Photographing Your Kids

Before You Begin
1. I like to ask permission to take their picture before I begin taking photos. I have found that kids, just like adults like to feel in control, having someone in your face taking pictures can be intimidating for anyone, so I try my best to let them know what we will be doing throughout the shoot. I have never had them say no when I ask permission but, I come prepared with a little wrapped surprise for them to open after we are all finished with the shoot.




Smiles

A "cheese" smile

2. Have fun with your photo shoot! I try my best to avoid "cheese" it really does not produce authentic smiles. I find a relaxed child will produce more authentic smiles. I like to chat about things that are interesting to them, tell jokes or ask to see silly faces and then keep snapping, often you will end up with a truly genuine smile immediately after they tell a joke or make a silly face.






Take Your Time
3. Do not be in a hurry, kids need breaks! I like to take time for snack breaks, dance breaks or just take a second to put down the camera and sing a favorite song. I also like to bring along a "kid" camera, and let them take some photos of me.






Scenery
4. It is a beautiful time of year to get outside and take photos. The fall leaves can make a  beautiful back drop for your photos, just be sure to check for distractions before you begin shooting. Make sure to scope out your scene for litter, park signs or other possible distractions before you begin shooting.






Have Some Fun

puddle stomping

5. It is a good time of year to get creative with your photos. Take your kids outside in their rain boots after the rain stops for some puddle jumping. Rake up a big pile of leaves and take some fun action photos while your kids jump in the leaves. Let your kids show off their personality, encourage play time.






Turn Off Your Flash
6. Try to use natural light whenever possible, dawn or dusk is your best chance for ideal natural light. The best way to get a great photo in natural light is to experiment with different angles and find the light that you like the best, different angles will produce a different feeling. Avoid sun spots on your subject and do your best to keep them out of your photo all together. Also be careful not to face your child directly in the sun to avoid a scrunched up squinty face. If you must shoot mid day, do your best to find a building or trees to block the sun's glare.






Get Close

beautiful face

7.My personal favorite photos are close up's of my kids. I love every little detail of their cute little faces. These photos are often the ones that end up on our walls and in frames around our house. So, get in there really close and focus on their eyes.








Blurry or Out of Focus Photos?

8.The simplest way to make sure your subject is in focus is to let your camera work for you. When you are taking a photo make sure to hold down on your shutter release button half way and let your camera focus, it will likely place a dot or a square on the point of focus make sure your subject is in that square and then continue to press down your shutter release button the rest of the way. A common cause of blur with kids is that the child moved while the shutter was open. This is usually due to to a slow shutter speed because of low light where the photo is being taken. In this case the easiest fix is to use your flash or bring in more light, this will increase the shutter speed and prevent the blur. 

Griffin Lohn Smith

Look who I got to hang out with this morning. He is more than just a little cute and he sleeps for 10-11 hours a night. His mom is one lucky lady!

Summer Time!

Miss K

The Kids

Kennedy Kids

Matthew and Ryan's baby sister is due any day. She is one lucky girl, she has two big brothers that love her tons already.

2011 Wedding Photography

I am excited to announce that Swell Photography will begin offering engagement and wedding photography Spring 2011. While I am not new to the wedding game, I have not offered wedding photography to anyone who was not a close friend or family member in the past. What I have discovered through the weddings I have been lucky enough to photograph is that I have a soft spot in my heart for all things wedding; I never knew that I was such a hopeless romantic. I realized this winter as I spent my afternoons and evenings organizing my photographs and studying all things photography, that I was drawn creatively to my own images of couples and the images of weddings that other photographers have captured.
I am thrilled to offer my first 3 wedding clients a fantastic opportunity to receive professional engagement and wedding photography starting at $500.00.

The $500.00 package includes:
Engagement
1 hour outdoor engagement session
editing of engagement session
a disk with 10-15 edited images
Wedding
4 hours of wedding coverage
editing of wedding photos
a disk with 15-20 edited images
*additional images will be available at very fair prices on a password protected gallery site
*travel costs for locations outside the twin cities metro may be applied

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions jeneichen@swell-photography.com
Here is a little peek at a wedding I did last summer in Duluth, MN http://swellphotography.blogspot.com/2010/06/wedding.html

3 Years Old!

New Year, New Projects

Photography Tip of the Month

I am doing a little project to challenge myself creatively. I started taking a picture a day and posting it to my photography blog, sort of like a photo diary. I am hoping it will help me step out of my comfort zone with my photography, improve my skills and help me remember moments I may otherwise forget. I would encourage anyone who has a passion for photography or is looking for a fun way to document your year to take on this project for themselves. If you choose to do your own photo a day project let me know, I would love to follow your photo blog. Swell Photography blog

Family Activity

Marble Painting Pick out your favorite colors and pour them in to an ice cube tray to keep the colors from mixing. Place one marble into each color. Put a piece of paper on the bottom of a shoe box. Pick out the marbles carefully from the tray using a plastic spoon. Place a marble into your shoe box put on the lit and and tilt, shake and shimmy the container from side to side to create beautiful designs. Continue doing this with as many different colors of paint as you would like. Repeat the steps with each color. Supplies: Marbles Shoe Box paint paper Turn on some music while your kids are shaking the boxes to make this project even more fun!

Ella and Miles Fall 2010

From Ella and Miles Fall 2010

From Ella and Miles Fall 2010

From Ella and Miles Fall 2010

From Ella and Miles Fall 2010

From Ella and Miles Fall 2010

December Newsletter

Happy December!

