Tag:

photography

Capture Precious Memories with Lightroom

by Deborah Cruz 2015/10/31

Disclaimer: I’ve been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received Lightroom for free.

Since having my children, the quality of photos I take has taken on a greater importance. A photo is no longer just a snapshot; it is a memory of a moment of my child’s life. Everyone knows that when you are a parent, childhood is fleeting and every second together counts.

During my childhood, I remember my father taking loads of photos and video. This is probably why it is so important to me to do the same. I love looing back of old photos of my childhood. It jogs memories and brings on the warm and fuzzies almost always. However, the photos are not of the highest quality.

There are a lot of snapshots from my toddler years where I look like a flicker of light or as a teen where the shadows are wreaking havoc on the photo making it almost unrecognizable. This is why I am so excited about the software available for photos these days.

I am finally at a point in my life where I own a high quality DSLR and I’ve had enough experience to know what components make a fantastic photo. However, even after a decade of shooting almost daily, I still need to tweak and adjust after shooting. This is why I was thrilled when I got the chance to use Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan.

It’s a 1-year subscription (encompassing Photoshop Creative Cloud and Lightroom Creative Cloud). This software plan is all about enhanced photo editing and convenience with the multi-screen capabilities provided by the Cloud. It allows me to take my best shots and make them even better.

The Creative Cloud Photography plan is all about enhanced photo editing and convenience with the multi-screen capabilities provided by the Cloud ($119.99 regular retail for a 1-year subscription). It allows active photographers who want to be able to create and access their vision on any device, to do so anywhere.
It allows me to perfect my photography from everyday edits to total transformations, the Creative Cloud plan lets you retouch and manipulate images in just about any way you can imagine.
It allows me to organize, edit and share images from anywhere, on my computer, on the web, on my iPad and even on my iPhone or Android device. And when you make an editor flag a favorite in one place, it’s automatically updated everywhere else through Adobe CreativeSync technology.
Lightroom creative cloud is my favorite new software to use to edit the photos of the moments that mean the most in my life; the photos of my family. I want these memories to be as vivid in frames on my wall as they are in my mind.

What’s your favorite Lightroom feature?

2015/10/31 0 comment

Tech

What Every Tech Savvy Adventurer Will Want this Holiday Season

by Deborah Cruz 2014/10/14

written by Deborah Cruz

Can you believe it’s already almost Halloween? This weekend, we’re doing the city’s zombie walk at the girl’s request (because we are the coolest parents ever) and then it’s hay rides and pumpkin carving at the neighborhood fall festival. Before too long, I’ll be hosting Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Christmas??? I’m still dreaming of beaches and water parks! Where did summer go?

Every year, I know that I am going to get lost in all of our “obligations” that I purposely focus even harder on making sure the girls remember baking cookies with grandma, making fudge with daddy, singing carols and just a general feeling of warmth rather than the chaos. I try to make each holiday season fondly memorable even if that just means the four of us preparing brunch and watching Christmas vacation together. What I inevitably forget to do every year is give my family a list of what I’d like for Christmas.

Sure, I can say that all I really want is my family to be healthy, happy and together and that is true but of course, there are things that I would like but who ever has time to make a list. It feels so unimportant amongst everything else but really, it would be nice to actually get something that I’ve wanted. The thing with moms is that we are so busy taking care of others that we often forget to take care of ourselves and while we’ll bend over backwards to make our family happy, we just never seem to take the time to do the same for ourselves.

Not this year. This year, I am not only making a list. I am making a pin board of all the stuff I’d be thrilled to have and a lot of it is tech toys like the GoPro HERO4 Black, an iPhone 6 Plus, a conference ticket or two and a few other tasty treats to kick my blog up a notch.

GoPro has unveiled its new line of action cameras at Best Buy stores, just in time for the holidays. Best Buy will also have the latest accessories and mounts to help you capture immersive footage of the moments that matter most like skiing in Aspen, ringing in the New Year some place warm or maybe spring break at Disney World.

GoPro cameras make the perfect holiday gift for everyone, my girls would love it to take action video while flipping on the trampoline. I’d love it to take stunning action photos for my blog. GoPro’s new line of cameras allow you to beautifully and authentically capture and share the experiences that bring purpose, adventure, and joy to your life.

GoPro has 3 new cameras out this holiday season:

GoPro HERO4 Black is the most advanced GoPro ever, featuring improved image quality and a 2x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates1, HERO4 Black takes award‐winning GoPro performance to a whole new level.

