They sat on the couch and stared at each other in disbelief. They had just finished celebrating their youngest child's 16th birthday, and could not believe how fast time was flying by. It seemed like only yesterday they were holding their last baby in their arms.
Suddenly, the wife turned to her husband and asked, "When was our last family portrait?" The question caught the husband off guard, and he had to think for a moment. "It must have been when the kids were still little," he replied, "so much has happened since then."
As they reminisced about the past, they realized just how much their family had grown and changed, celebrating so many birthdays, two graduations, and even the birth of their first grandchild with their oldest. Their last baby had a few more years left in the home, and just like that, they would be empty-nesters.
The wife's eyes filled with tears as she spoke about what it would mean to her to have a current family portrait. It would represent everything they were together in this present stage and the life traveled with all the ups and downs, milestones, and memories. All their family dreams had come true, but so many little moments had slipped by unnoticed while life was busy. They had so much to be proud of and knew at least this moment could live with them forever in a portrait.
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While this is not a real story of any one client, it is a real story of all our clients and the things they've shared with us through 16 years of portrait work. We enrich family bonds through emotional, personalized art, a truly unique visual presentation on the wall that says to each member, you matter, you belong. The ultimate product is not the material itself, but the complete vision and customized experience we provide that led to the special moment in time you can always return to.
Series: Top 10 things that KILL Summer Photos #1
Your life and memories deserve to be amazing! This series focuses on the 10 biggest mistakes that kill your summer family photos and how you can fix them.
MISTAKE #1 - Using Only Your Smartphone Camera
Smartphones are indeed cool and convenient, but they have a ways to come yet. Your family summer vacations are outside the normal routine and take you on many new adventures...meaning countless complex lighting situations phone cameras cannot deal with. Have you ever tried to use your phone to make a photo in lava tube, attempted to capture the beautiful sunset at the beach resort, or got a blurry group shot around luau table after dark? Then you know what I 'm talking about and how your smartphone just couldn't keep up.
Taken on an iPhone in a little morning shade. Not very good.
Let's take a closer look. Really bad.
iPhone trying to deal with low light in a tent.
SOLUTION: At the risk of stating the obvious, use your real camera instead
Like you, I have been lulled into the iDevice age. It takes considerable effort to remember the old digital-camera-thingy. Nearly all digital cameras are still better than nearly all smartphone cameras today, even the ones that boast 40 megapixels. We can certainly argue that phone technology is getting better...but so are high definition displays. How will your phone images look on that 4K screen you have been eyeing? Regardless which tech wins the race, I want to give my family memories the best possible chance which will never come from a built in camera smaller than a button. In twenty years it will be irrelevant which device we made images on...no one remembers nor cares. In that day, the quality of the memory will be determined by whether or not the image even is worth viewing.
Taken on a 12 year old camera
Taken on a 12 year old camera
Taken on a 10 year old camera
Taken on a 12 year old camera
Taken on a 3 year old camera
Taken on a 3 year old camera
By the way, I am not saying to stop using your smart phone camera altogether. When it's all you've got, its all you've got. Just stop always relying on your smartphone as the "go-to device" while vacationing and making memories together. You will regret it.
Read about the other mistakes...
-JMB
© 2015 Jared M. Burns Photography
Snohomish Family Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | info@jaredmburns.com
Series: Top 10 things that KILL Summer Photos #2
Your life and memories deserve to be amazing! This series focuses on the 10 biggest mistakes that kill your summer family photos and how you can fix them.
MISTAKE #2 - You didn't put much effort into it
We were excited to use the camera when we first got it, but remembering to always bring it soon feels like a burden. For us, it usually goes down a little like this...
[Car is packed, kids are belted, and we just settled into our seats.]
[Wife]: "Did you get the camera?"
[Me]: "Nooo, I thought you were going to get it."
[Wife]: "But you're the one who takes all the pictures."
[Me]: "If you want me to take all the pictures, then can you go find the camera?"
[Wife]: "I don't want to go back and look for it."
[Me]: "If I have to go get it now, we are going to be late. Let's just go."
[Wife]: "I have my iPhone with me anyway."
Sometimes we are just camera lazy people. We don't feel motivated to be creative or intentional with the photos and opt for the path of least resistance. It results in thoughtless snapshots or absolutely no shots.
SOLUTION: Have a theme, make it fun
Bringing the camera is a discipline...You just have to do it. However, planing a summer photo theme is an easy way to help make it fun again. It encourages family participation toward a common photo goal. It boosts your own creative energy along the way. Best of all, the vacation photos are much more fun to share with people when there are themes to tie everything together.
Here are some theme ideas you may steal...
Take photos in a visual sequence to tell the vacation story
Make at least one campfire portrait each year
Hide a silly prop in shots as an Easter egg for other people to discover when they view photos later
Include some fun repeating element as many photos as you can
Whoever takes the funniest photo wins a prize
Look for objects in your travels that are weird/quirky to build a photo collection
Make a quick group shot at every landmark
Spot and photograph strange signs along the way
Snap a quick photo of the heritage markers then read about it in the car as you drive
Make funny forced perspective pictures at all the tourist sites
Document it every time someone gets to do something new or unusual
*My Favorite* Shoot with the intention to make a family vacation album each year
Read about the other mistakes...
