{Silly} Questions

Over the years my approach to taking Little {A}'s picture has changed. At first all I needed was something shiny to catch his attention. As he grew older and more easily distracted I had to get creative. I started pretend sneezing, making silly noises, playing peek a boo, and finally asking silly questions. Today I asked the silliest of all questions: Who is the stinkiest? He died. It was the most funny thing ever to think of who might be the stinkiest. So today I'll tell you all my tricks for getting 3 year old boys to pay attention while you take their picture.



This one I bribed him with candy. (This trick ALWAYS works)

He must have been distracted by something magical in this one, because he is never this sweet looking. ;)

This is him thinking of the stinkiest.  (Don't mind the stamp on his hand. He had just barely gotten home from school.)

And right after the stinkiest question. If you click fast you catch lots of emotions in just a few seconds.

This one. Oh man, this one is my favorite! And of course this is him giggling uncontrollably because he "tooted".

So to sum up. If you have a toddler boy just ask about stinky people and tooting. You will be bound to get some good laughs!

Sun Flare {How To}

Step one: Look directly at that beautiful setting sun. Bright right?! Are you squinting? Probably, huh? Well squint even more, you see how the rays of the sun get longer? Your camera lens works the same way. The more it "squints" the longer the rays will be.

Step 2: Move that dial over to M if you haven't already. Bump up the ISO to whatever you and your camera are comfortable with; maybe ISO 800. Its okay to have a little noise :)

Step 3: Make your camera squint. Close that aperture; maybe f/22.

Step 4: Aim your camera down so no sun or sky is showing in your view finder. (Like at the grass or trees just below the skyline). Set your exposure.

Step 4: Raise your camera. Compose your shot so the full sun is exposed. (Your camera is going to tell you your shot is WAY over exposed. Ignore it!)

Step 5: Click away!


Extra Tip: I have found my zoom lenses (18-55 and 18-140) make capturing sun flare so much easier. I don't know why, but it is just something I have noticed.





Did it work? Let me know! I want to see your beautiful sun flares.


Do you have any tips for me? How do YOU best capture sun flare?




ISO 800          18mm          f/22          1/20sec























Shot is SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) + Watermark.





Kelsey B

My {B}ag

It's orange, full of goldfish, monster trucks, candy canes, receipts, and occasionally a Nikon D3000 with a 50mm lens. In a couple months I'm hoping a D90 will replace it. If you are wondering why I want the D90 check these out. I love going to this site and comparing different cameras. I would love to have the D7100 or a full frame, but those just aren't in my budget right now. I do however keep going back and forth between the D5100 and the D90. I like the D90 because well first it is a little less expensive and I could use that extra $$ for a better quality lens. Also the big draw to the D5100 is the flip out screen which I really am fine without and high res video. I honestly will rarely use the video anyway. The D90 has video option as well if I were to ever use it, which I doubt I will. What is your dream camera?

My go to {L}ens: For sure the 50 mm. It is always on my camera. Always. I love how crisp and vibrant the images are. It is wonderful in lower light and perfect for most anything. I also have the "kit" lens 18-55mm. This lens really comes in handy when I need to zoom out. The 50mm I "zoom" out by stepping back, but if I am in a cramped space or a building is really tall and won't fit it the frame I grab the 18-55. Like for example: Last summer Steve and I took a trip to Mexico. A much needed vacation after Med school! We took a day trip to hike the Mayan ruin Coba. One of the last you could still hike. (Now closed I believe). Anyway I only took my 50mm and so all the pics I have I had to either stand like way back, waaaaaaaay back to get the whole thing in. Or only get the top or bottom half. If I would have had the 18-55, I could have simply zoomed out and snapped the picture. Done. Another reason I like the 18-55 is for some reason it captures some AMAZING sun flare. I'm not sure why, but it does. I've tried to get some with my 50mm, but it is so much easier with the 18-55.So why not only use the 18-55? Great question. It is not great in low light. I also love to shoot with the aperture wide open like 1.8 or 2.0 to get that great depth of field and blur everything, but my subject out. I can't do that with the 18-55. Well, I can, just not as well. It only opens to about 3.0 give or take depending on the lighting and my shutter speed. There are definitely advantages to both lenses.  Now onto research more lenses! My amazon wishlist is always full if anyone is in a giving mood ;)

Other {G}ear: Steve bought me a 5 in one reflector for Christmas.  I am so excited to use it more! I used it a bit in my recent newborn session and it is so versatile. I used it to block bright spots, while still letting through soft light. I used the gold side to give some of the photos a warmer feel. And the white side for a bright crisp look. Now I just need an assistant to stand behind me all the time whilst holding it. :)

{F}lash: I hate flash! It gives off unnatural shadow. Everything is too white, while the background is usually too dark. I just honestly prefer the warm look of natural light. If I were shooting a wedding that would be a whole different story! But I have no desire or the budget to invest in amazing off camera flash equipment. But when I am at The Children's Museum with crappy lighting and my camera is on Auto - it's going to use flash. And that is okay. I'm not selling or showing off these images. They are just capturing that sweet moment of my guy driving a trolly.

And yes he is always wearing sunglasses. :)



Feel free to comment if you have any questions or would like to know more.  Or if you have any tips and suggestions for me, I'd love to hear!

Kelsey B


P.S. If you are interested in learning more about the class I am taking, head on over here. Sarah is an amazing teacher. She has changed how I see the world through my lens. I have become more aware of elements that will make my images more stunning and elements that will distract. She gives great feedback and I wish the class would never end!