The Memories Captured Project: 30-Second Editing for Beautiful Pictures

I am so excited to share this post today. I've been working on this new project for a long time, and I can't wait to tell you about it!

Two of the things I'm most passionate about are education and photography.

I was trying to think of a way I could combine these two passions when I started paying attention to the pictures I was seeing on Facebook. Lots of my friends are having children and posting pictures of their cute babies (and their cute fur babies too). It's a time when many people, who previously didn't really care about the quality of their pictures, start wanting a good snapshot or two to frame in their house and share with their friends.

And that's how the Memories Captured Project began.

I want to teach people to take beautiful at-home photos of their children.

I want to provide simple, practical tips that anyone can do to achieve authentic high-quality snapshots. This project has been in the works for months, and has taken lots of analyzing, research, late nights, early mornings, and prepping posts while bouncing a twin on my lap (even less effective than it sounds).

Do NOT keep reading if:

You have $8,000+ lying around to invest in a high-end camera and lens

You like the over-edited, unrealistically smoothed Photoshop style of professional portraits.

You want to devote 60 or 70 hours a week to taking and editing pictures of your children.

Keep reading if:

You want to take beautiful pictures of your children.

You want your snapshots to be a little more clear, bright & focused.

You want to capture the authentic moments and emotions of your crazy, wonderful, always-changing children.

Maybe it's your New Year's Resolution to learn to take better pictures. Maybe you have a new camera but aren't quite sure how to use it. Maybe you see other people's phone pictures and want to recreate the same quality and emotion from your own phone. Maybe you just need a current picture to fill that outdated frame on the mantel.

Whatever the reason, I'm so happy you're here, and I'm so excited to teach you practical, simple steps to improve your home photography. (Many of these posts will be child-focused, but lots will be about photography in general, so you can use them to improve your pet photos, food photos, and more!)

Let's kick things off with a simple how-to post. Up first: 30-Second Editing for Beautiful Pictures!

_____________________________

Here are the three easy edits I do with every single picture. They take a simple snapshot from 'meh' to 'wow!' in only 30 seconds.

1. CROP THE PICTURE SO ONLY THE IMPORTANT PARTS REMAIN

Take this example. I wanted lots of background to show a little toddler exploring a big world, but the sidewalk in the foreground that's covered with leaves? Distracting. And that big grey building in the upper right? Not doing anything for me. So I cropped that part out. Now, I still have the big background I wanted, but my crop is closer, more focused, and framed by pretty greenery on two sides.

If it doesn't add to your picture, crop it out.

Ask yourself, "What's important about this picture?" If the answer is your baby's cute face, 90% of the picture should be your baby's cute face, not the blanket they're lying on. If you're trying to capture grandma and grandson at his piano recital, does it make sense for the dessert table and three random people eating cookies to be in the picture? Figure out what's important and crop the rest out.

2. ADJUST BRIGHTNESS

99% of the time, this means make the picture more bright! It's amazing how a little extra brightness can totally change a photo. Slide the exposure (brightness) bar up very slowly until your picture is bright, but not blown out. My personal preference is that I like very bright, alllllmost overexposed pictures, so I slide that bar up until it's flirting with the line between bright and blown out. Play with the exposure bar until you find what works for you.

*A blown out picture = too bright and exposed. Light colored things such as light skin and white shirts start to glow white when a picture is too exposed.  If that happens, slide the exposure bar down until colors return to normal.

3. ADJUST SATURATION

This means make the colors pop in your picture. This is a tricky one, especially when you're photographing children, because it's easy to oversaturate and then realize your child's skin has turned the precise shade of a carrot. Slide the saturation bar up - just a bit - until the colors are bright and make a statement. Then double check the details again to make sure everything is the color it's supposed to be (again, check your child's skin, and make sure red and pink colors aren't overblown). You can also adjust the contrast at this point to help with the color balance.

And that's it! Three easy, quick edits I make to almost every single picture I post.

Crop

Exposure

Saturation

Best way to edit pictures on my computer?

You don't have to buy a fancy program to do a decent edit on a picture. There are a lot of awesome and free ways to do it.

At the very least, both Macs and PCs have a basic editing function built in to the computer. It can't do much, but if you just need a few simple edits you can use that.

I also love picmonkey.com and canva.com. Both sites have a paid option, but I just use the free versions and have been totally happy with them.

