Category: Photography Tips

How to make a quick photo book of your families 2020 Highlights

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How to make a quick and easy photo book using Google Photos

I love photo books for archiving our family memories. I love photo prints on my walls, but there is only so much room in our home. Printed photo books are a great way to get a lot more images off of my hard drive and into my family’s hands to enjoy. I’ve tried all kinds of photo book services and I use different ones for different purposes, but today I am focusing on quick and easy photo books.

I always have plans to do giant, all-inclusive photo albums for each year for our family. I have grand plans to include lots of words & captions, telling about all of our adventures and writing about what the kids were like that year. The problem is that I take a million photos. This process is so overwhelming that I am YEARS behind.

A couple years ago, I found a way to make myself feel a little better about being so behind in creating my giant photo books. I began to do a quick and easy photo book of just my top 100 or so personal photos from that year. Forcing myself to stick to 100 or so photos ensures that I don’t spend hours and hours on the book. I quickly pick only my very favorites from the year. And I have chosen the easiest photo creation service I’ve found so far to print the book. I can do the entire thing in less than an hour. This way, I know I have my best of the best printed and I don’t feel so frustrated with myself about not having done the full monty photo book since like 2012. One day I’ll finish them all. Goals right?

So let’s get you started on doing a quickie book of your own.

Step 1: Gather all your 2020 photos into one place

This step will vary depending on what you use for your photo organization system and what software you use for organizing your photos. I use Lightroom to organize my photos. My photos are organized into folders by year, then I have a folder for each event with the date and description as the folder title. I label them with the year, then the month, then day first so they sort easily.

Whatever organization system you use, make sure you have all your images together. For me, this means going to Google Photos where all my phone pics are stored and downloading those to add to lightroom. But you can also do the opposite – upload all your photos to Google and create your collection from there. Lightroom lets me easily add photos to a saved collection and keep them all in their original folders. Your software may do this too. Or you can use Google Photos. The bottom line is to make sure you have all your photos for the year in one place so you can quickly and easily go through them all.

Step 2: Choose only the very best for your Photo Book – keep it to around 100 images

This is the hardest and most important step. Now you will go through all your photos from the year, and very quickly select your most favorite images. How you do this will depend on your organization method. You can either add them to a collection, add them to a separate album in Google Photos, or copy and paste them into a specific folder on your hard drive.

Be brutal when making selections. Remember you are aiming for only around 100 images for the entire year. This means for each event, like a birthday party, etc, you will only choose the best one or two photos that you really love. Be quick and don’t think too much about it. If you have to consider one photo for too long, it probably isn’t one of your favorites so let it go.

You’ll probably have to make more than one pass at this. I usually end up with too many photos and have to cull it down more. Viewing them as a collection helps me really see the keepers and the ones that don’t make the cut.

I have several reasons for choosing photos for this collection. Some are my favorites because they are really good photos that I’m proud of sharing. Others just really represent the year and our lives at the time. (For example, see the phone shot below of the empty toilet paper shelves at the grocery store. It’s not a beautiful photo but it’s so 2020 that I kept it. It brings back memories of what the felt like.)

Step 3: Upload your chosen photos to an album in Google Photos

This is super easy. Of course, I’m making the assumption that you already have a Google account. If you don’t, then I’m not sure how you function and I have a lot of questions. So anyway, you log into Google, go to Google Photos, and click “Create Album”. I named mine “2020 Top Personal Photos” but you do you. Once you’ve created the album, click the upload button and upload your chosen images from wherever you saved them on your hard drive.

Step 4: Create & Purchase your Photo Book

Once your pictures are uploaded into the Google Album you created, go into that album and click the little shopping cart button at the top right side of the page. Then choose the “Photo Book” option. That’s when the magic happens. Google creates the book for you, auto-filled with your images and with the title you gave for the Album as the title for the Photo Book.

It’s so easy!

It seriously does everything for you. This is why I chose this as the quick and easy option. Seriously, I have spent many hours of my life designing Shutterfly Photo Albums, adding digital stickers and deciding on favorite layouts and cutsie backgrounds. This is not what we are doing today. We are getting one image per page, with a simple but elegant layout on a white background. You can make changes to what Google made if you like, but it seemed to put the photos in chronological order, which was fine with me. Usually I might change the cover photo and that’s about it.

