Time to Order Your Holiday Cards With 40% Off &Free Shipping at Tiny Prints

Did you know that this Sunday is the busiest holiday card shopping day of the year?

It is...but you don't have to wait until Sunday to take advantage of an amazing offer from Tiny Prints.

For 24 hours only, you can get 40% off your order of ANY size plus get free shipping!

Here's how to take advantage of this offer:

1. Go to Tiny Prints and select from hundreds of holiday cards.

2. Personalize your card with your pictures, your text, etc.

3. When you checkout, use the promo code TPCARDS40FS to save 40% and get free shipping.

This promotion is only valid from 12:00pm PT on Saturday 12/6 to 12:00pm PT on Sunday 12/7, so act fast!

Turn Your Instagram Photos Into a Book with BooksTo.Me

by: Kristina

Wondering what to do with all those awesome photos you've been posting on Instagram?  Have we got the perfect solution for you....BooksTo.Me.

What is BooksTo.Me you ask?  Well, it is a fantastic subscription based service that automatically designs and prints photo albums from your Instagram feed.  You seriously do not have to do anything other than sign up for an account (and of course post your photos to Instagram), Booksto.Me magically takes care of all the rest.   They design the pages, date the book and send it off to you.

You can sign up for either a monthly service (for $24.00 per month you receive a book monthly containing  20-200 images) or quarterly plan ($44 every 3 months and you receive 1 book every three months with 20-300 images).  If you don't want an image included in your book all you need to do is use the hashtag #noBTM.  For answers to the questions that may be popping up in your head check out their FAQ page.  

I truly LOVE this idea because as I keep saying this is the year I will actually PRINT my photos.  And now using Booksto.me, I don't even have to think about printing all those Instagram photos it will be done for me.  And instead of spending time designing books, I can be out there capturing more memories!

This week I received my first book and it looks great.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to receive next month's book.  Time to go snap some more photos!

Disclosure:  Booksto.me provide me with a 3 month subscription in exchange for this review. The opinions in this post are entirely my own.


In addition to writing about photography tips and tricks here at Moms Who Click, you can also find me musing about my latest photography projects on my website Kristina Rust Photography, Facebook Page and Google+.

Lenslends Photo Contest Winners!

A huge thank you to all of you who entered our photo contest with Lenslends.com.  We are excited to announce the winners of the contest.......

Kim Bajorek is the winner of the $250 rental gift certificate with her beautiful entry of these red ranunculus shot in her backyard in San Diego, CA.

And Loni Judisch is our runner up with this photo of a very cold looking rancher, shot in Ledger, MT.

If you are interested in trying out a new lens, we highly recommend you check them out (keep in mind they only carry Canon lenses but will be adding Nikon lenses this spring).

Simply Galleries--An Easy Way To Create Canvas Wall Art

Earlier this week I wrote about Simply Galleries, a new site that helps you create beautiful canvas galleries.  They had their official launch this week and have been giving away a ton of great prizes.  Pop on over to their site to register before it is too late.

Anyway, I love the idea behind Simply Galleries which is to basically help you get those photos off your computer and onto your walls in gorgeous groupings.  I completely understand that figuring out what to print let alone how to group your images can be tough, but that is where Simply Galleries comes in.

Their site allows you to upload photos, choose room designs (or even upload an image of your own room) and drag and drop your images into a number of different pre-designed templates (the galleries are customizable too) until you find the look that best fits your room.

Next, place your order and as they say, "Do a happy dance."

Well, that is exactly what I had the opportunity to do and boy oh boy am I doing a jig especially now that I received these beautiful canvases and have them hanging on my wall!

The entire process was super simple.  The hardest part was deciding on the images but once I got that figured out the rest was a breeze.

I really wanted to see how the canvases would look on my wall so I uploaded a photo of my bedroom and started playing around with the various designs.  Here were a couple ideas I contemplated.

I thoroughly enjoyed going through the different layouts and decided on the top grouping.

