*no toddlers fell into the river in the creation of these images*

Then we got to add this gorgeous family and adorable not-quite-two-year-old who is just so full of spunk–her little personality was a hoot! I can’t help but smile and laugh to myself as I’ve been going through all the images. Such a little joy.

And would you believe that mom is only four weeks away from giving birth to baby #2? Doesn’t she look fantastic? Little Miss E playing peekaboo around mommy’s belly was just adorable–her expressions just kill me.

This family portrait would be fantastic as a huge gallery wrap canvas–can’t you just see it hanging above their fireplace?

As you’ve probably noticed from the blog, I am primarily a color photographer. I love capturing all the vibrancy of childhood and family life, but with each session I always find just a few images that tug at my heart and beg for a black and white treatment. Isn’t she just the sweetest thing in this?

And, saving the best for last, the image on the right below is my absolute favorite from the whole session. Mom’s goal before the shoot was to capture their family as it is now, just before they become a family of four. With the mom and dad’s adoring expressions, gazing down at their little one and Miss E’s cute little glance up at the two people in the center of her world, I was totally smitten with this image. This is their family today. Perfect.

A quick housekeeping note–mini-sessions in August and September are filling up fast. Don’t miss out on this fantastic deal!

I’ll be holding two days of mini-sessions with limited bookings available each day. Here’s the details:

• 30 minute session
• you select an urban or natural setting
• 8-10 proofs in a private online gallery to order from
• one high-resolution digital image emailed to you
• prints and specialty items 20% off regular prices

All for only $75. I have big plans for the natural setting–there will be several different portrait set-ups available to choose from as well as just a simple nature setting. Think shabby-chic chairs, quilts, vintage wood, and lots of and lots of character. Or select the urban option and we’ll create your images in a non-traditional location for something truly unique.

Best of all, you’ll be able to select your family image and create your own cards, gifts, heck, even mouse pads if you so desire! The digital option gives you ultimate control over what to do with your favorite family image.

Mini-sessions are available for one immediate family only, up to six people. For more than 6, you will need to purchase two mini-session time slots.

Head on over to the Jani Photography facebook page for a chance to win one of these minis–all you need to do is comment on the facebook post announcing the sessions.

To schedule your session, please email jan@janiphotography.com or call me directly at 331-8253.

To that end, let’s focus today on avoiding distracting elements. This can be as simple as watching to be sure that no tree branches are growing out of anyone’s head–oooops!

It can also mean cleaning up the area around the portrait setting to be sure that trash, stray dead branches, etc. are out of the image before you snap away–believe me, it’s much easier to remove things in person than in photoshop!

You can also change your angle just a bit to get a more visually pleasing image. For these two photos, see how the slight shift in my angle on shooting this family made for a much more pleasing and engaging image? In the first, you can see the family is having a playful, fun moment, but you can see the green blanket they’re sitting on (wet grass!) and that can be a bit distracting.

In this second shot, they are posed almost exactly the same (just one daughter shifted her location), but I moved from standing on the ground to up on a chair. As well as changing my perspective (as discussed last week), this zooms in on the family’s expressions and removes distractions from the background. The composition is much stronger.

(By the way, these girlies are four of my nine nieces, aren’t they adorable?)

This tip of removing visual distractions can apply to any kind of photography. See how much stronger the second image is without all the visual clutter on the countertop?

(You can read all about my soda crate wall over on my personal blog. After all, what photographer doesn’t have a few soda crate props lying around?)

Have you tried my previous tip on changing your perspective? Try both of these out today and share a link with your practice!

For the first few weeks I’ll focus on composition–how you decide where to place your subject in the frame. Simple, right? But there are soooo many things to think about.

My first tip is pretty simple, but you’ll be amazed at how it can change the focus of your images. For me, a fantastic shot is all about perspective.

Typically we take a photo/snapshot while standing. I call this the mom angle–it’s easy, takes little to no thought on where you are placing yourself, and you capture the moment you want to capture, right? Instead, drop down on one knee and see the difference in your shot.

With this image I was trying to convey the smallness of the child in her huge environment. #1 is a nice shot, and she looks cute. But #2, with the slight change in my perspective, is much more powerful, with the horizon and sky in the distance.

Imagine these images taken from above, or at the child’s level, as they were.

The same perspective shift can help more close-up portraits and images, as well. Consider these two images:

The first is taken from the classic “mom” angle. It’s a cute expression and the subject is engaged with the camera–both good things! After all, most moms see this view of their little ones all day long, and this angle definitely has a place in the portrait world. But the second image is slightly stronger because the child doesn’t look uncomfortable, craning her neck to look up at me. We just see her sweet smile and features.

And while the first of these is not the greatest example because of the silly expression, here are a two more to drive home the point.

So what have we learned? Take a knee and get down on your subject’s level. They’ll be more engaged with the camera, comfortable looking, and it will help your kid photographs immensely!

When you practice this tip, link up your blog or image post in the comments–I’d love to take a look and give you my thoughts!

I’m sharing these tips over on Home Stories A 2 Z link party today–go check out all the great tutorials and tips!

And I was rewarded with not just one but two rainbows for my viewing pleasure. What a beautiful day in spite of the cold.