Our family loves spending time by the beach. This holiday will be no different and I am always looking for new ways to photograph each occasion. Here’s 5 easy tips I always follow to create fun and interesting holiday photos. For more tips check out this post from the archives.
1. Try a different angle.
Think of how you would normally photograph something and try a different angle. Try shooting over it, under it etc…
Here I used my underwater compact camera and shot upwards towards my daughter instead of downwards from above the water. In this photo we were actually in a resort pool where the water is much clearer for photos than the beach.
2. Capture experiences unique to your holiday or location.
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that you simply don’t do at home that make the holiday unique. Capturing these experiences will help jog memories of the holiday in years to come.
Here my 3.5yo is feeling the texture of the shells she found on the beach. She would close her eyes to concentrate. Something I found so endearing that she just doesn’t ordinarily do at home.
3. Photograph people in action.
Action shots can take you right back to the moment. Use this to help tell the story of what you actually did on your holidays.
Here I bent down low to my 3.5yo’s height and photographed her view of her sister sketching in the sand. Often photographing upwards at a slight angle can add a bit of drama.
4. Focus on details
Narrow your focus to what delighted you most. Capture the moment and the photo will always make you nostalgic.
This photo is of the setting sun through our bathroom blinds. Makes me sleepy just thinking about it :)
5. Play with reflections
Whether it’s on the beach, in the pool or in mirrors, reflections make interesting photos. At the beach, a good time to catch these beautiful still moments is early in the morning or at sunset. Take a stroll and get ready to be mesmerised.
When marriage celebrant Jacqueline spoke of her desire to capture the close mother daughter bond she has with her 8yo, I was thrilled for her! We mums are generally the ones behind the camera and too often I speak to parents who rarely include themselves in their daily captures. Digital photography is so accessible and easy that we take tonnes of photos of our children but how many show we were there? That we participated and shared an experience? In years to come, I won’t remember which events I was able to attend but photos will attest that I was present as often as I could be, that I savoured every moment, and I was beside them every step of the way.
Enjoy this heartwarming session of a mum and her gorgeous daughter whom she fondly describes as “growing out of childhood”. ♥♥
We have had an emotional roller coaster week attending life events across the spectrum. What it has shown me is that there is much to be gained from creating and sustaining supportive and caring communities, beyond your immediate family, who come together effortlessly and unanimously when you need them. Life can be harshly unpredictable and an emphatic, generous support system becomes a priceless form of life insurance. If tragedy turns your world explicably upside down, that safety net is there to catch you. To lend support and comfort that money cannot buy and more importantly, to reassure that life can go on whenever you’re ready. Not ready to forget, never forget, but ready to live in peace with memories that warm your soul and remind you of happy times shared.
Dearest Anita. Your loss is too hard to comprehend. The world has lost a magnificent soul. Your infectious smile will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace beautiful angel xxx
Sometimes you need to try something new to rediscover the old. I ran my first school holiday workshop for kids and was truly amazed by what I learned. The children’s wonder, excitement, and ability to enjoy simple things was inspiring. I was particularly touched by the stories behind some of the photos. Having a creative outlet can be such a powerful thing. The experience reminded me of my own photographic beginnings and why I love what I do. It’s a journey that has come full circle and nowadays, I delight in simplicity and embrace the beauty that exists in the everyday. #lovelearningfromkids
Special thanks to Caren from The Hendrie Group for her amazing support and entertainment skills on the day! :)
Really excited about my first school holiday workshop for kids running this Tuesday. Details are here. If you missed out and want to find out about future workshops, send me an email and I’ll make sure you’re amongst the first to know.
In the workshop I am going to teach some simple ways to tell stories with a series of photos. A single photo can describe one object/place/feeling but a series of well connected photos can tell a story about a object/place/feeling with much more depth.
1. Identify what’s important to the story
Is it a person, an object, the environment or all three? Make sure you take a photo of the most important element to give focus to the story.
2. Try different perspectives
More often than not we bring our camera to our eyes, stand up straight, and click. What this means is that a majority of our photos are taken from one perspective. Experiment with different points of view by bending down low (eg. to a child’s eye level) or positioning for a more bird’s eye view (eg. to photograph above a crowd of people).