If you take and edit a ton of pictures (like I do!), you might want to invest in an editing program. I have both Photoshop Elements and Lightroom, but use Lightroom almost exclusively. Seriously, I love Lightroom. It's a bit of an investment, but SO easy to edit multiple pictures at a time and save your favorite presets and settings.

Best way to edit pictures on my phone?

More good news - there are lots of good options to edit phone snapshots right on your phone! Both Androids and iPhones have a photo editing function automatically built in. I kind of hate the Android version, but the iPhone version is okay. You can always use your built-in editor in a pinch if you need to - and it's free!

I used the Afterlight app to edit phone pictures for years, but recently switched to Photo Editor by Aviary and totally love it. It's free and does everything I need, plus there are fun built-in filters you can try. Other cheap and seriously awesome apps are Repix, Snapseed, and VSCO. It might be worth your time and one or two dollars to find a good editing app.

Thank you so much for joining me in this fun new project!

I have lots of ideas in the works 

(email lists! free downloads! ebooks! workshops!)

 but I'm starting simple with weekly posts like this one 

to help you take beautiful pictures of your children.

Same time next week? ;)

4 Easy Systems to Make Your Household Run Smoothly

To be honest, I'm just barely coming out of survival mode with the twins. I'm actually pleasantly surprised about this. With three under three and my husband in grad school, we planned on survival mode for the first entire year of the twins' life, but they're good babies and now that they're almost 6 months old and sleeping the whole night through, I'm finally emerging from my two-infants-is-really-hard shell and ready to get some routine back in my life.

In fact, one of my biggest goals for 2017 is to implement small daily systems that make a huge difference around my house.

I didn't realize how much routines helped my daily life until they were gone. I used to do one load of laundry each morning, and didn't realize how great it was until the twins were born and I stopped. Dirty clothes were piling up everywhere, I could never find time to fold the clean ones, and we were starting loads at 11:30 p.m. that needed to be clean and pressed for my husband's presentation at 7:30 the next morning.

So I'm going back to basics and implementing systems at home. These are little things that streamline my workflow as a mom. (My business school husband is always telling me about workflow and supply chain and how to optimize our time by streamlining our at-home processes. It's so great. He helped with some of these!)

All these little routines add up to a happier, more efficient, low-stress day. Instead of panicking when I realize it's 6:45 p.m. and I have no clue what's for dinner, I'm creating a system of planning family meals and shopping ahead. Instead of sending my husband to the store for baby wipes or toilet paper at midnight, I'm creating a system to stock up on the essentials so I always have them on hand.

And to think, it only took me 27 years to not run out of toilet paper in the middle of the night.

1. HOUSEHOLD CHORES

There are about a million cleaning systems and chore charts for adults out there. Try out a few and find one that works for your family. Some people love the 15-minute charts that guide you in a few chores each day. Some people deep clean one room per day and move through the house in the course of a week.

We're still finding the perfect system for us, but we do a few small things that make a big difference. We always start the dishwasher before bed, even if it's not all the way full, because we love having clean dishes and an empty sink in the morning. We also do a 10-minute clean up before scriptures and bed with the kids, because it makes me so much happier relaxing at night without fighting Peppa Pig for couch space.


2. STOCK UP ON ESSENTIALS

Once every three months, we go on a MAJOR shopping spree for all household items. We get cleaning supplies such as window cleaner, laundry detergent and dish soap. We get toilet paper and paper towels. We get non-perishable foods in bulk that we know we'll eat. We get baby formula and wipes and TONS of diapers. It's a multiple-cart, large-bill shopping trip. But then we love the next three months of never rationing the toilet paper or trekking to the store for dish soap at 10 p.m.

Pro tip: Sam's Club is now offering a 2 Month's Supply of Huggies® Little Movers Diapers. And I do mean two months. The box is gigantic, but it's totally worth wielding a large box for a minute or two to see stacks of clean diapers filling the twins' entire closet - and extra money in my bank account too. Sam's Club also offers free shipping on select baby items, awesome subscription options, and club pick-up. See more advantages of owning a membership here, and find your nearest Sam's Club here!

3. COORDINATE YOUR FAMILY'S SCHEDULE

This is a new thing we've started, and I've been amazed how much it's helped. Once a week (on Sunday nights) we sit down and schedule out our week. What nights does Sam work late? When will I do our weekly grocery shopping? Do the kids have special appointments or parties or doctors visits this week? When are we going to get this big project done?

