Long Beach Baby Child Family Photographer

22May

How to Get Eyes that Pop in a Photo //Photoshop Tips and Tricks

Today, I wanted to share a photoshop tip with you that I learned years ago.  People sometimes comment about the way the eyes pop in my photos.  So, I’d like to share how to get eyes that ‘pop in a photo.’  But, first, I want to start off by saying a few things…

A.  I’m not a photoshop guru.  My philosophy in editing is that there’s more than one way to skin a cat.  I am self-taught, so just because I do it this way, doesn’t mean it’s the RIGHT way.

B.  There’s no substitute for good light.  You want to light your subject’s face with clean indirect light.  If it looks great to start, it’ll look amazing with a few tweaks.  But, you never want to try to ‘fix’ a photo.

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Here’s the secret…the dodge tool.  The tool can be found in your tool palette and it looks like a lollipop!  At the top of your toolbar, select the midtones in the range option and set the opacity to 30%.  I dodge once or twice right in the middle of the eye.  Don’t over-do it, you can get an ‘alien look’ very quickly.  Play around with the settings for different eye colors.

 

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17May

Summer Mini-Sessions at Rascals to Rebels

Are you starting to feel summer creep up on us?  It’s around the corner!  And so are the summer mini-sessions at Rascals To Rebels!  I’ll be at the store June 1, from 10am to noon and June 2 from 1pm to 3pm.  Spend $50 at the store to get a complimentary 15 minute session on either of those dates.  The store is filled with cute summer clothes that will look perfect on this backdrop!

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14May

Wood Plank Wall DIY

We recently completed a project in our bedroom (a diy wood plank wall) that has me dragging every stranger and friend into our house to show it off!  The inspiration came from the walls that are inside the OC Mart Mix.  We know our limits…so we knew we’d need some help on this project.  We enlisted our contractor to help us with the final installation, but the leg work started with us.

First off, we headed to Lowes to purchase pine.  Lots and lots of 1×4 pine boards.  After hauling all that wood home, we started distressing.  I’m talking everything from kitchen utensils to an ax.  Brent set up a little work station for us in the backyard and we lined up all the wood for staining.  This process took quite a bit of time and about 5 cans of stain.  I mixed some of the colors and tried to apply them un-evenly so they would have a worn look.

Here’s where the contractor comes in…he and Brent cut the boards into various sizes and then he nailed them to the wall with a nail gun.  He used some spacers so that some of the pieces would be lifted and create a less-than-perfect look, which is what we were going for.

We also decided to have him wire some sconces on each side.  I went with this sconce from Lowe’s and left off the light shade for a more industrial look.  Later, we installed wire baskets to the wall for night stands.  I ended up changing out my pillows to these kilim ones and made the graphic black and white pillow for contrast.  Oh and the black and white photos are a mix of old photos and instagram photos attached with washi tape.

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//photography by Kristin Eldridge in Long Beach

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13May

The Best Photo Spots in Long Beach // Child Photographer Los Angeles County

 

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Pssst.  Can I let you in on a little secret?  I love scouting for photo shoot locations/the best spots in Long Beach.  I’ll be driving around pretty much anywhere in Los Angeles, see something awesome, and slam on the brakes (slash) quickly pull over to document the details.

This park in Long Beach (technically it’s Lakewood) has been a favorite for awhile.  And in the past, I’ve been a little secretive about my locations because I work really hard to find some of them.  But, honestly, I’m not the child photographer that keeps going back to the same spot over and over.  I get bored.  I like to switch things up!  So, while I’ll still hold some locations as ‘new’ for my clients (because I believe that’s part of why you hire me), I wanted to start sharing a few spots that I think would be fun for those of you that are looking for new photo shoot locations.

Monte Verde Park

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09May

A Litttle Exploration // Orange County Child Photography

A month or so ago, I got to go exploring with a friend.  It’s these moments that help me stay refreshed and focused on what I love to do.  Photographing children and babies in the same locations in Long Beach is great, but I love to change things up every now and then!  That’s why it’s fun to scout new locations for my clients and come up with fun ideas for future photo sessions!

