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Lola Lola Mi Mola

PHOTOGRAPHY· Uncategorized

Lola is basically the Angelina Jolie of Will’s baby friends.  Seriously…check out those lips.  Like twin sized pillow-topped mattresses!

I feel for her father…I really do.  Basically this little beauty is destined to have boys chasing her her entire life.  Jeff will probably be cleaning that shotgun around the clock.

Jeff is Lola’s dear old dad – and long time BFF to Jeremy.  They go way back.  Like one time they bleached their hair together….that far back.   Stop laughing – lemon juice highlights were hot.  for like a minute.

All that to say – let’s have a chat about the grand subject of photography today.  Lola – aka our baby model – will demonstrate to us normal non-walking baby activity…while I tell you some tips on how to capture said-non-walking-baby in action.

Tip #1 – Capture some details. 

I love baby clothing.  I love the accessories.  Especially the girl stuff.  I could seriously drop a cool grand in Baby Gap for girl’s clothing and I DON’T HAVE A GIRL.  It’s a problem – I’m getting help.  But the point is – baby clothing, although miniature in size and unavailable in a women’s size 8, has great details and texture and COLOR!  Capture some of your fav little person’s clothing or accessories to compliment the big picture shots.  (Having detail shots is great when you are making scrapbooks or online photo books!)  

Tip #2 – Don’t Put a Gargantuan Flower on Your Tiny Babies Head

Seriously guys…seriously.  That fake flower not only looks ridiculously fake but it is so huge, it eats babies for breakfast.  Switch it out for something a little less Land of the Lost.  Accessories – especially girl ones should compliment your kid – not swallow the kid’s head whole.  There are few exceptions to this rule…but in general, get majority of your pictures minus the hair-bow-on-steriods.

Tip #3 – Switch Sides

This may sound like a duh-tip…but it is amazing how sometimes you need a photo of the baby facing the other direction for your gallery wall and you don’t have it.  Plus – some tots actually have different looks when you shoot them on a different side – take this cute one for example:

And then I switched sides.  Not only did her hairline change for the photo but since I had to move my body, I raised up a little bit and got a fun new downward angle vs being straight across on her level.  It’s amazing how changing you can can change them!

Tip #4 – Don’t be afraid of the crop.

I usually don’t crop – I take the photos the way I want them (at least I try to).  But sometimes I have a great photo of a babies eyes or lips or feet or whatever – and I can bring more attention to that item by cropping.  Try it sometime.  It can take a so-so photo and make it great for rounding out the package of photos. 

Tip #5 – Feature the Features

If tip numero uno was capture the details of what they are wearing – this tip is about capturing the details of WHO THEY ARE.  Eyelashes, leg rolls, the way the baby sticks out their tongue or scrunches up their nose – this is what you are shooting for.  Everybody loves the sweet smiling shot with the perfect lighting – but the the personality shots are what you will want to remember.

Tip #6 – Up, Up and Away

I get emails all the time on how to get those big sparkly eyes.  It’s simple really – have the light source to your back and get their attention up above your head and away – like with a ball thrown up over your head or have mom & dad dance behind you.  Now is the time for parents to get their aerobic exercise in.   

Tip #7 – Let the child be a child

Demanding that children be perfect during a photography session is obsurd.  It’s like demanding a turtle to come out of his shell.  It’s just not gonna happen.  So bring out the balls and the candies and let them get a smidge of dirt on their clothes…cause when it’s all said and done – perfect photos are overrated.  Take this one for example – it makes me laugh because it looks like Lola is at a concert.  Cheering on Bon Jovi…or in her case, The Wiggles.

So there you have it – seven more tips that can help you mommas capture your little people! 

And special thanks to my little model – Lola.  I can’t get enough of that little sweet muffin.  And apparently neither can Will….

IF YOUR NAME IS CLARA PETERSIK – AVERT YOUR EYES! 

