Combining Video and Stills--A Day at the Treasure Island Flea Market

by: Kristina

I'm currently taking Xanthe Berkeley's, Creating Time Capsules--A Journey e-course. It is a terrific course that helps guide and inspire you to create movies by combining video and stills.

I participated in her Creating Time Capsule's course last spring (which I loved) and this course is building on what I learned and providing me with the little nudge to continue to tell stories and collect memories.

The course provides you with a mixture of tutorials, inspiration, tips and tricks and really motivates you to give yourself space to create.

Below is my first "time capsule" from this course.  It is a day spent at the Treasure Island Flea Market with friends.  Which if you live in the Bay Area, you must go and check this flea market out!  Oh my goodness is it terrific.  Great vendors, amazing food, and the most gorgeous views of San Francisco.  It is held the last weekend of every month.  So great!

While my video shooting is still a bit shaky (I need to work on that), it provides you with a fun little glimpse into my day spent hunting for treasures with dear friends.



Treasure Island Flea Market from Kristina Rust Photography on Vimeo.

Valentine's Day Cards from Tiny Prints

by: Kristina

Valentine's Day is almost here!

If you have children in elementary school, you need to check out Tiny Prints' Classroom Valentines. 

If you are not familiar with Tiny Prints, these are the best cards you can buy. And you can completely customize with your child's pictures, your own text, and text and fonts that you choose.

If your kids are too young, too old, or non-existent, Tiny Prints also has great customized photo gifts and Valentine's Day party invitations, and their sister company, Treat has some aweome personalized greeeting cards.

If you order by 11:59pm PT January 29 and use the promo code 20JANSW you can save 20% on your entire order!Don't forget to use the code 20JANSW to save 20% on your entire order! 

Illuminating a Bright Light on Breast Cancer by Sue Bryce and Hailey Bartholomew

By Tina

"The Many Gifts in Life are Illuminated when Battling Cancer" - my dear friend Kevin Farley, who passed away in 2010 of melonoma

I have been affected by cancer far too much in my lifetime.  My earliest memory was when I was 4 years old and I accompanied my mother by train from El Paso, Texas all the way to Philadelphia to attend her brother's funeral.  He died of leukemia when he was only 37 years old leaving behind 3 young children and his adoring wife.  

Through the years I've had many close friends go through their own private battle with cancer.   Most recently it became personal.  My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 when he was only 49 years old.  Many men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer but at a much later stage in life, typically after age 65.  Being diagnosed at an early age was frightening.  It was in over 50% of his prostate and at that stage and age it could have had a far different outcome had he not been diagnosed so early.

So much about the journey with cancer is early detection.  My husband and I are strong advocates about regular physicals and establishing a baseline of your important health stats.  Early detection saved my husband. 

When I saw this video by Sue Bryce and Hailey Bartholomew I was blown away.  Jill Brzezinski-Conley was only 31 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  After 4 years of chemo, radiation, a double mastectomy it has returned.  Now it is inoperable terminal bone cancer as it has progressed beyond her breasts.

I am posting this video to our blog for several reasons. Most of all to watch in awe as the story unfolds.  Hailey and Sue did a incredible job illuminating Jill's story.

The second reason is to see the power that we all have of telling someone's story.  I adore Sue and Hailey as people, they are amazing.  But to see what fantastic storytellers they are with their cameras is beyond amazing.  Watch their documentary.  And do yourself and your loved ones a big favor and get that physical.  Men and women alike, do it, do it now.  

Sue Bryce and Hailey Bartholomew filmed/photographed this entirely with their Canon 5D Mark ii and Mark iii.  The amazing power of a DSLR to capture someone's story.

Friday Freebie: Birdesign Valentine Timeline Covers

Birdesign has another wonderful freebie available this month...Valentine Timeline Covers.  How cute are these adorable designs???  Thank you so much Roselyn for these wonderful goodies.  As always we greatly appreciate your generosity and we love your beautiful templates!