When your book is the way you want it, click the “Next” button on the top right hand corner.

I chose the Soft Cover option because with my goal of quick and easy, I also added inexpensive. I also very much value high end photo albums, but I save those for my family photo sessions I do each year. If you’d like me to design one of thoses for you after a portrait session with me, let me know.

So chooses your option, pay for your book in the normal Google ways, an wait for it to arrive. Easy peasy.

My Photo Book

Here is a look at my 2020 book. Even though it was the craziest, most messed-up year ever, I’m still grateful for the time I was able to spend with my family. I’m so glad that I have these images in hand to enjoy for years to come. Hopefully, I’ll soon catch up on all my full-size family photo albums. But in the meantime, I have this one of all the best of the best, and it took less than an hour.

How to make a quick and easy photo book with Google Photos

A Note About Google Photos

I just wanted to note that I also add a more comprehensive collection of personal photos to Google than just my top 100. The photos I take on my phone automatically are added to my google photos, but I also add most of my personal photos that I take with my big girl camera. I do this for a few reasons. First, it’s an easy backup for my personal pics (though I also generally keep copies on two different hard drives.) Second, it’s super convenient to always have those photos with me on my phone or whatever when I need them, in a way that’s easy to share with friends and family. Third, I love the AI search capabilities. If it’s a friend’s birthday, I can search for pictures of them to share in a post. I can search for “Valentine” and see all the photos through the years of my kids in their Valentine cuteness. Viewing past memories of what happened on today’s date is super easy too.

I highly encourage you to use Google Photos, or some sort of cloud-based backup (I know some people use Amazon photos) to store your personal images. The worst thing is to lose those images, so keep them safe and easy to enjoy.

I am now booking Spring Family Portrait sessions, or as you can see above, am happy to book you now for a winter photo session. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

10 Ways to Make Your Photographer Cringe

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What not to say or do to a photographer

In high school and early college, I dated a Marine. Through hanging with him and his Marine Corp buddies,  I learned very quickly that under no circumstances should you ever make the mistake of confusing the marines with the army, navy, etc. It was a mortal sin committed by civilians all the time and they clearly hated it.  They knew the person making the mistake meant no harm or disrespect, but it was annoying just the same.  So I thought I would make a similar list of what not to say or do to photographers.


I suppose most professions or groups have such things that insiders complain about but are not well known among outsiders. Photographers joke about many of these items often, but many non-photographers are not aware of them. So I made a list of things that I think most photographers say cause them cringe, even though no ill intention was meant on behalf of the transgressor. 


I hesitate to write this list because I don’t want anyone to feel like I am calling them out. That is not my intention. Please know that if you have made the mistake of doing one or more of the things on this list, that is perfectly fine! We hear them a lot and we don’t hold it against you. We understand that these cringe-worthy comments are not intentional.  This list is not meant to reprimand, but merely to educate.  

What not to say or do to Photographers:


#10 – Jump in front of us with your phone camera


I know this one happens most often to Wedding Photographers, but I’ve also experienced it, usually at my annual Santa photo sessions.  Some photographers dislike if any photos are taken during their session.  I personally don’t mind someone in the background taking a few shots.  But I’ve also had several instances where parents were literally right in front of me taking photos, or for long periods telling the child to look at them instead of me, and taking up the few brief minutes available for me to get the shot. Like, what are you paying me for? 


#9 – Print your photos at Walgreens


I joke that when you get professional photos printed at Walgreens, a unicorn dies.  My portrait clients have a print release allowing them to print their photos wherever they like. But I can’t lie – it hurts my heart if they get crappy prints made.  If you aren’t going to purchase from a  professional lab, I highly recommend MPix.com.  


#8 – Ask us to alter our editing style


The root cause of this one is really hiring the wrong photographer to begin with.  Make sure you hire a photographer whose style you love.  This may sound obvious but people hire photographers for all kinds of reasons…because a friend recommended them, they showed up first in a google search, etc.  It’s fine to have a recommendation, but also browse the photographer’s portfolio and make sure they are a good fit for you. Don’t hire a dark and moody photographer and then be surprised when your photos don’t look light and airy.  


