{4. Cropping} When you crop a photo, give your subject a space to look into. If they’re facing or staring into a certain direction, give some space on that part of the photo to give the viewer a sense that they are present in the moment. It makes you wonder ‘what are they looking at?’ Don’t place your subject in the dead-center of a photo.

{5. Get sporty} Whether you use a point-and-shoot camera (the kind without changing lenses) or an SLR (the kind with changing lenses), I’ve found the sports mode the best for children. Kids move FAST and so to catch them in action requires a very fast shutter. Also on some cameras, the sports mode allows continuous shooting where you hold down the shutter button and it just snaps shot after shot in succession. Then you can pick the one that caught that perfect moment.

Posted on April 2, 2010

Article by: Cool Photo Ideas

Talk about creative! This unique photo display features 12 framed images that are lined up to form a circle that creates the look of a clock and then 2 large hands are perfectly centered in the middle to create the full affect of a “photo clock”.

For a large space this is a magnificent and creative idea!

To keep a cohesive look all the photos are black and white in black frames with white mats. The frames will all be the same size excluding the 12,3,6 and 9 spots which will be the same frame just in a larger size.

The idea can be carried into any room of course – and as with any photo wall we suggest you lie out the design on the floor first to figure out your circular dimensions which you can then transfer to the actual wall.

Here is the same wall with the inclusion of some wall text of the family’s name and year….there are just so many options for this idea!

To read the full details of this photo wall creation, go to Timely Photo Wall

Posted on March 26, 2010

Today’s first diy project comes from kat geiger of design spunk and green under glass. having “always had a difficulty admiring family photos in general”, kat was longing for a way to showcase her family photos that would “capture the soul” of her family. “plastered smiles, perfect hair, they simply aren’t us” she explained.

For the past several years, kat has been working with mixed media collage, and thought it would be fun to incorporate real people she knew into her work. then it dawned on her- this would be a great way to solve her family photo dilemma. while cleaning out her grandmother’s house, kat found an old thesaurus she used during college and decided to incorporated it into her new ‘family photo’.

Using glue, a paint brush, her old encyclopedia and some household crafting materials, kat created this updated spin on a family photo. i love the final result and think it’s such a fun and clever way to showcase your family photos without falling prey to the “plastered smiles and perfect hair” that sometimes plague traditional portraits.

CLICK HERE for kat’s full project instructions and to create your own modern family photo!

Kat Geiger’s Modern Family Photos
by Kat Geiger of design spunk and green under glass

Materials:

-Wood or canvas of desired size
-white glue
-paint brush
-meaningful up-cycled book
-family photo
-x-acto knife.

Steps:

1. Painstakingly cut each family member from a larger snapshot using x-acto knife and set aside.

2. Tear pages from book.

3. One at a time paint the backs of the pages with glue, adhering them to canvas or wood surface until entire surface is covered.

4.Allow to dry overnight.

5. Next, carefully paint backs of snapshot cut outs with white glue and place on top of book pages where desired.

6. Adding other paper cut-outs and shapes to these projects can be fun too. (Being a fan of negative space, I was inclined to leave the rest of the piece blank.)

Posted on March 20, 2010

Infinity Photography & Design attended our very first WPPI conference down in Vegas a little over a week ago and it was absolutely amazing. We learned so much valuable information for taking our business and portraiture to the next level. We were lucky enough to win a free pass from The [B] School which helped make this experience possible. The [B] School is a great photography forum that Infinity belongs to where we’re able to learn, share, and help other photographers with questions and problems they might have. We recently came across this wonderful post and video about several photographers and businesses that made it possible to share with the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas the wonderful world of photography. Here’s the full post:

Inspiring Kids Through Photography

By Ron Dawson

Think back to that time when you were just a lad (or lass) in elementary school…when that fireman, policeman, astronaut, or some other cool grown-up came to teach you about their job. Remember how inspired you felt? Well, a couple of Saturdays ago, our long-standing client Pictage partnered with Canon USA to give a group of kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was just a couple days before the official start of the 30th WPPI expo and conference and I had the honor to film the event and create a recap video. Some of the top photographers in the country were on hand to teach kids ranging in age from about 8 to 16, how to take photos. The all star team included (in no particular order): Justin & Mary Marantz, Zach & Jody Gray, Mike Colón, Ray Santana, Kenny Kim, Will Jacks, René Tate, Shawn Reeder, Mike Larson, Chelsea Nicole, and Matt & Stevi Savage. Behind the scenes documentary photos taken by Joe Buissink and Monty Jessop.

The day started with Pictage CEO Jim Collins addressing the crowd of about 80 kids. Then it was pizza time and mingling with the photogs. Next was about a 30-40 minute classroom session where the photographers gave primers on composition, lighting, and use of the equipment. Then all the groups headed over to a preserve for a photo scavenger hunt. The festivities ended with all the kids getting certificates.

The video I shot that saturday was finished by sunday and showed at the WPPI awards ceremoy Wednesday night, March 10. About 40 of the kids from the event were on hand to watch themselves on the big screens, then get a standing ovation from the crowd of photographers. As the kids marched out of the ballroom to go back home (it was a school night after all), they were greeted by high-fives and congratulations. How cool an experience must that have been for these kids, many of whom are underprivileged.

This was an amazing and fulfilling project to be a part of. As my company Dare Dreamer Media turns its primary focus to highlighting worthy causes, this is just the kind of work that is right up my alley.

How can you inspire a child today?

Pictage brought out some of the top photographers in the country to teach kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas about photography. Co-sponsored by Canon USA.

Other inspiring videos located at http://inspire.pictage.com.

Directed & edited by Ron Dawson
http://daredreamer.net
Shot with Canon EOS 7D & DP Slider

Photographers involved:
Mike Colón
Zach & Jody Gray
Will Jacks
Kenny Kim
Mike Larson
Justin & Mary Marantz
Chelsea Nicole
Shawn Reeder
Ray Santana
Matt & Stevi Savage
René Tate

Event documentary photographers:
Joe Buissink
Monty Jessop

Posted on January 31, 2010

From POTTERY BARN

Bring cherished photos out of albums and onto the walls where you can appreciate them every day. Our tips and complete wall templates let you turn a series of photos into a gallery–quality display.

Choose from our free downloadable wall templates, complete with exact frame measurements and spacing recommendations. Then print the template you like best and select frames based on that layout.

Read on for tips and ideas on creating successful photo displays. For dozens more, see our style recipe book Pottery Barn Photos.

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Draw the eye to a home gallery and unify a diverse group of objects by using a strong wall color like deep red, and accenting with decorative objects in a limited palette. To begin, hang a series of shelves and ledges. Once you’ve created that framework, assemble a mix of photos, artwork and other collectibles in two or three warm tones that complement the backdrop. Here, overlapping photos in assorted frames mingle with buff–colored book covers, walnut boxes, and found objects in shades of deep red. The result is a display that feels personal — and looks pulled together.

COLORFUL ACCENT GALLERY

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FAMILY GALLERY

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PERSONAL GALLERY

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FAMILY VACATION DISPLAY

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GALLERY SERIES

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