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  3. Just like you, I have NO IDEA what babysitters should be paid or are supposed to do…lol. I’ve never left my son with one (he’s almost 19 months, eek!). Don’t the 16 year olds look so little?! Scary that they can watch a baby!! My hubs and I have tried to have date night once a month since about January and so far so good. Usually, it’s going out to eat so we can eat an entire meal from start to finish w/o crazy baby, and then whatever (aka – shopping for the babe) or just going to the park or Target, super fun. We are going overnight for 1 night at the end of this month for our anniversary….i’m so excited to have 3 or 4 consecutive meals peacefully!

  5. Just a note to tell you I started following your blog through YHL and seriously, I am cracking up at your writing style and sense of humor. Totally up my cheesy alley… and I mean that in the nicest way possible!

  7. What a pretty little girl! Thanks for the tips. You do such a great job at capturing personalities. I could look at your pics all day. Hopefully Clara will forgive Will. 😉

  8. Wonderful pictures and great tips!! I gotta disagree with you on the huge flower on the baby girls head though!! Could not be cuter, and when you have a sweet baby girl I’m bettin’ there will be some rather large bow or flower placed upon her tiny head and you will think nothing is sweeter in the whole world than babies with flowers on their heads!! P.S. I stayed up waaay too late the other night catching up on your blog… I haven’t been reading as many blogs as often, but yours I love! You are hilarious and real and I just want to say keep doing what you’re doing!!

  9. LOVE how Will has a thing for younger women!

    Question- my DSLR is sooo slow. It takes like 3-4 seconds after I push the button to actually snap the picture. My baby is long gone by then… Any suggestions?

  10. Thanks Katie for some great tips! I have loved your blog for a while now, and it inspired me to get into photography. Last week I bought a Canon 60D – what a coincidence that this week you posted some tips. Can’t wait to try them out! You can bet I pinned this on Pinterest already.

  12. I totally agree with you on the gigantic bow thing. I hate them (and I have a daughter)! Your photos are great. Posed photos certainly have their place but I melt for “real” photos of my kids. I would much rather remember a sweet moment than the cajoling to get a certain look when I look back over pasta photos.

  13. What stunning pictures! Thanks for the tips. I have a new DSLR camera, and I am still working on figuring out all the bangs and whistles. Since Kate is walking now, I would love advice on how to capture a walker. She moves pretty quick!

  14. I couldn’t agree with you more about the huge flower on a baby girl’s head…I have a co-worker who has pictures of his daughter with these humungous (sp.) flowers on her head. He said to blame his wife :).

    I absolutely love your blog! I like the variety of the content. You really let us into your life. Thanks for that!

  15. Have to say I agree with you 100% on the gigantic hair flower. I feel like in 10 years people will be asking why they did that to their poor child.

    And shame shame, Will. 🙂

  16. Completely agree with you on the big bows. I hate seeing them on a baby’s head, they don’t look comfortable at all.

  17. Ugh, I can see it now. Clara’s first sentence is going to be “What she did was uncool.” And next thing we know, Will and baby Angelina are going to have their first little adopted webkin from Cambodia. Babies having babies. ::shakes head:: 😉

  18. Hold the trigger half way down – in most manuals it will explain if your camera will keep the focus or lose it if you try this technique but in a lot of cases, you can maintain focus on those pretty eyes until it’s time to fully click!
    xo – kb

  20. I think I can hear Clara’s heartbreaking all the way from Virginia…

    Those are great tips! And you’re right — baby girl clothes are adorable. I wish they made some of them in my size.

  21. I recently purchased a Canon Rebel camera and am LOVING playing around with it! Thank you so much for the photo tips!

    Lori
    http://www.wom-mom.com

    PS: I currently have a boy and am considering another baby soon! IT BETTER BE A GIRL! (My husband knows this too). I ADORE EVERYTHING GIRL TOO! Boys are fun, but girls are necessary too!

  24. Oh man, thank you for finally being the voice of reason when it comes to those giant bows. I just don’t get it.

    She’s an incredibly beautiful baby and you got some amazing photos! 🙂

  25. poor clara!!!! lola is a beauty, but i still want will and clara to live happily ever after!