Photography Tip of the Month

This is a big month for photos and so I thought I would give you all some tips on how to better organize your photos. There are so many opportunities to capture memories with family and friends this time of the year. My biggest piece of advice is to try to keep your photos as natural as possible . Constantly interrupting conversations, gift openings or meal time to make everyone set up for a picture is a little rude in my opinion. I think it is great to set up a photo of the entire family or grandpa and grandma with the grandkids but, make sure that you find a convenient time for everyone involved. I like to find a time at the beginning of the event. The kids are still clean and put together and you will not interrupting meal time, game time or a conversation. Organize your photos: Put your photos into your computer ASAP and format your memory card so that you have plenty of room to take more photos at your next event. Immediately delete blurry or non desirable photos, only keep the photos that you really love. Organize your photos in your computer by date or event. This makes it so much easier to find your photos when you want to print or share them on line. Print your favorite photos and display them proudly! Photography makes a beautiful work of art for your walls or book shelves. Surround yourself with your favorite family memories and you will be so happy you did. Every time I look at my photo of the "Painted Ladies" my memories of my trip to San Francisco with my Mom come flooding back, and it always makes me smile. Make your very own coffee table book. We took a trip to South Dakota last summer and we had all these great photos from our trip. It was so hard for me to choose just a couple to frame and hang on the wall, so I decided to make a coffee table book, that way I can display all of my favorites rather than choosing just a couple. These coffee table books also make great gifts for the friends or family who took the trip with you.

Family Activity

I can not ever get over how quickly the weeks fly by this time of year. I was thinking about what kind of project I wanted to do this month, and I thought I would give you some fun homemade gift ideas your kids can make for their friends and family.

Natural Play Dough Gift Pack Supplies: 3 cups flour 3 tablespoons cooking oil 1 1/2 cups salt 6 teaspoons cream of tartar 3 cups of water Cook all ingredients over low heat until it forms a ball. Use natural food color or spinach, beet, carrot or blueberry juice to color your dough. We love to add an essential oil to scent our play dough for a little aroma therapy fun. *Place a small ball of homemade play dough and a cookie cutter in a clear plastic bag and tie it with a cute bow. Little Artists Art Cards Make a custom set of note cards with your child. Supplies: card stock markers, crayons, paints glue scissors envelopes Cut an 8 1/2 by 6 rectangle out of white card stock, fold in 1/2 so you have a 4 1/4 by 6 card, (this will fit nicely into a store bought envelope). Let your child decorate each card with markers, crayons or paint. You could also choose to scan and copy drawings and glue them onto the front of each card. If you choose to glue an image onto the front of the cards feel free to use colored card stock for the cards. Original Work of Art Give your kids paints and let them create their very own work of art to hang on the wall. You can choose to inspire them by introducing a famous work of art or, you can let them find their own style. You will need: a simple, inexpensive frame (we love ikea frames) paints and brushes paper Happy Holidays!

A Beautiful Fall Day!

It is time for the November Newsletter!

Give Thanks!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is no pressure to buy the perfect gift, no need to decorate your house or get dressed up in your Sunday best. We literally drive over the river and through the woods to my cousin's hobby farm in Woodbury. Their old farm house is tucked away in the woods along with a big red barn, horses and chickens. It is the perfect setting for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. We eat, laugh, catch up with family we have not seen in a while and play outside in the crisp fall air. I feel so thankful every year for my loving family and the beautiful Thanksgiving we all share together.

Photography Tip of the Month

Clothesline Gallery: This is a fun way to display your photos or holiday photo cards. Choose an area of the wall about 4 feet long to hang your gallery. Hammer two nails, one on each end of the space, about 5 feet above ground, with about half of the nail still visible. Tie a cute ribbon or thin rope to each end, fairly tight but not completely stiff. Use clothespins to hang photographs and childrenís artwork on your clothesline. Make it a monthly project to clear off the old photos and artwork and replace it with new. Have fun with monthly themes; holiday artwork and cards, retro pictures of you and your husband when you were kids, sports themed photos and artwork... the possibilities are endless use your imagination and have fun!

Family Activity

Turkey Time! This cute little turkey is the perfect project for you and your little friends to make on a chilly November afternoon. Supplies needed: red, orange, yellow and brown construction paper glue sticks scissors black fine tip marker Project instructions: First, trace a round dinner plate on brown construction paper and cut it out. Trace a smaller circle on yellow construction paper using the top to a small butter container or something a similar size, cut that circle out. This smaller yellow circle will be your turkey's face. Cut a small diamond shape out of a piece of orange construction paper for the beak. Use brown construction paper to draw and cut out your turkey's legs. Next, trace your kids hands both left and right on each the red, yellow and orange construction paper. Have your kids cut out the shapes themselves, if they are able. Cutting is a great opportunity to work on your pre schoolers small motor skills. Now, glue all of your turkey parts in their place. Last, give your turkey eyes with your fine tip black marker. A little extra credit: Have your kids write something they are thankful for on some or all of their fingers that make up the turkey's tail. *You may choose to prep your turkey body, face, beak, and red gobbler before you introduce the project to your kids if you are working with younger children who are not able to use scissors well. Happy Thanksgiving!

www.swell-photography.com

3 Beautiful Girls!

Giggles

Meet the Diaz kids!