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Take Better Photographs of Your Children: Part 4 of 4 – Niagara Newborn and Family Photography

Nadia Trapasso Green, a Newborn and Family Photographer based in Niagara Ontario, wants to help you capture beautiful moments with your children while she can’t during Ontario’s third Covid-19 lockdown. All you need is your phone, and you will learn all about Composition in this 4 week blog series!

*Trying out these tips and tricks, then use the hashtag #dreamsandtalesfineart #parentswhoclickdt

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Last week we learned about Depth of Field, a key element in taking your photographs to the next level. I chose to focus on 3 main aspects of Composition (rule of thirds,  depth of field and viewpoint) because most parents are taking photographs of their children with their phone…so this let’s us set the technical aspects of a DSLR aside for this blog series!  Each week we’ll break down a element of composition, and assign you a task to try out! Last but not least, we will be looking at Viewpoint…

  1. Viewpoint:  The position from which you photograph the subject. Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
  2. How to Use: When photographing your child(ren), consider, 1. The angle at which would compliment them best, 2. The message you are trying to convey when photographing them. Are you simply hoping to capture a beautiful portrait of your child, or are you hoping to capture them during their play. Each situation would be better served by a different viewpoint.

    As you are photographing them, try different angles, heights and positions until one just feels right! I like to use my ‘360 degree method’ by moving completely around the subject you are able to photograph them in many different way; lighting, backgrounds, etc will change and create different perspectives.

    Example:

           

     

    Sources: https://sites.google.com/site/photographycompositionrules/viewpoint-1

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Top 5 ‘Must Haves’ To Survive Life with a Newborn- Niagara Newborn Photography

Top 5 Must Haves To Survive Life with a Newborn- Niagara, On Newborn and Family Portrait Photographer
So, you’re expecting! Congratulations; motherhood is truly an amazing adventure! It’s honest to goodness the most incredible love you will EVER experience in your lifetime… EVER! The kind of love that takes your breath away, warms your heart, brings tears to your eyes…and wine to your lips, grease to your hair, and forget like you have amnesia. Yup, all wrapped up into the loveliest experience there ever was… motherhood. While it is all worth it, 100 times over, there are a few items you will not be able to survive with out. Since this is my second ‘go’ at the whole motherhood adventure, and I meet and chat with endless new mom’s through my career as a newborn and child family portrait photographer, I thought I could offer you some ‘must haves’ to surviving life with a newborn.
1. Dry Shampoo- Preferably one with an lovely scent. I have never showered less in my life, not even when trekking through unchartered forests on portaging trips, than when I was a first time Mom. Currently, in your glowing pregnancy bliss, you might be appalled at the thought of instead of actually washing and drying your hair, that you would have the need to apply a chemical concoction in order to make your hair look like it’s been washed and dried… well, let me assure you that you will be quite grateful for this advice in the days to come!
Here is a link to recent reviews of Dry Shampoo’s – http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/gallery/best-worst-dry-shampoo/p152222/page4
2. Wine- Or some other beverage that you can enjoy during the quiet bedtime (or naptime?) moments of the early days of parenthood! For myself, this is wine…for others this is chamomile tea…again, for me this is wine. My husband and I are self-proclaimed wine connoisseurs, and in our pre-child days, visited several world renowned wine regions, so for me this helps bring me back to those days. While enjoying a perfected pinot, I can be brought back to our days in Napa Valley or Tuscany. Perhaps over a cup of chamomile, you are brought back to restful afternoons at your Grandmother’s home. Cheers!
3. A Friend With a Child- Preferably more than you, so you can be assured their experience is more and their ‘suffering’ is worse. You absolutely need someone to confide in, laugh with and simply make you feel ‘normal’. Becoming a Mother means entering a whole new world, and in this unchartered land you’re going to need a buddy… no man (or woman in most of these cases) for himself. Who else can you talk about baby poop with and get such enthusiastic advice from?
4. A Hobby- Whether it’s being a chocolate eating connoisseur or a cross-fit junkie, you absolutely NEED to have a hobby that frees your mind and makes you feel like you again. The only way to be the best mother, is to be the best you. Knitting, hiking, dog walking… you name it, and get on it!
5. A Good Concealer- I mean an EXPENSIVE one that takes up all of your week’s spending money, and comes wrapped in unnecessarily beautiful packaging. You will need this to appear well-rested and ‘fresh’- if that’s the look you desire! You will achieve this look by applying said concealer to the dark bags under your eyes. That is all.
My concealer of choice- http://www.sephora.com/naked-skin-weightless-complete-coverage-concealer-P392854?country_switch=ca&lang=en
I hope this list of ‘must haves’ helps you to enjoy your early days as a new Mom a little bit more! Sending you love!
xo nadia