  26. Thank you for addressing the gargantuan hair bows/flowers. Why is this such a hot trend? Is it because the 80’s are making a comeback? We call them Lady Gaga bows or Madonna flowers around here because these are the only two people on this earth that should be wearing something that huge on their head.

    Beautiful pics, yet again! Thanks for the tips. Keem’em coming!

  27. Can I just say THANK YOU for finally saying out loud that the ginormous flowers are not cute?! My first baby was a girl and I NEVER put one of those in her hair . . . or lack thereof. I just do not get it. At all.

  30. OMG, the giant hairbows/flowers. Hate them. SO much. I’m sorry, flower-lovin’ moms, but they ARE. NOT. CUTE.

  32. HA! #2 made me laugh. What is up with the big flowers?!?!?! seriously. You hit it spot on 🙂 Thanks for saying something-maybe people-or get a clue 😉

  33. Great photography tips, Katie! And count me in with the “no huge bow” camp. I’m all for a cute flower on a headband (I do make them after all :-P), but some of those monstrosities completely hide the pretty little girls they’re on.

  34. Haha! I love that you told Clara to cover her eyes. I follow you and YHL daily, so I’m all for Will and Clara.

  35. Seeing your baby photo shoot pictues makes me super excited to see what our little love trophy will look like in 6 months!

    And, the giant flower thing is such a fad. When these poor kids look back at their baby pictures, they’re gonna feel like all the brides of the 80s & 90s with those GIANT poofy shouldered dresses and mega headband/veils. It’s not gonna be cute in 15 years!

  37. Katie – I wanted to high five you when I read that you suggested to SAY NO!! to the hair bow on steroids!! It’s sooooooooo true, those things are terrifying!! Great tips, thank you for sharing!

  38. I have to disagree on the huge flowers. It makes them look so cute. I love capturing my baby girl in one, because it makes her look so girly. The only problem is that the second I put the headband on it comes off. LOL

  39. Have to agree. I posted my own comment without reading the comments first. I love love the big flowers on their head!!! Looks so cute!!!

  40. What beautiful pictures. Clara is going to be jealous! I have a little Lola myself, well not so little anymore. She is 5 and starting Kindergarten in September, my baby is starting Kindergarten. Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday that she was a baby crawling around.
    I have to totally agree with you on the huge bows or flowers on the top of a baby’s head. They look ridiculous, like they are attacking them.
    I may have missed it but what kind of camera do you have. I am starting to save up for one. I have been leaning towards a Cannon Rebel but my brother just got a great Nikon that I played with on our family vacation. I can’t believe the difference in the pictures between his and mine.

  41. Thank you so much for your public denouncement of the flower bows the size of mountain ranges. I thought I was the only one thinking they were kinda silly looking!

  42. I hope Clara forgives will for this! If Lola is the Angelina Jolie of babies, does that make Clara Jennifer Aniston? I found your blog through YHL and really enjoy reading it! Thanks!

  43. I’m a 19 ear old babysitter with tons of experience with several families, several arrangements (daily in the morning, weekly for an afternoon, 24/7 for two months) — but always the same age. 9 to 24 month olds. I love them, and I’m now pretty good with them. Yet it’s almost impossioble to find anyone to hire me, simply because I’ve not got a diploma in childcare.

    I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I cant stand parent who’re obsessively protectice of their children – not saying that you are! – but I’ve had experience with people like that and it’s just not necessary. Being a parent is the best and hardest job in the world – but that doesn’t mean that babysitting is. Because, honestly, changing a diaper, heating up the bottle, and helping baby to sleep isn’t very complicated for someone who’s willing to keep their eyes and heart open. I loved all the children I cared for, and they loved and trusted me too. I was actually far more worried abotu keeping my eyes on them at all times than the parents sometimes, because a parent knows their child so intimately. A babysitter will appreciate how precious a young child is and will take good care.

