Juneau 2011 – whales!

Beached glacier at my feet!

Nature photos from Juneau, just a little bit late.   <:

Check out Sarah Starr Photography on Facebook if you’d like to see more Juneau beauty!

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Minnesotan Visitors – S&B

The W family flew in to Oregon on Veteran’s Day for a quick weekend trip to the mom’s alma mater, where she was being honored, and she asked if I could drive up for a photo session before the festivities.   This was my third photo session with S, who’s now almost two, and my first with B, who’s seven months.

We started inside the W’s bed&breakfast, in a well-lit alcove, and eventually moved out to the balcony. Lots of cute images on the wicker chairs there! S has beautiful manners, signing “please” and not throwing a tantrum when we said no more Jack-in-the-box play at the end of the session. Both she and her brother are happy and fun.

Sharing!

B&T, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek! S&B are charming; I’m still thinning down all the cute images. <: Thanks to J and the grandparents for their help!

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Improve your holiday family pictures!

Whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, or New Year’s Eve, this is the time of year for family gatherings, and it’s nice to have family pictures when everyone’s together. Ideally, hire me for half an hour! But more realistically, get out your camera. Here are tips for improving your planned group pictures:

1) Take your time beforehand. The guys are eager to return to the TV, and the kids are hyper? Get a helpful aunt or grandma to sit for you so you can check background and lighting. Move the footstools, boxes, cups, etc. THEN call in the cooperative adults and figure out where the group will stand or sit and where you need to be to get them all. THEN add kids and TV addicts.

2) Think about backgrounds. You don’t want the family in front of a brightly lit window or chandelier. If possible, go outside. (This time of year, take a towel to mop down benches….)

3) Don’t line ’em up. Pictures with everyone standing in a row are only interesting if you have growing kids and varying heights. Don’t do it with adults. You already know who’s taller than whom, and it’s not going to change from the year before. Instead, let Aunt Betsy sit in a chair with the baby, stand Uncle Fred to one side, let the kids kneel next to the chair…. whatever! Just aim for a variety of head heights.

4) Feet sticking out at the camera are awkward. If you have people sitting on the ground, have them fold their feet under them or off to the side.

5) Take your time while taking pictures. Does the baby’s Santa hat block Grandma’s face? Make sure you can see everyone’s eyes and mouth.

6) Take lots! This isn’t film — the only cost is your time flipping through the various images and choosing the best. (This is a huge part of my job as a professional!)

7) Have fun. Don’t be apologetic about pulling them away from the TV and Gameboys. Instead, try to get them laughing. Those’ll be the pictures everyone will want.

Enjoy — good luck — and feel free to call me, to handle the camera instead!

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