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Check Over Your Insurance This Holiday Season

You are probably really busy right now. December is filled with family get-togethers, shopping for presents, wrapping those gifts, and many celebrations. Now is also a good time to dig out your insurance policies, and check them over. They might not cover what you think they do! Christmas trees and decorations pose potential dangers that you wouldn’t face at other times of the year. Trees that are placed too close to a heat source can ignite. Christmas trees that are covered in strands of lights that are frayed, or that are all plugged into an overloaded outlet, can also go … Continue reading →

What Do You Need to Get Started?

Every mom wants to take better pictures of her kids. Photography is one of those things that everyone can improve on because there is so much to learn and master, but there are a few key things that you can buy or do that will make a big difference. Buy a DSLR and a good lens. Point and shoot cameras are convenient and for some types of photography (like landscapes) they are all you need. A marker of a good portrait, however, is pulling the focus to the subject through the creative use of depth of field. In simple terms, … Continue reading →

Should You Upgrade for Christmas?

Tis the season to make known your ultimate photo-related wishes. After all, you never know who might be able to deliver that new DSLR camera you’ve had your eye on, just in time for the holidays. Camera shop owners will be the first to tell you that the month of December is a chaotic time for them. The weeks leading up to Christmas are when many folks decide that they need a camera upgrade in order to capture unforgettable holiday memories, from greeting card group shots to candid gift-opening images. Still, choosing the right DSLR camera (or any camera) comes … Continue reading →

The Kitchen Saga, Part One

Our kitchen is sad. While the rest of our house was duly beautified when we moved in, we just didn’t have enough money to fix up the kitchen. It shows. Our kitchen has delighted us by spewing from the dishwasher the first week we moved in, having the range hood stop working the next week, and throwing various cupboard doors at us in the years after that. I vividly remember holding my baby daughter in one arm while balancing a cupboard door in the other, a door that had just come off in my hands due to dry rot. We’ll … Continue reading →

Take Control of Group Shots

With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, many people had today off from work. Translation: If you hosted the holidays at your home, you may still be dealing with a house full of guests. While you’ve got the entire clan together for an extra day, grab your camera and snap some group shots. Even if your gang consists of just a few stragglers, it’s nice to document loved ones sharing the same space and enjoying each others’ company. Smaller groups lend themselves to close-up shots. The closer you get to your subjects, the easier it will be for you … Continue reading →

Spicing Up Portrait Shots

Did you know Santa is taking reservations for portrait shots right now? According to an email I received from my local mall (on the day after Halloween), my young daughter can be one of the first to pose with St. Nick in all of his holiday splendor. You know, just in case we want to bypass the crowds that wind through the mall post-Black Friday. Needless to say, I didn’t respond to the offer. In fact, I’m not sure I will be featuring any traditional portrait shots in our family’s annual Christmas greeting this year. This summer I saw a … Continue reading →

Going RAW

A Christmas tree lot was just erected across the street from my church, and it’s not even Halloween! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the leap from back-to-school to Christmas. After all, just yesterday I received a catalog from my favorite camera store that’s filled with “MUST-HAVE DSLRS.” Apparently, Santa can order from the company and have the picture-taking tools sent directly to your home in time for you to snap holiday keepers of your kids. As I paged through my now saturated with drool catalog I noticed that a lot of attention was given to cameras that have … Continue reading →

Inspiring Shots

I just returned from a family trip to Hawaii. The weather was incredible and the landscapes were as stunning as ever. Needless to say, I snapped about 500 photos while we were out there. Of course, not everyone can afford to fly to Hawaii to take pictures. However, that shouldn’t stop you from photographing your upcoming spring break trip or any road adventure. There are hundreds of places across the country, which provide awe-inspiring photo opportunities. Here are just a few: CALIFORNIA 17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach This scenic road hugs the Pacific Ocean and winds through Pacific Grove and … Continue reading →

How Did We Ever Live Without a DVR?

I know TiVo’s been around for a while now, but Wayne and I aren’t always the most up-to-date techy users. In fact, we’re usually well behind most trends. It was only three years ago we got cell phones and only because he had to for his job. And it was only this past Christmas I got a digital camera. So it’s really no surprise we waited as long as we did to finally upgrade to DVR service with Comcast. Which we did this past week. Actually, it was two days ago to be exact and we can’t figure out why … Continue reading →

Scrapbooking Week in Review for January 1-6, 2008

The New Year is upon us and with that comes new goals, new tips and new articles here on families.com. The scrapbooking blog is once again buzzing with activity and will continue to grow and broaden during the year. We will be taking a look at a few forgotten categories and helping those flourish. Here’s what has been up in the scrapbooking blog this past week. Is Scrapbooking Dying Out? When you’re in the industry as long as I have been, you tend to see different trends come and go, different products reach their height and then die out, and … Continue reading →