    Perhaps you could stay in the house for a test run the first two or three times when a babysitter is there. Show them how to change the diaper, how to make the food/bottle and then just sit in the other room blogging or something so if the babysitter is unsure they can come in and ask you. After that you’re good to go! I hope you find someone you can trust with Will because he’s a darling 🙂

    As a note, I charge £7 an hour… that’s like… $10? That’s pretty normal for babysitter rates here.

    All the best! xxx

  44. I hate HUGE flowers, but I do like smaller ones sometimes. I also only like ones with thicker bands because they are more comfy 🙂

  45. Will is so big now! I know we kep playing phone tag; lunch soon is a must! I hear you on the babysitting front. Babysitters are rolling in it these days! We have two on speed dial; they both charge $15/hour with a 3 hour minimum. Not {too} bad for an evening out + a break for mental health, but it definitely adds up! My guilt is lessened by the fact that they are both CPR certified + one even has her degree in Early Childhood Education + a long stint as a Goddard School instructor… but it’s still hard to leave H on date nights.

  46. THAT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BABY I HAVE EVER SEEN! LOVE THE LIPS, EYES, EVERYTHING. ADORABLE! NO WONDER WILL IS IN LOVE. HE’S PRETTY CUTE HIMSELF!

  48. Thank you for another great photography post! The gigantic flower thing had me cracking up. I see those pictures and think “oh theres a picture of a gigantic flower headband…wait? is there a small child under that thing?” I have a four month old girl…but just dont get the headband thing. If I had a boy baby I wouldnt put a matchbox car on his head….? To each their own though! Thanks for making me laugh.

  50. Thank goodness somebody finally said it out loud (so to speak)- those ginormous flower-head pictures look ridiculous! I knew I didn’t like it, but figured I missed a memo somewhere about what you’re supposed to do the moment you give birth to a baby girl. Thanks for always keeping it real, KB! 🙂

  51. Me too! I am a sucker for a big ol’ bow or flower. I love all of the other tips, though. 🙂

  52. Love the pictures! So beautiful. I’m also in love with her shirt…you don’t know where it is from do you?

  53. Thank you for sharing all of these great tips! Your photos are always gorgeous. You have a great eye for capturing all of these great moments 🙂

  55. What great info. I love learning any little tidbit about photography! Cute, cute shots.

  56. FINALLY – I was starting to think I was the only woman in the world who thought the gigantic flower headbands are RIDICULOUS. Today in the mother’s room at church Elliot was the only girl (out of 4) without one …

  58. I am sad to see that there are so many women who hate the giant flower headband. I love love love it! I realize that it is a trend and that she may look back at the photos and hate them but that is the beauty of the few precious years that we have of being in control of their look! Anyway, now I am wondering how many girls are lying to me when they tell me that they love those photos…

  59. Great photo tips! I actually used them this weekend while by boys were having a great time sliding down the slip-n-slide! I was proud of how much better my photos looked then my husband’s! Depending on the babysitter, teenage neighborhood girl-vs-teacher from the daycare center, $7-10/hour.

  60. Great photo tips! I actually used them this weekend while my boys were having a great time sliding down the slip-n-slide! I was proud of how much better my photos looked then my husband’s! Depending on the babysitter, teenage neighborhood girl-vs-teacher from the daycare center, $7-10/hour.

  61. I think that Will is just into Lola right now because she has hair and pretty Clara is still trying to grow hers! He will come back to his senses soon enough 😉

  62. Remember Jill – it looks different in person than it does in a photo…soo your little gal might look a-ok in real life but photos capture things differently. I’m just glad to hear that there are so many folks on both sides of this thing – I love me a good debate 🙂
    xo – kb

  63. MY EYES!!!!!! AAAAAAAGH MY EYES!! And I thought your baby’s saggy diapey pix were darling. It’s wrong to eat babies right?? But I swear that little girl is not really a baby but is really a sweet little confection or plum bun of some sort.

    Oh you can add me to the NO BOWS. No bows ladies. Please no bows.

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