Keep in mind that photography is a service, but it’s also an art.  Would you hire an impressionistic painter and then complain that the painting looked too impressionistic? It’s fine to ask for some editing changes – like maybe you want that blemish on your face removed. That’s fine.  Just don’t ask an artist to change their fundamental style. 


Also, don’t ever ask us to make a photo all black and white, except just one splash of color.  That’s just not cool.

#7 – Put a filter on it / crop it weird


This happens a lot, despite most of us having clauses in our contracts to prevent altering the photos.  Yeah, I get it. I don’t often read the fine print either.  But remember what I said about photographers being artists in #8?  There is nothing like spending hours and hours editing a session getting the colors just so and perfecting the skin tones, and then going to Instagram and seeing that the client has added a weird filter and now the skin tones are green.  Or they’ve totally cropped it weird and now little Johnny is cut off at the knees, which is something a professional photographer avoids like the Coronavirus.  (I started to say ‘Plague’ there but do you like how I’ve updated it to have a more modern feel?)  


#6 – Share without Credit


It’s always best to tag the photographer when you share an image on Social Media.  Most of our business comes from word of mouth, so it’s very much appreciated.  I often see posts on Facebook where someone has seen a pretty photo on Instagram, maybe a landscape or a local landmark.  They liked the photo so much that they screenshot it to share on Facebook – maybe even making it their header photo.  But because they screen-shotted the photo instead of sharing directly from the photographer’s Instagram page, then the photographer loses all connection to that photo.  So just be mindful to give credit when you admire someone’s work. 


#5 – Stealing Photos


Ok, this one is much more intentional than #6 (and all the other items on this list) and is really not cool.  Most of my portrait sessions include digital images so this isn’t usually an issue for me. But I do shoot some things where that isn’t the case, such as my annual preschool graduation photos.  You may notice for those events that I put a giant watermark in the middle of the gallery images. I HATE putting that watermark there, but if I don’t, people will inevitably steal the images.  Typically for these shoots, I’ve not been paid at all upfront.  So I only get paid for all my hard work if people purchase the images.  
I’ve seen people posting on social media asking if someone can remove the watermark for them from professional images they don’t own so they can print them.  Don’t do this. It’s theft.  You wouldn’t steal items from a store, so why are you stealing from hardworking artists?


#4 – Be completely silent after we deliver your gallery


OK, I’m revealing my own insecurities here but I know I’m not the only one who is super paranoid after delivering a gallery.  Even after all these years, I’m still always nervous that someone won’t love their photos.  I sooooo appreciate the clients who comment or reply immediately that they are happy.  Getting radio silence after delivering a gallery makes me imagine the worst and convince myself that the client hates them, even if I was originally very happy with the session. It pretty much never means that and generally, the client just didn’t think to comment or reply. So mostly I admit that I just need to work on myself with this one. But what can I say – words of affirmation are my love language.  


#3 – Tell us that you “just need a couple pictures”


This is a favorite line of the price shoppers. This phrase immediately says to me that you don’t really value my work but are looking for a deal.


 I do occasionally offer mini sessions but the value of these for me is that they are offered at a location of my choosing and are scheduled back to back with multiple clients. This way, I can shoot 4 families all in one day at the same location. I’m able to offer families a discount over a regular session because I save time having shorter sessions back to back, and the editing time is usually less than four individual sessions because the lighting & location is usually similar for the back to back sessions.
But if you want to schedule a “mini-session” outside of one of my scheduled dates, then I’m still doing almost the same amount of work but for less pay.  And I’m taking up a spot that could have gone to someone paying full price.  So while the request may seem reasonable to you, it’s not beneficial to me.  


Think of it this way…would you go to a steak house and ask if you could just have a couple bites of the steak because you didn’t want to pay for the entire dinner?  


#2 – Tell us that our prices are too high


Pretty much all of us got into this business because we love the art, and we loved capturing memories.  We generally do not love the business side of things. Many of us started shooting for friends for free or for very little money.  Things evolved and we realize we were working our booties off for almost nothing, so we had to raise our prices. 


