I am really excited to announce that our new Tip of the Week section is up and our first great tip is there for your viewing and post-processing pleasure! This week Tye tells us how to convert a color photograph into a black and white using both Photoshop Elements (Version 4.0 and higher) and Photoshop CS3.
The example photo is of my 3 year old son Garland cheesing it up in a great big wink.
Or at least blackmail worthy photos of your children when they are young.
Think to yourself, “Self, is this a photo my son/daughter/niece/nephew would like me to show to a future girlfriend/boyfriend?” If your answer is a resounding “NO”, than you really should take the photo. You should take the photo and save it. One day you will be sitting on a couch going through an old family photo album showing the new young couple photos from your child’s youth. You will find the picture of them in an awkward position and they will get embarassed. It will all be worth it! Or if you’re horrible like me, your kids will find photos of themselves peeing in the backyard on their mom’s website…
Even if embarrassment is not an issue, it sure is fun to have photos that remind you of the innocence and wonder from childhood. These kinds of momshots will surely remind you of that precious time.
Officially it’s Summer! June 21st brought warm weather in my neighborhood. My oldest son walks outside and proclaims, “It’s just a beautiful day, Mom!” With that proclamation I am reminded of all the possibilities that Summer brings and those possibilities mean many opportunities for great Momshots.
Summer has barely begun and we have already been to two parades and two carnivals. Daily we have been playing in the sprinkler and little wading pool, we have been to the park numerous times and spent much time riding bikes and practicing riding the scooter. We have had a few picnics, campfires, s’mores and even an attempted camping trip. I feel like this Summer is a good one and it has just barely started! Bring on more fun!
These adventures have brought on many Momshot opportunities. They have given me many chances to think about composition, lighting, focal points, capturing action and trying to photograph these fun moments in a way that I find visually interesting.
My Momshot Tip is to take these fun Summer adventures and try to visualize photographs that capture the atmosphere and emotions of the subjects. Try to think about the whole picture and not just your kids’ cute smiling faces. Most importantly, take your camera with you everywhere. Then be sure to take it out of the camera bag and use it.
My philosophy is that if I take enough shots, I’m bound to have one or two good ones!
