It gets tricky when a family includes small children! The photographer, usually Mom or Dad, is often shooting a moving target. So think about how you can work with the wiggles. Maybe you would like them all to look at the camera, but this is not always realistic. So here are five tips to get you started having fun with your family photos.

1. Think about some creative poses before you pick up the camera and gather the family. Make a list of poses that you want to try. If one pose doesn’t turn out great, move on to another. One of them will eventually be a winner!

2. Choose some poses that are natural for your family. Do your little ones look like angels when they are hugging each other? Does your son love to hold his teddy bear? Does your daughter dance around the house wearing her ballerina costume? Does your family enjoy playing board games? Do you hold hands and take walks in the woods? Think about what your family is natural at doing and focus on that.

3. Use natural light in natural surroundings. Go outside in the yard and down the street to the park or hiking trail. Take advantage of the trees, grass, sky and flowers this time of the year. Use them as props and pose the family among them.

4. Coordinate colors, but don’t have everyone wear matching outfits. This looks stuffy and outdated. Go with clothing that everyone is comfortable in and natural smiles will ensue.

5. Bring in the family pet. The family dog or cat is likely to create a natural focal point for your subjects and keep the poses fluid and organic.

Be prepared to move with your subjects and catch the looks of delight, amusement, and thoughtfulness on their faces. Someday you will look back with pleasure on the photographs that you have taken with just a little bit of preparation and lots of joy and laughter.

Getting a personalized Mother’s Day card for your mom but not too sure what to write on it? Here are 5 poems that will give you some much needed inspiration!

 1. Ode to Mother’s Day

Another Mother’s Day is here,
Bringing joy and pleasures new,
On this special day, Mother dear,
I want to remember you

I cannot give you costly gifts,
And I’ve told you this before,
No matter what I give to you,
You give back much, much more

I’m giving you a pure, sweet rose,
Gathered in the early morn,
This rose you planted in my heart,
The day that I was born

In kindly, loving thoughts of you,
And with the faith you still impart,
The rose I give to you today,
Is the love that’s in my heart

by Anonymous

2. M-O-T-H-E-R

“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold;
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be,
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,”

A word that means the world to me.

by Howard Johnson

3. Tribute to Mother

A picture memory brings to me;
I look across the years and see
Myself beside my mother’s knee.
I feel her gentle hand restrain
My selfish moods, and know again
A child’s blind sense of wrong and pain.
But wiser now, a man gray grown,
My childhood’s needs are better known.
My mother’s chastening love I own.

by John Greenleaf Whittier

4. Moms and Daughters

You can see it in their eyes,
in tender hugs and long good-byes,
a love that only moms and daughters know.

You can see it in their smiles,
Through passing years and changing styles,
a friendship that continually seems to grow.

You can see it in their lives,
the joy each one of them derives,
in just knowing that the other one is there…

To care and to understand,
lend an ear or hold a hand,
and to celebrate the memories they share.

by Anonymous

5. Special Mothers

There is no love like a mother’s love,
no stronger bond on earth
Like the precious bond that comes from God,
to a mother when she gives birth.

A mother’s love is forever strong,
never changing for all time
And when her children need her most,
a mother’s love will shine.

The Mother of Mother’s Day

The very special Mother’s Day holiday can finds its roots in the city of Philadelphia. Anna Jarvis can be credited to starting Mother’s Day celebrations in her town. Her mother had just recently died, which caused her to want all mothers to be remembered in an official holiday. She filed a lawsuit in order to stop the over commercialization of this personal day.

Official Holiday

In the U.S., Congress officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. This was done in 1914, as a result of Anna Jarvis’s hard work and dedication to creating an official holiday to appreciate the mothers in the country.
President Woodrow Wilson signed the final bill which made Mother’s Day an official national holiday.

Mother’s Day Flowers

Almost all of the flowers that are gifted on Mother’s Day in North America will be sourced from the state of California. Anna Jarvis, the Mother’s Day pioneer, requested that white carnations become the official Mother’s Day symbol.

Appreciating Mom

In 2011, there were approximately 5 million women who were stay-at-home moms. The essence of this holiday is to reflect and to appreciate everything that a mother does. It is often said that the best type of gift is one that cannot be purchased. A personalize gift truly reflects the thoughts process behind a gift. The most priceless things in life are often free. The same concept easily applies to choosing the best Mother’s Day gift. Mothers always seem to have their hand full with everyday tasks and juggling schedules. Sometimes the best gifts that can be given to mother is attention, care, and a much-needed break.

Priceless Gifts

One of the most popular Mother’s Day gifts that are given by kids include personalized coupons for chores that need to be done around the house. Children can easily create their own coupons which can includes their services for simple chores around the house such as washing dishes or it taking out the garbage. A mother can truly appreciate the thought and idea that comes behind these types of coupons because it allows them to take a break every once in a while.

Ohh, and did you know that almost all languages have a word for mother which begins with the letter “M”?