Within a week the canvases arrived on my doorstep.  Each canvas was meticulously wrapped and attached to cardboard to ensure a safe arrival.  

After locating my tape measure and nails, I got to the task of hanging my collection and I couldn't be more pleased! The canvases are beautiful...the color stunning and the workmanship is top-notch.  I forgot how much I love wrap-around canvases. 

Here's a photo to show you how beautifully the image wraps around the edges.....

I truly appreciate how Simply Galleries takes the guess work out of creating your photo groupings.  You truly get to see how it will look in advance, just look at the comparison below......

Here is how it looked on my computer....

And here is the real deal on my wall (I'm kinda patting myself on the back for hanging it so well) .  Love it!  

So give them a try, I know you'll be thrilled with the results! 

In addition to writing about photography tips and tricks here at Moms Who Click, you can also find me musing about my latest photography projects on my website Kristina Rust Photography, Facebook Page and Google+.

Disclosure:  I was provided with this beautiful gallery in exchange for this review.  The opinions are entirely my own and I will definitely be ordering from them again.  Thank you so much Chris and Adrienne! 

Artisan State-Flush Mount Photo Books & Albums

I get so excited when I find a new photography product for my clients and I love passing on that information to you.  My latest discovery are photo books from Artisan State and in particular their Little Black Book.

Artisan State provides photographers with beautiful flush mount books that are perfect for creating photo books for any occasion.  Their books are different from regular photo books in that they are hand mounted on a thick inner board with a beautiful lustre finish and a special coating that protects against spills and stains.  And unlike press printed books, flush mount books use a layflat design.

Typically these types of books are extremely expensive, but Artisan State's books are very affordable.  The Little Black Book which I used for a recent Senior Portrait session starts at only $20.  And their Classic Hard Cover books (which allow you to wrap an image around the cover) start at $35 for a 6x6 and your standard 8x11 size book is $60.

The books are high quality and a beautiful way to showcase your images.

Here is sample of a book I recently created for one of my Senior High School students.  It turned out great and the family loved the book and the images.

In addition to writing about photography tips and tricks here at Moms Who Click, you can also find me musing about my latest photography projects on my website Kristina Rust Photography, Facebook Page and Google+.

Disclaimer:  I was provided with a Little Black Book in exchange for this review and have since placed additional orders because I was so pleased with the product.  The opinions stated are entirely my own.  

Camera Rental Review of Lenslends.com--And Photo Contest

I recently had the opportunity to rent a lens through a new camera and equipment rental company, Lenslends.com.   I was wanting to try out the Canon 16-35mm lens for a trip I was taking to New Zealand.  I knew this would be a great lens to capture wide landscapes but I did not want to invest in a lens (with a $1699 price tag) that I would not use all that often.

Renting the lens through Lenslends.com was so easy.  They have a fantastic selection of  Canon lenses and cameras (they will be adding Nikon equipment this spring).  All you need to do is decide what equipment you want to rent and using the drop down menu to make your selection.  Next check the availability calendar and then choose the time frame that you would like to try it out  (options range from 4 days to 4 weeks).  Add it to your cart and at check out you can choose the delivery type.

The lens will arrive in a Pelican case to ensure its safe arrival along with a shipping label so you can return it once your rental period is over.  It is that easy!

As I mentioned above, renting through Lenslends.com was the perfect option for me when I wanted a specific lens that I knew I would not use regularly.  It is also a great way to test out a lens you've been longing for before you make that pricey commitment.

Whether you are a professional or hobbyist, Lenslends.com  is a great way to test out equipment before making a big investment.  And we are so excited to partner with Lenslends.com in an action  photography contest!  The winner will receive $250 in rental credit, the runner up will receive a $50 credit and each of the five finalists will receive $25 in rental credit.

Here's how to enter:

STEP 1: Take an epic photograph (any subject...it is up to you!). Note the type of equipment used, as well as where you shot it.

STEP 2: Upload a photo from Instagram or your computer below.

