• In These Quiet Moments Love Speaks Loudest

    a father smiles at his sleeping son
    it is in these quiet moments that love speaks loudest

    My little 3 person family took a few trips to the beach last summer. On one of those trips we drove almost all the way there and then stopped in a hotel for the night before heading out for beach frolicking fun the next morning. This is a candid monochrome from that hotel. John is looking over at Braden, our (then) 6 year old, in the other bed. His expression speaks volumes. I love moments like this. Capturing them feels like being able to work real magic, the kind that will allow you to travel through time later, or the kind that lets you see inside of someone’s heart.

    All Rights Reserved No use allowed without a license. For licensing inquiries, email me directly. [email protected]

  • Birthday Balloons are the BEST!

    seven years ago
    i saw your face for the first
    time – it was perfect

    in so many ways
    you have changed, grown, and flourished
    but this fact remains

    you will always be
    the best thing that has ever
    happened to your mom

    ***

    This photo is from Braden’s 1 Year Birthday. Today he turns 7.
    The time is flying by, but I cherish everything, and with each passing day, ever more so.

    Birthday Balloons Are The BEST!

    All Rights Reserved No use allowed without a license.

  • heart shaped, rainbow colored light bokeh / unique bokeh shapes: how to make custom filters

    Unique Bokeh Shapes: How to Make Custom Filters

    Don’t you just love it when you see a dreamy, soft background in a photo? And isn’t it even more dazzling when you see points of light that seem to have become little circles, sprinkled about? You can create photos like this, too, and it is fairly simple! In a nutshell, to create light bokeh of any kind, first you want a very wide aperture (small f-stop number, like 1.8). Then, adjust focus so that the lights you are capturing are out of focus. They will be blurry, pretty circles.

    heart shaped, rainbow colored light bokeh / how to make bokeh shapes

    If you want the bokeh to take a certain shape, you need to use a special filter on your lens. Of course, you can buy these, but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to! I’ve made my own filters in the past, and you can do the same. It’s fun and rewarding!

    Start by gathering the necessary supplies…

    Bokeh Shapes DIY Supplies

    • black posterboard or construction paper
    • tape (black is a bonus, but regular works)
    • cutting implement like x-acto knives, scissors, shape punchers
    • optional: lens filter ring
    • recommended: your sense of wonder

    Instructions

    Carefully trace a circle around your lens on the black paper. Cut out your circle.

    Next, you want to draw and then cut a small shape (about 1/2 inch, or 15-20mm) from the middle of your circle. If your shape is too big, you get poor results. Popular shapes include hearts, stars, and crosses. You can get creative here, and that is part of the fun. Be very careful with your shape – clean lines, no tears, clearly shaped and cut. This is easier to do with x-acto knives or shape punchers than with scissors.

    Cut a strip of black paper to wrap around the lens, about 1 inch wide, like a cuff. Tape that shut on the lens, and tape your circle carefully to that, so it sits in front of your lens. This must be flush; no light leaks!

    Another method is putting your paper circle inside a lens filter ring. This eliminates need for tape. Experiment to see what works best for you!

    If you don’t have time or don’t want to make the shape filters yourself, you can also order pre-cut filters online, like these. Then you can hop right into making photos.

    Ultimately, whichever you choose – purchased or DIY, just put the filter on your lens, use the settings mentioned above, and voila!

    PLAY WITH THE LOVELY BOKEH. SMILE. REPEAT!

    How To Make Bokeh Shapes