Get your Kids involved

If you have children, get them involved. Call it Grandmother’s Day and help them make pictures or drawings to show how much they love her. Get involved yourself for some old-fashioned kids crafts to remind her of past years’ celebrations. You can also have your kids design and stage a family photo shoot, complete with silly props or costumes to show Mom how much you appreciate her. Act out a story about a time she made everyone feel loved, and then print out the pictures as a photo storybook.

Add a personal touch

If brevity is your strong suit, or you want to make something more personal, a simple card will always do the trick. Bypass the holiday card store this year! Dig through the old boxes of family photos that you still need to organize. Find one of you and your mom and use it to create a wonderful and unique personalized card. Elephoto goes beyond a plain printout and lets you customize your layout, design and message.

Remember that your mom will cherish the thought you put into the gift. When you write your message, don’t write generalizations that make you sound like a run-of-the-mill greeting card. Focus on a specific memory that she can share, or write about how she’s been a standout Mom in the past year. Think about what makes her different than other Moms: her fashion sense, the skills she’s taught you or her sense of humor.

Give her what she REALLY wants

Last but not least, get started on gifts now. You can always run to the store at the last minute for some jewelry or a box of candies, but if you want a gift that is more personal, meaningful and probably cheaper, you’ll need to be prepared. Keep a note pad for ideas so that you won’t be wracking your brain Saturday night. Then when Sunday rolls around, you can grab Mom for some brunch and mimosas and show her how well she raised you by giving her the gifts that she really wants: your TIME and LOVE.

Tip #1

Tip #2

Tip #3

Tip #4

If someone successfully pranks you, be ready to laugh at yourself! The more serious you are about these jokes, the more fun your prankster will get out of playing these jokes on you. If you can laugh at yourself, chances are your name will be taken off the victim list next year!

Tip #5

Digital storage is the obvious alternative, but it isn’t necessarily convenient for everyday viewing. That’s where Elephoto photo books come in! Beautiful hardbound photo books are the perfect way to organize and showcase your child’s artwork.

Start by sorting your child’s art in a way that makes sense to you, such as chronologically or by subject matter. Decide which pieces to include in your photo book and photograph or scan them into a digital file. Consider adding pictures of your child creating art or holding some of his favorites to bring more life to the book.

Elephoto makes it easy to arrange the art in your keepsake book. Choose from among dozens of background themes, including whimsical, modern and scrapbook styles. Blow up the artwork to fill whole pages or arrange several selections in a collage template. Add captions or journaling, if you like, to preserve the story of your child’s creativity. Not only is this is a special way to keep your child’s art, but it’s also a fabulous gift for the grandparents. Once you’ve designed your book, you can order as many copies as you like!

Don’t let the inspiration stop with just one book. Keep a digital file of your child’s latest artwork so you won’t have to dig through piles of paper when you’re ready to create your next keepsake volume.

Another great option to showcase your child’s work is custom calendars. Choose favorite drawings to use as the monthly photo or ask your child to make 12 special pieces based on the months of the year. With collage layouts, you can also sprinkle in family photos. Hang your family art calendar in the kitchen and order extras for a working parent’s office or for grandparents or other relatives.

When they get older, your children will LOVE revisiting their early childhood’s Picasso moments. These photo books will literally become priceless to them.

In fact, don’t we all wish our parents had kept photo books of our baby artwork? Unfortunately technology wasn’t there in our time!

Get up close and personal with plants.

With spring come beautiful flowers and grasses. Instead of shooting down at flowers or plants, get on level with them. Shooting flowers at their own level makes for striking composition. It also helps you avoid the shadows that can be caused when you shoot flowers from above.

Shoot photos in optimal light.

Lighting can make or break a photo. To make the most of your photos, shoot at times of day when the light is particularly beautiful. The early morning and late afternoon provide great lighting. Cloudy days are great for shooting portraits or landscape shots. The light will be evenly filtered by the clouds, leading to great results. You can also try shooting in areas where sunlight is filtered by a tree canopy.

Take photos from a variety of angles.

Spring provides a great backdrop for photos of friends and family members. Unfortunately, too much backdrop can distract from the people in your pictures. Try shooting your photos from different angles. In the age of digital cameras, you can afford to experiment until you find an angle that you like.

Use backlighting to make flowers pop.

If you’re shooting flowers close-up, you don’t need to keep the sun at your back. Try shots with the sun behind the flowers. Although you’ll technically be shooting into the sun, you’ll avoid flares because the flower’s petals will act like a filter. Such shots are full of dimension and texture.

Look Up!

During Spring, many trees are bursting with beautiful blooms. Though you may see them as you are walking, you may forget all about them when choosing a photography subject. Aim up at trees for great pictures of blossoms. Take abstract photos of leaves to show off your artsy side.

Above all, remember to have fun! Photography should be a hobby that brings you joy and helps you record precious memories. Don’t be afraid to try new techniques or daring shots. Such creativity often pays off in the form of a beautiful photograph.