You can download these Birdesign timeline covers here.   And be sure to like the Birdesign Facebook page to find out about other freebies and share some love.

Clip-N-Clamp: Product Review

I love iPhoneography and am drawn to any gadget that will help me take better photos with my iPhone.  Last week I was given the opportunity to try out the Clip-N-Clamp which is a multi-purpose device holder that works with your smart phone, MP3 player, iPods, iPads, point-n-shoot cameras and more.

I was very excited to try it out because I love being a part of my photos and now I can attach my iPhone to the Clip-N-Clamp (using the included accessory) and using a self timer app, can jump into my photos.   No more propping my iPhone on my purse or trying to MacGyver a tripod.  This works great!  I can compose my shots better and can basically shoot at any angle using the Flexarm.

Here are a few photos of the Clip-N-Clamp with my iPhone.......

The clamp has 30lbs of holding power and has silicone tips to help grasp objects as well as reduce slippage.  You can tell that the grip is tight when you squeeze the grip.

As I mentioned above, the Clip-N-Clamp comes with different accessories that allow you to attach it to a variety of devices.  I tried it with my point-n-shoot and it worked great.  However, when I tried attaching my DSLR I need to be careful in how I adjusted the arm to make sure it was stable...but it did work.   It even comes with Velcro so that you can use it with a flashlight, GPS, or anything else you can think of.

Here is a video that will give you a great overview of  the various ways you can use the Clip-N-Clamp.  I really like the idea of using it to review recipes on your iPhone while cooking.  




The Clip-N-Clamp is available for $19.95, including all accessories, and free shipping on all U.S. orders.  They even offer a 30 day Money Back Guarantee.  The Clip-N-Clamp is definitely worth checking out.  I know I'll get a lot of use out of it with my iPhone!


Disclosure:  I was provided with a Clip-N-Clamp to test out in exchange for this review.  The opinions are my own.  

Behind the Lens: Brandi Cameron from The Album Cafe

We are super excited to reveal our interview with Brandi Cameron, principal designer for The Album Cafe.  Brandi started out in photography but discovered her passion for graphic design along her journey.  I discovered her work when browsing the internet for photoshop templates.  I love her designs which are fresh, clean and simple.  Check out her work which will showcase your photos and help you present them to your clients in an engaging way.  And be sure to download her free templates and actions on her website.  You'll be glad you stopped by.

Oh, and be sure to check out The Album Cafe's Image Loader.  It is a fantastic Photoshop Plug-in that resizes and inserts your images for you into the templates.  Simply amazing and a great tool for your workflow.  And guess what, it's FREE!

And check out why potatoes are on her list of things she can't live without.  After having some of the best 'chips' in Sydney, I may add that to my list too!  And now, here's Brandi!

Your Name:  Brandi Cameron | Principal designer for The Album Cafe

Your business name:  The Album Cafe

Website:  www.thealbumcafe.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thealbumcafe

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheAlbumCafe

Your Style

In 50 words or less, how would you describe your designs?

Definitely modern, fun, and easy-to-use in a clean style.  Our mission is to provide you and your clients with timeless printed pieces that they can love forever.

Are you self-taught or classroom trained?

Both!  :)  After two years of Photography classes, I found that I had more fun creating things with my photos than I did in creating the photos themselves, so I switched majors and jumped into Graphic Design.  As with any creative profession, it’s impossible to learn everything in a classroom, you just have to get out there and play – you’ll learn a ton along the way.

How many years have you been a professional graphic designer?

I’ve been designing professionally for just over 10 years. 

Is there a photographer who inspires your style?  Who would that be?

Honestly, every photographer is an inspiration to me.  We all have very different views of the same world and it’s amazing to me that we can share our version of it in a photograph.

Favorite vacation spot?

Everywhere! My husband and I are total travel junkies.  We love to step out of our particular little patch on this world and see how other people live this crazy life.

