Becoming a Momtographer: Finding your Creativity

Crash!
Something is broken.
You run into the living room to find your three kids frozen in time with your expensive vase on the ground in pieces.
Immediately you ask what happened to find that each of them had a completely different story. Was someone lying? Nope! They just simply perceived the situation differently.

This is an example to how we as individuals always see life differently than those around us. I believe that we are all born with a little photographer in us because of this very fact. We need to be able to fuel our creativity, recognize perspective and in result create the photo that perfectly represents what we are seeing in our minds.

Fueling Creativity
When you learn a new skill the key is to practice. I recently heard of a super neat challenge to do called the "alphabet challenge". This can even be done with your kids for a fun game! What you do is throughout the day your goal is to find every letter in the alphabet in nature or where ever you are playing the game. The trick is you can't use actual letters. Here is an example of a completed alphabet challenge:

Alphabet by Demi-Plum

Another fun challenge is the color challenge. It's a similar concept except you're trying to find an object of every color. Here is an example:

Challenge Photo by Jules and Joy Bianchi

Doing challenges like these will help you fuel your creativity! You will find yourself seeing the whole world in a different way. Not only will it help you challenge your creativity but it will help you take your photos to a new level.

Recognizing Perspective
Have you ever sat on the ground next to your child and thought how different the world looks from their height? I love finding new perspectives. I am seriously a monkey when it comes to taking Jack's pictures. Standing on top of chairs, tables, laying on my belly, doing it all! This is one tip that I truly believe makes a huge difference in photos no matter what camera you're using. A great way to challenge yourself take your photos to the next level is move around. Even if you just take your iPhone and practice taking a picture of your child in the same pose from a few different perspectives. Here is an example:

Photo Copyright http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/

Creating Photos
Regardless of what camera you are using there are a few things that remain the same in creating your photos. One of those things is the Rule of Thirds. Have you ever noticed the grid that covers your camera? There is even one of these grids on your iPhone if the setting is turned on. The goal of these lines is to help you set your subject in the right place. First figure out what your subject is (or what you want the viewer to look at). Then, place that subject at one of the intersecting lines.

Photo Copyright http://erincobb.com/

Another important factor in creating your photo is being aware of your background and foreground. If you're taking a photo of your child at the park make sure they aren't standing in front of a trashcan or anything that you don't intentionally want in the photo. Take a picture and then review it to see if you want to change anything before you start snapping away. You can also use your background and foreground to your advantage. If you're using a camera that can adjust focus (DSLR, iPhone and select point and shoot cameras) you can use objects that are out of focus to add more to your photo. Here are a few examples of that:

Photo Copyright Terri Cage on http://www.picturecorrect.com/

Photo Copyright http://girlwithknapsack.tumblr.com/

The last thing to remember when creating your photos is to relax! So many times we are so set on getting an exact posed picture that we miss out on beautiful life moments. When you're taking pictures of kids you should definitely not focus on how to make them sit still. Rather, how can you capture moments more effectively. One of the first paid photography jobs I had was of a one year old and boy was he on the move. I learned very quickly I wasn't going to get a posed picture. I noticed he loved to run so I would get far from him and have him run towards me and I got some incredible pictures. When kids want to play, let them! When they want to have their toys with them in the shot-- it's okay. When you go back years from now you will appreciate the little details of their life. When you see the picture of your little girl holding her favorite doll you will love remembering the little things not thinking about how frustrated you were that she would only take a picture if she got to hold her toy.


In the next blog post we will be breaking down different camera types and how to get the best picture possible with each of them. Remember to comment below with your questions and to follow me in Instagram @aubreeshupe . If you do one of the challenges I would love to see them! Post them on Instagram with #becomingamomtographer

Becoming a Momtographer: Introduction

Being a Sophomore in college you are trying to do it all. I was a Broadcast Journalism major planning on becoming the next best reporter on a major network. With the constant search for the best story time for a "real" job wasn't really an option. I always had an entrepreneur spirit so I began to think about what I could do to make extra money while still being able to focus on school. As I brainstormed my favorite things to do I thought to myself why not start doing photography? I loved photography class in high school and I had even had a DSLR camera that my parents had given me. I knew how to create websites and I knew I had landed on my perfect college job.