STEP 3: Submit your photo by 3/1/14 at 11:59PM EST To enter fill out the contest entry form with your name, email address, city, and state. Upload your photo and you’re good to go.

STEP 4: GET VOTES! Once the submission period has ended, Moms Who Click and lenslends.com will select 5 finalists, all of whom will receive a $25 gift certificate.

The winner will be selected on 3/8/14 at 11:59PM EST based on how many votes their image receives, and the runner up will be selected by Moms Who Click.

Do You Squijoo?

by Kristina Rust 

We've mentioned Squijoo on our blog before but I thought I'd give them another shout out.  A photographer friend recently saw my Facebook Timeline (pictured below) and she loved it and inquired as to where I found it.  I happily pointed her in the direction of one of my favorite sites for templates, Squijoo!

Squijoo provides photographers with a HUGE assortment of templates.  If you are looking for collage templates, marketing materials, cards, word stamps, birth announcements, sports templates, and more this is one site you don't want to miss.  And as a Moms Who Click friend you can get 50% off their monthly fee of $10.  Yep, for $5 a month you can get access to all this goodness.  Just use the code IEE3B when you sign up.

Products to Help Get your Photos Off Your iPhone

A few weeks ago a good friend of mine reached out to me looking for recommendations on print options for her iPhone photos.  As it turned out, I had just ordered some very fun products from Social Prints Studio's Printstagram and I was thrilled to recommend them to her.

Printstagram offers a wide variety of products including stickers, posters, prints, calendars and more.  Just download the app (available for both  iPhone and Android users), upload your photos and you will have beautiful prints on your doorstep in about a week.

I recently turned a bunch of my Instagram photos into stickers and a little mini book and I love them.  It is so great to have these photos off my phone and in my hands!

Blur on Purpose--Photography Technique

by: Kristina Rust

Have you seen the hashtag #bluronpurpose on Instagram?  I kept seeing very cool images with a subtle bit of blur popping up in my Instagram feed and loved the artistic, dreamy look but had the hardest time capturing this type of imagery with my iPhone.

I found out that the trick to getting these types of images, is to tap your screen to focus on an area that you actually do not want in focus which makes the rest of the image blurry.  For example, in the photo below, I tapped on the upper right hand corner of the sky, which made the iPhone think that it should focus on that point.  And while you do this, you have to quickly snap the photo.  It takes practice but with patience you'll get the shot.

Here are a few I snapped while in San Francisco a month or so ago.  I love how the car tail lights turn into this amazing bokeh.  And how the Ferry Building looks so dreamy in the background.

The photo below is my absolute favorite.  I was walking through the Ferry Building heading back to my car and it was late.  The crowds were gone and I just stood there, taking in the lights when this lone person walked into my frame....perfection!

When I showed these images to my husband, he was less than impressed.  I don't think that he got my artistic vision.  Ah well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

25% off Everything at Tiny Prints Plus Free Shipping!

by Kristina Rust 

Here is one sale you don’t want to miss….25% off your purchase at Tiny Prints plus FREE shipping.  As you may know, we love Tiny Prints.  Their designs are great and their quality is top-notch.   They have so many card styles and color palettes that choosing can be difficult….  To take advantage of this sale use the code HOLIDAY25FS at checkout.  

And guess what???  If don’t have a holiday photo ready, you can still snap up this offer.  Just go ahead and go through your order and if you don’t load a photo, the order will not ship.  You will be able to go back into your account later, upload your photo and resubmit the order with the photo in it.  This way you can take advantage of the sale right now even if you haven’t picked out a photo or had your photo session.

Trigger Trap Shutter Remote

by Kristina Rust Photography

I recently purchased a Trigger Trap available at Photojojo and I think it is my new favorite gadget!

The Trigger Trap is a sync cord that lets you control your camera with your iPhone, Android phone, iPod or ipad via a free app.   It has many modes including standard trigger, motion trigger, sound trigger, time-lapse, distance-lapse, face detection trigger and customizable HDR.

