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I haven’t gotten the big camera out much this week because we’ve had some sick kids around here. I’ll be so happy to say goodbye to the sickies, but I’ll admit, I did enjoy the extra snuggles while they lasted. This image is such terrible quality, but I had to have my oldest daughter snap a quick photo of this moment. I can’t remember the last time Alivia fell asleep like this. She turned three this past week and I’ve been pretty emotional about my baby growing up on me….which made this moment just that much sweeter.

If you’re new to Simple as That I’d love for you join us in this weekly tradition. Scroll down to the bottom of this post where you can find all the details on how to share your photos with us.  We’ll be taking a short break from our simple things special guest series while our friends in the US celebrate thanksgiving.

Hello Simple as That blog readers! I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to be guest posting here today, talking about photography (my favorite thing to talk about!). 

I started doing photography several years ago when I was working for Simple Scrapbooks magazine (which is when I first met Rebecca and got to work with her on many projects). I was asked at that time to start teaching photography classes at CKC (Creating Keepsakes Conventions) events around the country. When I told them I knew nothing about photography they basically said, “Well learn it!” So I did and the rest is history. 

 Now, several years later my photography business is going strong, and I live for taking photos of my family. My husband Matt and I have been married for 9 years and we have three beautiful boys. 

I also spend a lot of my time teaching photography classes over at Big Picture Classes. I have a new class coming out next month all about photographing children, which I’m so excited about! It’s been years in the making and I’m so incredibly proud of it! 

 In my classes, one of the questions I’m asked a lot is how I get my photos so sharp, clear and crisp. So today I’d like to share a few of tips with you on how to get your photos as sharp as possible. 

1. You’ve most likely heard that good photography is all about the photographer, not the camera. While I embrace that philosophy 99%, I do have to tell you that a good camera and lens WILL make a difference when it comes to the quality of your photos. I’ve found that I’m able to get the sharpest photos possible when I work with a prime lens (which means a lens that is a fixed length and doesn’t zoom in and out). I work with a Canon 5D Mark III camera (which is AMAZING), and two of my favorite prime lenses are the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and the Canon 85mm f/1.8 lenses. 

 2. The next tip for getting sharp photos is to make sure the settings on your camera are correct. Learn how to shoot in manual mode! I promise shooting in manual mode will really help you get better quality, sharper photos. When you’re adjusting your settings, make sure that your shutter speed is set as high as the light will allow. When I’m photographing people, especially children, I try not to let my shutter speed get any lower that 1/125 (and sometimes that’s even pushing it). And while it’s nice to use a really low aperture to get that really blurry background, a little bit higher aperture will help your photos be a little bit sharper as well. 

 3. Make sure there’s plenty of LIGHT! This goes hand-in-hand with choosing the correct settings, because if you don’t have lots of light, you’re not going to be able to get your settings to where you need them to be. Lighting is the key to good photography and sharp photos. Always try to work with as much light as possible. 

 4. If you have to work with low light (which you obviously will every once in a while), try using a tripod. I really hate it when people tell me this because I do NOT like using a tripod, but when your light is low, resulting in a low shutter speed, then a tripod is your best friend and will help reduce any camera shake. 

 5. Don’t underestimate the power of post-processing! Any photos that I print for my home, feature on my blog or Facebook page, or basically show to anyone are post-processed in Lightroom and Photoshop. One of the most important steps in post-processing is sharpening your photos. I have several different “levels” of sharpening that I use, depending on the photo and the photo subject. But in a nutshell, I use unsharp mask for sharpening. I like to start with a general setting suggested by Scott Kelby. For general sharpening he likes to use an amount of 85%, a Radius of 1, and a Threshold of 4. This is generally good, but sometimes I’ll use less, and sometimes I’ll use these settings twice if the picture needs some extra sharpening. Sharpening your photos takes some practice. Just make sure to do what you think looks best for you own photos. 

Anyone can get great photos with practice and patience! Learn not only the technical aspects of photography, but the compositional rules as well. If you’d like to see more of my work, you can find me at my blog or my Facebook page. Thanks so much for having me today! Here are a few of your simple things photos that caught my eye this week!

