I’ve neglected personal posts for a while now so I thought I should go ahead and post some photos from our Fall before so much time passes that Fall blog posts don’t even make sense anymore.

I love the Fall. It’s one of my very favorite seasons – at an absolute tie with Spring. If only the seasons in between could last just a week or two! ;)

It has become a tradition for us to go visit a farm and pick out pumpkins every Fall. This year, we went to Lucky Ladd Farms with some friends and I think we’re totally hooked! There were so many fun things for the kids – the older ones had such a blast!

For our first farm trip, Seven was just a baby and there wasn’t a lot more to do than just take pictures. We brought out the “big camera” and thus farm trips entered into the vicious cycle where I try to give every child the same things the first one had. The big camera came this time too and while corralling multiple children who can run doesn’t exactly lend itself to taking lots of pretty pictures sitting in the pumpkin patch, we managed to get decent documentation for posterity. :)

The first section of the farm is a petting zoo. Seven thought the animals were cool, but the abundance of mulch and dirt to run Thomas the Tank Engine through was infinitely more exciting.

Serai, on the other hand, thought the goats were GREAT!

At Lucky Ladd they have this awesome pit full of dried corn for the kids to play in. Naturally, Seven saw that as another great thing to run Thomas through so he was all over it.

The slides were also a big hit and they were huge! I was kind of surprised the kids went for them, but they were fearless.

And of course there were pumpkins – lots and lots of pumpkins…and more dirt, which is obviously the most interesting thing about an amazing farm. ;)

At the end of the trip we tried to get a picture of all the kids together on a pile of pumpkins, but have you every tried taking a picture of three 2 year olds and 3 babies under age 1 when there are things to climb and dirt to play with? It turns out something like this:

I know what you’re thinking – it’s totally a framer. ;) Plan B was just to get a good photo of each child in the pumpkins. You’ll notice that my children are the one not paying any attention at all and the one eating a stick.

All in all, it was a great day chasing our little crazies and enjoying everything that Fall has to offer. :) I’ll close with this fun shot that our friend Jessica snagged of our little family. Thanks Jess! :)

Hope you all are enjoying the season with those you love!

I’ve been working away all week on Amy and Jason’s Mexico wedding and I can’t wait to share a sneak peek with you very soon!

Tonight though, I took a little time to go sit in the grass with my son and watch the fireflies (or lightning bugs as we call them here in the south) dance through the night sky. They have always been one of my very favorite things. This is the first year that Seven has been old enough to really enjoy them too and it is so much fun to watch him run through the yard with his blanket shouting “light-ing bug!” :)

If there is one thing that is most wonderful about being a photographer, it is being able to create images like this of my kids. It’s like being able to bottle up these memories and keep them forever. What a gift.

Having a professional take beautiful photos of you with those you love is something I think everyone should have on a regular basis. But what about when the professional photographer isn’t around? Everyday life deserves beautiful imagery to preserve it forever and that’s what this post is about. Below are 5 tips for creating better photos, no matter your skill level or the type of camera you own.

In fact, the photos in this post were all taken with an iPhone only.

This way you can really get an idea of what’s possible with the camera you probably have in your pocket right now.

1. Look for the light.

When shooting indoors during the day, try to position your subjects near a window and put yourself on the same side as the light.

When outside in bright sun, look for solid shade, the emphasis being on “solid”. A shade tree can work so long as there isn’t light coming through the leaves and creating undesirable blotches on your subject. The shade of a building is almost always a win.

Also, when shooting in the shade, the very edge of the shade has the very best light.

2. Get Closer.

This applies primarily to portraits. Compose your shot where you would be first inclined to do so, and then get much much closer for a more intimate view.

You can also do some composing after the fact by experimenting with cropping. Often time the difference between a good and a great image is just giving it the right crop.

3. Shoot from different angles.

Rather than just taking the straight-on shot, try shooting from above or below your subject. Shoot down the length of a door, or leave a lot of negative space around your subject. Mix it up.

4. Have your subjects do something other than sit and smile.

Don’t stop the action to have everyone look at the camera! The best photos are of people enjoying each other or doing something.

5. Practice, Experiment and Play.

Have fun with your personal photos! Try new things and do it often. You’re sure to improve if you do and when you see your personal photos down the road, you’ll be so glad you did!

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