Needless to say the craziness of Summer has begun. 2 years ago if you had asked me if I would be running to something 4 or 5 nights a week I would have told you are C R A Z Y! I said, "I would never do it!" Well guess what? Between my kids and myself lately I am doing it. Some weeks its only 2 or 3 nights and others its 4 or 5. The reality of it is 2 boys in sports, 1 in (2) sports, that there is going to be practices and there is going to be games. Then you add in my commitments and it is crazy town! A good crazy, but non the less our calendar is full. I have so many sessions waiting to hit the blog, but I thought I would return with a few tips on photographing all those sports! 1. TAKE YOUR GEAR Take a few extra minutes to check your equipment before you leave home. Make sure your battery is charged and your memory card is in place (with lots of room to add new photos). A camera with a decent zoom is a must! 2. KNOW YOUR CAMERA'S SETTINGS Shooting in manual mode will definitely give you more control, but if you shoot on the automatic modes of a dSLR or a point-n-shoot, know what the Sports mode does. I like to call the Sports mode “The Running Man”. In Sports mode, a few things will or won’t happen – your camera is operating differently than when it is just on automatic (green square). By using the Running Man, you are giving your camera a lit bit of information about what you are trying to do.
A little disclaimer – all the images in this post were shot on Manual, not Sports mode. Shooting in Manual modes, gives you more control over the settings to help control tricky shooting conditions and gives you flexibility to adjust the shutter speed, ISO, and depth of field. If you want to learn to use your camera this way consider my Snap Shop Workshop. 3. CONSIDER THE TIME OF DAY Soccer games usually are in the morning so take note of where the sun is and make sure the sun is to your back when shooting. This will ensure you have your shutter speed on it’s maximum without having to worry about exposing for the faces of the players if you were shooting into the sun. Shooting a late day game is a little easier as you usually don't have to worry about the direct sun, but also position yourself so that you are not directly facing the sun. 4. INCLUDE THE BALL The eyes and the ball are two of the most important compositional elements in a shot. The shot has more feeling when you capture the expression on the players face. However there are times when you can't get both in a shot and it still works. 5. TAKE SHOTS THAT TELL THE STORY The group huddle, cheering from the bench, high fives, the look on the players’ faces when a goal is scored…these are all integral parts of the story. Capturing emotions adds to the story! These pictures are just as important as the action shots…perhaps even more so! They show team camaraderie and bonding, which is what the kids tend to remember anyway. Thank you for stopping by today. I hope these tips will help you when capturing your athletes on the field this summer!
~ Monique I love shooting at the beach. Heck I LOVE being at the beach. Last year beach sessions just didn't fit into the schedule. This year I am making them a priority and getting them on the calendar. Everyone loves being at the beach and the photos make for some amazing memories. This year I will be hosting Summer Fun Beach Sessions on June 28th in the evening at Kohler-Andrae State Park. (Clients will be responsible for entrance into the park). There are only a 4 sessions available. Immediate family only up to 6 people. Message me to schedule yours! The calendar is filling up quickly this summer.
I would love to capture your family. Email or call me to schedule your session today! The last year has been full of ups and down for Silas and his family. He is currently enduring his 3rd round of Chemo at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. I was blessed to be able to spend some time with the Willey family last month capturing Silas and his brothers at their home. Up until now Silas has not lost any hair. In fact his hair was growing long and he was getting some very cute curls. Well this new formula of Chemo has caused Silas to lose his hair. Thankfully, things like this do not affect Silas and remains the happy smiley little guy he always is. Please continue to pray for Silas and his family as they move through this journey. Want to help the Willey family or follow their journey click here and LIKE the TEAM SILAS WILLEY Facebook page!
Working with soon to be Seniors is one of the best parts of my job. I have been blessed to work with some truly inspiring individuals that I know are going to make our world a better place. Our sessions are always full of laughs and great images. I would love to work with you on creating a truly memorable experience! Contact me to discuss your session today!
Moms come up with a thousand excuses why they can't be photographed. I know I have a list a mile long. Reasons like... I'll do it when I lose these last 10 pounds. I don't know what to wear. I don't look good in front of the camera. To your children you are the most beautiful person in the world. They don't care about your tummy, or your hair or nails being perfect. They love you for who you are and you are the most wonderful person in the whole world to them. Your kids need photos of you together. They need to know what you look like now when they're little. They need to have these photos of you together so they can show their own kids when they grow up. Treat yourself this Mother's Day to a Mommy & Me Mini session, or better yet send this email to your other half. For more details or to book a session please contact me.
