Sunrise Creations Blog

It has been a while since we talked about photography and our technique with the camera.

I love to learn how other photographers get their results.  They always give me an idea or some inspiration to work with.  This video is a great example.  The topic is 'low light photography' but the tip is incredibly simple.  It's so simple that you might be tempted to overlook it, but don't do that.  It works.  Best of all, you can apply it to every shot you take.

I hope you find this as useful as I did.  I see many great photos in your future.

 

 

After my last post I thought I'd share some of my favourite family photos with you.  I love these.  They were taken by my son Liam.  We set up a little tripod for him and let him loose with a camera.  He directed us for every photo so the results are the ones he was after.

If you look carefully you will see that the photos are taken quite low down at Liam's eye level.  If you look closely you can see the door knob showing above my husband's head. 

We had a great time clowning around and the photos have turned out brilliantly.

Why not try this with your children?  The photos are something we will keep forever.  Despite our lovely faces!!

Sometimes, we forget that children have their own unique and often very interesting way of viewing the world.

We also tend to be a little protective of items such as our cameras and don’t let them into the hands of a child.

Handing a camera to a child, for a moment, an hour or a full day, can open up a whole new world for you. It can open up an interesting conversation with the child, give you a good laugh or, importantly, give you a brand new perspective on the world you live in. It can open your eyes to an entire world you haven’t seen since you were a child yourself.

Let the child freely snap away at what interests them. It’s like giving yourself a present. You get to have a good look around you and take in sights than you would probably not notice on any other day.

If you are a budding photographer yourself, you’ll be exposed to a greater range of interesting subjects.  Imagine what it might do to your creativity?

Just think about the way kids see the world.  First of all, it’s influenced by their height.  Children might see adults as giants, buildings as the houses of giants, and cats, rabbits and birds as so much bigger than they seem to us.  Just imagine what these things look like from their little height.  What might they see from their angle?

Mostly, children bring unique, intriguing and unexpected images and imagination to your life.

Give a child a camera and experience life through their eyes. It will open up some amazing scenery for you.

These images were taken by children. As part of the Cherish Every Child project, kids aged 2 to 6 in Springfield MA. were given a camera and allowed to photograph their world.  What a wonderful way to encourage them to explore and see things differently while allowing them to use their creativity.   

Now why not give your children the same opportunity?

Recently I was lucky enough to interview Fiona Roberts, a Civil Marriage Celebrant based in Caloundra, Queensland.  She tells us about her work and why she loves it so much.

How long have you been a celebrant?

I was registered by the Attorney Generals’ Department in 2009, having completed my training whilst on leave with the birth of my son.

What made you become a celebrant?

It’s something that had been on my “to-do” list for a LONG time, so when I had a brief window of opportunity (Maternity leave), I decided to stop talking about it, and get trained and registered.  I can honestly say I’ve not looked back.  I am now a full time Celebrant, conducting in excess of 100 weddings a year – and very, very happy!

What is the hardest part of your role?

Breaking the news to a Bride and Groom that the weather is just not going to be kind to their outdoor wedding, and we need to go to their “back up” plan.  No-one likes to hear that their dream day has to be altered at the last minute.  Fortunately, most couples are fine, and end up still being thrilled with the outcome!

What do you love most about your role?

The joy of the occasion cannot be surpassed in terms of an occupation!  When you truly connect with your couples, you feel such a sense of happiness for them as they embark on the new adventure of married life.  It’s an absolute honour to be able to share such an intimate moment.

Is there one occasion (wedding, christening) you remember more than others?

As a “group” of ceremonies, I tend to remember the surprise weddings and the elopements.  As a Celebrant, you are so caught up in making sure that these moments are exactly as the couple imagined, so you can’t help but become emotionally involved.

My favourite ceremony to date, was for a couple who had invited their guests to their Daughters’ Naming Day, only for the Bride to arrive fully decked out in her white dress!  Even her Dad was in the dark, until the Groom said the Bride needed him out the front, and when he went out, she was arriving in the Limousine.  Dad was over the moon, and walked her down the “aisle” with happy tears streaming down his face.

