6 Tips to See the Super Bloom at Walker Canyon

Southern California is experiencing a super bloom of flowers thanks to an unusually wet winter. So to witness this in-person, we decided to take a hike at Walker Canyon (just outside of Lake Elsinore off of the 15 freeway at the Lake Street exit) to see the wildflowers! I'm sharing a few of my favorite photos from our visit as well as a few tips for bringing your little ones along.

A few practical tips for visiting Walker Canyon with your little ones:

1. Before hitting the road, pack a light bag of essentials for the hike. Things to consider bringing along are a camera, water, sun screen, snacks, a change of clothes for the kids, a diaper and wipes. The trail is really dusty, so bring comfortable shoes for the hike and you might want to bring another pair of nicer shoes if you plan on taking full body portraits.

My sweet hubby carrying our bag of essentials

Dusty trails and steep hills ahead! Don't forget your walking shoes!

2. There aren't any restrooms near the canyon so stop at the exit before or after the Lake St. exit for those last minute potty breaks.

3. Parking near the canyon can be limited. Don't be surprised if you end up parking near the on and off ramps of the freeway.

4. Be sure to hand the camera over so that you get to be in the frame too.

I'm definitely more comfortable behind the camera but I'm so glad to have a photo of myself together with the kids

5. Be prepared for your little one to ask for a treat. There might be vendors at the bottom of the canyon offering water and popsicles.

He had strawberry and she had an orange with cranberry popsicle which hit the spot

6. Pick a spot and enjoy the view

It can be crowded but there are pockets of places to sit and enjoy the beautiful view 

Planning on seeing some wildflowers in the next few weeks? Here's a resource of other great hikes in the area:

https://modernhiker.com/best-wildflower-info-for-california-hiking

Happy hiking!

Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

When I was pregnant with Amelia, I decided to do a 52 week project of her first year. I had already taken weekly photos of my pregancy so I thought it would be great to keep up with the weekly documentation. For those who aren't familiar with this term, a 52 week project is where you take or select a photo from each week of a year. Simple as that! 

Here are a few examples of photos from my 52 week project of Amelia's first year

{Week 1} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

{Week 2} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

{Week 3} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

{Week 18} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

{Week 38} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

{Week 42} Documenting Baby's First Year - A 52 Week Project

I still can't believe that little baby turned into a toddler so quickly!

Here are a few tips to consider when taking on a 52 week project:

1. Begin with the end in mind

What do you envision using these photos for? Prints that can be used as decorations for the first birthday party? Insert them into a baby book? Create a photo book as a special keepsake? Research the companies that make the end project so that you can know their specifications. Some companies have minimum and maximum files sizes that they accept, or may require a specific color space to print in.

2. Decide on a theme. Or not.

    Do you want your images to be portraits of your baby each week? Do you want to use the same props in your photos each week to show how much your little one is growing? Do you want to incorporate milestones as your theme? I didn't pick a theme per se but I did try to use available light as creatively as possible and incorporated milestones and important family members in her photos. 

3. Commit to an orientation for your images

Decide if you want your images to be taken in landscape or portrait. Having a consistent orientation will make viewing the final images easier on the eye and better to format in a book

4. Learn Your Gear

Try to learn as much as possible about the equipment you're using to capture these memories. If you bought a new camera, read the manual and take a photography basics class. If you're going to use your smartphone, learn how to take advantage of its capabilities and what apps you may want to download to edit them (I'll share my favorite photo editing apps in a future post).

5. Organize your photos

Keep these photos in a separate folder where you can easily access them. Label each photo with the week that it's from so that you don't lose track of time and have to go back through and figure out what week September 15th is from. As with anything digital, make sure you have a plan to backup your work. Cloud based services are handy as well as external hard drives.

When the year is over, you can use the images as decorations for baby's first birthday party of turn them into a photo book

Showing Amelia her book of photos from the first year. She was so excited to see her face and kept saying 'Baby!'

Can't wait to give this book to Amelia when she's older and can appreciate it

With so much excitement and change during baby's first year this is a fun photo project to help capture those early memories. Be sure to checkout my tips on newborn photos and taking photos of kids

5 Tips for Photographing Kids

1. Lighting

  Lighting in photography is everything. It can take a dull image and make it magical. Lighting can help set the mood of an image and be part of the story telling process. Natural light is this most flattering type of lighting. If you’re taking photos at home, make note of when and where you have the most sunlight.  Try to set up your subject near a window or doorway (wherever the light source is).  If you’re outside, taking photos early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is low and provides soft lighting. If those times of days don’t work for you, find large areas of shade for your photos so that you can avoid harsh light and shadows.

Natural light coming from the window on the left and window behind them

2. Use the Rule of Thirds

 The "Rule of Thirds" is probably the most popular photographic composition "rule". Essentially, it's the principal that an image is most interesting if the subject is at the intersection of two horizontal and two vertical lines such as a tick tak toe board.  All cameras and most smart phones have the ability to turn on a grid so that you are able to find those intersecting lines. To learn more, view this article

The Rule of Thirds

3.  Change your Perspective

 People tend to take our pictures from the same height and angle. It’s comfortable, quick and easy to get stuck in this mode. To add more interest to your images, change your perspective. Move your feet and shoot from above, below or to the side of your subject.  Get down on the floor to their level. Challenge yourself to take 3 photos of the same scene but from different angles. 

Children playing with Legos. Photo taken down low on the ground.

Children playing with Legos. Photo taken from above.

Young boy plays with Legos. Photo taken at same level as child.

3. (don't) Say Cheese

Growing up I think we were all conditioned to say ‘cheese’ when taking a photo. The challenge with this technique is that it creates a need to ‘perform’ in front of the camera. When you perform by saying ‘cheese’ , eyes can look closed, expressionless and mouths look stiff.  Here are a few tips to get a natural expression.

• Make them laugh – tell a silly joke, talk in a funny voice, make a funny face. You know your child best, so appeal to whatever gets them smiling
• Get them moving – have them run or jump. When kids are moving and having fun those smiles come out naturally
• Do nothing. Observe your subject and wait for the right authentic expression to come.

5. Be Mindful of What's In the Frame

As the photographer, you are responsible for everything in the frame of the picture. Be sure to quickly scan the edges of your photo and double check the background to make sure that there isn't anything distracting that would take the focus away from your subject.

Ready to learn more? Join me at my Camera and Photography Basics workshop!

12 Must Have Newborn Photos

 To preserve all of those little details of the early days, here are my twelve must have newborn photos. Whether you're doing it yourself or you hire a professional, take the time to document your new baby and life together. It really does go by so quickly !

1. Baby's face

2. Baby's hand

3. Baby's feet

4. Baby's hair

5. The nursery or wherever baby spends most of his/her time

6. A photo with mom

7. A photo with Dad

8. Details of the nursery

9. With a special family member (grandparent, sibling, pet, etc.)

Grandparents and great grandparents are a treasure and if you're still lucky enough to have one around, PLEASE don't miss this opportunity. 

10. With a special toy or heirloom

11. Keepsakes from baby's arrival

This one doesn't necessarily have to be done within the first month. If you hire a photographer, gather all of the items you'd like photographed such as baby's hospital bracelet or welcome home outfit and have them available. This type of photo can be during those downtimes when you're taking care of baby.

12. The whole family together

There you have it! Did I miss a moment that you think should be documented? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. :) Also, stay tuned for a future blog post where I'll be sharing my tips for photographing your own newborn.