Summer photo tips - 2 of 4 Top 5 tips for photo friendly clothing

Last week we kicked off our blog post series on summer photo tips by talking about my favorite iPhone apps for Photosanity.

This week I'm going to talk about another favorite topic that has been on my mind with the start of summer and that is... summer outfits!

Of course, there are cute kid outfits for any season, but there's something about summer where you can really have fun with bright colors, fun accessories and adorable swimwear.

And one of the benefits of photography is that you can immortalize your favorite outfits... and maybe even justify a bit of a splurge on outfits that, through your photos, can be thought of as not just for a season but for a lifetime!

Here are my top 5 tips on photo friendly clothing:

1) Be deliberate.

Don't just throw "whatever" on your kids when you know you are planning on taking photos. That doesn't mean they have to dress fancy, but think ahead a little and make sure you put them in one of your favorite outfits (we all have not-so-favorites that they can wear on days when nothing special is planned, right?)

Not a summer outfit but I couldn't resist including this photo from the fall. A textured knit sweater can be gorgeous in photos. This one is from Gymboree

And if your kids like to dress themselves, that's great! Just let them know they should pick their favorite outfit and maybe some of your least favorites just so happen to be in the laundry that day...

2) Pick what looks good to you, has meaning, expresses personality and tells the story.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: don't worry about what looks good objectively, or to an "artistic eye". This is not about becoming a stylist, this is about how to best capture the moment.

Words can be distracting - but here they add meaning. This was taken a few months after Jack was born.

If you are photographing your kids together, they don't have to match but try and make sure they don't, in your eyes clash.

I always suggest to my portrait clients that they lay the family's outfits out on a sofa or bed and if they look good together to them, that's all that counts. That may be overkill for informal photos that you are taking but it's something to keep in mind if you have more than one child/person you are photographing.

3) Avoid anything too distracting.

Some photographers are sticklers for avoiding graphics, logos and patterns in clothing for photos. I'm less extreme, but the only things I suggest avoiding are wide, contrasting stripes as they can be very distracting. Certainly large graphics, words and logos can be distracting also - you'll have to decide, but if it reflects the child's personality and/or is a favorite shirt with special meaning, then go for it!

Love the solids from Tea Collection

Liam and Jack mostly wear graphic tees and there are many that I love and have no problem photographing them in. I do also look out for solids but I find quality is more important with solids and they are harder to find. Tea Collection is one of my favorites though, for both graphics and solids!

4) Comfort is key.

You want your kids to feel comfortable and natural, so don't torture them by dressing them up in outfits that make them look and feel uncomfortable just for photos. Of course, if you have to for another reason (eg a wedding or other special event) then by all means take advantage of that opportunity and take some photos too. And of course, if they love to dress up, then great.

These superman pjs from Baby Gap seemed a little pricey at the time but have been more than worth it in photo ops!

Otherwise, no cute outfit is worth ruining the experience of your child... because it will ruin your memory of the moments you capture in photos too.

5) Accessorize!

Cute hats, sunglasses, sandals, even swim accessories like goggles, armbands, beach towels and floaties can all feature in your photos to help tell the story and capture the moment.

Hats can be totally adorable and the shading they provide is good for photos as well as skin protection. Hat by Egg Baby and onesie by Tea Collection

Again, don't use "props" just for photos because it will look and feel unnatural, but look for the extra items that will add meaning.

Of course, your kids could be in the perfect outfits but if you can't get them to cooperate for your photos, you are going to be frustrated.

Stop missing the moment

A lot of parents tell me one of their biggest problems is that they are always missing the moment. In my new online self-guided workshop, Stop Missing the Moment: an Introduction to Photosanity, based on the popular workshop I have been giving on person, I give you simple high impact strategies in a series of six videos, each 10 minutes or so, plus a PDF reference guide.

You'll learn the biggest mistake parents make that has them missing the moment, how to start experimenting with getting out of auto on your DSLR (included is my "get out of auto cheat sheet"), how to create a simple organization system if you don't have anything in place, and the critical step to getting photos successfully off your hard drive and onto the walls of your home.

