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Smile!

I think it is pretty amazing that so many of you awesome bloggers are not only gifted with the words you write, you are also gifted with taking pictures. It amazes me how so many of you are fabulous photographers!

I have a great Sony digital camera and I know if I took the time to learn how to propery use it, I, too, could take some 'professional' looking pictures. Although I'm not unhappy with any pictures I take of my children, it would be so cool to take pictures with blurry backgrounds, you know?

I consider MckMama to be an amazing photographer - I'm sure you all know her, as she is quite the popular blogger! She has dedicated an entire post about how to take blurry backgrounds in pictures. I just don't know if I'll ever learn!

Luckily for me, my sister's husband has one of those awesome Nikon (or Canon?) cameras with a huge lens. This is his camera for the next few months, because he's on a photography course for his job - he's a police officer, and he needs to learn how to take pictures of, I guess, crime scenes. But on the weekends? My sister and I are totally going to be play with this camera!

Here is a recent picture my sister took of my baby boy, Dimitry.



Isn't he cute? This was her first time using this camera, and the first time she made a blurry background. With zero experience, I'd say not bad, right? I'm thinking I should ask for one of these cameras for my birthday -what do you think? Worth it? They are pretty pricey. It's either new camera or new purse. But I think I have enough purses, right? Camera, then? With an awesome lens? So I can learn to take more amazing pictures of my lovely boys, who are the subjects I am most proud of and love more then anything else on earth?

If you're a photographer (I know so many of you are!) what are your tricks to taking great pictures? Is Photoshop something I should consider learning, too?

Comments

Shannon (AnchorMommy) said…
I use a Sony H10 (it's a Cybershot). I like it because it looks like a real camera -- not a little point & shoot -- but it has all the convenient point & shoot features and settings. There's a sports mode for fast action (and fast kids!) and there's even a blurry background option! You can also set it to manual and play with the F-stops and aperture. I think the camera generally retails for about $280 (in the states). Good luck with your search!
Kelly said…
I wish i was a better photographer too. I`ve read some tips online and am trying to get less `look at the camera and smile` pictures and more in the moment photos. I am also trying to take pictures from different angles.

I read MckMama`s post too and I might try playing around with the focus on my camera. I wish I had a really nice camera but I wouldn`t really know how to use it.
Kelly said…
I found this website on tips for taking great pictures of kids

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=92&pq-locale=en_CA&_requestid=8726
BeachMama said…
Shannon's camera sounds fantastic. The whole bigger camera is all up to you. It is great to want a DSLR with interchangeable lenses, but if you aren't going to take it off of AUTO or actually change your lens, then you might want to go with a more advanced point and shoot like the Sony H10, Canon has one, Nikon has one, there are plenty available to you.

If you do want a DSLR, then I would recommend the Nikon D40/D60 or D90. They are available for great prices right now and usually come with a pretty good kit lens. The D40/60 are very similar with only a few differences. The D90 has the added bonus of an onboard HD video camera.

Blurry backgrounds are all about using a slower aperature so you are focused on your subject and everything in the back gets blurred away.

Again it is totally up to you and what you are willing to carry around with you.

As for Photoshop, it is a great tool, but you can get lost for hours on a single photo if you tend to be a perfectionist. I say get the picture as best you can with your camera and avoid touching up after.

Be sure to let us know what wins, camera or purse!
Mandy said…
Photoshop can be daunting without taking a course in it. You can get much easier photo editors online or on your computer. I'm happy to send you some suggestions.

For kids, I always shoot a low depth of field (so 2.8 up to 4.5 aperture), and the lower you can keep your ISO (say 200 to 400), the better.

Natural light is always better than flash. If you do a lot of flash, invest in a camera mount one and learn how to bounce the light.

I love photography, but never have the time to truly play with it anymore.

Good luck on your adventure!
Amy said…
I have been shopping a DSLR Canon that Burgh Baby recommended to me. I have it in my shopping cart at Amazon actually while I think.

I'm like you - new camera or new Louboutins? Ah, how I love shoes.

But before you buy Photoshop go and experiment with www.picnik.com. It's a free online photoshop-like web site and it is integrated with flickr. If you use flickr you can click "edit in picnik" on each photo and it will automatically take you into picnik for editing. Picnik is awesome and you won't need a class!
Stephanie said…
Hubby bought me a Cannon Rebel XSi for Christmas and a great big fancy lens. I am in no way a professional photographer but I love love the results I get with this camera. It has a number of auto modes plus the option to switch into manual settings once you get more comfortable with the camera.
Again, I'm no professional, but for me it's the perfect camera.
A Crafty Mom said…
I am NOT a photographer and rarely have time to edit my photos, but I do own photoshop and know how to use it a little bit b/c I used it before for a previous job. We have the Nikon D60 and I love it b/c even an idiot can take really great pictures :)
Kamis Khlopchyk said…
I have a Canon Rebel, which is DSLR. A little more than a point and shoot but it still has the point and shoot capabilities. I am still learning....and have miles to go.

Maybe this summer, when we have natural light to work with!
Lady Mama said…
A DSLR might be the way to go... I'm considering a Nikon d90. I think they retail at around $1,300 - so pretty pricey, but they take amazing shots.

Love the shot of your son - so cute!
Oh Miss Loulou, what a great job she did, and on her first attempt? Wowza! He looks too cute!

And BTW, the Kindergarten anxiety post almost made me misty-eyed, it was too sweet. (Us? We'd do the Teacher's Helper & completely suffocate the child just to alleviate our own anxiety - hah! This of course is but one of the zillions of reasons we don't have any of our own!)

Hugs,
tp
Anonymous said…
Those brown eyes are going to cause trouble one day! He is gorgeous!
CaraBee said…
I got a Canon Rebel Xs SLR for Christmas and I LOVE it. I have a lot to learn yet, though, so I'm taking a class this summer to figure it out. Photoshop is a must! If not the full package, then at least Elements. I took a class in it a local college a couple of years ago and am so happy I did because there is so much you can do with it.
Loukia said…
See, most of you have such amazing cameras! Thanks, all for your suggestions/comments and opinions on this! I'm totally craving a new camera...
Jenn B said…
I have a Nikon D50, and as A Crafty Mom said, they are about idiot proof. That said, I still want to take a class in photoshop. You can download paint.net for free, which is similar to photoshop, but still confusing.

Keep playing with your camera!
Jessica said…
I use my iPhone - I like the constraints of only a flat shot (no zooming). I have to get creative: get low, get high, lay on my side, consider lighting).

It's got its drawbacks, for sure, but all you gotta remember when you take a picture is to balance it either with space, light or color. Then you can never take a bad picture!
tiarastantrums said…
you must buy a REALLY good camera!!
I've received a Nikon Digital SLR camera for Christmas and just followed tutorial online to learn how to use it. I found Ree's photography section of her blog to be an incredible help..it's written for the average person (not a photographer to understand). Have a look if you like...
www.thepioneerwoman.com