-JMB
© 2015 Jared M. Burns Photography
Snohomish Family Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | info@jaredmburns.com
Series: Top 10 things that KILL Summer Photos #3
Your life and memories deserve to be amazing! This series focuses on the 10 biggest mistakes that kill your summer family photos and how you can fix them.
MISTAKE #3 - You didn't have a backup plan
Faulty memory cards and failed hard drives always happen to somebody else, right? Wrong. Data loss will happen to everyone at some point. In fact, it just happened to me on our vacation a few weeks ago and you can read all about it here.
Here are some recent stories people have shared with me. Do any sound familiar to you?
Went swimming, but forgot the memory card was in my pocket
Put the camera and cards safely in the luggage, but the airline lost it
Backpack got stolen with the camera in it
Accidentally deleted all the photos
Had the camera with us on the boat, but that was the last time we remember seeing it
Left the camera at the restaurant, but it never made it to lost and found
Misplaced the memory cards at one of the hotels
Uploaded them to the computer, but the hard drive failed
Uploaded them to the laptop, but it was stolen from the hotel room
Totally random and unexplained data corruption
SOLUTION: Bring a mini backup hard drive
You would bring a backup copy of your passport so why not a backup plan for your vacation photos? Tech today makes it so simple, anybody can do it. Here are four steps to ensure your photo memories can be safe and enjoyed long after you get home.
WHILE VACATIONING: Back the photos up to a small travel drive every day or two. Here are some great ones: Buffalo 1 TB Portable Mini Drive ($70), Western Digital 500 GB Portable Mini Drive ($50), Wireless Mini Backup Hard Drive w/ Backup Battery & SD Card Reader ($40)
WHEN YOU GET HOME: Back up your photo files on another external drive with all your other important back up data. I use and recommend WD My Book 4 TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive with Backup ($130).
NEAR-TERM: Upload your favorite memories to an online photo storage or data site. I use Drop Box because it is free and so easy to drag and drop files. You can also use Google Drive, One Drive, Box, or countless other online services.
LONG-TERM: Keep backups on your own mini server (Preferably not in your home). Check out the 4 TB My Cloud EX2 by Western Digital ($350).
Even if you can't do all four levels of protection, PLEASE start with at least one now and move to the next level when you are ready.
Have you been the victim of data loss? There still might be a chance to save the summer vacation photos, here is what you need to do.
Read about the other mistakes...
-JMB
© 2015 Jared M. Burns Photography
Snohomish Famliy Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | info@jaredmburns.com
Series: Top 10 things that KILL Summer Photos #4
Your life and memories deserve to be amazing! This series focuses on the 10 biggest mistakes that kill your summer family photos and how you can fix them.
MISTAKE #4 - Not Getting Close Enough to the Moment
If your summer photos seem like a random collection of snapshots, it might just be because you are only making snapshots. Snapshots are effortless and usually taken from afar. They include too much in the frame with no clear subject. One is left struggling to understand why the photo was taken in the first place.
SOLUTION: Move in Even Closer
Zoom in tight with your lens or even physically use your legs to move yourself closer to the family action. You will eliminate distractions outside of the image frame and put focus on what is most important to you. One of the strangest things I have learned about photography is the more you focus on small details or single moments, the more complete the visual story.
If you want to dig deeper, here is a fun book I found that can help improve personal photos no matter what kind of camera you use...
Better Photo Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro ($12.75)
Read about the other mistakes...
-JMB
© 2015 Jared M. Burns Photography
Snohomish Family Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | info@jaredmburns.com
Series: Top 10 things that KILL Summer Photos #5
Your life and memories deserve to be amazing! This series focuses on the 10 biggest mistakes that kill your summer family photos and how you can fix them.
MISTAKE #5 - Never appearing in your own family photos
In photography we say, "If it is not in the frame, it doesn't exist." Since you are the one reading this, much like me, you are are likely the one in the family with the passion for taking photos and making sure you appear in photos is easy to over look.
SOLUTION: Be intentional about getting in shots yourself!
You are a critical part of your family's stories. When these memories are passed down, you simply must be in them. No selfies or selfie sticks. This requires the assistance of another family member, friend, or dare I say, handing your camera to a passing stranger.
When no one else is available, use a tripod. They certainly don't have to be cumbersome. Here are a few affordable and cool tripods you will want to carry when you travel: Joby GorillaPod ($46), Pedco UltraPod ($12), or AmazonBasics 52-Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod ($80).
Tel Dan, Israel thanks to my tripod.
Skagit Valley, WA thanks to my wife!
Zion National Park, UT thanks to my brother!
Camping near Mountain Look Highway, Granite Falls, WA thanks to my tripod.
North Creek Park, Mill Creek, WA thanks to my wife!
Read about the other mistakes...
-JMB
© 2015 Jared M. Burns Photography
Snohomish Family Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | info@jaredmburns.com