All you have to do is plug the cord into your phone and camera, download the app and get snapping!  It is super easy to use....for me the hardest part was figuring out how to connect the cord to my camera.  I had a hard time lining up the connector (uh, yes maybe my cheater glasses would have helped..the perils of being in your 40s).



Anyway, I have only played with the time lapse feature on the app but it is great.  You can designate how many photos you want taken within your chosen time frame.  For example 60 photos taken over 2 minutes. I love that all you have to do is choose your settings and then click the "shutter button" and voila!

If you want to try one out for yourself, use this link and receive $5 off your purchase (on this or anything at Photojojo).

Here is a sample of a time lapse film I made...just to give you an idea of what you can do!  So fun!

I saw the idea for a Gratitude Tree on Pinterest and thought it would be a wonderful thing to do with my family this November. 


The Making of a Gratitude Tree from Kristina Rust Photography on Vimeo.

Halloween Templates from Squijoo

by:  Kristina

We love Squijoo....they have so many awesome templates for photographers.  From boards and collages to marketing templates and all sorts of holiday cards, Squijoo is a fantastic resource for all of you busy photographers.

If you are not familiar with Squijoo, this is how it works.  You pay a flat monthly fee to have unlimited access to ALL of their designs (and you can cancel at any time).  It is only $10 per month, however with a special Moms Who Click discount you can get all their goodness for only $5!  Just enter the code IEE3B when you sign up.  

We especially love their Halloween cards.  I am going to send this to a client of mine as a thank you.  Isn't it spooktacular?  :)

 

Kingston MobileLite Wireless Review

By Kristina

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to try out the Kingston MobileLite Wireless device.  It is a cool compact gadget (about the same size as my iPhone) that has multiple uses.  Note:  In order to utilize all of it's features you need to download the MobileLite App on any device that you want to connect.  

First off, the MobileLite is a wireless card reader that can transfer files between a SD memory card or USB drive and your IOS or Android device.  Imagine taking photos at an event and wanting to view them on a screen that is larger than the preview window on the back of your camera.  With the MobileLite you have the ability to do just that by plugging your SD card into the MobileLite and streaming them to your iPad.  Unfortunately it does not work with compact flash cards....I'd love to see a version that reads CF cards for all of us Canon users....hint, hint. 

You can also use this device to back up your photos in the field or traveling.  Instead of dragging along your bulky laptop and you can back up your images directly to your iPad by plugging you SD card into the MobileLite and wirelessly transferring them to your iPad.  Again, sorry Canon folks, this won't work for you.

In any case, here is my favorite photo use..... I LOVE that I now have the ability to free up space on my iPhone by backing up my photos to a USB drive or SD card using the MobileLite.  I take ALOT of photos and video with my iPhone and frequently find myself running out of space.  I hate deleting on the go and now I don't have to.  Instead I can easily free up space without a computer while out and about using this nifty device and a wireless connection.  I wish I had this when I went to Shutter Sister's Oasis last year! 

In addition to these photography related uses, the MobileLite has the ability to expand the memory of your iPod and iPad by streaming data from a USB drive or SD card to up to three devices.  I'm sure your kids will agree that they are always running out of space and having to delete apps or movies to make room for other files.  Now they can load those must see movies onto a USB drive or SD card and using the MobileLite, wirelessly stream them to their iPod or iPad (and you can stream three different movies to up to three devices!).  My kids are going to love this the next time we travel to the Midwest!

And last but not least, the MobileLite can also be used as a phone charger. No more running out of power or having to search for wall outlet when on the road.  Simply plug your iPhone into the MobileLite and you'll avoid having a dead battery.

Setting up the MobileLite is pretty simple and the Kingston website has videos that walk you through the process as well as videos that explain how to utilize all its features.  The MobileLite Wireless retails for $45 on Amazon and in my opinion provides a lot of bang for the buck (even for us Canon gals and guys).