These sessions will be shot in the evenings, so session availability will be very limited. Hopefully our Wisconsin weather cooperates with me. Please be available for the rain date as well. I will not refund sessions fees due to the weather nor will I be able to accommodate a different day. Should it rain on the rain date 2 more dates will be offered in June. Do you really get what you pay for? In most cases I am inclined to say yes. Are you always paying for a better product? Absolutely not! So what exactly are you paying for? Maybe it's that extra special treatment you receive. Maybe it's the fun way the product is presented to you. Value is perceived differently by each individual person. Where am I going with this you say? Well if you have visited me on Facebook either on my personal page or my business page you know that my 2.5 year old daughter is forever breaking and losing her glasses. We started this journey with glasses in June of 2014 just a few weeks before she turned 2. Fast forward 9 months later and we are on our 5th pair of glasses. Most recently the 4th pair was lost and so we had to start from square one. Because we are paying for her glasses out of pocket many of our lovely friends suggested we try one of the very popular online glasses stores. Well I had visited this option initially when I was told that she would need glasses. After all, I am a coupon-er and a deal searcher by nature. I was completely overwhelmed with the choices, not to mention the jargon. I mean how did I know if I was measuring her pupil distance correctly?? Last I checked I was not an ophthalmologist. So I went to a vision store and sought the help from the professionals. Well, after 4 trips down this road I was again urged by friends and family to try the internet. I think I invested approximately 6 hours in the search before I lost my mind. If you wear glasses than you know there are certain numbers for each person. Well nothing was matching up for me. Then the question came, how was I going to adjust them to fit her when they arrived? Would I have to take them somewhere to have them adjusted and then pay anyways? I finally found a pair that would work! Oh I thought I was golden, but then came choosing the correct kind of lenses. Guess what? Her prescription only works with certain lenses. Good grief I was in tears. Literally sobbing. When was this madness going to end?? The following day I headed out to the vision store not part of a box retail store. If you have gone through the experience with a toddler you know it can be very unpleasant. Eye glasses flying every where. My baby girl and I sat down at a station while the worker brought us choices based on what I told her I wanted. Here was my request. "I want a pair of black glasses, no cartoon characters, no crazy designs and preferable rectangular shape (change it up a bit)." Well of course the rectangle ones I wanted were just a little too wide for her face so we ended up with the same shape she had ( I think it is called wayfarer). The lab technician spent 30 minutes fitting the frames to Baby Girl's face. Oh I thought this process would never end, but I can tell you this is the best fitting pair of glasses she has had over the course of 9 months. They took photos of her eyes to measure her pupil distance. I was grateful to not have to hold her in headlock while someone tried to measure her eyes with the special ruler as I have had to do in the past. Fast forward 90min (not 2 weeks) and we are walking out with a beautiful little bag and a brand new shiny pair of glasses. These glasses are by far the most costly glasses I have purchased, but with the service I received with them, I would have paid even more. This experience got me thinking about my own business and changes that I have been slowly making over the last few years. I know people like to have control over their own digital files and some even choose to print their own, but some of you find that overwhelming. Allowing people to have control of their own images also allows me to keep the prices down. Know that I am here to walk you through the process. From choosing your proofs to designing beautiful wall galleries in your home. I never want anyone to feel boxed in to only having one way of doing things. So In 2015 I have still kept the option for you to be in control of your own files as a low cost option, and while my helping you along the way has always been an option, it will be something that I will continue to focus on even more. I truly believe that not offering this is a disservice to my business and my work. And yep you are going to pay a little more for that 8 x 10 from me , but I can promise you the absolute best customer service and experience that I can provide for you. Thank you for joining me today. I know it has been awhile. Spring is here and I am so looking forward to getting back outside and shooting!
What do you think of the new website design? It is still a work in progress but I am slowly finding my happy place with it.
Growing up in a predominately white area as I child I immediately hated my hair. All the other girls had long flowing hair and I was stuck with what I now lovingly refer to as my "Michael Jackson - the early years" hair. My mother, who also sported those wonderful straight flowing locks, knew absolutely nothing about how to manage my hair so often it was just cut short like a boy. To further fuel my hatred for my hair, my brother and sister came along with this wonderful soft wavy hair that everyone adored and complimented them on. I felt like the black sheep. I was teased mercifully because of my hair in school. Kids were always wanting to pet my head. Even as an adult I have people wanting to touch my hair. A favorite little tease was "little Mo with the big Fro". I mean really, kids can just be so mean. Well I survived it. Freshman year while on a family trip to Louisiana some relatives talked my Dad into finally letting me get my hair relaxed. This process went on for many years. While I seldom wore it straight the relaxer did help me tame the mane. As I have gotten older I have certainly embraced the curls. I want to show my children that curls are not all that bad. My #2 had the most beautiful curls up until he was 5 1/2 and then just like that he didn't. Poor guy got my "Michael Jackson - the early years" texture with his Dad's straightness. Talk about an odd combo. And well, my #1 he is all his Dad. Don't think he is changing but my #3, well, she is changing by the second. Not that long ago I thought she was going to lose the curls with her hair cut and now today I can't even find her face sometimes among the curls. I think having worked as a cosmetologist for 13 years helped me to see the many sides of hair and that the grass is not always greener on the straight side of hair.