That was the beginning of what I would consider my ongoing photography interest. I ended up changing my major and earning my degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis on Video Production. Though my love for photography I learned I loved the moving subject even more. I loved the idea of being able to tell a story and capture emotions that I didn't feel like a simple photo did justice.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself married with my first baby on the way. I was so nervous because Chad and I had moved to a smaller town and I was desperately searching for a studio to take my newborn to get the "Pinterest" worthy pictures I had my heart set on. But as I searched and researched prices my jaw was permanently on the ground. I had done professional photography and videography and I couldn't believe the prices people were trying to charge. Was I missing something? I hadn't ever taken photos of newborns so was it way harder than I realized? Now, I understand that photographers have to pay their bills but paying thousands for a few pictures seemed like a little much.

So, I decided that I was going to do it myself.

Now... keep in mind I was fresh off the operating table of a c section and barely able to move. But I was not going to let my little nugget not get the newborn pictures I knew he deserved ;)

I wasn't planning on taking a ton. I had a few pictures that were serving as "inspiration" and that's all I really wanted. I began to search everywhere for cute props and also decided I was going to the them at my parent's house where they had tons of huge windows and natural light. I looked over my checklist and had it all--- blankets, mini heater, camera, BABY.... etc etc etc

Upon arrival at their house, Chad helped me get everything set up. I turned my camera on MANUAL MODE ONLY (cue eye roll) and adjusted all of my settings. I got my focus just perfect and went to click and Jack moves his head back a little... my photo was out of focus. Shoot! Okay..try it again. I adjusted my lens to get the focus again and went to click and Jack moves his arm. Super frustrating!

I was so used to photographing senior pictures or family portraits where the subject stayed still. So what do I do? I adjust my settings to allow for a little bit broader focus range and increase my shutter speed and went to click and Jack is in a full on cry.

I was so frustrated that I did "everything" I ever learned to do with my camera. I knew that pictures weren't going to happen at that moment so we packed up and went home.

A few days later we were at our house and I was ready to reattempt the photos I was dreaming of. I turned one of our accent chairs toward a window and draped a white blanket. I put Jack in place and told myself I wanted to ignore everything I learned in school and I wanted to do what had to be done to get the picture. I toggled between aperture priority mode and, yes, auto. I just made sure I was shooting in RAW mode and guess what? My camera didn't blow up and I actually got the picture I wanted.

I learned a lot of lessons from this experience. But the biggest lesson I learned was one that I had already heard once in college. One of my professors used to always say, "Learn the rules so you can break them". I truly believe that! Yes, I will most likely switch back to shooting manual once Jack gets a little bigger but I know it's not the end of the world if I don't.

My goal of this new series is to teach mom's how to take better photos with whatever camera they have. How to look through Pinterest and find the perfect picture and ACTUALLY create it! I want to teach you to spend more time capturing MOMENTS and less time adjusting settings on your camera. This is not going to be a series for seasoned photographers. If you are a photographer PLEASE understand that I am probably going to say things that you don't agree with and that I am probably going to even be flat out "wrong" according to the textbook at times but I'm okay with that.  But, I am confident that by the end of this series you will be able to take a better picture.

Later on I will probably do a series for intermediate and advanced photography tips so if you enjoy this series be sure and look out for that. Also I love hearing from you so if you have any questions please comment below or send me an e-mail.

I look forward to this journey with you!
Aubree

Traveling with a Baby: Our Trip to Idaho Springs

We were finally packed and on the road.

As we get on our way to the little mountain cabin I couldn't help but wonder what we forgot. I was so nervous about not only taking the road trip (which was dramatic because it was only about 2 hours away) but being away from the comforts of home with our little 5 month old. I didn't know how the altitude would effect him or even driving in the car with super windy roads up the mountains. Jack was doing well asleep in his carseat so it allowed me to ease up.

We arrived at the little cabin and immediately were in awe of the incredible view from the windows overlooking the Arapahoe National Forest. We had tons of acres to ourselves-- as far as the eye could see! Eager to get the adventure really going we began to unpack.



Pack and play--check.
Bottles and wamer-- check.
Warm clothes for everyone -- check.
Diapers and wipes-- che--wait a second. This couldn't be all that we brought, I thought to myself.

But I was wrong.

How could I forget to pack loads and loads of wipes and diapers?! Thankfully the mountain town we were in had a Safeway so I knew we would be fine... or so I thought.

