Is it any wonder that these handsome young men are as good looking as they are?!?!

I mean… just take aa look at their gorgeous parents!

And the fun we had when they all came together…

This family was the winner of my Spread The Love Giveaway!

May 26, 2010

Nate and I celebrated nine years of marriage.

Exactly nine years ago earlier, it was raining cats and dogs. I was hurrying from the hairdresser’s, wearing a bag on my head to not ruin my bridal do’.  Today…  the two of us have a few more greys and a few more wrinkles. Who knew 9 years ago we’d be where we are and have what we have?!?!

Nate, it’s been an adventure, and thanks for sticking by my side! I love you!

(Thanks to my brother-in-law for pressing the button!)

I can’t express how much I’m going to miss my friends Joey & Amy when they move south in a few weeks.  They welcomed us to Maryland with open arms, provided innumerable laughs, taught us the *right* way to make Fondue, and enabled my husband’s new obsession with all things Apple.  All with  generous and beautiful hearts.  All I can say is… we are on our way for a visit.  ;)

… but they are just Joey & Amy to me.  Dear friends of mine about to make a big move down south, so Dr. Amy can finish her residency.   This is just a sneak peek, there is more to come!

Andrea I have a question for you! I am from Az and I have been looking for some great materials and rugs to use for infant photos could you please recommend where to look? Thank you in advance for your help :)

I have found great fabrics at my local Jo-Ann’s Fabric.  I just look for great texture or pattern.  I’ve also been known to use a fun shower curtain every now and then too. 

how do you finish your photos? like what photoshop tricks do you have…if any? do you use actions or are you just naturally awesome sooc?

I always finish my photos with an Unsharp Mask in Photoshop to defog the photo.  Digital images tend to have a little bit of “fog” or softness that an USM can clear.  I also religiously use a Sharpen-for-Web action that resizes and converts to web color for me.  I never show anything on the web that hasn’t had that action run.  That said, I do try to get everything right In Camera first.  But I do usually adjust levels and might pop color a little in my post processing.

Are you planning on having any more babies? :o) Also, Are you still running? What advice would you give to someone who is not a runner but would love to start?

We are done having babies.  We have always just wanted three children, and I am just beyond blessed with the beautiful miracles God has already given me.   I am still running!  I took a couple months off over the Winter, but am back at it in full swing.  I actually have a 10K race this weekend, and am looking forward to racing in my first full marathon this Fall.  As for advice, you can look at the Couch to 5K program.  I always just went slow and added mileage and speed as my endurance built.   Another piece of advice, go get specially fitted for shoes that are perfect for you!  And invest in a GOOD pair of shoes!  Take care of those feet!

Have you ever considered teaching an online photography and/or photo editing course? Or, maybe including a photography tips and tricks section on your site?

I have considered it!  Winter is usually a little slower with clients, so I am thinking of offering a beginner’s class next Winter.  Owning a DSLR will probably be a requirement.

What lenses do you have and use? What is your “go to” lens?

Well, first off, I shoot with a Nikon D700.  The lenses I own and love are all Nikkor lenses…. 24-70 f/2.8 - 70-200 f/2.8 - 50mm f/1.4G - 60mm macro f/2.8 - 85mm f/1.8.  My go-to lens, the one I use 80% of the time is my 24-70mm.

How do you get your pics sooooo crisp and clear!! Is it the camera, lens, editing??

Well, I truly believe that my “tools” do lend to my images.  By investing in a nice camera, it can handle noise and grain with great color and clarity.  My lenses are “Pro glass” and there is a huge difference in quality between these and the kit lens you can get.  Now, with both working together, I really try to achieve perfect exposure, b/c that is the key to a crisp photo.  And underexposed photo will be dark, and because of that, very grainywith a loss of detail.  A properly exposed photo wil have hardly any grain and great details.

Hi Andrea, Would you be willing to photograph a family from the Philadelphia area (we live about 15 mins from the DE/PA border)?

Yes!  I am willing to travel a couple hours to shoot you and your family, we can even meet halfway.  I do have some traveling fees that may apply.

How do you get such great shots indoors? Umbrella lights? Enormous windows for natural lighting? Is there a particular lens you would recommend for great indoor shots?

I start off with a great lens.  Indoors I usually use my 24-70mm or my 50mm and open the aperture as much as I can.  I just try to pay attention to where the light is falling.  Inside I usually just use natural light (my softbox is saved for studio work).  If it is raining or unusually gloomy I will bounce a flash off the ceiling or behind me into a window.

I would love to know how you edit the eyes in your pictures. I see so many photographers lately that go crazy with that, and they end up looking fake. The eyes in your pictures just look beautiful. Also, does your baby just have naturally beautiful skin, or do you photoshop that a little, too?

Where the light falls is very important.  I’m always looking for where the catchlight is falling.  Eyes without catchlights are dead-looking.  Once in photoshop I do dodge the whites just a little bit to brighten them.  I do photoshop skin.  I soften skin on a seperate layer and then bring back the sharp eyes and other facial features, leaving skin smoothed.  I tend to not have to do this as strongly with children as I do with adults.

How do you get babies and toddlers to sit/stand still and look at the camera long enough to get a nice shot?

Boy, do I sweat during a session!  The child’s mother and I are forever wrangling and acting like idiots to grab attention.  I may be jumping up and down while growling like a dinosaur, or shaking one of my MANY noisemakers.  Sometimes a parent will play peekaboo around the corner of the light.  Sometimes I put a peice of clear scotchtape in their fingers.  This stops them long enough to check out the tape, in time for me to do somethng rediculous, lol.  Sometimes containment is the way to go… toddlers in a chair or basket.

I use a DSLR to take snapshots of my kids, but our house has almost no natural light. Is there any way to make my photos look more natural in my dark house?

I suggest investing in a speedlight flash.  You can practice with bouncing the light up or behind you to fill the room with a softer, more natural light.

Where did you get that great mat, that looks like old wood flooring?

That was a great find at Urban Outfitters.  :)

This was fun!  Thanks so much for your questions, I’ll be sure to do this again!  I hope you find everything helpful.

Over the weekend I received a precious gift.  I had my own family’s photos taken by the very talented Shey Marin of Shey Marin Photography.  As the photographer of the family it is not often I am in photos, let alone the whole family together.  When it was just the 3 or 4 of us, I did OK with self timer, or my remote, but now that there are 5 of us, I knew I needed help.

So Shey and I met up in Old Town Alexandria and swapped some services.  I adore what she captured for me, and you can see sneek peak images HERE on HER Blog. Here is what I captured of Shey and her patient husband…

See their heart below?

So how cute are they?  I had a great time talking shop with another photographer and comparing shooting styles… and lets face it, picking up a few new awesome tricks to try!

followers of my blog should recognize this next family… they are part of my own. gen is my husband’s sister… but i can’t tell you how often we get comments like “oh, you and gen look alike!” or “yeah, i can see the resemblance between paul & nate.” when the fact is, it is gen & nate who are the siblings.  it makes us laugh, while none of us see the similarity.

over the 4th we grabbed 10 minutes and shot their annual family photo is gramma’s side yard… i am in love with the bright pinks against that rich green….

and there she is… gen… the sister of my heart. i tell you what, i married into the best family. ever.

I have the absolute privilege to shoot this couple’s wedding in March. A couple of faves from their engagement shoot….

These two are a big reason why I love my job. A married couple who were so much fun, obviously in love, and threw in their “child” into the mix!

(sigh) don’t those melt your heart? I really enjoy couples sessions!

These make my heart sing! Belly laughs are music to my ears!

What makes your heart sing?