GoPro HERO4 Silver is the first-ever GoPro to feature a built-in touch display. Controlling The camera, playing back footage and adjusting settings is ultra-convenient—just view, tap and swipe the screen. With 1080p60 and 720p120 video, and 12MP photos at a staggering 30 frames per second, HERO4 Silver combines powerful, pro-quality capture with the convenience of a touch display.

GoPro HERO: Featuring high‐quality 1080p30 and 720p60 video, and 5MP photos up to 5 fps, HERO captures the same immersive footage that’s made GoPro one of the best-selling cameras in the world.

It has 12x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates. This is action photography at its best. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Well, I’d better get back to sorting my Blogger’s Wish list Pinterest pin board

Learn more at www.bestbuy.com/GoPro or visit your local Best Buy to check out the latest cameras in person.

I’ve been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card , which I am putting towards buying myself the GoPro HERO4 Black.

2014/10/14 3 comments

photography, photographer, photography tips, how to take amazing photos

Tech

Photography Tips: How to Take Amazing Photos of Your Child

by Deborah Cruz 2014/07/01

written by Deborah Cruz

How to take amazing photos of your child is what every parent wants to know. Because it takes more than just a good camera. It takes some good photography tips and a little know how.

If you are like me, since giving birth, I want to capture every milestone, smile and moment in a photo. What I really want to do is freeze time and keep these memories forever and a great photo helps me to do that. But kids are moving, running, laughing, sticky targets and sometimes, it’s really difficult to get that perfect shot. Here are a few tips to help you get the perfect shot, all you need is a good camera, a lot of patience and a willing (or maybe not so willing) subject.

Get down on their level

By kneeling down (or laying flat on your belly even for the really small ones) on the child’s level to take a photo, you give them the power to look directly into the camera. It also shows them that you respect them. Chat the child up to put them at ease. Then if you want a direct eye contact shot, ask the child if they see the fairy/dinosaur in your lens. Use a long lens so you don’t have to get right in the child’s space to get that close up shots.

Get Closer

A child’s face is perfect and sometimes the best shot is the one that fills the entire frame with just them. Focus on the details like newborn lashes, toddler lips going in for a kiss or tiny toes settled into beach sand.

Get Far Away & Forget the posing

Photograph your children being themselves, enjoying their favorite activities and experiencing new things. Step back and let the kids play. The angle will emphasize the smallness of the child in contrast to the world around them, but highlight their confidence at being alone.

Try burst mode

Set your camera to take a series of photos over a very short period of time, and shoot your child in action. Switch your camera to high capture and fire off plenty of shots. You will be amazed what is captured.

Remember, Light Rules

Natural lighting is always best for natural photos of kids, as you’ll find. In fact, I hate shooting in any other light. Using a flash is not only terrifying and blinding to babies and toddlers, it totally washes out their features. Avoid taking photos with them looking into the sun too or you’ll get squinting. It is always best to have your kids completely in the shade or fully in the sun. If there is a mix of lighting, you will end up with crazy shadows that will have you wondering when the chupacabra came in and stood in for your gorgeous little preschooler. To avoid this affect, try fill flash. Use your flash even shooting during daylight. The light from the flash will help brighten the shadows under their eyes and nose, and give you a well-lit image.

Bring them to their favorite location

Try to choose a location for your shoot where the child has fun or they have never been. Either way you will capture joy or wonder.

Don’t forget the silly shots

Children will want to make the silliest faces they can when they are being photographed. They will want to flash you their cheesiest smile and make silly hand gestures. Let hem do this – you may not get the picture you want from such behavior, but the child is likely to enjoy this part of the experience, leading to them being more willing to have their picture taken next time.

Most importantly, make sure they’re in a good mood because no amount of lighting is going to turn that frown upside down.

What are your best photography tips for how to take amazing photos of your children?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Ted’s Cameras but all opinions are my own.

Photo Naixn

2014/07/01 0 comment

Tech

Hipstamatic The Portland Hipstapak

by Deborah Cruz 2011/06/14

written by Deborah Cruz

The Portland Hipstapak

What is it? Hipstamatic ~ The Portland Hipstapak is a .99 application upgrade for your digital photography Hipstamatic app available for the iPhone, iPod, or iPad. It consists of a lens and a film; the Lucifer VI Lens and the BlacKeys B+W film. I absolutely adore Hipstamatic, which was evident in my original Hipstamatic vs. Instagram post and I love to add new hipstapaks anytime the opportunity presents itself. In fact, I own every one currently available. It’s amazing how simply changing a lens, flash or a film type can change the entire concept of the photo.Or how altering the combination of the three can create a different mood.The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

What does the Portland Hipstapak say it will do?