Included with all my online workshops now is membership in the newly created Photosanity Peer-to-Peer Facebook group. The online Photosanity community has always been something special that I could never have predicted, and I'm enjoying hearing from long time alumni as well as those more recent to Photosanity. Everyone has been introducing themselves and sharing wonderful thoughts and photos and this week's photo theme is "down low". I can't wait to see what the group comes up with.

Come and join us!

Find out more about the Stop Missing the Moment workshop now!

And if you have already purchased a Photosanity workshop or service in the past, check your email for details on joining the group for free, or get in touch for more info!

Summer photo tips 1 of 4 - Top 5 iPhone apps for Photosanity

Summer is here! Well, I guess officially we still have a few more weeks, but somehow here in New York the summer weather switch seems to get magically flipped on Memorial Day weekend and we've already had a few humid days that have made me wonder why it was I was looking forward to summer all this time!

Humidity aside, summer is definitely my favorite season. I'm a park and beach kind of person and having kids has given me even more of a reason to get out and make the most of the season.

Summer is also when most people take the most photos, so today we are going to kick off a series of fun blog posts with summer photo tips.

So today I'm going to talk about my top 5 iPhone apps for Photosanity:

1) Snapseed:
I never share an iPhone photo without editing it and the first thing I do is run it through Snapseed. I love the drama filter and under "tune image" you can also adjust things like brightness, contrast and white balance.

2) Camera+:
I usually then export my photo to Camera+ to add a border and apply a filter. The great thing about Camera+ filters, or effects as they are called, is that you can adjust the intensity and it's also really easy to layer them.

3) Facebook:
I know, you wouldn't think of Facebook as a photo app but in my book it is essential to my Photosanity! I know it's not for everyone, but I love to use Facebook for sharing photos with family and friends.

Yes, there are many other platforms for sharing photos but I've found Facebook to be the easiest way for me to reach the most people in my world. Facebook even has some built in photo editing tools although I haven't really played around with those yet.

4) Dropbox:
Again, you might not think of Dropbox as a photo app, and it is definitely so much more because it syncs and shares your files across multiple platforms (desktop, laptop, phone) and with other people - I use Dropbox to collect prep-work and homework from all my coaching clients. But it's also a really great photo sharing app, particularly if you activate the "Camera Upload" setting. Turn this on and your phone will automatically upload your photos to a Dropbox folder, which you can then share.

This is a great alternative to Photo Stream for getting all your iPhone photos onto your computer automatically, or for automatically sharing your camera roll with your spouse or family members, as I do with my sister who loves to see as many photos of Liam and Jack as possible.

It's also a convenient way to get photos from your computer to your phone for easy viewing on the go.

Sign up with my Dropbox referral link and get 500MB of bonus space free.

5) ShutterCal: I would never have been able to keep up my photo-a-day project for over 4 years were it not for the fact that I can upload photos straight from my phone, and the ShutterCal iphone app makes it easy to do. Even if you don't have an iphone, you can still upload photos through the ShutterCal website via your phone's browser.

The new Photosanity + Shuttercal bundles make it even easier for you to succeed with your photo-a-day project and to enjoy the moments you capture. Photosanity + ShutterCal bundles come with the Photosanity Photo-a-Day Guide - a PDF chock full of tips and suggestions for how to make your project easy and fun - and membership in the Photosanity Peer-to-Peer Facebook Group to connect with fellow Photosanity parents.

Find out more about the Photosanity + ShutterCal bundles now.

Winners all around at the Brooklyn Baby Expo!

What a wonderful day! The Brooklyn Baby Expo, held on Sunday by A Child Grows in Brooklyn, was a beautiful day and it was great meeting so many local parents, other businesses and entrepreneurs, and delivering my seminar, Take Better Photos of Your Children & Stop Missing the Moment.

Congratulations to Vincent Cichinski, the winner of our Photosanity + ShutterCal raffle. Vincent is the lucky recipient of a gallery print from ShutterCal of a photo of his choice, professionally edited by me!

Every time I talk with parents about photographing their kids I remember how much it means to all of us to capture the fleeting moments of our children's lives and to share, enjoy and preserve those moments.

I am also reminded of just how busy we all are - and how that makes it even more important, and more special, to take a moment out of every day to enjoy our children and to create photos that they can look back on to remember how happy their childhood was when they are grown.

For busy parents who want more

With this in mind I am excited to announce the launch of the Photosanity Summer Collection. The Summer Collection is full of self-guided workshops designed for busy parents to get the most out of photographing their kids - and to achieve photosanity with strategies for photographing, organizing, editing, sharing and displaying your photos.

See what the Summer Collection can bring to you and contact me with your questions and ideas.

To all of the great moms and dads we met at the Brooklyn Baby Expo -

Remember to take advantage of your 10% discount now through June 15.

Thank you Photosanity community - celebrating a wonderful week together

Wow, what a week! First of all, I want to say thank you to all my amazing clients, friends and colleagues for all of your support, encouragement and participation.

You make the Photosanity community great - and you are all so much a part of why I love what I do.

This has been an exciting week for Photosanity. DNAinfo.com interviewed me in the article Brooklyn Mom Becomes Photo Coach for Snap-Happy Parents. And the Daily Mail followed with an article that focuses on client experiences and shares some of my favorite Photosanity parent before and after photos.

My sincere thanks to all of the clients who participated in interviews for sharing your stories. It is an honor to know that Photosanity has made such a difference in your lives by helping you capture the moments with your kids.

And for everyone who has been in touch as a result of the press coverage, whether it's been a "like" on Facebook or a personal note, it has been so great to hear from everyone!

For those of you in the NYC area, please come out and see me at the Brooklyn Baby Expo this Sunday in Carroll Gardens.

I went to the first Brooklyn Baby Expo and it was great, so I can recommend this event from experience. You will find an amazing number of resources for babies and kids and you will have the chance to hear from experts that will help to answer your expectant parent, new parent and veteran parent questions and concerns.

Tickets are still available and start at $15 which includes all seminars AND a free lunch - amazing value!

The Expo is on from 10.30am - 4.00pm. If you can, stop by my seminar at the Baby Expo at 11:00 am. I will be sharing tips on how to capture the moment and how to use photography to bring you even closer to your kids.

Each seminar attendee will receive the Photosanity Get Out of Auto Cheat Sheet as a beautiful postcard you can tuck into your camera bag, plus FREE access to my new online self-study workshop, Stop Missing The Moment: An Introduction to Photosanity ($45 value – not yet available to the public!). Attendees will also be entered to win a 30 minute private Photosanity coaching session.

Follow Brooklyn Baby Expo updates on twitter: #bklynbabyexpo (there is a pre-Expo twitter party tonight from 8-9pm) and facebook now through Sunday.

The most rewarding half hour of my week, thanks to Kiwi Crate

Kiwi Crate is an awesome monthly service for kids aged 3 - 7 where each month you get a box filled with art supplies and instructions for a couple of projects, along with ideas for further exploration.

We've been doing it for over a year now and I have been THRILLED with it!

The projects are imaginative, inventive and relatively easy to put together. What you get in each box has way exceeded my expectations. You don't just get raw materials that you could buy in a store - you also get custom designed pieces for your project.

It's perfect for the busy parent that doesn't have the time to come up with and put these ideas together themselves, which I have to admit includes me even though I went to art school and have taught toddler-parent art classes!

Basically, Kiwi Crate does the work for you and you still get the fun of the results, just for sitting with your child for a few moments and helping them follow a few simple instructions!

And this month's project was one of the best yet.

This bird costume did not sound particularly remarkable out of the box, but I loved seeing Liam's focused concentration as he figured out how to stick the feathers to the mask and get them all on there. And I have to admit I did pat myself on the back for patiently holding the wings and allowing him to do the lacing with the elastic for them himself.

But when we were finally ready for him to put the wings on... oh my goodness, RIDICULOUSLY CUTE! Like, why did I not realize that putting wings on my four year old son would be the best thing ever?!

Add the mask, and the picture was complete. Actually, the last time Liam made a mask, he refused to wear it, so I was worried that would be the case here. He looked skeptical, but he's completely obsessed with Superheroes these days so I called on... Hawk Boy! And he was totally sold.

Talk about more fully experiencing the precious fleeting moments of your children's lives... this was probably the best, most fun, most rewarding half hour of my week.

Thank you Kiwi Crate!

If you have kids aged 3 - 7, check it out and use my referral link to get $10 off your first box!

PS You can also add extra materials to your crate for siblings for a much smaller fee than paying double, which could also be great for close by cousins or best friends.