Mom Caboodle

Archive for the ‘Photos’ Category

I love family photos but trying to get everyone together at the same time can be very difficult. Being a mother of four with my two oldest boys grown, I have spent many years trying to capture that special family photo!  While I have many favorite photos, I have very few with everyone in the same photo. I have learned over the years that not everyone has to be in the same photo to create a wonderful family collage to recap the year. In Fact,I think that using a collage of different pictures is perfect for creating  Photo gifts and I have done this many times throughout the years.

This time of year many families are preparing to have family photos taken for their Christmas Cards. In fact, I have an appointment next week with a family of four to do just that.  Taking family photos is always something that I stress about because it is very difficult to get everyone in the perfect pose. It always seems that you can snap tons of shots but there is always someone not smiling, blinking, or looking in another direction. While you can’t control when someone blinks, there are a few other things that you can control that will make picture day less stressful and very successful.

Below are just a few tips that I like to tell families when I shoot their photos:

1. Choose the right setting: I like to shoot all my family photos outdoors and I recommend it. Children seem to be more comfortable outdoors.

2. Shoot the photos in the evening when the sun is going down. Having a photo taken in bright sunlight will leave everyone with squint eyes.

3. Choose the  right color of clothing. I always recommend that everyone wear the same colors like tan and white, black and white, or blue and white.

4. Relax, Have Fun: If the parents are all tense and stressed out this will affect the children.

5. Play: Shooting outdoors on the beach or in a park can be the perfect sitting for family photos. Allow the children to play during the shoot…this can make for some great candid shots!

Below is of my  favorite family photos that I took on the beach in 2007.

Was everyone is the photo perfect? No, but I think it turned out awesome and I used it for our Christmas Cards that year.

Throughout the month of November, Shutterfly is helping families prepare their Holiday cards by offering  Shutterfly Family Photo Days.

Activities Include:

·         Digital toolkit posted online (with possible physical components as well for partner programs)

·         House parties (sponsor hosts to create their own Family Picture Day out of their homes)

·         Meetup.com (sponsor mother’s groups around the country to congregate and take family photos for their holiday cards)

·         Video, Photos, blogger involvement (and/or other viral and social components)

·         Facebook tie-in – ads, sponsored stories

·         Contest/Promotion with a goal of driving excitement and awareness of Family Photo Day and Family Photo Day events – 5 winners based on type of photo – best funny family photo, most unique family photo, etc.

To get started on your Holiday Cards, go visit Shutterfly Family Photo Days.

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post as part of a Global Influence campaign for Shutterfly.  I will receive 50 free cards from Shutterfly to thank me for my participation. No other compensation has been given and all opinions are mine.

Florida Wildlife in the Fall

Kelsey’s Newest Art

Alex found his old army jacket….you think he has grown just a little?

I joined Ancestry.com and today I have been researching some things. Tonight I found this portrait of my Great,Great,Great Grandmother, Sarah (Sallie) Walker Miller. This is so much fun….I think I am hooked!!

By the way, I wanted to thank you all for voting for me in the Rainforest Cafe Photo Contest….I won a trip to Disney World!!! ºoº

Kelsey and more of her Drawings

I am late posting my Wordless Wednesday this time due to the fact that I have been working really hard on the contest….trying to win a trip to Disney World. There’s six more days of hard work ahead of me. I need all the votes I can get, so help me out. Voting is super easy and it literally takes about five seconds from the time you click on the link  below until the time you are done. No signing up or registering!! You can vote for us every 24 hours, so make sure you are following my Facebook fan page for reminders to vote! Thank you!!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR OUR CHA CHA PICTURE

My nine year old daughter, Kelsey Bug, has Autism and she loves Disney World. I have entered a photo contest being sponsored by the Rainforest Cafe with the grand prize being a trip for four to Disney World!!

The last time I was able to check my standings, I was in third place and was not too far behind 2nd place. Help us get to 1st place by voting for us! It is a very simple process. All you have to do is click on the link to go vote and once you are there, click on the green vote button beside my picture. Once you have voted if you would leave a comment that would be great but it is not necessary.

You can vote everyday (every 24 hours) until Sept 5th.

ºoº  Please help Kelsey Bug win an awesome trip to Disney World!!  ºoº

VOTE FOR KELSEY

Click HERE to go vote!!

“Cha Cha Down Under on a hunt for the fierce Red Tailed Shark”

Please remember to vote everyday!! If you would like a reminder to vote everyday, make sure you are a fan of my Facebook Fan Page. I have been putting reminders on there daily.

Thank you for all your support!!  ºoº

My nine year old daughter, Kelsey Bug, has Autism. One of her most favorite things to do is draw. She does it constantly.  This past Saturday, she drew the picture below. I have always thought she draws very well but I was totally amazed at this one!

Dolphin VS. Shark

The picture below is Kelsey at Disney World. She absolutely loves Disney World and wants to go all the time. I have entered a photo contest on The Rainforest Cafe’s Facebook Fan Page. The grand prize winner will win a trip for four to Disney! I am doing very well but I need more votes.  We are in third place now….help us get to first!!

Click on the Disney picture below to vote!

It should take you straight to my photo but if not mine is titled:

“Cha Cha Down Under on a hunt for the fierce Red Tailed Shark” By Shanna Bailes

(You can vote daily until Sept 5th)

Click on the Banner below to vote for Angels 4 Epilepsy!

Wow…what a crazy busy summer! I think I have missed the last two Wordless Wednesdays due to the fact we were out of town. It is hard, at least for me,to post anything while I am out of town. We just got home a few days ago and the kids started back to school today, so I am eager to get my Wordless Wednesday posted. I know it’s a day early but if I don’t do it now, something will come up and I don’t want to miss another one

For this week’s Wordless Wednesday, I am asking my fellow blogger friends for some help. I think a lot of you know what a Disney freak I am! Well, I entered a contest on the Rainforest Facebook Fan Page. The contest is a photo contest called “Where in the World is Cha Cha”  and the grand prize is a Disney Trip….Yay!!!  This contest requires voting daily until Sept 5th. I usually do not ask for this kind of help but I would really, really love to win this contest and would appreciate if all of you could vote for me. I kinda hate these kinds of contests because it is really not about who has the best photo at all but who can get the most friends to vote. Sooooo…..I am asking for your help! Please vote for me and you can do it daily (oh joy, right?) Voting really is super easy. It takes about two seconds….all you have to do is click on the link and it should take you straight to my photo. Then click on vote…no signing up or registering!

Cha Cha Down Under on a hunt for the fierce Red Tailed Shark

This is my photo I submitted to the contest. The above link should take you straight to my page. If it doesn’t, look for this picture titled “Cha Cha Down Under on a hunt for the fierce Red Tailed Shark” by Shanna Bailes

I feel bad for asking for your votes but at the same time, I see other bloggers asking for help in all kinds of voting contests and I always vote for them.So I am the one asking for help now. Oh and remember to vote daily!!…Thank You!!! ºoº

I have made a couple changes to the MobiCam Giveaway. I changed the ending date from Aug. 26th to Sept 5th. I also added a new way to get three extra entries everyday in the giveaway by voting for me HERE. This is a photo contest that I entered with the grand prize being a Disney World vacation!! So go vote for me everyday and give yourself three entries in the giveaway everyday until Sept. 5th!

Vote HERE

If the link does not take you to my photo, you can find it by looking for the one that is titled “Cha Cha Down Under on a hunt for the fierce Red Tailed Shark”by Shanna Bailes.