LilSugar

Photographer Sets New Standard For Newborn Portraits

LilSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:00:30 -0700

Show me a new mama and I'll show you a woman with a brag book filled with precious photos of her newborn. There's no denying that parents love to show off their kids, be it via images on their phones, albums in their Facebook accounts or photo albums bursting out of their bags.

While snapshots on the ol' digital camera may work for some moms, others turn to the professionals for a portrait that can become the centerpiece of their rooms. For years, Anne Geddes' whimsical shots of babies incorporated into nature were the standard by which photographers shot their subjects, but following an appearance on The Today Show, a Nebraska shutterbug with a knack for photographing sleepy newborns in some adorable poses is creating a stir. Tracy Raver's calming photos of weeks-old babes are the result of warm studios and bellies full of milk, allowing the artist to carefully maneuver the tots into her signature poses. Raver told viewers her trick was to photograph babies before they turned one month old, because that's when they get a bit feistier and can throw off a session.

Did you turn to the professionals to photograph your newborn, or did you stick with family snapshots?

Photo courtesy of Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden Photography

Do You Prefer Traditional or Modern School Pictures?

LilSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:30:31 -0700

Strike a pose, it's picture time! Good-bye cheesy portraits - a number of schools are giving students and their parents more options when it comes to taking the traditional class shots. Last week while filling out my daughter's order form, I was surprised to see how many options were available - from an up-close-and-personal angle to the old-school shot. Some portrait companies are even encouraging students to showcase their creative side and shooting candids. Which do you prefer?

Source: Flickr User Brymo

Have You Ever Taken a Photo of Your Child With Booze?

babysugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:00:43 -0700

It's Labor Day weekend, and I have a feeling many a baby will be propped on the lawn chair with a cold one resting next to him while his parents snap away. If it's hot enough, mama might even put him in the cooler for a quick ice down. Moms and dads who don't condone children drinking or even wearing gear promoting the alcoholic substances may find posing the babe next to a bottle of booze harmless. What's your opinion?

Texts and Tunes: Board Book Albums

LilSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:00:20 -0800

After looking at all of the board books lined up on my kids' bookshelves, I'm amazed that I never had this idea myself. When Laura Miranti's youngest child was undergoing early learning therapy, her therapist suggested creating a photo album of the people and objects her daughter saw on a daily basis. From there, the Texas-based mom of three hatched an idea for Board Book Albums. ($20) - photo albums reminiscent of her tot's every day reads that can hold standard 4x6-inch snapshots.

The great thing about the books is that they can be updated as the child grows, or reused for younger siblings with appropriate images. According to Miranti, "Studies have shown that young children only have object recognition with photos. This means that before the age of two, they can not relate a drawing of an object with the actual object, but they can relate a photo of the object with the actual object." With that in mind, it is no wonder that teachers and therapists are recommending similar book concepts for their students.

Pimp Your Crib: Me Art

LilSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:00:33 -0800

There are few images a child would rather see than his own face. While framing pictures of your tot is one way to make them happy, putting his image on canvas brings a whole new life to the likeness. Me Art allows you to create your own piece of artwork based on a favorite photo. Simply upload a photo, select a design, choose your colors and write a message. The team at Me Art then digitally creates your masterpiece. From Warhol-esque prints to antique-looking pieces, the final products will ensure that your tot is the center of attention in any room.

Have Your Tot's Picture Taken With Santa?

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0800

Santa Claus is coming to town and well, he's already at the mall! Whether you use the snapshot of your kids with St. Nick for holiday cards or to showcase on the mantel, many families make posing for one an annual tradition.

Will your children sit on Santa's lap at the mall this year?

Source

Holiday Photo Style: Family Pajamas

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

Holiday photo shoots are notorious for matching jammies. If you're wondering where moms and dads find the soft sets made for family dressing, look no further. Check out this season's latest loungewear here. Source

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Did You Take Growth Photos of Your Belly?

LilSugar — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:00:33 -0700

When Jennifer777 shared a beautiful photo album of her growing baby bump, I was taken aback by how neat it is to have a daily or weekly photo collection that shows how your body changes during pregnancy. Our Belly Worship group is filled with pics of pregnant moms-to-be, but usually it's just one photo at a time.
(If you did take lots of photos during your pregnancy you can share them in our Belly Worship group.)

Blogging About Baby: What to Share

LilSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:00:19 -0700

So you've decided to create a website to share stories and photos of your child. Now what? After you spend some time deciding if you should purchase a specific domain name and who you expect will read the site it's time to start writing! Here are some suggestions for what to include:

Memorable moments - Family websites are the perfect place to share ultrasound pictures, birth announcements and those hilarious kid moments. You can send the link to all your friends and they can comment on the site instead of in an email.
Photos! - I cherish the photos of my children and can't help but want to share them with all our friends and family. I suggest including all those magical individual pictures of your children on special occasions, silly moments or even weekly or daily pics.

For more ideas, just read more.

Share your photo service page - If you don't want to spend time uploading pictures to your website consider using Flickr or Picasa to share your pictures with family and friends. You can upload them in a flash (often you can use an uploading tool and get hundreds of photos online in a matter of minutes), tag them, give them captions and best of all allow your family and friends. You can always link to your photo service page on your blog or website.
Video - You can upload your video footage to TeamSugar or YouTube and send the link to friends, or use the embed code and put the video on your site.

Source

Belly Worship: Jennifer Loomis

LilSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:00:52 -0700

One woman made a career out of capturing expectant ladies in a state of belly worship. Renowned photographer, Jennifer Loomis has photographed more than1,500 women with child and is currently writing a book about celebrating the full form. We were lucky enough to ask the shutterbug a few questions about striking a pose while pregnant.

Q. Ever since Demi Moore exposed her bare bump on the cover of the August 1991 issue of Vanity Fair while pregnant with her daughter, Scout, celebs from Christina Aguilera to Melissa Joan Hart have stripped down their expectant selves for photo shoots. Why do you think this started a trend?

A. Pregnant celebrity women have made a very positive contribution to expecting women in the United States. Our society likes to mimic what the celebrities do. Celebrities drive a lot of fashion and set many trends. As regular fashion started to be more revealing, pregnant celebrity women followed suite, embracing their bodies by wearing tighter clothes and exposing their bellies. This paved the way for other mothers to do the same.

To see the rest of the advice, read more.

Q. When baring it all for a photographer, how can a mama-to-be be sure that her shots will be classy, not tacky? Are their specific things to look for in a photographer?

A. First and foremost, do your research. The web is your best resource. Find a photographer whose photographs you like. That is the most important thing. Look for images and poses that you would feel comfortable doing. I would also recommend finding a photographer who is experienced shooting the most flattering angles of pregnant women. You want to come away from your session feeling beautiful, not focused on the areas of your body you aren't comfortable with.

Q. As a photographer, what do you find to be the most beautiful aspect of the pregnant belly?

A. Each pregnant belly is different and I think that they are all beautiful in their own way. I really love it when the baby is moving in the belly and you can see it. I also have photographed it.