ALBUMS, ALBUMS, EVERYWHERE!

If you are like most busy people, you probably have a fair amount of imagery, but no real good way of organizing it so you can display it or share it with others...after all wall space and frame space can get limited...or maybe you're like me and just hate dusting...

Lots of us use Facebook or a smartphone gallery...but what if your images deserve better?  Certainly wedding photos demand such attention...so why not the photos from your last family photo session?  Why not the photos you've taken of your children over the years?  What about an album to celebrate the fact that you just got engaged to the love of your life?

Well, let me tell you, I just love albums...and I'm about to embark on doing a bunch more... I've found a publisher that sells gorgeous, high-end, leather-bound books for a reasonable price and I'd love to help you out!  This spring I shot a bunch of photos of my girls in the bluebonnets and thought that it was album-worthy...and boy, oh boy, was it!  Check out the whole album at: www.clickedbylara.com/Places/Albums

  
Call me today and tell me about the photos you have that are album-worthy and let's figure out a way to make it so!  830-214-5553, Cheers. Lara

Kids don't smile on command? Say it isn't so!

As a parent and a professional photographer, I know there are many magic words and phrases that parents use to TRY to coax a smile out of their children. I'm as guilty as the next parent of employing the words, "Smile," or "Say Cheese" or dare I say resorting to BRIBERY??

We've all done it, after all, we've been conditioned for generations to do it...



But...if that's not working for you...you might try:
-- Playing peek-a-boo from behind the camera
-- Setting the camera on remote on a tripod and just let it snap away
-- Photographing them doing something they love 
-- Giving your child permission to play
-- Having someone chase them around and scoop them up...
-- Giving them something of yours that they covet (keys, sunglasses, etc.)
-- Breaking out the bubbles...no little kid can resist bubbles
-- Reading a book to your child or handing them a book they love
-- Telling the older ones "Not to smile" or "Keep a straight face"
-- Goosing them
-- Allowing them to make funny faces and then wait until they crack up laughing
-- Consider adding your family pet to your photographs
-- Carrying your camera so often it's just a part of you (that's my tactic!)
-- Telling them you think you saw the tickle monster
-- Negotiate:  Let them take pictures they want in addition to the ones you want
-- Handing them a camera to take your photos (smile naturally)...then switch

There are tons of ideas on how to make this work for your family...if you have a good idea, please share it in the comments below!

Underwater Family Photography, who knew?

Unlike most parents living in Central Texas, I'm not ready for the cooler weather...why, you ask?  Well, we're having so much fun hanging out in the pool that I'll be sad when it gets too chilly!   I love being in the pool so much that I even pitched my husband the idea of taking our annual family photos underwater this year...  

Well, after laughing at me briefly, he actually considered it...for about a minute and then questioned, who would take the picture...Yup, got me there...now to find a remote and tripod that work underwater...yeah, that ought to be easy.

So...why underwater children's photos you might ask?  Well, simple really. Kids dig 'em.   Want smiley, joyful, children in your photographs?  Capture them doing something that they love to do!  Sometimes all it takes is a favorite toy, a prop, or in this case, a pool.  If you, like many parents, are offered up the crazy smirk or the "not now, mom" response, then it might be time to try something different and unique.

I blame my dear friend Jen for planting this underwater photography thing in my head.  Being the avid scuba diver, every time she visits, she wows my girls with all her amazing, award-winning sea life photography.  They're simply captivated...sea turtles, lion fish, whale sharks, crabs....which got me thinking, why not people?!?!  So voila, now I've added underwater portrait photography to my repertoire...

Oh, and I also simply adore the 16x9 format for underwater portraits...now to find some suitable frames...Thanks for reading...and until next time, I'd love to hear your thoughts on underwater family photography, maybe you can help me convince my husband!  Cheers. Lara