MomShots

I can’t pass this one up. I have a photo… actually this photo:

that I want to print as an 8×10 and hang on my entry way wall.

MPix.com is having a sale on the printing of 8×10s. 50% off, to be exact! Just my cup of tea.

The sale ends tonight at Midnight, CST so you don’t have much time to take advantage of it. If you do choose to get something printed, use the code 8×10printsale when you check out to get 50% off your purchase.

MPix produces excellent results or the highest quality. I have never been disappointed with any photos that I have had printed there.

Anyway, just thought I’d pass on the word to you in case you’re thinking of getting some 8×10s printed. Today…

Summer is in full swing. Bike riding, playing in our wading pool, parades, carnivals and lots of beautiful sunshine and of course fireworks. We even managed to sneak out and take a trip up to Bear Lake (on the Utah/Idaho/Montana boarder) and have a mini vacation. We have been busy, busy, busy. It has been fun.

And busy. Did I mention that?

I have been trying to grab my camera bag every time we leave the house or venture out to do some kind of activity. My goal for this summer is to try to take more action and bright sun photos. But the catch is to try to make them look professional and not snapshottish.

Snapshottish. That’s not a real word but I’m using it anyway.

One of my goals in starting MomShots was to discuss how I am learning to take more professional photos of my kids. To me, that doesn’t always mean in a studio setting. In fact, not in a studio setting is my favorite way to view my children and other children. I enjoy photos of children that are more natural and free flowing. Don’t get me wrong, I feel that there is a place for studio photos and I do enjoy looking at them and trying to figure out how the light was set up and such. It’s just not my thing right now, but one day I am sure I’ll venture into that area of photography. I do want to. Just not today.

Anyway, summer is busy. Take lots of photos. That’s my shpeal today. My MomShots Tip of the Day, if you will.

I haven’t been very active on here recently. That’s not likely to change for a while. We’re too busy having summertime fun. I love my MomShots readers, but I’m sure you will understand if I say that I love my kids a tad bit more… So I am soaking up every moment I can with them. That may be why it’s 3am and I am writing this… If anyone has any post ideas that they would like to contribute to MomShots, I would love to put them up.

What have you been photographing this summer?
Has your photography moved outside in this nice weather?
Do you have any specific photography related goals that you are currently working on?
Are you working on any fun projects?

I would love to hear from you and find out how you are doing.

Here are a few MomShots from the last few weeks:

Does anyone else read and love the Shutter Sisters’ site? I love their blog. It has great little posts that usually inspire the heck out of me. The blog populates on FaceBook in the middle of the night and so when I wake up to feed the baby I often read their latest posts on my phone.

This morning their post was about finding hidden smiles/faces in random places and it made me think of a certain hidden smile we have knocking around our house.

My kids have a StarWars Storm Trouper mug. It looks like this (sometimes it is actually clean, today not so much):

One day I found it upside down and this is what I saw:

The goofiest looking face. I laugh every time I see it. It never gets old!

What makes you smile? Post it up on the Shutter Sisters post comments. Or here if you’d like too!

My family treats this weekend like Christmas. Growing up, Christmas and July 4th were my two favorite holidays. My parents live on an American Indian reservation in Washington State and so fireworks are extremely plentiful. This day gets so crazy that it is like a war zone, or what I imagine a war zone to be like. Thankfully I haven’t had to experience a real war zone! That’s one of the reasons I celebrate my freedom on this holiday.

We don’t get to go up to visit my family this year. I am quite sad about that. I didn’t realize I would be until this morning. I am going to try to make this weekend one full of fun for my kids anyway. Maybe create a tradition or two.

This is a very good holiday to practice taking photos of your kids. There are usually many community festivities that offer up wonderful photo opportunities; carnivals, parades, fireworks, the vibrant colors of our flag and the many other symbols of the wonderful freedom we enjoy here in the United States of America.

I hope on this holiday weekend that you are safe. I hope you get to enjoy it with the people you love. I also hope that you remember to grab your camera and shoot some photos of those symbols of freedom and your family enjoying them.

Here are a few photos that I have taken over the past few years that fit into that category to me.

Happy 4th of July weekend!!!