I know it's in poor taste to post another photographer's work without their permission, but when the photographer(s) is six, and your son (or sons, as the case may be) then I think it's ok. My two little monkeys got a hold of my iPhone this morning and proceeded to take almost 300 pictures, all within the span of about 15 minutes.  Now maybe I'm just blinded by my mommy goggles, but I think some of them are really good!  Do I have a couple of little artist on my hands!?

Here is a peek into my home through the eyes of two six year olds.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Some days were just made for hanging out in the grass!

Seattle is so predictable.  June is always cold and rainy.  July 1st is cold and rainy.  And then, just when you think you can't take anymore, July 5th comes along, and suddenly it's summertime.  This year however, Mother Nature gave us all the gift of a sunny and warm July 4th!  And what a day it was! We started the day with my boys marching in a parade along with my mom and her office.  Very fun!  Then we went to our friends farm and enjoyed the sunshine with good food, friends, and age appropriate fire works! It was a beautiful day!

On the way home, we stopped and were able to take in Seattle's Lake Union Fireworks show!

The next day, we were treated to a personal tour of Pop Cap headquarters (the makers of Plants vs. Zombies: a.k.a H and D's favorite game EVER)  It was awesome!  The boys learned how the games are made and programed and came home with a ton of cool swag!

So far, summer is off to a great start.  And now that summer is actually feeling like summer, I'm excited for even more adventures.  Who knows, I may even go camping! (eek!)

I know I already blogged today, but I just came home from working with the most adorable little newborn baby and just had to share.  What a dreamboat!

I love mamma and toddler photos.  They are always so adorable!

The Fourth of July is just around the corner.  I'm sure you are busy planning your family outings, BBQ's and fireworks.  Hopefully you are also planning to take lots of pictures of your kids enjoying this fun holiday.

That, my friend, is why I'm going to share my five favorite tips for photographing kids!

1.Don't ask them to say cheese.  Ever. Instead, try getting down to their level and acting silly. Sing songs, make funny noises, tell jokes, whatever it takes to get your kids to laugh at you.  Once they're laughing, then take your pictures.  You'll have more than one of a true, genuine smile.  I promise!

2. Be a spy!  Or a wild-life photographer!  Just sit back and quietly observe.  Photographing kids in their natural environment, while they are just doing their thing is the best way to get those lovely candids we all love.

3. Let them be themselves!  Let them wear crazy outfits!  Let them pose with their legos or stuffed animals!  Let them make silly faces!  In twenty years, every wacky photo you've ever taken will be family treasure.

4. Be fast!  You don’t have long before your child will tire of you and your camera.  Shoot fast and furious… you can always edit later!

5. Edit.  This is a hard one for parents.  But remember, just because your child is in a picture, doesn't mean it's a good picture.  Look for the best of the best.  The rest can go.  Your child will thank you later.

Want to know more?  Well stay tuned, I'll be sharing more tips and tricks all summer long!  And if you really want to learn how to get great photos of your kids, then sign up for my newsletter!  I'll be teaching my Photography 101 for parents again soon, as well as my iPhone class.  Being on the mailing list means that when I do, you'll be the first to know!

Happy Shooting!

Sandra

Here is one of my favorite photos from one of last week's maternity portrait sessions.  It had been a typical rainy Seattle day, but then, just as we started, the sun came out and gave this lovely soft light.  Just beautiful!

I'm pretty sure that the only thing better than a newborn baby, is two newborn babies.

Adorable!

So, for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to sign my boys up for summer swim classes at one of the only outdoor pools we have here in Seattle.  Fun, right?  The only problem is June is not all that summery.  Yesterday it was fifty degrees and rainy.  All the parents stood around the pool in parkas, under umbrellas and watched as their children learned to swim while slowly turning blue.  I personally was miserable.  Luckily, the kids don't seem to mind

I snapped these photos of my boys as we walked to school on the last day of kindergarten.  I can hardly believe they will be going to first grade in the fall.  Weren't they just born?!  They really do grow up so fast.  It kind of takes my breath away. And yes, Harvey is wearing pajama pants to school.  I let them dress themselves.  It makes me laugh!

I love you boys!  And I'm looking forward to our summer together!

xoxoxox