Travel & Photo Goddess: March 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Posing Tips For Family Portraits

With Easter coming up, I thought I would devote this blog to helping you get better pictures at your family gathering. Below is a picture of some of my Grandkids taken last December.

One of the advantages to being in a camera club is the opportunity to learn from other club members. Below are some tips from my Photography friend, Mark Freier. Thank you Mark!

So the sister is bringing her family for a group shot. She sends a "by the way" saying she would also like you to do her daughter's graduation pictures at the same time (great).

What are some of the things you need to ask:

How many are going to be in the group photo? It is important. If she said there are going to be 5, then you can picture in your mind how you are going to pose them. You can look on the Internet for group pictures of that number. Be careful, because if one doesn't show up, that changes the arrangement. If 6 show up, that is even worse.

The big day is here:

They start to arrive. You may want to have some coffee for them or something for them to do while they wait for the others to arrive. With the technical part out of the way, you can relax and get that group shot that will make everyone happy (except for the sister because she didn't smile on any pictures). It happens!!

You are happy with what you have, and it took less than 10 minutes because you were prepared.
If you want more tips for photographing groups of people check out this article from our friends at Picture Correct.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/tips-for-taking-family-portraits/
Today's Thought For The Day:
"We can only know others by ourselves." by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Thank you for reading my Blog!

Becky McGuire, CTC, MCC
Vacation Travel Specialist

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Friday, March 8, 2013

March Mania

It is a rainy day here is the low desert of Arizona which does not happen very often. The good thing is this will help make the wild flowers bloom in the desert. A usually barren landscape is suddenly alive with color. I will be out shooting when the weather warms up.
Here is a link to UTube with some videos of some of the beautiful flowers of the Arizona deserts"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnpOkP7Se5s

Here is a great video on how to use your flash and ways to use a reflector when shooting outside in harsh light.
http://video.ultimatephotoguide.com/video/000935_essential-lighting-techniques/?utm_source=Newsletter+-+02.28.13+UPGHowTo&utm_campaign=Newsletter022813&utm_medium=email
I had a nice surprise yesterday. I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a client who is also a friend to thank me for planning her trip to Europe. Many Thanks Karen!
Speaking of Europe, if you are planning a trip there, now is the time to start planning your trip. The space sells out very fast in the summer. Personally, I think Fall or Spring is a better time to go because prices are lower, the weather is cooler and it is not as crowded. Call me if you have any questions.

Another nice surprise was having out 1935 Ford Cabriolet Streetrod voted in the Top Twenty cars at the 1st annual Pirate's Cove Car & Bike show. Pirate's Cove is in Needles, CA. It is a very cool place with a Jimmy Buffet kind of vibe. It is a great place to visit if you are in the area. Here is a link to their website:
http://piratecoveresort.com/
I have had some requests for prints from the Balloon Festival in Lake Havasu. You can order prints of any of my shots on Red Bubble. Here is a link:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/tvlgoddess/works/9885429-balloons-over-lake-havasu
In honor of International Women's Day here is the Thought For The Day"
"There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women." by Kofi Annan.
Thanks go out to Kris Radford for passing this one on to us.
Thank you for reading my Blog!