The precious cabin was located down a VERY steep driveway and yes it was very snowy and icy. We drove a 15 passenger van because our cars weren't big enough for all of our stuff. We planned to get up the next day and go into town for lunch. So that's what we did. We got in the van and began up the hill. Then we just stopped. Chad put the van in reverse and attempted up the way again. Nothing. There was absolutely no way we could get out. We were stranded.

Thinking through all of the possible scenarios we finally decided there was no other option than to dig out a way for the van... the whole way up. Poor Chad spent the whole next day with an ice pick and shovel trying to get a path for us to get out. But needless to say he did it! The next day we finally were able to get to the main road. Whew!!

Our adventure in Idaho Springs consisted of a lot of things including a fun snowshoeing adventure and exploring the tiny town.

So what exactly is a must have for taking a little getaway with your little one?

PACK AND PLAY! Oh my word this saved our life. It has a changing table attached and is also a bassinet. It was also super helpful that it had wheels so we could bring it to the living room for naps along with the bedroom for night time.

LOTS OF DIAPERS AND WIPES! It's so much better to be safe than sorry. We were only gone for a few days and I felt like we went through a million. Nothing is worse than having any type of stress damper your trip.

TOYS TOYS TOYS! When I first had Jack I had no idea what people meant when they told me to "play" with him. He couldn't even hold his head up what did they even mean?! (Blog post to come ;) ) Well now being 5 months we have found that he is obsessed with flashing light toys and music. Thank goodness for his Vtech "Happy Bear" because the car ride home would have been miserable had that little bear not entertained him. Even at the expense of Chad and I's sanity. That song was stuck in my head for days! "I am a bear a happy bear, a sleepy bear and hungry bear..." YIKES!

TYLENOL! I know a lot of mom's choose to not give their kids medicine but we were almost positive that Jack was in pain from either his ears or something. We would give him a little tylenol and made him able to enjoy the trip with us.

WARM CLOTHES, HATS and FRONT PACK! We loved being able to strap Jack to the front of Chad and adventure around. We had an amazing snow suit that Chad had from when he was little that worked great for keeping him extra warm. If you're planning on doing any adventuring, especially in the cold, this is a must!

I know a lot of these things seem super obvious but definitely make a list, even if you think you'll for sure remember. From experience, I will not go on any type of overnight without doing this! Also, remember that you are taking a small infant on vacation and although you are away from home that the world still revolves around them. Don't make a strict schedule because you won't have any idea how they will react out of their element. Strict schedules only cause stress because more likely than not you won't be able to fit all of the activities in that you want because your little chicken nugget will need a nap or maybe they will decide they just aren't in the mood ;)

I would love to hear any tips that you have for vacationing with your baby! Leave your ideas in the comments below :)

Dear New Mom: Sydney

Dear New Mom, 

Congratulations and welcome to the best part of your life.  Motherhood!

It is the most beautiful, difficult, and emotional experience you will ever go through.  You went from having fears during your pregnancy to fears about all the “whatifs” now that the baby is here.  Try and listen to your own instincts and above all, google less. Hard I know, but it instills other fears that we didn’t have prior.

You will have many “mom experts”  give you advice on what you should do and should not do.  If it is asked for take notes.  If it was given freely, take it with a grain of salt and know that what you are doing is right. 

You will be emotional.  Let it out! It doesn’t matter if you cry alone or in Target, let it out.  Have no shame and you will feel renewed after a good cry. 

One of the hardest things is to not compare yourself to other moms.  Know that you are doing it right and tune out the judgment and trust yourself. 

You are going to be scared and worry about everything.  Are they eating enough? Are they gaining weight?  Are they on the same level as other babies their age?  Let it go.  Switch out your fears with being in awe over what was created with love. 

Your days may go slow but trust me, your years will fly by.  Don’t look for the fast forward button but instead take everything day by day by rejoicing and celebrating your miracle.  

You are on a new journey that is so imperfect and beautiful all at the same time.

Know that it gets better.  All of it gets better.

Love,

Still a Learning Mama

Sydney is married to her husband, Luke and has a son, Griffin who is 9 months old.  They live in Upstate South Carolina where Sydney works at a government office and Luke runs his own Real Estate business.  In her spare time, which is seldom, she likes to binge watch reality TV and make inspiration boards for rooms in her new house.  Her blog, Raising Southern Grace, is a place where she shares about her life as a boymom and planting her roots in her dream house.