Disclosure:  I was provided with an Kingston MobileLite Wireless in exchange for this review but all of the opinions are 100% my own. 

Instagram Magnets from Pic Pack

Oh how I love these magnets from Pic Pack.  They are so cute and a great way to utilize those awesome photos you've been taking and sharing on Instagram as well as photos you've been taking with any of your other cameras.  Yes, it's time to do something with all that wonderful art!  

Ordering is super easy, just sign up on their website....www.getpicpack.com, link your Instagram account (or upload photos from your computer) and choose 12 photos for 18 Euros (approx. $25 US).   They ship from Berlin and take about 2 weeks to arrive, but they are worth the wait.  The photo quality is very crisp and sharp and the colors are vibrant.

I think these would make a very fun holiday gift for friends, family or yourself!



Note:  I was provided with a complimentary pack of photo magnets in exchange for this post.  The opinions expressed are my own.  

Friday Freebie--Templates from Squijoo

Earlier in the week we told you about our latest find for awesome templates, Squijoo.  Today we wanted to share with you that they also have a terrific selection of FREE templates.  If you want to get a sampling of all the great goodies they have to offer, check out their freebies.   We are sure you'll find something you'll love!  And don't forget that you can save 50% off their monthly membership fee (regularly $10 per month) by using the code 1EE3B.  So for just $5 per month, you can have access to everything they offer!  This is too good of a deal to pass up.  

Fabulous Templates from Squijoo

I'm so excited to share this wonderful template resource with you....Squijoo!  I found this fabulous site that is full of amazing templates when looking for a collage board and fall marketing template.

I have made templates on my own, but it takes me forever.  I can't decide on a design, I don't have all of the digital elements that I'd like and in reality I just don't have the time.  That is why I have become a huge fan of Squijoo.  They have everything a photographer needs, from collage boards to holiday cards, CD labels to calendars.  They also have wonderful tools to help you run your business including contracts, marketing boards, pricing guides, thank you cards, and more.  Seriously, they have thought of everything!

How it works is you pay a flat monthly fee to have access to ALL their designs.  For just $10 a month you can get EVERYTHING they offer.  And the best part is there are no binding contracts.  You can cancel your membership at any time and keep whatever you downloaded...not that you'd want to cancel because they keep adding cute templates each month.  

But wait, there's more......The wonderful folks at Squijoo are offering our Moms Who Click readers 50% off membership.  Just use the code 1EE3B and get unlimited access to all of their templates for just $5 bucks a month!  

Here are just a couple of templates I recently downloaded for my business.....super cute, eh?

I love this word art!  So easy to customize!

I needed a collage board for a client and this was perfect.  The original actually has a cute little label in the center but I didn't need it and was able to easily customize it. 

Playing with Bubbles--Photo Fun!

by Kristina 

I love Popular Photography magazine.   When I find a new issue in my mailbox, I can't wait to sit down and flip through all of the inspirational pages.

This month, I found the article Bubble Wrap to be just what I needed.....you know when you feel like you've been in a rut and have not done anything creative or fun with your camera?

Anyway, the photos of bubbles by New York photographer Satoshi were so beautiful and intriguing.  I loved the abstract shapes and how he turned something that is very ordinary into something extraordinary.  You can see his set up and tutorial here. 

So I grabbed a jar of bubbles (of course I had them on hand from my family photo shoots, who doesn't?) and decided to play, using a VERY basic set up (check it out below)....

Here's what I came up with....

And here is a pull-back of my no frills set up.....the black background is a photo box from one of my favorite photo sites, Paper Coterie, the vase is one I picked up at Ikea, and the straw was one we had on hand (my kids love making smoothies).

I did edit the photos in Lightroom...just a little sharpening and increasing the blacks and saturation...plus a big crop.   Pretty cool, eh?

All and all it was a great way to spend an hour or so in the afternoon and I was very excited about my results!

I encourage you all to go out there and play!  Whether it's capturing bubbles or finding something else to shoot that is out of the norm, I know you'll have a great time and learn something new in the process.

Oh and don't forget, we'd love to see any of your images on our FB wall or a link to your photos in the comments below.

Syncing Your iPhone Photos with the PhotoSync App

I am so excited to tell you about this app that I recently found...PhotoSync.  I stumbled upon it while on vacation in the Midwest because I needed to make room for photos on my iPhone.  Sound like a familiar problem? 

Usually, before a vacation I sync my iPhone photos to my (because I know I'll be filling it up with images), but this time I forgot.  So here I am in the Midwest with over 1000 photos on my phone and no way to back them up.  I tried using the iCloud but couldn't figure that out.  

So after doing a quick search on the internet, I found PhotoSync.  What I love about this app is it allows you to wirelessly transfer your photos and video to not only your computer but to photo hosting services like Flickr, Zenfolio, Smug Mug, Google/Picasa and Dropbox. 

After downloading the app ($1.99),  I was able to easily select a group of photos and transfer them to my Zenfolio account. The transfer occurs in the background so you can actually still use your phone.  And PhotoSync is smart.  It keeps track of what photos you've transferred from your camera roll, so if you want to delete them you can feel confident that they've been backed up. 

After uploading 300 photos, I was able to delete them off my phone and am now ready to capture more memories of our Midwest fun. 

My Switch to Pro-Photo--A Blog, Site and Portfolio All in One

For the past few months I have been wanting to update my photography website (in addition to blogging her at MWC, I also have my own photography business and site Kristina Rust Photography).
While I was happy with my Zenfolio site, I found it limiting in terms of the customization options.

What I really wanted was a site that was easy to customize, one that could showcase my portfolio in a professional way and one that was affordable.  After hours of researching different options and asking fellow photographers for recommendations I decided to go with ProPhoto and I'm so happy I did.

ProPhoto is based on the Wordpress framework so what you need is your own domain name and a host to install Wordpress and ProPhoto.   This translate into the following fees:

• Web hosting (I used bluhost recommeneded by ProPhoto) $4.95 per month
• Wordpress--Free
• ProPhoto--$199 (for self-install, you can pay extra to have them install Wordpress and ProPhoto for you)

Although I was nervous at first about installing Wordpress and ProPhoto, I decided to embrace my DIY spirit and set everything up myself.  ProPhoto made it very easy with their online tutorials (both videos and written instructions) and I had WordPress and ProPhoto installed in no time.

Then came designing my site.   I must admit that creating my new site was a lot of work.....mainly because I needed to think through what I wanted and how I wanted to present my information (and I kept making changes along the way).  I would highly recommend sketching out the flow of your site before you dig in to creating it.

I used the Maxwell design (ProPhoto includes 13 free starter designs that can be easily customized and tweaked so that you can build something unique) as my foundation and totally came up with a new look.  It looks nothing like the original template.  Knowledge of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements is necessary in order to tweak the design elements. 

When creating my site, ProPhoto's online tutorials answered most of my questions but when I needed a little extra help, their support via email was great.  I loved that the majority of my questions were answered the very same day.

In addition to their great support and easy customization options, ProPhoto also has built-in mobile sites, is Flash-free, is optimized for search engines and offers a 110% moneyback gaurantee.

If you are looking at creating a new website or revamping your current site, I would highly recommend ProPhoto.  If you have any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

Chic Critique One Year Membership Giveaway

If you missed our post yesterday, we highlighted a new resource for photographers (both starting out and seasoned) that we found.... Chic Critique.  Oh my is this a great site!

And today, the wonderful founder and chief editor, Kelli France has offered one lucky Moms Who Click reader with a one year membership (valued at $78) to Chic Critique.  Hooray!!

To enter, just like the Chic Critique Facebook page and leave a comment below with your email address letting us know that you did.

Deadline to enter is July 15 at midnight Pacific.  Winner will be announced on July 16.  Good Luck!