June 16th, 2012
Fill Up the Family Photo Album
Whether you're on a beach, in a field, or inside (hiding from the rain) this summer, good holiday snapshots make for great memories. We asked Nicole Gurney, a Vancouver-based photographer and mother of twins, to give us some tips on creating great photos.
1. Hire a professional. Your kids are only young once so it's worth having some great shots of them. And it's a bonus to have some of you in them. Family albums tend to have tons of shots with dad and the kids and a couple of you probably in a nightgown.
2. The DIY Route. If you do plan on taking some shots of the kids yourself, plan for a day in the park or the beach. Run a brush through their hair and have a couple cute back-up outfits. If you can ask a friend or babysitter to come along and lend a hand, it helps with keeping the kids together.
3. Look for shade. Shooting in bright mid-day sun can produce hard shadows, not always so attractive. So find some shade or shoot in afternoon light.
4. Beware of the cell phone. If you are taking shots with your phone make sure the photos are not crap! A lot of cell phones take horrible pictures and some people take all of their family photos on them. It's a shame to look back at the younger years of your kids lives as a blurry fog (even though it kinda is).
5. Print Print Print! People tend to store all their photos on their computer and never print. Print a couple shots, maybe covert them to black and white and find some simple frames to put them in. Clustering a number of framed photos on a wall looks awesome and doesn't have to break the bank. DIY coffee table books are a great option too, such as Blurb or an IPhoto book.
Nicole does beautiful family portraits, weddings, and event photos (the proof: this adorable photo of my son!) in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Check out her website, www.gurneyphoto.com. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg
