What a difference

Last weekend I went home to Cedar City to help my dad take pictures of 1000 soccer kids. No really, that's how many there were. Ages 4-14, they came in droves of pink, yellow, green, blue, and orange. I took, 1000 pictures of about 350 kids. After posing, bending down, and shouting, "say hot chicks" or "say cute boys" that many times, I came away with a sore back, a missing voice, and aching thighs. But all in all it was totally worth it. One, I got to help my dad and see my family, always a bonus. Two, I got to get away from Laney for the first ever. Although it felt as if I had left part of myself behind, it was nice not to have to worry about when nap time is, how to fit nap time in, what to feed her, why is she crying, and how to keep her safe. Brad had a blast spending one on one time with his little girl, and even taught her how to kick her soccer ball for the 1st time!!

I brought home a superb souvenir, a new camera. The good ol point-and-shoot camera has always suited our needs perfectly fine. But when Laney came into our lives, I noticed a huge lack in the quality of our family shots, expecially close-ups. I've never claimed to be a photographer, but with being a photographers daughter my entire life, I can't help but be a professional photo critic. I cringe every time I look at most of Laney's baby shots ruined by red eye, blurriness, haze, and graininess. Here's proof of the difference. If you can't tell the difference between the first two pictures, then you shouldn't waste the extra money on a SLR camera.

The new camera is almost too good. I have to be extra careful and make sure Laney's face is clean, it picks up everything!! Also, I have to put a little more thought and effort into the settings to get fabulous shots. There are a million buttons on this thing!! Here are a few more extra pictures, I can't get enough of the beautiful colors this camera can pick up!!

If you're thinking to yourself, those cameras are way too expensive.....let's rethink this. Here are my tips on camera buying. You can get a decent point-and-shoot camera (we prefer canon) for about 250 these days. They're great for vacations and casual shooting. But if you want some photos to document just how beautiful those baby blue's are, you'll need an upgrade. You can get an older, but still brand new SLR camera (such as the Canon Rebel or Nikon D40) for 4-500, not that much more considering these pictures last a life time. For the newer basic SLR cameras with niftier features (Nikon D60, D80, or Canon Xsi or Xti), those run about 600-900. We picked ourselves up a Nikon D60, which has a great combo of pre-set settings for the amateur and flexible settings for those who know what aperture and ISO are. My dad (pro photographer for almost 30 years) thinks that the quality difference between the D60 can put out quality photos almost as good as the D300 ($1800). The bigger more expensive cameras have much more options and can take quality photos in a larger variety of settings. It all really comes down to sensors (which help colors and skin tones look natural), a good lense, and a decent flash. Don't be fooled by the megapixels, which are important yes, but unless you're wanting to print anything bigger than an 8x10, 6 megapixels are plenty. Or in my case, I like to crop from a full body shot, to a facial profile picture.

So there is my ranting and raving about cameras and pictures. I won't go into what I think of everyone calling themselves a photographer just b/c they have a fancy camera. Not only do you have to know how to use the camera, but there is a lot of artistic creativity that goes into posing, lighting, and backdrops. So if you're looking for someone to take professional pictures, make sure they have more credentials than being a family member. Don't be afraid to shop around, look at portfolios, ask about any training and experience, or choose a professional over a friend or family memeber. I know too many friends who hate their wedding pictures b/c of that last one. Sorry, good pictures are something I'm pretty passionate about.