We spend a ridiculous amount of money on gear, web fees, Adobe subscriptions, etc.  We work many hours where we aren’t directly getting paid at all – writing blog posts, marketing, budgeting, taxes, social media, etc. You see us work for an hour at your session, but then we spend hours and hours editing.  Believe me when I say that almost all the photographers aren’t in this for the money.  


But also, it’s very personal work.  So when you question a photographer’s prices, it can feel like you are questioning our worth. There is already this constant battle inside most of us between wanting to get paid a fair wage and wanting to be able to share our passion with everyone.  


I know this is probably a matter of semantics, but saying “That’s not in my budget right now” is totally fine.  Please use that line instead of “Wow, that’s a lot for an hour” or something similar.  


#1 – Give all the credit to our camera


Ok, this is definitely not the worst offense in this list (#5 definitely is the worst) but this one probably happens the most often.  Most people who say it intend for it to be a compliment, but they don’t realize they are giving all the credit to the gear instead of to the photographer.  


Please do not tell a photographer “That’s a great photo – you must have a really nice camera.”


I do have a really nice camera (two of them in fact).  I taught them everything they know.   Would you eat a delicious dinner and then complement the chef’s cookware? 


“It’s not the wand, it’s the wizard.”

Duff Goldman

Hopefully, my fellow photographers will relate to this list and get a little chuckle out of it. For those of you who are not photographers, I would love to know if you have a similar list.  What kind of things do outsiders say or do to you all the time that make you a little crazy? I’d love to hear about them. I’m sure I’ve often said all the wrong things.

5 Things I wish I’d known about taking Back-to-School Photos of my kids

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Back to School Photo Tips

I hope this blog post is an opportunity for you to learn from my mistakes. I’ve had 8 years of back to school photo experience now (even more if you include Preschool) and I’ve learned a lot. To be honest, I didn’t give it much thought when I first started taking the photos, and that was my biggest mistake.  Just a little thought on my part back in 2011 when my oldest started Kindergarten would have made the next 7 years a lot easier. 

I’m not saying that back to school photos need to be a big stressful ordeal.  On the contrary, I’m saying if I’d put a little thought into it, then they would have been less stressful and more fun than they turned out being when I didn’t have a plan.  🚌

The GOAL for back to school photos:

First of all, you need to know what your goal is for these photos.

For me, back to school is the ideal time to document how my girls are growing and changing over the years. The best way to do this is consistency in the way you take these photos. More than any other pictures I take, I want these to be consistent from year to year, and that’s where I messed up in the lack of planning. I didn’t think enough about making my plan in the beginning, and then my desire for consistency led me to continue doing the wrong things year after year. 

So here are my tips to help you come up with your own plan.

The PLAN:

  1. TIMING:  Make sure you have plenty of time to take the photos without stressing. No one wants to be late on the first day of school. Think about what works best for your family.  Will it be before breakfast or after? Can you incorporate a fun tradition, like maybe first we take the photos and then we go get donuts if we finish on time?  I’m not above bribery, but most of all, I Iove incorporating traditions into our children’s lives. It makes for wonderful memories. 
  2. LOCATION: Choose your spot wisely! This part is where I was all over the place because I didn’t’ have a solid plan and I ended up with multiple spots where I routinely took photos for the sake of consistency. I wish I had chosen one thoughtful location. That would have cut down on stress and the time it took the photos and resulted in better and more consistent images from year to year. Make sure you choose a spot that you can get to easily each year and is in the shade so that you don’t have harsh light. For me, I wish I had specifically chosen in front of our front door. I started out taking photos out in the yard in the opposite direction and it was too bright some years.  In front of our door is shaded always and would have provided a more consistent spot.  I regret my idea to take photos in front of the Elementary school. Read more about that below. I think in general, in front of your front door is a great spot for back-to-school photos. I’m not saying you can’t also take pictures at school. I’m just saying that your “spot” that you are going to focus on getting consistently year after year should probably be at home. 
  3. PLAN OUT YOUR SHOTS: Make sure you get in close for a headshot, but also back away for a full-body view. After all, they put a lot of thought into what they are wearing and you want to document that. I do the same thing with my girls together…I always get in close for a cheek to cheek shot of them together, and also a few of them hugging or interacting in some way.  Bonus TIp:  Not all the shots have to be before school. Consider making it a tradition to have your camera ready and capture them getting off the bus in addition to your morning shot. Many times, they will be much more relaxed at this point. 
  4. CONSIDER PROPS CAREFULLY:  You all know I’m not big into super staged proppy photos, but I do think there is a time and a place for a simple prop. The chalkboards listing your child’s grade, for example, can be really cute. Just make sure it’s something you can easily recreate each year without stress. CONSISTENCY IS KEY! Don’t make it so cutsie and complex that you can’t recreate it next year. Remember, your kids should be the focus.  Do include details like backpacks & lunch boxes. These showcase their personality and you will be amazed at how that giant looking backpack on your Kindergartener suddenly looks so tiny on your teenager. 
  5. MAKE IT FUN: I’m not going to lie. There have been years I’ve royally failed at this one. I want the photos and everyone else just wants to go to school so it all ends in a stressful mess.  This is where timing and planning would have gone a long way in simplifying my process and still getting the images I wanted.  Above all, go for giggles over the perfect poses. Capture their personalities. Ask them to wiggle, tickle each other or do a little dance.  I mean, you can even let them dab or floss if that’s what it takes to get the photo but still keep it fun. Remember, this is a stressful day for them, so try to get it off to a great start. When you are done, give them a hug and tell them to have an amazing day! 