3. Get in close
Whether you are photographing people or objects, try moving closer. Fill the frame with your subject or object so that special details can be clearly seen.
In my ‘work’ I get to meet a lot of interesting, wonderful people. I love learning about individuals, families and their stories. Some leave such lasting impressions that I find myself thinking about them long after the photos are taken. I believe we have much to learn from each other and the more we open our heart and listen, the more we have to gain.
I met this sweet couple, Theodore and Eileen early this month for Theordore’s big birthday. The fact that they live next door to their daughter is an indication of how connected this family is. Upon meeting them, I am immediately drawn into a warm and nostalgic conversation about their life in India, their travels, their previous home, and their 62 years of marriage! :) They have had their adventures and now thrive on beautiful memories with a family that comes together when it counts and holds hands because they love each other.
I was charmed, enriched, and inspired.
Do you have a little shutter bug in your family? I have two and I love it when they explore photographically. Whether it’s with my phone, their barbie camera, or my SLR, it really doesn’t matter. I just love seeing their perspective of the world.
During the upcoming school holidays (Spring 2014) I will be combining my love of photography and my children’s love of craft to create a unique school holiday workshop. I am so excited by the opportunity and cannot wait to share the results with you!
The morning workshop will start with some outdoor fun in the beautiful Wyreena gardens where each child will photograph what they love. Photos will then be printed out and used to produce photographic coasters. Each child will take home their own set on the day to remind them of their adventures.
So if fun and useful craft to keep kids busy during the school holidays gets you excited too then do book early. Workshop is limited to 10 children only.
Workshop: Photographic Art
Date: Tues 30th Sept, 2014
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am
Aimed at ages: 7-10 years
Venue: Wyreena Community Arts Centre, 13-23 Hull Rd, Croydon
Cost: $26 (includes materials)
Bookings: Wyreena 9294 5590 OR denh@denhlay.com
* Limited to 10 children. Parents are welcome to attend or enjoy a cuppa at the Wyreena Conservatory Cafe.
** If you have younger children and would be interested in a future workshop more catered to their little fingers, please let me know via denh@denhlay.com If there’s enough interest, I’d love to plan one for next time :)
(Sourced from Pinterest)
Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderfully tolerant, resilient, thoughtful dads out there! Know that you will always be the greatest superhero in the eyes of your children ♥
“A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” – said someone wise.
I celebrated my birthday yesterday and was thoroughly spoiled all weekend. It was a perfect time to reflect on the abundance of love I am so fortunate to have around me. I have friends with much less who struggle without support. I don’t express my gratitude enough. I don’t know if many do. Life is busy and there is always something on. Take a moment, be happy, and marvel at all you have accomplished.
I did that yesterday and made time for a new family portrait to celebrate my greatest love. I took my family outside, sat us down in the best light, and set my camera on a tripod. It was fiddly and kept me fit, running back and forth using a timer, but we captured some beautiful moments. Thankfully my father in law picked up my camera and took a few more :) … My greatest achievements in life captured, so that I may always gaze upon them with immense joy, pride and gratitude.
Our doggies have had a rough trot the past month. Within 3 weeks, both have had surgeries requiring hospital care. We’ve had them for 10 years and only 1 hospital trip prior. We’ve been lucky considering they are rather indiscriminate with what they put in their mouths and can be a bit nutty out and about. This month we were confronted with some difficult questions and in the end, we realised how much we needed to give back to these beautiful creatures who have been a part of our family memories for a good decade. They’ve given us unconditional love and tolerated new family members who’ve gradually taken over their place on the couch and in the house.
Thanks for growing old with us but it’s not yet time my sweets. Looking forward to many more years of nuttiness ♥
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PHOTO TIP: It’s almost as hard to get doggies to stay still for photos as it is for kids. Our labs whilst nutty are well trained to sit, drop, wait, leave etc. This helps immensely, especially with treat in hand. I usually do a quick sit, drop, wait, reward activity to get them into listening then stretch the wait time out a little so I can compose my shot. Yes, I did crop his snout out deliberately as I like being eye level to them and I do get very close :) …If your dog just won’t sit and wait etc then don’t attempt sit down photos until they’ve had a very good run.
