Welcome to the Piper + Claire blog.
It’s been a little quiet here—but not behind the scenes.
This space is evolving into a place for guidance, insight, and everything you need to feel prepared for your session.
For recent work and imagery, visit Instagram or the portfolio.
MEet gina
If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely got hundreds of images on your phone and maybe have even gotten the “Cannot Take Photo – there is not enough available storage to take a photo.” message.
We’ve all been there. It’s been said that our kids are living in the most photographed generation of all time. Unfortunately, they are also a generation that will have the least amount of printed photos and tangible albums to look through. I love nothing more than looking through old family albums and I believe our children deserve the same. Let’s change this and print our photos for them now.
PRINTING YOUR IMAGES
Here are some of my favorite companies to help showcase your memories:
My all time favorite way to easily create albums from your Instagram account is a company called Artifact Uprising. The quality is excellent and you can connect your account directly to their site to easily drag and drop images to create an album right from your phone.
Another more affordable option is Chat Books. Also high quality and easy to create books that start at $8!
Are you looking for more help in ways to document your family’s day to day? First, I have a free e-book offering 75+ ideas for capturing the fleeting moments that you can download here. And I’m also offering a new workshop called Mommy Take My Picture where I’ll teach you how to use your DSLR in under 3 hours flat. You can read all about the details here or email me at gina{at}piperandclaire.com with questions. I’d love to help you learn your camera and more beautifully photograph your family!
Sunday, May 1 — Mini Sessions — downtown Indianapolis, in this exact spot. In fact, the session below was a mini session. We got these great shots (and then some!) in just 30 minutes. Call or email to schedule your stress-free, fun photos that you will actually enjoy :)
I recently introduced my new “Mommy take my picture” workshops where I’ll be teaming with moms to help them take better pictures of their kids with their DSLR cameras. If you’re interested in hosting a workshop, you can read all about the details here or email me at gina{at}piperandclaire{dot}com and we can talk about scheduling a time for you!
Today I want to talk about the number one mistake mom’s make when photographing their kids and offer some suggestions to help take more authentic photos of the moments you want to remember.
Too often, we don’t see the extraordinary in the ordinary. What do I mean by this? When you’re 80, do you want to look back on those perfectly posed photos with memories of bribing or even yelling at your kids to behave and smile and sit just so? Or the little things like how your child bites into a sweet apple, his concentration while he works on a puzzle, their goofy smile while being tickled?
To achieve this, think about staging photos in a different way by creating a situation and anticipating their action or expression. For example, ask them a question that you know will prompt a quizzical expression. Count down from 3 and anticipate their motion that you want to capture. Create a game and capture the fun.
In my workshop, we’ll talk more about ideas to capture these types of moments. I also have a free download for you with 75+ ideas for capturing those fleeting moments you want to remember that you can download here. I believe it’s important to be confident in your camera settings so you’re not fumbling with your camera while the moment passes you by. We’ll get you taking photos like a pro with your DSLR in my 3 hour workshop, “Mommy Take My Picture”. You can read more details here or email me at gina{at}piperandclaire.com with questions!
Is your fancy DSLR camera still in auto mode, just like it was when you first took it out of the box? Are you frustrated that the photographs you’ve taken of your kids haven’t improved since you bought it? Then this workshop is for you!
Gina will help you beautifully capture those fleeting moments of your life while learning everything you need to know about photographing with your DSLR today.
Grab 3-5 friends that are also hoping to learn more about photography and plan a girls night. The host will benefit from learning the light in their own home as well as a session fee waived for a future family shoot with Gina.
In the 3-hour workshop, we’ll cover:
-Finding the light
-Elements of Exposure: ISO, shutter speed and aperture
-How to achieve that gorgeous blurry background (bokeh)
-Using your camera’s basic settings
-Introduction to lenses
-Advice on where to print and get those images off your camera
You’ll also receive a workbook to take notes and keep to reference for later.
Cost: $250/person
Limited spots, inquire today!
This workshop is for you if:
-You’re a mom who wants to take your family’s photographs to the next level by beautifully capturing those day to day moments that make up a childhood
-You own a DSLR camera but are photographing in the auto-mode and want to learn how to take control of your camera in manual mode.
-Your camera manual gives you a headache and you haven’t been able to read past page 2.
-You want Gina’s best tips for photographing your children including finding the light, how to get kids to cooperate and mastering the art of the blurry background
It’s time to use your DSLR camera to it’s fullest potential and creatively capture the everyday moments of your family’s life. Get in touch with Gina to schedule one of her workshops at gina{at}piperandclaire{dot}com today! In the meantime, download her free guide, Photographing Your Family’s Everyday – 75+ ideas for documenting life’s fleeting happenings to get you started.