Now that that is all finished, pat yourself on the back, you’ve made it through another parenting milestone. You are raising amazing humans and should be proud of yourself. Go call a friend and get a pedicure.  Or maybe even a Margarita. How ever it is that you treat yourself…go do that.  Parenting is hard stuff and it’s important to celebrate the little wins. You deserve it. ❤️

Want more photo tips? Check out this post on photographing your child’s birthday party.

10 Tips for Photographing your child’s birthday party

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10 Tips for photographing your child's birthday party

I know not everyone agrees with me, but I’ve always enjoyed throwing birthday parties for my children.  They’ve run the gamut between elaborately themed parties that I’ve worked on for months, and more simple ones, and I’ve enjoyed them all.  This 10th birthday party of Kayla’s was one of the simple ones. We rented a room at Above All in Franklin.  Kayla actually wanted a S’mores Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory as her birthday cake.  The mommy’s at the party thought her selection was perfect, but as expected, not all the children agreed.  Good thing we also bought a cookie cake for her friends. Photographing your child’s birthday party can be intimidating so today, I want to give you a few tips.

Whether it’s a simple party or an elaborate one, it’s important to capture those memories in photographs so we can enjoy them for years to come.  Here are 10 tips for photographing your own child’s birthday party.

  1.  Consider hiring a professional photographer to capture the event.  This will allow you to enjoy the party without having to worry about capturing pictures.  Plus an experienced photographer will be able to capture moments that you will treasure for a lifetime. If you don’t have the budget for a professional, consider designating a close friend or family member as the event photographer so you can focus on your guests.
  2. If it’s a surprise party, be sure to have guests in location ahead of time so that you can capture some photos of them waiting on the guest of honor.  Make sure you know when and where the birthday child will enter the party location so you can capture that first moment of surprise. If there is a performer or entertainer, be sure to be in a position to capture the children’s reactions when they arrive or perform. 
  3. Remember to capture little details of the party decor and food.  It’s likely you spent lots of time and Pinterest research on all of these little detail so don’t forget to capture them. Some of this can be done before the party begins. (I didn’t spend any time researching this Cheesecake, but I’m glad I have a photo of it anyway. LOL)
  4. Don’t photograph little kids from your grown-up height…get down to their eye level for better images. This isn’t too hard when you are short like me.  
  5. But also, think of unique perspectives that will allow for interesting ways to photograph the party. Getting up high or down low can make some fun images.
  6. Make a rule that no one gets cupcakes or cake until you get a group photograph. This is a great way to encourage everyone’s prompt participation.  You will love having a picture of all your child’s guests in one shot.
  7. Put some thought into where the birthday child will sit for special moments like blowing out the candles.  Think about which seat has the best lighting (light coming in through a window is beautiful).  Also, think about where the person taking the pictures will sit or stand so as to be able to get pictures of the birthday girl without being blocked by other photo guests.
  8. If you have a numbered candle, make sure it is facing the photographer and not the child.  This may seem picky, but it’s great to have the number readable in the image – especially years from now when the grown child may not remember how old he/she was in the photographs. We didn’t have any numbered candles for Kayla’s S’mores cake, so that wasn’t a concern at this party, but all my friends know I want the number facing me. I’ve taught them well. LOL
  9. Be sure to get a few family pictures.  Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the party and forget, but you will appreciate having these milestone pictures of your family each year. If the party is not a surprise, its a good idea to get these family pictures a few minutes before guests start to arrive.  Apparently, I didn’t follow my own rule here, so big photographer fail. For some reason, I find that harder to remember to do when we are at a place for the party with a scheduled time, and not at home. So I will have to work on that for next time. 
  10. Get into the middle of the action and keep your eyes open for authentic moments.  The focus is obviously the guest of honor, but don’t forget to capture reactions from party guests and family members as well.