Your Business

What was the pivotal moment when you decided to become a designer?

I think I’ve always been a designer, I just didn’t know the word for it or that it was a real job until I got into college – I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have found it.

Your Gear

Are you PC or Mac?

Mac all the way!  Macs keep things simple so I can sit down and get to work.  :)

Tools:

What tools do you use most in your work (tablet, software, etc.)

I use Photoshop and Illustrator to create the designs, but another important yet often unmentioned tool is my {amazing} Epson Perfection scanner.  LOVE scanning in random textures & elements to use!

What inspires you in your designs?  

Oh wow, everything!   Clothing, magazines, wrapping paper, walking around a craft store – just about anything can spark an idea.  My favorite thing to do though is to open a folder of images and a blank document in Photoshop and just start playing around.  

Do you have a target user for your designs?

Our designs are especially for pro or semi-pro photographers to use in creating printed pieces for their clients.

Where do you hope your creations take you in 5 or 10 years?

Right now I mainly design for print work, but would love to branch out into website work.  I love the fluidity and endless possibilities of websites.

What other graphic artists or designers do you follow? Who inspires you in your work?

I'm a crazy stalker of design firms such as Mucca Design, Cabedge Design and of course Leo Burnett.  I also subscribe to industry magazines such as Print & HOW.

And just because we want to know you, fill in the blanks

Three things I can’t live without….  

Besides the real & obvious answers such as husband, kids, dogs, etc. . . . I would have to say:

1. Computer

2. Camera

3. Potatoes

Yes, in that order.

Be sure to check out her Valentine templates - they are WONDEFUL!

I wish I had more….

Time!  Not only hours in the day, but days in my life – it’s going by so fast!

The best thing about being a designer is…

Getting to work many days in my pajamas with two sweet boxers at my feet.

The most important lesson I ever learned was….

Don’t tell your kids anything that you want kept private.  Really.

My favorite time of day is…

Bedtime!  Not for me, but for my husband and kids – then I get the house and TV all to myself!

Idea for Using Your Holiday Cards on Your iPhone or Smartphone

I love this idea that if I remember correctly I saw a few years ago at Tiny Prints......

If you are like me and you hate to toss out all of those beautiful holiday cards you received last month, you'll love repurposing your cards in this way........

Take a photo of each card using your iPhone or smartphone and then assign that photo to the corresponding contact on your phone.  Now when your friends call, their beautiful holiday card photo will pop up on your screen.

I just did this over the weekend and love when my friends call that instead of seeing a black screen with their phone number, I now get to see a photo of their cute family. And while I still can't bare to throw away these cards (yep, they are stored in a box next to last year's cards), at least I am using them in a new way.

BEHIND THE LENS: Stephanie Marie Photographie, Nashville, TN

Every time we interview a photographer for our Behind the Lens series, we are reminded of what an amazing community we are all a part of.  Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing your story and beautiful images with us today.   We love how you said that your photo mentor shoots with a "full heart and open mind" (what a great reminder) and we agree that you have some fabulous "besties"  (and we want to see that bag).  

And now we are pleased to showcase the lovely Stephanie Marie Photographie......

Your Name: Stephanie Waddey

Your studio/business name: Stephanie Marie Photographie

Location: Nashville, TN

Website: www.stephaniemariephotographie.com

Blog: www.stephaniemariephotographie.blogspot.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/stephaniemariephotographie

Twitter:  @stephmariephoto

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/stephmariephoto

Your Style:

In 50 words or less, how would your clients describe your photography?  Cool, organic, fun, joyful, full of life.

Are you self-taught or classroom trained?  I am self-taught.  I did mentor under a friend who is an amazing photographer for 3 months when I began to learn the technical aspects of photography.

How many years have you been a professional photographer?  3

Where do you want to take your photography business in 5 years?  I hope to still be doing exactly what I love!  Photographing little ones, families, seniors and new love!  I want to be in a studio and be shooting more commercial projects.

Is there a photographer who inspires your style?  Who would that be?  Oh goodness, that’s a hard one!  To name only one! Shalonda Chaddock of Chubby Cheek Photography is a genius.  She shoots with a full heart and open mind.  Nothing is out of reach and emotion is ALWAYS captured!

Favorite location to take photos?  I have always loved urban locations, however, in the last year; I have been amazed with the amazing light shooting in open fields and tree lines.

Favorite vacation spot?  London, England

Your Business:

What was the pivotal moment when you decided to become a photographer?  I am an attorney by trade.  When my daughter was born, I knew I couldn’t spend my life in my office.  Photography had always been a hobby and a friend noticed I had “the eye.” The rest is history!

What’s the best marketing tip that has worked for you?  Hit the streets.  Be involved in your community and never be afraid to self-promote.  If you aren’t talking about you, who is?!

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has asked you?  If I could cut them a deal on the digital images and they could just take them to Walgreens to make prints…

Favorite print lab? WHCC

Your Gear:

Are you Canon or Nikon (or –other):  Canon 5d Mark II, I am dying to upgrade to the Mark III!!

If you could only have one lens on a photo shoot, what would it be?  Hands down, my 85 1.2 L the creamy bokeh, the sharp clear focus, I could go on and on.

What brand bag do you carry your camera in?  My 2 besties threw in and got me a handmade, Argentinean leather camera bag last year for Christmas.  It is AMAZING and so are they!

What gear would we find in your camera bag?   Canon 5d Mark II, 85 1.2 L, 50 1.4, Smarties (for the kiddos who need bribing), 4 or 5 CF cards, my camera charger and of course business cards.

Are you a natural light fan or strobe fan? Natural light

Are you PC or Mac? PC - Sony to be exact

Your Tips and Tricks:

What post processing tools do you use?  Photoshop. I have my own tweaks I do to every image.  I mean every single one.  I think they are what define my style.  I have become obsessed with Florabella Collection actions as well.

Do you shoot in Raw or Jpeg? Jpeg…I know! GASP!  I think nailing the image in camera is a must for a professional and I know my technical aspects of my photos are dead on.  I have been playing with RAW because of the versatility and I am shooting in both most recently.

Best advice you would give your 20-year old self?  Stop living for anyone other than yourself.

Best advice you would give a new photographer?  Take time to define your craft and REALLY get the technical aspects of photography nailed down.  Post processing is NOT the place to attempt to make a perfect photograph.  Also, this way when you do bust on the scene you can charge what you need to for a successful business and your clients won’t flip out when you start to charge more.  Don’t be afraid to grow artistically.  I am currently going through a style change myself.  More lifestyle, less portrait.  I know what my clients want and will always make sure it is obtained, but above all I have to feel fulfilled in my work. 

What site do you use for your photography and why? Bludomain, it was what everyone was using at the time I started.  However, I am going through a complete rebranding process so all of that is about to change…

What Else Should We Know?

What was your worst photography experience?  OMG, I was on a shoot and accidentally switched my camera into timer mode…I didn’t know my camera well enough to switch it without it being a big deal and had to whip out the manual in front of my clients…luckily, it was a free, learning session for me, but nevertheless, embarrassing. 

What would surprise people most about you, whether it is photography related or not?

I am a complete nerd.  I love calculating my family’s monthly spending and planning budgets.  I think taxes are fun and I am schooled, I am to the max schooled in rap music.

And just because we want to know you better, fill in the blanks

Three things I can’t live without….my camera, my Imogene + Willie jeans, & coffee

I wish I had more…..hours in the day.

The best thing about being a photographer is…capturing emotion in lens that will be cherished for a lifetime.

The most important lesson I ever learned was….truth and sincerity always prevail.

My favorite time of day is…midday.  I am NOT a morning person, never have been, even with 2 cups of coffee, around 10 is when I start feeling my groove!

My One Word for 2013---Nurture

by Kristina

I finally chose a word for 2013 or maybe it chose me........

For those of you who are not familiar with this One Word concept the idea is to choose a word that you will try to incorporate into your everyday life for the year.  A word that you will focus on, that will motivate you and inspire you.

Last year I chose the word Focus and this year my word is Nurture.

I chose this word because I it seemed like a great way to build on my word from last year.  After spending a year focusing on the various aspects of my life, "nurturing" these facets seems like the next step.  In 2013 I plan to nurture:

• my business
• my family
• my relationships with friends (both new and old)
• my creativity
• my health
• myself

I think this is a great word and one that I will easily incorporate into my daily life.  Have you picked a word for 2013?  If so, we'd love for you to share it with us in the comments below.

Friday Freebie--Memory Jar Printable from Paper Coterie

by Kristina

Paper Coterie has a wonderful free memory jar printable this month that is perfect for kicking off the new year.

While we all spend a lot of time capturing memories with our photographs, we may not be as good at documenting our story with words.  Sometimes it is just hard to think of something to write about.  So the great folks at Paper Coterie came up with this easy and inspiring way to document your year.

The Memory Jar has 52 Questions, one for each week.  You can download the questions, the jar label and the journal bookplate here.  Each week, choose a question and write down your answer  and at the end of 2013 you'll be able to look back at your year and remember your thoughts.

I just love this idea and can't wait to get started!

Finding a Photography Mentor: Laura Tillinghast Workshops

By Tina Case

At Moms Who Click we wholeheartedly recommend developing mentor-relationships to expand your knowledge base.  Over the past year I developed a wonderful business relationship with  Laura Tillinghast. Laura is a very seasoned photographer in the San Francisco Bay area where I am also located. I am super excited to shadow her for the first time next week on a beauty shoot and watch her in action.  I'll be sure to write a post and include some photos from this experience.

Laura taught several lighting workshops over the summer of  2012 and they were a huge success.  She loves discussing light and how to work with it as the most important tool we have in our photography arsenal.  I am primarily a natural light photographer for my portrait work but I do use strobes for my product photography.   Understanding how to use external lighting can help improve your skills as a photographer and improve your outdoor sessions.

Laura taught a beginners class as well an advanced class.  There was something for everyone in attendance. She went over the basics of studio lighting as well as some more complicated lighting techniques. In addition to studio lighting, she did cover working with natural light, especially in difficult conditions (which I know many of you have experienced such as beach shots, over exposed situations, and low light situations). 

She also covered mixing studio and natural light together to get the look you want. We learned some tricks for shooting in areas where the background is less than desirable as well as posing tips, working with models and more. It was a blast and we all learned a lot! Classes coming up in 2013 will cover topics ranging from Retouching for Portraits, Visual Storytelling and additional Basic and Advanced lighting classes. 

To Register:
http://lauratillinghast.com/workshops.  You do not need to be in the Bay area to attend.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge: "Best Face from 2012"

I saw the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge this week and thought I'd give it a go.  I love all of their wonderful tutorials, photographer interviews and resources.  

Choosing a Best Faces image from 2012 was hard to do but I decided to go with the one below.  I love this photo.  I love how the girls (they are sisters) are laughing and so relaxed.  It is as if they forgot I was even there.  It was one of those "in between" moments.  Where we were just chatting and something got the girls giggling......I wish I could remember what it was......

In any case, I think this image truly represents the special bond between sisters.  It is one of my favorite images from 2012.

Be sure to visit I Heart Faces and check out all of the other great photos submitted for this week's challenge.  There are so many that will definitely make you smile and maybe even a giggle.

Wordless Wednesday--Dream

by Kristina

While I'm a bit sad that the holidays are over, it is nice to get back into my regular routine.  This morning, I took a few minutes out to play with some of my photos from Tahoe and came up with this.  I'm still deciding on my word for 2013...

Dream is one of the words in the running but I'm still not 100% sure that it is THE ONE.  I'll keep you posted.......

In the meantime, what are you dreaming about these days?

*edited with the amazing Kim Klassen's Dream texture.

Joby Ultra Fit Sling Strap Review and Comparison

by Tina Case

In December I had the chance to check a camera strap by Joby called the Ultra Fit Sling Strap for Women (there's a version for men also).  I took the Ultra Fit Sling Strap out for some rigorous testing while on trips to Mexico and Australia.  And let me just say that this strap was fantastic.  Not only did it support my Canon 5D Mark III (which just happens to be the best camera of 2012) but my heaviest lens in total comfort.  My heaviest lens is my Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L and the combined weight with camera is just under 5 pounds or about 70 ounces.

I wrote about this strap previously and how it saved me (from embarrassment and a broken wrist).  For sure the strap saved my neck and back from a lot of aches and pains.

The ergonomics of the strap for women was carefully constructed with curves in mind.  I used this strap extensively for 2 weeks, carrying it everywhere we went on our trip to Sydney, Cairns and the Gold Coast of Australia.  I took it on the subway, rail, buses and ferries.

My super skinny daughter also tested this out on another camera and she also noted how comfortable it was and how it distributed the weight of the camera so you barely felt it while walking throughout the day from morning to night.

I've used three other straps for my camera.  The one that Canon provides, a nice cushy one by Smug Mug and a stylish one by ModStraps.

Total comfort with my heaviest lens.

The manufacturer strap was the worst one of all (sorry, Canon), which does not provide any cushion whatsoever and cuts into your neck if you are carrying a heavy lens.  The SmugMug strap is nice and cushy I have to say.  But even the cushy-comfort diminishes when the full weight of the camera and lens hangs from your neck all day.  I do love my ModStrap and especially the cool designs but even when worn across the shoulder and side it does not bear the weight of the camera with a large lens in total comfort the way the Joby Ultra Fit Sling Strap does.  And that's due to the placement of the strap.

The strap is cleverly held using the typical tripod opening on the bottom of the camera.  The silver and red clip screws in tightly and without worry I carried the camera everyday for 2 weeks.  I tightened it manually and did have to use a coin to unscrew it to put on a tripod.

With my heaviest lens I do not have to remove the strap since there is a separate tripod connector on the lens itself.  So that may be the only thing you have to be aware of if you use a tripod.  You'll have to unscrew the strap before connecting it to a tripod. Simple enough to do and no complaint from me about that step.

To see the Ultra Fit Sling Strap in action, check out the video below.  I highly recommend this strap for any photographer who will be carrying it extensively on vacation, during a long photo session like a wedding or even just around the block.  For more information on where to purchase, click on the link here.  And be sure to LIKE the Joby Facebook page to be updated on sales and giveaways.  They just held a great winter holiday giveaway with several of their wonderful products.



UltraFit Sling Strap for Women by JOBY from JOBY Inc on Vimeo.


Disclaimer: I was provided with an Ultra Fit Sling Strap for Women.  All opinions are my honest assessment and 100% my own.

Friday Freebie: 2013 Calendar Template From Hazy Skies Designs

This year I thought it would be nice to give my clients a 2013 calendar as a thank you for their business....just a small gesture to show my appreciation.....

I looked online for a template.   I wanted something I could easily customize and something that was a standard size that my clients could print out if they wished.  In doing so, I found this terrific calendar from Hazy Skies Designs.  I just love it.  I whipped up a dozen or so calendars so far and customized the colors for each client.

Hazy Skies Designs not only has this great free template (available for download on their Facebook page) but they also have a terrific selection of templates for photographers...including marketing templates, collages, CD labels, digital paper packs and more.  You should definitely go check out their unique and fresh designs.

Here is a sample of a calendar I made for myself (yep, that's my family).  :)