May
27
When is the best time to take newborn photos? Well, as a photographer, I would answer within the first two weeks. Why? Newborns under two weeks old tend to be very sleepy and easy-going. If they are fed and warm, babies don’t mind that they are not being held during the photo session. They also don’t mind being held by siblings. As newborns get older, they start to mind these things! They want to be held at all times- and preferably by an adult, thankyouverymuch. Another reason that babies are best photographed within the first two weeks is they look more like newborns. They curl up with their legs tucked under and their tiny little hands like to be up by their face. As newborns get older, they stretch out and don’t like being confined so much.
But, sometimes, for whatever the reason, newborns can’t be photographed within the first 2 weeks. And that’s totally okay. Of course newborns can be photographed at 4 weeks, 6 weeks even 8 weeks. I might have to work a little harder to get the baby to sleep, or into a curled up pose, but oh-is-it-worth-it. Older newborns have filled out a little more, so they have chubbier cheeks and baby rolls. Adorable!
This sweet little newborn is the daughter of a client and friend. She was 4 weeks old at the time. For other ‘older’ newborns, see Baby Michael’s newborn photos at the end of this post. Also Baby Coco’s newborn photos with her big sister.
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.
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.
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!
May
14
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.
//photography by Kristin Eldridge in Long Beach
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
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!
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*
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
I hope this week is off to a good start for everyone! Happy Hump Day!
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!
Loving this sweet little guy!
//child photos from a recent Long Beach photo session