Jack's 5 Month Update!!

My little chicken nugget is already approaching SIX MONTHS OLD! I can't even believe it! I was reading through this four month update and I realized I was being a little over optimistic when I thought I could do a weekly update because we've had QUITE the month. It started off super fun with finishing up the holiday's at my parents house celebrating Christmas. Jack was definitely spoiled with lots of fun toys and clothes. But unfortunately a few days after that Jack got sick for the first time :( I know this is probably over dramatic but it lined up perfectly with when we started switching over to formula from breastmilk. This transition wasn't really a choice I was just not producing enough for some reason. I truly believe that God gave us breastmilk because it is what's best for the baby and can build up their immune systems. Jack's temperature got up to about 101 but with lots of fluids and tylenol we were able to prevent having to visit his doctor. But then, I got the flu! Attention ALL MOMS, DADS, EVERYONE-- get a flu shot if you have a little one! I was convinced because everyone said this years shot wasn't effective I didn't need to get it.. boy was I wrong! It was my first time getting the flu and it was awful. I still attempted to maintain my pumping schedule as best as I could since I knew the little chicken nugget needed to get some type of immunity to my flu strain but I was super dooper thankful my hubby Chad was able to stay home from work while I recovered. I was quarantined to my bedroom for 4 days (when my fever had broke for 24 hours) and I cannot tell you how incredible it was to finally hold my baby boy (with a mask still of course). Well it wasn't but a few days after my fever broke we were off to Idaho Springs for a weekend get away in the mountains that we had planned for a while. I am going to do a blog post soon where I will post all the pics, details and tips for traveling with a 5 month old. When we got home from that adventure it seemed to take about a week to get all the house cleaned and laundry done from being sick. I don't know if any mom's can relate but I feel like I was so overwhelmed because it seemed like there were less hours in the day! Needless to say one of the first things to go from that was my blog but I am hoping that this next month will allow for more time to write :)

As far as details of Jack go he is now wearing 9-12 month clothes (little CHUNK!) and we aren't exactly sure how much he weighs because we didn't go to the doc this month but guessing around 17-18lbs. He had a few days where he didn't hardly sleep at ALL through the night and was eating every hour. We just knew he was going through a growth spurt and needless to say he gained 2 pounds in 2 days! At least his pants are fitting better now ;) 

Jack is eating 3oz every 1.5-2 hours. We are trying our best to use as much breastmilk as possible but having to use formula when we don't have enough. Right after I got sick I did a "pumping marathon" where you pump for 10 min and wait 5 and repeat for an hour. This honestly helped pump up my supply from almost nothing to getting a fair amount again. I am doing pretty good with my supply now but might consider doing that again soon. 

Sleeping has been on and off this month. We have a pretty strict bedtime routine now that Jack has transitioned to his big boy crib (he did that right before our trip to Idaho Springs). We feed him 3oz at 7pm and then at 8pm we change his diaper and put on his pjs, feed him 5oz with 1tbsp of baby rice, read him a book then put him in his crib with his mobile turned on and his little bronco that projects the broncos logo and stars on the ceiling. He usually wakes up at least once for his pacifier but typically will wake up a second time for another 3oz bottle. We are eagerly anticipating when he starts sleeping all night again. 

His daytime routine is pretty set as well. We are doing the EASY method which is eat, activity, sleep and "your time" (which the your time is kind of a joke). What this looks like for us is feed (3oz bottle), playtime (look for an upcoming blog post on playtime ideas for you and your baby), and then nap time. His naps are still anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours. The 2 hour nap is usually late in the afternoon if it happens. 

Jack is getting really fun because he is starting to get into the stage where his personality is really showing. He plays super hard but boy when he gets tired he likes to fight it. This can cause for quite the ordeal. But as long as we stick  to our routine and look for the FIRST eye rub we get him straight to his crib or swing for a nap. 

I am really looking forward to him being able to sit on his own. He seems to be so close but who knows when he will actually do super good at it. From what I've read I guess 6 months is the typical month for that so I guess we will find out soon :)

Milestones from this month include-- first baby chuckle (SO cute), better standing with help, better sitting with some assistance. 

Hopefully more blog posts will be coming this month but we will just see. Also, I'm working on organizing my photos so I will be adding pics from the past month soon! :)