Making it Lovely

Category: Projects

  • Taking Great Photos of Kids

    Taking Great Photos of Kids

    I’m working with Shutterfly on a sponsored three-part series to share some of my favorite photography tips with you. Over the next few weeks I’ll tell you how to photograph your cute home, and I’ll talk about documenting your baby’s growth like I’ve done with my monthly baby pictures. Today though? It’s all about taking great photos of kids.

    First of all, kiddos are short. You’ll get better results if you get down to their level.

    Of course, sometimes standing over them can give you an interesting shot. The occasional Dutch angle is good too (just don’t overdo it).

    Don’t be afraid to get close.

    Closer.

    And even if you don’t know a thing about composition, or the technical aspects of photography, you can never fail when capturing emotion.


    “I’m not so sure about this…”


    “It moves!?”


    “This is the best!”

    See that? Pure joy! Nothing better.

    This content series is brought to you by Shutterfly. Make your photo book just the way you want with the all New Custom Path.

  • Twenty Four Months Old (Eleanor’s Last Monthly Photo)

    Twenty Four Months Old (Eleanor’s Last Monthly Photo)


    I took a photo of Eleanor sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing her felt pin each month until she turned two years old.

    The end of this photo project seemed so far away when I started it, and now I can’t believe it’s here. I will continue to take a yearly picture, but our monthly shoots are at an end. I wanted to create something special for Eleanor, and these photos are a way for her to see what she was like as a baby. The documentation of a time in her life that she is most likely too young to remember.

    I also created some great memories for myself along the way. I can’t believe my baby is two years old.

    Previous Photos
    The First Year • Thirteen Months Old • Fourteen Months Old • Fifteen Months Old • Sixteen Months Old • Seventeen Months Old • Eighteen Months Old • Nineteen Months Old • Twenty Months Old • Twenty One Months Old • Twenty Two Months Old • Twenty Three Months Old • View All

  • Birthday Banner in Progress

    Birthday Banner in Progress

    I really got myself into something here. I had this great idea to make a rainbow-colored, yarn-wrapped “Happy Birthday!” banner. It’s going to be great, but I’ve been working for a few hours and I’ve only finished two and a half letters. Here’s a little peek:

    I’m off to continue working.

  • Family Photo Time

    Family Photo Time

    We took a family photo yesterday, right before we left to go to my mom’s house.

    Cute, right? Aw, what a sweet little family I have. And here’s what it took to get that shot… (more…)

  • Nicole Hill Gerulat’s Online Photo 101 Class

    Nicole Hill Gerulat’s Online Photo 101 Class

    Nicole Hill Gerulat has an amazing photography portfolio. She also teaches an online Photo 101 class, which she offered to me when she saw that I had written about wanting to become a better photographer.

    I had taken a photo class in high school, but that was fifteen years ago and I no longer knew my f-stop from my aperture. (Turns out they’re the same thing, go figure.) Before the class began, I had been trying to improve through trial and error, mostly relying on my camera’s AV and TV priority modes. Now I’m fully comfortable shooting in manual.

    The photos in this post are from one of my class homework assignments. All of these images are straight out of camera (SOOC), shot in manual mode.

    The class structure is great because there is a video for each week’s lesson, but you can also read the information instead of just watching it. There is a companion text book as well which I’ve written about separately. If you’re looking for a course to start shooting in manual, or just to improve your photography skills in general (composition is covered as well), I’d definitely recommend Nicole’s Photo 101 class.

    The only drawback I’m seeing? Now that I know what I’m doing, I want some new lenses to play with. And lenses are expensive. Must practice restraint.

  • Eleanor’s Monthly Photo Shoot (Video)

    Eleanor’s Monthly Photo Shoot (Video)

    Eleanor’s monthly baby photo shoots are nearly at an end. She’ll turn two next month, and then I’ll be photographing her yearly instead. I used to carry her over to the chair each month for her picture, but lately she’s taken to hopping in on her own. She’s growing up, that little girl!

    I take a hundred or so photographs each month, and from those I choose one image to share with you. Eleanor had a great time during our latest session, so I thought I’d give you a little peek into what our photo shoots are like. I created a video out of our still photos, and I’d say it’s just about the cutest thing ever.


    Music: Toc Toc by The Lovers

    As always, you can see all of Eleanor’s monthly photos here.