Lucifer VI Lens

Burn baby burn. The Lucifer VI is smokin’ hot and creates a flamin’ look that even the prince of darkness would envy.

BlacKeys B+W Film

Straight from grandma’s attic, the BlacKeys Ultrachrome gives your prints a superior monotone look and stamps the month and year directly on the print.

Does it do what it says it will do? The Portland Hipstapak application does exactly what it promises.

Lucifer VI lens allows you to capture your photograph through a variable rose colored glass. You take the photo and an instant red shadow is cast on the photo.It gives a great effect for photos of stills or even candids that you want to add a little extra artistic flair to. I wouldn’t recommend it for,lets say the first photo of your newborn baby because it tends to slightly distort the image.
The BlacKeys B+W film gives the photos very subtle monochromatic changes with variances of whites, blacks and grays. I love it. It’s just like real life. The color scheme creates a very raw and simple photo that packs a powerful emotional punch. I also love that it places a month and year stamp on the photo,giving it that vintage feel. Mine was pretty amazing because it actually teleported me back to 1981, well according to the time stamp anyways.

Do you need to consult a manual or is it “User Friendly”? No manual needed. All you need is to purchase the application,upload it and enjoy taking photos. That is what makes Hipstamatic so amazing, anyone can use it! The Hipstamatic ~ the Portland Hipstapak includes one lens and one film; add them to the collection that comes standard with the Hipstamatic and factor in all the different combinations of film, lens, and flash; the possibilities are infinite.

The Portland Hipstapak~where possibilities are endless.

2011/06/14 1 comment

Tech

Hipstamatic~ The Mission Hipstapak

by Deborah Cruz 2011/06/05

written by Deborah Cruz

The Mission Hipstapak

What is it? Hipstamatic ~ The Mission Hipstapak is a .99 application upgrade for your digital photography Hipstamatic app available for the iPhone, iPod, or iPad. You can easily purchase the photo app thru the Hipstamart on your iPhone.It consists of a lens, film and a camera case; the Bettie XL Lens,Ina’s 1935 film and the Eggshell White Case . I absolutely adore the Hipstamatic application, which was evident in my original Hipstamatic vs. Instagram post. I love adding new hipstapaks to my collection and changing up my photos. It’s amazing how simply changing a lens, flash or a film type can change the entire concept of mobile photography.Or how altering the combination of the three can create a different mood.The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

What does the Mission Hipstapak say it will do?

Bettie XL Lens

She always had a colorful vocabulary, now she’s got herself a lens that suffers from the same leaky seal. Be careful with this one, you never know when the streaks will happen.

Ina’s 1935 Film

Dressed all in white, this line of Ina’s film is clean, beautiful, and lets the photograph speak for itself.

Eggshell White Case

Perfect for bright-light shooting (or if you’re lucky enough to own a white iPhone 4 – we’re looking at you Steve).

Does it do what it says it will do? The Mission Hipstapak application does exactly what it promises.

Bettie XL Lens allows you to capture your photograph from a light and transcending viewpoint . The photos seem to have a very ethereal feel due to the light and brightness allowed by the lens.
The Ina’s 1935 film gives the photos a very clean look. The subject of the photo is really left as the superstar, everything else fades into the background.When photographing with the Ina’s 1935 film, its like seeing everything for the first time.Colors are exaggerated, subjects are crisper, and it leaves you feeling like the photo is a work of art rather then a point and shoot.
Eggshell White Case I absolutely love this case. I know it’s only aesthetics but it is absolutely a ton of fun. It just pops and screams,look at me.I’m too hip to be square!

Do you need to consult a manual or is it “User Friendly”? No manual needed. All you need is to purchase the application,upload it and enjoy taking photos. That is what makes Hipstamatic so amazing, anyone can use it! The Mission Hipstapak includes one lens, one film and one camera case; add them to the collection that comes standard with the Hipstamatic and factor in all the different combinations of film,lens, and flash and the possibilities are infinite. The Mission Hipstapak~where possibilities are endless.

The Mission Hipstapak; Taking iPhone Photography to the next level

2011/06/05 0 comment

Tech

Sony Bloggie Touch Videocamera ~ Attention: All Mammarazzi’s and Social Media NInja’s

by Deborah Cruz 2011/05/03

written by Deborah Cruz

The Sony Bloggie Touch

What is it? Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 camera Attractive, lightweight, and small.

2011/05/03 0 comment