make new friends! I got to meet a bunch of the abc challenge participants in person which is one of the things we want Kids in the Capital to be about - community!

But now that my ABC challenge is done I still plan to use flickr daily.  I've joined other challenges and communities - like Positively Ottawa (run by Angela and Dani) and 365 community (I'm on day 36 of my 365 project and really enjoying the challenge!)

So I challenge you to explore Flickr. There are so many great places to get inspiration for new and different photos, to learn more, and to share your fabulous photos with others who really appreciate photography.  Please add me as a contact if you're there, I'd love to keep exploring photography with you!

My last 4 photos!

V is for vehicles - doesn't he look like such a big boy here?

K is for kissing -  Kiernan loves his babies and gives them hugs and kisses multiple times a day. Most of the time they tolerate him :)

B is for books - books at bedtime are a big thing around here.

L is for laughing - Quinn is one of the smiliest and laughiest (both words, I swear) kids ever. This is one of my favourite photos of the challenge.

Participants' photos

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/glidinglara/4763942232/" title="V is for vehicle by GlidingLara, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4763942232_3af0bdb32c.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="V is for vehicle"></a>

E is for eating by Dani - ice cream screams summer and with this heat wave isn't it refreshing just to even look at it?

U is for umbrella by Sara - Peek!

J is for jumping by Stella - great jump and great shirt!

E is for eating by Angela - more summer snacks, yumm!

Please take the time to let me know how you enjoyed the challenge, if you found the tips useful and if you'd be interested in participating in more photography challenges.  Other ideas I've had include photography get togethers and maybe even trying to set up some photography workshops.  Thanks for following along!! (But if you aren't done and want to finish getting all your ABC photos - please keep adding them to our group, there will still be people checking out what's there!)

Lara is the mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 1 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can find her at her blog Gliding Through Motherhood.