So that’s it…a few simple tips and you are ready to photograph your child’s birthday party. But if you’d rather leave the photos to a professional, contact me today to schedule an event session for your party. 

Let’s talk about aspect ratio and cropping photos

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You all know that I pretty often get excited about beautiful light or a gorgeous sunset, but I have to say that this is the first time that a rainbow has shown up for a photo session, and it couldn’t have happened to a more beautiful family. My friend Christy and I had planned a combination family session with Hannah’s First Communion Photos, which I blogged yesterday. We had just finished up inside the church and let Hannah change out of her Communion dress when it started to sprinkle. I was a bit concerned at first, afraid it would start to rain hard and ruin our family portraits.  But it only rained for a few minutes and then suddenly the girls noticed a rainbow nearby.  How lucky can we get?  It was only there for about 45 seconds, but that was enough time to get a few pictures.  🌈

I thought I would take Christy’s session preview as a chance to talk about a slight change I think I’m making in my photography, and why I’m making it.  

Christy has been one of my closest friends for like eight or nine years now, and I’m in her house fairly often. Her home (which is gorgeous, btw) is filled with many photos I’ve taken. One thing I really love about her is that she appreciates photos and she does a fantastic job of getting them printed.  However, my one complaint (and I can say this cause she already knows it and loves me anyway) is that in several of the photos she’s printed there are feet cut off in the print.  And it’s not just her.  Most of my friends have sad, chopped off limbs in their printed photos that I’ve taken.  *cue sad music here*

Many of you are probably thinking ‘so what?’.  Well, as a photographer, one of the cardinal sins is to chop off limbs in a weird way. Photographers put a lot of thought into composing photos in a pleasing way, and none of those ways includes people floating on stumps without feet.   

But I don’t blame Christy or my other friends for the floating people. I blame whoever decided that standard print sizes would be a different aspect ratio than most camera’s shoot in. 

You see, my camera (and most others) takes photos in a 2 x 3-inch ratio (same as a 4 x 6 ratio).  That means if you take the image as it was shot, and print it as a 4×6 inch print, you get the entire picture as it was taken in the camera. But 4×6 prints are where it ends as far as getting exactly what you see in a print. 

It seems that the most common size photo that people print and frame is an 8×10 (4×5 ratio).  That is significantly more square than a 4 x 6.  So if you can imagine trying to make a very rectangular image into more of a square, you definitely end up chopping off a decent portion of the image on each end. And that’s how the prints end up missing feet…because it did not crop well as an 8×10.

So I’ve been thinking, perhaps it’s just easier on clients (and on myself since I’m admittedly a bit of a control freak) if I just go ahead and make them 8x10s myself before delivering the gallery to you.  That way, you don’t have to worry about having to crop the images for the sizes you print most often. This means that if you print an 8×10, a 16 x 20 or a 20 x 24, there will be no cropping required.  5×7’s and 11×14’s will still need to be cropped a bit, but much less so and I believe you are less likely to destroy feet in the process.  

If you wanted 4×6 prints, that will require more cropping, which it did not originally. But you know what?   You can get 4 x 5 prints that I think are really cute and won’t require cropping from this new aspect ratio.  

So what do you think? Will this be helpful to you or do you prefer the original aspect ratio of 4×6 in your galleries? I’d love to hear your feedback.