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What’s New at FamilySearch? – Week of June 8, 2012

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There are plenty of reasons why FamilySearch is one of the most popular genealogy websites. The website is constantly adding new records and helpful information about genealogy techniques, resources, and terminology. It also helps that all genealogists can use FamilySearch for free! Here are some of the new things going on at FamilySearch this week. FamilySearch is still working hard on indexing the 1940 United States Census. Every time they update, they post a blog called “1940 Census Indexing Progress Report”. Four more states have been added to FamilySearch. They now have a total of 18 states that are completely … Continue reading →

Capturing Summer Stunners

Remember: The sun is your friend. When I first got into photography, I would regularly curse the sun’s presence because, as a newbie, I didn’t know how to get the big ball of blazing gases to work for me. These days, I am well aware of the “golden hours” (the half hour before, and half hour after, sunrise or sunset) and the benefits of owning a diffuser. What’s more, I now know not to take aim at photo subjects at high noon on a bright and sunny summer day. Photographing people in the middle of the day is far from … Continue reading →

Are You Better Than Good?

How would you rate your picture-taking skills? Would you categorize yourself as above-average? Once you have been shooting for a while and find that photography is more of a passion than a passing fancy, you might consider making money from your talent. Depending on how much time and money you have to invest in a photo business, you could go all out and really turn your passion into profit. However, these days most people, who are trying to break into the world of professional photography, start off on a smaller scale by selling their best images online. The boom in … Continue reading →

The Importance of Preserving Childhood Memories

Part of the reason (okay, one of the primary reasons) I blog is to chronicle some of the sweet or funny moments in my young daughter’s life. After all, she’s not a baby anymore. (Where did my baby go?) She will be seven soon. Seven. How did that happen? Sadly, some of the only solid memories I have of my daughter as a baby come from photos, a few scribbled journal entries, and these blog posts. I am hoping that she will remember all of the good times we shared together without the aid of printed posts, but alas that … Continue reading →

Using the Macro Mode

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I recently got a new camera, and I’ve been taking more pictures than ever. It’s amazing to me what a difference a quality camera makes. It definitely doesn’t make me a better photographer automatically, but it’s inspired me to learn more and experiment with the capabilities of the camera. For instance, I’ve been taking a lot of photos of crafts I’ve made recently, and I’ve been using the macro setting (also called the close-up mode on some cameras). This setting, most often indicated by a flower, allows you to get up close and personal with the subject of the shot. … Continue reading →

Tips for Taking that Perfect Photo: Art of Distraction

This week I’m talking about baby portraits. Is there anything more precious than great photos of your baby? Since babies grow, develop and change so rapidly, a digital camera is almost as important as the diapers you burn through each day. I’ve given you advice about Timing, Lighting, and Props. Today I’m going to teach you how to get your baby to not only look at the camera, but smile, too! It’s all about distraction, and it’s definitely an art. Nobody does it better than mom, which is why I’m such a huge advocate for taking baby’s portraits yourself! Figure … Continue reading →

Avoiding the Pregnancy Conversation Trap

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If two people are having a conversation and at least one of them is pregnant, the conversation will most likely go in one of four directions. Negative: 1. The pregnant woman will ramble about her pregnancy and the other will get sick of hearing about it. 2. The non-expecting party will keep asking about the pregnancy, and the pregnant women will get sick of talking about it. Positive: 3. The discussion will be completely overtaken by baby talk and neither party minds. 4. Both parties avoid the subject altogether. This happens when one or both parties are either not interested … Continue reading →

More Ideas for a Fun Family Weekend in Nature

Time is running out if you want to experience the awe-inspiring wave of crimson, fiery orange, and golden hues that sweep the country this time of year. However, if you have older children it might be hard to convince them that soaking in the fall foliage scenery via a hayride can actually be fun. If that’s the case, consider the following outdoor options that are a bit more exciting than a leisurely stroll through a forest. Hot Air Balloon There is no better way to enjoy the fiery fall foliage than from the basket of a hot-air balloon gliding over … Continue reading →

Appreciating Pet Photographers

I got the brilliant idea of a “family portrait” the other day — Moose, Lally, and I all in the same picture for once. (It’s rare that I can get that to happen.) Moose is the easy one. He’s pretty happy to lay there and pose for pictures without a problem for quite some time. All it takes is a little petting and you’ve got a Moose in place! I’m probably the second-easiest one out of the family trio. I’m not usually fond of pictures of myself, but I’m willing to pose and try not to blink. Lally is the … Continue reading →

Choosing an Underwater Camera

In my last blog I revealed that my new goal for 2008 is to experiment with underwater photography. Currently, I do not own an underwater camera so I have been doing research on what type of equipment I will need and how much it will cost me. It didn’t take me long to realize that underwater photography is far from a cheap hobby, though the results seem to make the time, effort and money worth it. If you too are interested in taking beautiful pictures under the sea (or in the deep end of the pool) you are going to … Continue reading →