My other favourite, was also a surprise wedding, where the guests had been invited to the couples’ engagement party in a Resort Penthouse.  When the time came, they were ushered onto the roof for a “group photo” to find it all set up for the wedding ceremony.  The Grooms’ band provided the music, and at the very last minute, the Groom (also the lead singer), turned the microphone around and sung his Bride down the aisle to “There she goes” by the LA’s – a truly touching moment!

What advice do you give to couples planning their wedding?

Whatever you decide you would like your ceremony to be – an intimate affair, a family gathering or a magnificent production, your Celebrant is there to help you. Your ceremony should reflect you as a couple, and even more importantly, your vows should be promises that you are happy to base your marriage on.

So consider what being married means to you, and then consider how your ceremony can reflect that. The beauty of choosing a Civil Marriage Celebrant, is that your ceremony truly is all about you!!

(Wedding photos by Mills Photography, Sunshine Coast, Qld.)

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you fell into photography?

I started a property styling business, making houses look good for prospective buyers, and took up photography to go with it as a package. The more I learnt about photography the more I loved it.

I started to find I was more drawn to photographing people than things. I loved the emotional connection you can get and feel through the lens and seeing that in the end print. There is nothing more beautiful!

2.  You speak about finding the inner beauty in everyone in your photography, how do you achieve this?

Seeing and allowing people to show you their inner beauty can be one of the hardest things for photographers. I create space and a loving and supportive environment to allow them to be. I take the time to get to know them and their story, make them feel comfortable and know that whatever they say is ok. There is no judgment, right or wrong.

It’s incredibly powerful to see someone grow in spirit before your eyes.

3. What is the most important tip you’d share with others when photographing others?

My greatest tip would be to put the camera down…get to know your clients before you even pick up the camera, care about them and who they are as a person. Make it all about them.

4. What has been your biggest achievement with photography?

My biggest achievements have been my personal growth. Through photography I have become a better person through learning to connect and open my heart to others.

5.  What has been your biggest challenge with your business?

My biggest challenge would be my bookwork and keeping my desk clean, haha! I blame it on my crazy creative side!

6. You’re an award winning photographer – do you have a favourite image?

Some of my favorite images are not the ones which win awards.  My favorites are the images that, when I look at them, I get choked up with emotion.

Like this image of Vicky and Rowan. I know she will be able to look at this image for the rest of her life and feel what she was feeling on her wedding day; totally adored by her husband!

7. What’s your favourite, Sunshine Coast breakky?

Something really yummy like Canadian pancakes with loads of bacon!

 

In the last post I told you about some useful online tutorials that will help you to honr your skills as a photographer.  There is another place you can go to find information and that is Youtube.

I had a quick look through the photography tutorials recently and found this one which I think is very useful.  Light can make or break your photos so knowing how to work with it is really important.

I hope you enjoy this video and that you pick up lots of tips to help your shots.  I'd love to see them if you'd care to share.

Honing your skills in the photographic world doesn’t need to be a burden on your wallet or your time.  In fact, you can improve your know-how without even having to leave the comfort of your own home.  The Internet is your gateway to a world of information for people just like you.

Online photography tutorials offer lessons on a vast range of topics from the different types of photography, to the software available, the right lighting to use, shooting indoors and out – the list goes on.  If you want to learn something specific, enhance your overall understanding, or you are just starting out and wanting to keep it simple, this could be your answer. 

Some online photography tutorials offer a series of lessons, or courses, and will provide you with an overview of the topics that will be covered plus the equipment that you’ll need to complete the series.  This can be useful when the topic you’re learning about is particularly complex, but be prepared to be charged for something like this.  You can find many websites which offer free lessons as well as paid courses so it’s really down to what you’re after.
 Webphotoschool.comis one such site that offers a combination of paid and free online photography tutorials.  You can also try Shortcourses.com which provides you with an option of gaining some free information plus an opportunity to purchase digital or hard copy text books if required (they refer to themselves as The On-line Library of Digital Photography).  A lot of companies offering a photography service may also provide tips and tutorials on their website which can be a great resource (see our Tips page).

Learning about photography doesn’t have to be complex, expensive or time consuming.  Jump online and search for the photography tutorial that you need to become the photographer you want to be.