If you’re in Los Angeles or Orange County, consider booking a photo session this spring or summer.  It’s my favorite time to shoot in Southern California…everything is green and the weather is perfect!

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08May

Moms Getting in the Picture // And What We Were Up to Last Week

Today I’m over on Modern Parents Messy Kids talking about moms getting into the picture.  This definitely isn’t a new topic, but it’s worth re-visiting.  I share a few tips that have helped me get out from behind the camera.  And trust me, as a photographer…that’s where I’m most comfortable!  But, I want to enjoy life with my family and have some photos to prove it!

Here’s the link to the Modern Parents Messy Kids post.  I hope you’ll check it out!

In other news…last week was eventful!!  We have a new family member.  Her name is Pippa.  This was the kids’ reaction when she came.  *camera blurrrrr*

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The other night I got home from a photo session and Brent was leaving to hang out with friends.  The kids and I decided to go out for a burger and shakes!  We took a moment for a selfie with the CameraTimer app on my iPhone.

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The other day we were at the dentist office and Cooper brought me a magazine and pointed out a recipe he thought we should try.  It’s not often that my 10 year makes recipe suggestions, so we made it last weekend.  It was delicious!  I tweaked the recipe a little and of course photographed it before we devoured it, so I’ll be sharing it soon on the blog.

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On Sunday we were at the Galaxy game and they were kind enough to let the kids be in the high-five line before the game!

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Brent and I waiting to see them down on the field.  Oh and I really like Brent in his glasses, so I made this my new FB profile pic.

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Annnd I worked a lot too.  I’m shooting a catalog for Little Skye right now. (yay!)  My friend Laura took this behind the scenes shot for me.

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I hope this week is off to a good start for everyone!  Happy Hump Day!

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07May

Oilily Children’s Clothing Commercial Photo Shoot

One of the fun perks of my job is getting to do commercial photography.  That means playing dress up with cute models at a fun location.  This time we were in Long Beach, photographing against a stone wall with chalk art.  The photos are for Oilily (a children’s clothing company)…go check out their website!

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01May

Dip Dyed Tote [DIY]

I saw this tutorial for Dip Dyed Easter Totes on the Small Fry Blog.  It’s such a cute idea, so I wanted to steal it for myself!

 

I got to thinking that leather straps would be so cute, so I picked up an old leather belt for $3 at the flea market.  Just cut off the buckle and then cut the whole thing in half.  Make sure you get a belt that is both long enough and wide enough.  The whole for the belt buckle bothered me, so I trimmed it down a little so they wouldn’t show.

Next I picked up a $5 canvas bag at Joann’s Fabric in white.  It was a little too stark white for my taste, so I soaked it in tea bags for an hour, so the color was slightly off white.

Next I filled the sink with hot water and some magenta RIT dye.  I did a quick dunk about 3/4 of the way up, then I started dipping it for longer and longer as I got toward the bottom.  The whole process takes about 5 minutes and there’s really no ‘right’ way to do it.  After I was done, I gave the canvas a quick rinse and hung it to dry.

I cut off the top part of the bag and made a new hem to attach the leather handles.

The leather isn’t too thick, so I was able to sew it on to the bag with a denim needle.  It’s attached by two seams and it’s holding up just fine!

I’m ready for spring with my new dip dyed tote!

I’ve attached a pom-pom for a little fun, but how cute would this be with a patterned silk scarf tied at the top?!

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29Apr

Mother’s Day Photo Session Promotion

Hey there mamas!  Mother’s Day is around the corner.  It’s the perfect time to update some photos with your kids.  This kind of present is much better than flowers or perfume!  Or think ahead and gift these photos to your guy for father’s day.

Here are the details…$100 for a 20 minute photo session, plus special digital pricing (email for details)

Sunday May 5  //  5:40, 6:00, 6:20, 6:40pm
Monday May 6  //  9:00, 9:20, 9:40, 10:00am

Location:  Sunday at a local park in Huntington Beach, Monday at El Dorado in Long Beach

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© 2013 Kristin Eldridge | Long Beach Baby Child Family Photographer