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How do you organize and store your family pictures? Can you find them when you want or need to find them? Do you have them on your computer’s hard drive? Do you back them up?

Let me make a couple suggestions:

1. Have a good organizational system. I am very particular about how I organize my images. I want to be able to find each session in a very short period of time. This might mean you don’t allow your card reader or computer do it automatically for you. You put your images where you want them by copying and pasting. Start by not making sure your card is completely full. Remove images after an event.

I always recommend people to use the year first, then month, then day, then description when uploading pictures from an event. I organize by personal images or cutie pie images first, then by year.  Sample of a couple of mine in my Personal-2010 Folder:

2010-3-15 Mom Visit

2010-4 Random April Pics

2010-4-18 C’s First trip to MA

2010-4-25 Girl’s Tea, Trip to Waco Museum

I organize by year first because I like things in order and don’t want the computer to list it by month first or when we get to October it ends up by January. I don’t recommend listing by event first. It is WAY too confusing. You have to find something that works for your mind. Get a system and do the same system every time. Don’t leave random images on your desktop, put them where they belong.

2. Check and double check your images before deleting them from your card. No explanation needed here. Don’t delete them from your card until you are SURE you have them stored on your computer and backed up.

3. Get a external hard drive and backup your pictures from your computer to the external hard drive. You can also back up to CD’s as well and store them in a different location. You can mail them to a family member or trade disks with a friend for safe-keeping. If you have a Mac you can do something called time machine and store your entire computer settings and files to an external hard drive. If your hard drive fails then you can run your time machine and pick up exactly where you left off the last time you backed your time machine up.

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What to do if your pictures are a mess…

1. Start fresh with the next pictures you take. Start filing them properly right away. You could even start a new folder: 2011 Organized Pictures

2. Make a commitment to start slowly organizing your pictures. If you can’t remember when they were taken you can look at the data (EXIF) your camera stores automatically and file them at least in the month they were taken. This is important as the years progress.

3. When you find a picture that makes you smile, get it printed. Upload it right away and get it printed.

The pictures from yesterday and in this one below…everyone was bribed, don’t be fooled (well except Carter–although if I could have bribed him not to eat the rocks I would have).

Don’t be above bribing them–it works. Above all keep the atmosphere positive. Mommy/Child Photography 101 class with tips like this and MUCH more coming in February–details to come soon. Click the “add to newsletter” link above my phone number at the top of this page to get in on the newsletter.

Photography Tip:  This is not some special backyard set up for photography, it is just where we live. I just used what I had. Like I mentioned in my previous post, use the area you have in your backyard or front yard as a backdrop for images.  The most important thing to keep in mind is available light. You don’t want someplace in direct light or with a lot of shadows, lighted shade is best. Keep in mind the time of day as well, different areas have different light depending on the time of day. I made sure to look at the light in the area I wanted to photograph a couple times the day before my session so I could utilize the best lighting in this area.

Photography Tip: Make use of what you have in your backyard for a backdrop. Look for well lit shade, not direct sunlight for the best images. Don’t forget to turn off that terrible camera flash, or better yet, shoot in manual mode. If you don’t have an appealing backdrop you can shoot in portrait mode (for beginners) or with a larger aperture (smaller number remember-for those wanting to shoot manual) to make the background blurry (bokeh).

More from our second session tomorrow.

Photography Tip- Using Light:  Newborns photograph best in front of a window using natural light and NO flash. Our new rental house has TERRIBLE natural light. I had to look for the best light in each of the rooms during different times of the day. I actually had a very small space to work in due to the light available.  Try to look for the best non-direct natural light you can find. You don’t want to have sun streaming in, you want light without direct sun. Look in each room during different times a day to determine which room and time is best to photograph in. Really try to see light in a new way.  Also, you can use a beanbag to pose and scrunch newborns a little bit as well.

Your first step in the process is more about determining who you are, who your family is and then seeking a photographer that reflects your style. For instance let’s say your family is extremely outdoorsy and loves playing on the beach. You start determining what style you like, browse through photography website portfolios and determine if any of the styles exhibited there would be a good fit with your life and family style. You have already determined that you should probably seek out a beach type photographer (that is if you live near a beach) and then begin narrowing the field down a bit.

Finally after a bit of internet research, you have narrowed it down to two photographers who do what seems like solid work, the sort of outdoor beach look you desire.  It is now time to ask yourself: Do you like photographer A’s style over photographer B’s style? Is it because the people in the images of A’s style are having a great time and it seems very caught up in the moment vs. B photographer more posed, looking in the camera images? If this is a case, you probably like LIFESTYLE photography or perhaps even take it a step further and define your desired style as a PHOTOJOURNALISTIC photography style. The photographer you probably should choose is photographer A because their style is very similar to the style you desire.

What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience (as in THE experience). Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of the next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio. A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities. Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed. Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart.

Custom photography should have you, the client and your experience in mind.

(wording used by permission by Professional Child Photographer)

I take candid shots around the house of my kids often, but rarely have an actual photo session with them. I saw these stockings and lollypops in the catalog of one of my favorite stores Chasing Fireflies. I couldn’t resist. I decided to be intentional and take some pictures of them. In central Texas it doesn’t get very cold during the winter. There are usually days of warm (like the day before the session of mid-80′s weather) and days like the day of the session (50 and very windy). It was COLD.

My kids were a little grouchy, but the bribe of a yummy HUGE lollypop, the likes of which they had never seen perked them right up. They were willing to brave the cold weather for the promise of a great lollypop. I was really excited about the pictures and was so glad we did an intentional session.  

If you want a huge lollypop session let me know. They are really fun and kids will do about anything you ask. Plus, they look really great in pictures.

Love these girls. Daddy surprised them and showed up to our session. They love him so much!

I just want to squeeze them! This would be their expression while my husband was doing something behind me to make them laugh.

Photography Tip: It can be difficult to photograph your own kids. It can even be challenging for a professional photographer to photograph their own children. Kids often behave better, and offer amazing expressions for Chinell and I because we are not their parent. Bring your husband or a friend they enjoy to help entertain them. Also, try to keep the mood upbeat and happy. Getting grouchy at your kids and trying to make them do something they don’t want to do during a session will only make you, and them, unhappy.