 

“Through the eyes of a child” is a phrase often used to describe an innocent outlook on life, but in photography it can mean so much more.

Using a camera gives your child a different perspective of the world and allows them a fun creative outlet. You might be surprised at the composition that even toddlers can capture because life looks entirely different from down there.

These days its quite an affordable hobby so we can all give our children freedom with a camera. Our children can now take literally thousands of photos for us to sift through together and we only have to select the very best of them to print.

Being able to take a decent family snap is a skill that does a lot for a child’s confidence.  Training themselves to keep their hands steady and patiently take a picture at the perfect moment can be a fun way to exercise their self discipline.

More importantly, when you look through that little window you seem to see things so clearly.  Children see the daily world quite differently to adults anyway, so imagine what revelations their photos might bring.  It's quite exciting to look through photos taken by kids.  Their work is fresh and original and some of their angles are very clever.  And it all comes naturally to them!

There are many simple to use computer programs that teach children to crop their photos and adjust the lighting and colour, turn them around and use countless different treatments to turn their snaps into incredible works of art.

Photos taken by our children can be just as precious as the ones that they star in, so why not let your child start their very own album today?

 

Digital cameras allow you the freedom to take as many photographs as you would like without the added expense of processing the film before you see the photographs. Most digital cameras have an LCD screen on which you can preview your photographs, where you get to see, before you shoot, the photograph you will end up with.

Sometimes holding the camera in a way that you can view the LCD screen will result in camera shake and blurry photographs because your arms will be extended and not fully stable. So, the first thing to get right in your quest for great photographs is to stop the possibility of camera shake.

How you may ask? Well the best FIX for camera shake is a tripod, but not everyone owns a tripod or wants to invest in one. There are also situations in which you are unable to use a tripod.  So the fix becomes YOU! You recreate the stability of a tripod through the use of your body.

Hold your camera as close to yourself as comfortable whilst still being able to see your LCD screen. Use your right hand to grasp the right hand edge of the camera, with your forefinger hovering over the shutter release. Use your left hand to bear the weight of the camera; this can either be holding the left side of the camera, the underneath of the camera or the actual lens on a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. Bring your elbows in towards your sides and if possible add more stability by leaning against a solid object.

If you are indoors, you might like to find something to balance your elbows on, such as a pile of books stacked to just the right height.

A final tip is about your breathing, just try pressing the shutter release either as you breath in or out steadily, you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference this will make, particularly in situations of low light.

Your own techniques will develop over time, but in the early days of owning your camera practising using your body as a tripod will at least eliminate the terror of camera shake and blurred photographs.

 

 

 

Taking photos of your children is one of the most rewarding things you can do.  We've shared some tips with you about how to make those photos work well for you.  Following on from our earlier article, here are even more tips to help you when it comes to taking beautiful shots of your little one.

1.  Always Be Ready 

There is nothing worse than seeing a perfect pose from your baby and you don't have your camera nearby.  It is worth having your camera, film, memory card and batteries always at the ready just in case this occurs.

2. Go Outdoors 

Venture outdoors and take memorable photos.  Stay away from direct sunlight if possible opting for shady spots or cloudy days.  These photographs will be some of the most beautiful and naturally lit pictures you will capture. 

3  Consider Black and White

Black and white photos are timeless and can really bring out the beauty of the image.  They also add interest to scrapbooks, albums and frames.  

4. Sleepy Babes

Newborns are often wonderful to work with as they are generally sleepy for the majority of the time.  However as they age, these periods occur less and less.  Therefore with older babies it is best to wait until they are off to the land of Nod before you snap. 

 

5. Content and Clean 

Make sure your baby is fed and clean and feeling extremely content.  This way he or she won't be crying mid-shoot for something to drink or a nappy change. 

6. Keep Snapping

Make sure you take more than one shot of each pose.  Digital cameras make this cost effective.  You may think you have the perfect shot only to discover later that it was blurry or your baby closed their eyes at just the wrong moment.

Babies grow quickly however their photographs and memories last a lifetime.  Making sure you follow these tips will ensure your photographs are as near to perfect as you can get.  Putting them into a photobook will turn them into a keepsake.