1st Baseball Day Photo Book

Baseball is almost synonymous with spring. As soon as the snow melts, players are out there hitting balls and running bases. Capture all those slides into base on film and put it in your photo book. Don’t forget to include a team photo!

Spring Break Photo Book

Ah, Spring Break: that wondrous recess between classes when you can let your brain rest. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to let your body rest! Whether you’re heading to Myrtle Beach, Cancun or simply spending some quality time with your kids at home, remember to keep your camera with you to capture all the fun moments.

Camping Photo Book

That first camping trip of the season is always the most fun and totally worth a photo book. Include pictures of hiking, fishing, roasting hot dogs over the fire, and capturing all the beautiful wildlife you see while walking in the woods.

Garden Photo Book

Whether you planted bulbs in the fall or plant your own vegetables in the spring, photos of your garden blooming are wonderful additions to an album. This is especially true if you share planting and gardening with your children. Take pictures of the first buds of spring and also the first time they plant their seeds. You can add pictures of the plants in full bloom later in the spring and make a story out of the pictures.

Spontaneous Fun Book

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes now, so one can be tucked into your purse or pocket as you head out the door. By taking the camera with you, you’ll never again say “I wish I had my camera!” and you’ll be able to capture all kinds of spontaneous and candid outdoor moments that you can use to create a wonderful spring photo book

Enjoy the last few days of winter!

Here are 5 simple tips that will help you avoid bad surprises and get great outdoor pictures:

Tip #1: Cold Weather vs Batteries

First thing is to always remember that cold weather drains batteries quicker. Always keep a spare set of batteries with you when you’re about to spend a long day in the cold with your camera. If your batteries run and out and you don’t have replacement ones, put them in your pocket (as close as possible to your body) to warm them up for a bit. This will temporarily extend their life.

Tip #2: Beware of Condensation and Moisture

Don’t change your lenses outdoors when it’s cold or snowy outside. This is particularly important for those of you using high-end equipment. You don’t want moisture or condensation to accumulate inside the camera body and ruin your equipment. Repairing cameras can be very expensive!

Tip #3: Try Different Angles

Always shoot the same subject from different angles. Sun and snow can make a weird combination sometimes and trick your camera sensor. Take photos from different angles to get the perfect shot!

Tip #4: Protect Your Photos

Invest in a weatherproof container to store your SD or CF cards. The last thing you want is losing all your photos because your cards fell in the snow and became unreadable. We also recommend investing in SanDisk Extreme cards, which are better suited for cold & unpredictable weather conditions.

Tip #5: Keep Your Hands Warm

Consider wear fingerless gloves! It’s very hard to shoot without gloves when it’s -15, but it’s also very hard to shoot with the traditional thick winter gloves since pressing the right buttons on the camera can become difficult. Professional photographers prefer fingerless gloves because they keep your hands warm while allowing you to manipulate your camera easily.

Now go out and enjoy winter while it lasts!

Step 1: Select Canvas

During the initial processing stage, you can choose the basic 11×17 size or opt for an expanded 22×28 inch canvas for your poster print. You’ll also be asked if you prefer regular paper or an upgraded premium selection for your finished work. You can change these choices at any point during the process.

Step 2: Choose a Theme/Format

Next, you’ll choose the format for your poster. We offer a wide range of layouts in three separate categories, allowing you to create your own custom calendar, design an artistically arranged collage or simply showcase one single picture.

Step 3: Create a Free Account 

If you haven’t done so already, you’ll be prompted to create an account or login (if you already have an account). Don’t worry; we won’t ask for any credit card information at this point and you’re under no obligation to buy. Creating an account simply allows you to upload the photos you want to use and store them securely on our servers.

Step 4: Upload your Stuff

At this point you should be able to upload your photos to Elephoto. You can upload 200 photos at a time with no fixed limit on the number of total photos you may store on the system. Elephoto will keep your photos safe for up to one year even if you don’t complete your purchase right away. Customers who make at least one purchase each year can enjoy extended online storage of their photos, ensuring that their digital photographs are easily accessible from almost anywhere with a computer and an Internet connection.

Step 5: Get Creative

This is the fun part! During the design phase, you can arrange the photos you want in the configuration you prefer along with any text or graphics formatting you wish to add. Elephoto provides some standard graphics options to make this step easier, but in most cases you’ll want to upload your own graphics to make your finished work unique.

Step 6: Preview & Order

Once you’ve added all the finishing touches to your custom poster print, you can preview your work to see the most accurate representation of what it would look like in real life. Like it? Place your order and you’ll be redirected to our secure checkout page.

That’s all there is to it! Depending on the shipping speed you choose, you can have your gorgeous personalized poster print as soon as four days after you order. Elephoto’s poster prints are suitable for framing and perfect as gifts. Visit https://www.elephoto.ca/Poster-Prints.aspx to learn more or to get started!