Bubble-ology--Fun with Bubbles!

Over the past few days I have been on a bubble kick.  I saw some photos of a bubbles while clicking through various Flickr streams and was inspired to go out and blow a few bubbles of my own.

However, capturing photos of bubbles is much harder than you would think.  The wind can be an issue, lighting can prove tricky and sometimes just when you think you've got the shot they pop!

If you would have happened to stop by my house last week, you would have found me running around in my backyard, waving a bubble wand in the air, and clicking away like a madwoman.   I did manage to get a couple of good shots, but I wanted more.......

This bubble is looking back at you!

So  I decided to enlist the help of my twin boys.   They were having so much fun blowing bubbles that they didn't mind the fact that I was snapping their picture.  Usually I get the "Awww mom, do you have to do that?" comment when I pull out the camera.


I love the series of photos below.  Notice that while my son N. tries to patiently and gingerly blow a bubble, that his twin brother , A., is waiting in the wings ready to pounce and pop!

If you are looking for a little challenge and fun, I highly recommend you try a little Bubble-ology.  And here is a link to some home-made bubble solutions.

DIY-School Portraits

For the past two years I have not purchased the yearly school portraits offered at my kids' school.  The reasons being that they are never very good (who likes mug shots and boring blue backgrounds?) and I can take a better photo (heck, most people can take a better photo). 

The problem with boycotting the traditional school photo is actually scheduling the time to take this portrait style shot of my kids (that and getting my kids to cooperate--they are a wee bit tired of me taking photos of them all the time).  Sure, I have plenty of great candid pics of them taken throughout the year, but I still want that headshot that I can put in each child's "school" frame.  I have one 8x10 photo of each of my kids and every year, I put the new "grade" photo on top, providing me with a collection of their cute little mugs throughout the years.

Anyway, this weekend I realized that the school year was coming to a quick close and if I didn't hurry I'd be missing a picture for grades 6 & 8 of my daughter and eldest son.  So after bribing my kids with ice cream (yes, I still have to bribe 11 & 13 year olds with sweets), we headed out to the park and I took some great shots of at least two of my four.  And after only 30 minutes, another middle school year was officially captured.

On my agenda this week is to  coax my 10 year old twins out for their yearly school photo.  Let's just hope the ice cream bribe works on them as well.  Wish me luck!

If you are a photographer, do you skip the school photos and take your own?  Do you have your photo shoot at the end of the year or are you like me and scramble to get it done during the last few months of school?