I’ve invited some incredibly talented photographers to join us for our simple things party each week and today I’m thrilled to welcome Gayle of Mom and Camera!

 Keep reading to find some great tips on shooting indoors in low light and be sure to scroll down to the very bottom of the post where you can find Gayle’s photo picks from the STS party!

Hello Simple as That Readers! I am Gayle and I blog at Mom and Camera. It is fun to be invited to blog here. I got to know Rebecca when she asked me to review her book Real.Life.Photography. I was excited to do that because I love capturing real life. 

When I first picked up a SLR 9 years ago I thought that capturing that “perfect portrait” was the ultimate dream. I have since learned that a perfect portrait is beautiful, but REAL, EVERYDAY photos are magic. My favorite way to capture real moments indoors is using window light.

 Most of us have windows in every room of the house. And, often in the winter, indoors is where the everyday moments happen. Today, I have a few tips for using your windows to capture everyday moments. 

1. Let in the Light 
When shooting in low light situations finding as much light as possible is crucial. When shooting inside my house, I typically look for north-facing windows. Other windows can be good to—just watch them during the day and look for times when no direct sunlight is streaming onto the floor. I am also a fan of opening up curtains and blinds to let in as much light as possible. Finding the light when there is little light available is a skill and will take time. So open your eyes and look for the light. You can also let light into your camera buy using an open aperture like you find on a fixed aperture lens (50mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.8). Be careful not to let more light in by lowering your shutter speed so much that your photos become blurry. Try to keep your shutter speed about 1/125 or higher if photographing kids in low light. You may be able to go a bit lower than that IF your subject is still. 

 Typically, the lower the ISO number you can use, the better. But in low light situations you need to throw this bit of advice out the window. To get great shots in low light, raise your ISO however high you need to so that you can get the shot! Sometimes that may mean shooting at the highest ISO your camera allows. And other times, it might only mean dialing it up a bit. Either way, don’t be afraid to set it where you need it.

3. Perfect Exposure=Happy! 
This seems to go against the grain when shooting in low light, but getting your exposure right and then slightly overexposing it will make the grain/noise less noticeable in your images. Any time you have to lighten a high ISO image–even slightly–grain/noise will become very obvious.

Thank you so much for the great tips Gayle! For more practical, easy to follow photography tips pop by Gayle’s blog Mom and Camera or visit her on facebook, twitter and pinterest!

 Here are just a few photos of YOUR photos that caught Gayle’s eye as she browsed through the links in our simple things party this past week. 

unohdetut | anne
iphone addict | melissa 

If your photo was featured be sure and grab yourself a button!

Of all the thousands of photos that I take in a year, the photos of the everyday, simple moments that make up our days are some of the most precious to me. Recording those moments that can so often get lost amidst the busyness of life, is what Simple things Sunday is all about. I’m so thankful to have this weekly tradition to remind me to record and treasure those moments!

Simple things Sunday {a photo link party I host every weekend} is about taking time to photograph the everyday details that make your life unique, beautiful, and special. Each Sunday we gather here to share our photos with each other. To enjoy the beauty that can be found in the ordinary and to be reminded of just how important the simple things are. 

I don’t know about you, but I need and appreciate the weekly reminder to focus on the simple joys that surround me each day. The collection of photos that I now have from participating in STS for the past two years are among my most treasured photos.

If you’re new to Simple as That  or have been thinking about joining the Simple things Sunday fun, I’d love to invite you to join us this weekend for our very first STS party of 2013! Don’t forget you can join the party on instagram as well! Post your photos throughout the week using hashtag #thesimplethings and tag me @rebecca_simpleasthat so I can check out your photos! 

I’m excited to introduce you to more talented photographers in 2013 as our simple things special guest series continues on Saturdays. Tomorrow we’ll be hearing from Gayle of Mom and Camera! Check out some great tips from our previous guests here:

Kristen Duke of Capture Joy
Anna Jones
Leah of MiaBella Boutique
Christy of Addy Lane

To help jumpstart your creativity as you capture the simple things this year here is my everyday photo checklist available for free download! We’ll see you tomorrow at 8pm MST for the party!