When my aunt recently saw something on the Today Show about tweeting a picture of your curls for a chance to show off your curls and possibly be chosen to show up on their website, I obliged. I asked the hubby to do it since I don't do so well with Twitter. Of course I had no hope or even thought that it would go any further than being on Twitter under the hashtag curlpower. Well the next day through the grapevine I heard that I was spotted on the Today Show. Like really? No way! So of course I didn't watch the program (thank goodness for all the streaming options) I found the segment and there we were. Chosen! I can't wait for the first time my daughter tells me she hates her hair. I am going to whip out the video and tell her to embrace those curls baby!
People always ask me what do I use to on my hair. Here is the rundown.
Redken Complete Control Shampoo/Conditioner Redken Ringlet ( I literally have tried and I can't live without this product) Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Firm Hold Gel Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Hair Spray (In that order)
CurlPower!
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You all know I believe in signs. I wondered if this was a sign for me to not get my hair done. I had been waiting MONTHS and finally it was the day. I did have it done and although I can finally feel the water on my scalp I already miss my big head of curls. Thankfully they always grown back!
Thanks for stopping by and reading today's random post! See you next time! I really wanted a catchy'er title for this post, but it wasn't happening. So as I begin to prepare for the upcoming Snap Shop Workshops I thought it might be fun to share a little tip with you guys. This was a photo from a recent trip to the Waterpark where keeping your camera out of the water is chore! One of my favorite things to do when photographing children is change my perspective. To create a more dramatic shot, experiment with different angles. I have shot from just about every angle I can think of. You wanna laugh? Try watching a 9 month pregnant lady rolling around on the ground, yep that was me! But I digress. Try photographing your subject from a lower or higher point of view. This can give you added perspective and create fun and striking images. I love to shoot from a higher point of view. I get to capture those big sparkly eyes and smiles that I adore. Well there you have it, super simple. Like ridiculously simple, but it makes for a great photo.
If you want to learn more join me in my up coming Snap Shop Workshops on February 21st. Well we are 22 days into 2015. It's been pretty uneventful thus far. Which is not always a bad thing. A never ending project in my world that I am working on is the organizing, backup and storage of all my photos. It's seem like I am constantly working on that. As I move more photos into the Cloud ( good grief I hope this cloud never explodes) I thought I would post a few more of may favorites from 2014. And really I have TONS of favorites. These just happen to be the few I breezed pass today! Keep checking back as I am going to be posting lots more as the year goes on! Thanks for checking in with me today! In the upcoming weeks I am working on Hugs and Kisses Mini Sessions, Snap Shop Workshops and a hopefully a cute Valentine Craft.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS? I would highly recommend Monique Curry’s Photography workshops! Monique is a natural teacher. Her passion for photography and love for sharing this talent is extremely evident. She customizes her workshop to meet the wants and needs of the participants. I have always admired those clear, crisp images I see all of FB and the internet and would think that is IMPOSSIBLE to take those kind of photos, but soon after the workshop, I was realizing that I TOO could take those pictures! It is not an easy process, but rather one that I felt supported in and encouraged by Monique! Her constant availability and wealth of knowledge, not just on “workshop day” but days and months following, has increased my confidence and helped me to work toward achieving better pictures of those everyday moments that mean so much and go by so quickly! Monique is patient, caring, knowledgeable, non-judgmental and lots of fun! I’m not going to lie, it isn’t easy, but it is so rewarding to see the hard work pay off and get that “perfect” shot! Her workshop was the ticket I needed to switch that button from auto to manual and let me tell you, I am not going back!! ~ Stacy B Hands up if you got a new fancy DSLR camera for Christmas ? Or maybe you have had your camera for a while and have not the slightest idea how to use it. Are you overwhelmed with all the buttons? Is your fancy new DSLR camera still in full auto, just like it was when you first opened the box? Are you frustrated that the pictures you snap of your kids haven’t improved since you bought it? Then Snap Shop Workshops is for you! Want to learn more about upcoming classes?
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