It really only takes about 10 minutes, but avoids lots of frustration when we inadvertently block out time for two things at once, usually on Saturday mornings when we both assume the other person has nothing going on.

4. STREAMLINE MEAL PLANNING AND GROCERIES

Sometimes I dread meal planning, but I make myself do it every week and I'm always so glad. Spend time writing out a menu (we do weekly, but I'm in awe of the people who do monthly menus and lists). Find the combination of new recipes, old recipes, and easy schmeasy meals that work for you and your family. Make a grocery list and schedule a time to go.

Pro tip: If stores in your area offer free grocery delivery or pick-up, DO IT RIGHT THIS SECOND. It saves so much time and effort! (A little birdie told me Sam's Club offers this service too for its members.)

What would you add?

Daily routines that help your household run smoothly?

twin costume idea: milk and cookie

I'm pretty sure there's a rule somewhere which states that cute twin babies are required to match for Halloween. In fact, I'm going to make them match for as many Halloweens as I can without inciting a rebellion. We'll see how many years I can make it. (Wouldn't it be cute if they were Luke and Leia toddlers next Halloween?!)

So here's our little milk and cookie.

Since the twins are little and love to be in their carriers, we wanted to build their costume around their front packs. We thought of lots of cute easy-to-make combinations (salt and pepper! two peas in a pod! hamburger and french fries!) but ultimately went with milk and cookie. 99% of the credit for the manual labor goes to my amazingly creative sister-in-law, Ellie.

A quick tutorial, in case you're also thinking about a baby carrier costume:

MATERIALS
semi-structured front baby carrier (we love these)
cardboard
heavy duty scissors
fabric in whatever colors the costume requires
colored felt for smaller details
fabric or heavy duty glue

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut out the cardboard in the shapes you want. For the cookie, we did a simple circle, but the milk was a little more complex because we made it 3D and added a straw opening. (The straw is a paper towel tube.)
2. Wrap the fabric around the cardboard and glue to the back.
3. Cut out felt and glue onto fabric to add details to the costume. (This is what our chocolate chips are made of, as well as the stripes on the milk straw and the milk lettering.)
4. Cut 2 or 3 fabric strips (about one inch times 14 inches) and glue the middle of each strip to the back of the costume.
5. Attach the costume to the carrier by threading the fabric through the holes of the carrier and tying the ends of the fabric securely together. We like to tie the fabric knots to the side they're not digging into the baby's back.
6. Done!

The side views (you can see the fabric strips attaching the costume to the carrier, and you can see the 3D milk carton):

Good news, people. It only took me 26 years to actually be excited about Halloween. Between these costumes and my toddler who has carried her Halloween bucket around the house for days, trick or treating to her teddy bear, I just might be overcoming my major Halloween grinch tendencies. Finally. This candy corn popcorn snack helps too. ;)

Happy Halloween! 

Food Photography Lighting 101

When it comes to food photography, there's a lot to learn (and a lot I'm still learning!). There are lighting techniques, camera settings, and food styling guidelines. Today I wanted to talk about the first of those: the best type of lighting for food or other "still life" photography. These are guidelines I use every day to get bright, crisp, clear images with lots of white light.

These pictures were taken by myself for the amazing Fearless Confections. All credit for these mouthwatering desserts goes to her!

1. Find the brightest spot in the house

Seriously, spend a day figuring out when and where you get the best light in your house. Is it in the morning on the back porch? In the evening in the kids room? I use these two examples because 99% of my food photography happens in the morning on the back porch, or in the evening in my daughter's nursery. I almost never photograph in the actual kitchen because it doesn't get enough natural light. You're looking for lots and lots of sunlight, and that beautiful glow.

2. Work that indirect sunlight

You do NOT want direct sunlight or harsh shadows on your food photography pics. If sunlight is flooding a room, set up your photography station just barely out of reach of the direct light. Or, place it right next to a bright, large window when no direct sunlight is coming in. North- and south- facing windows are great for this.

3. Soften the light

If you have direct sunlight, diffuse it by hanging a semi-sheer white curtain or a white bed sheet from the window. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a scrim, which does the same thing. Anything that turns direct sunlight into soft white light will do the trick.

4. Use white backdrops and backgrounds

I have several cheap white posters that I use for the backdrops and backgrounds a lot. I also love my white faux-marble backdrop (tutorial here) and use it all the time. If you have a brightly-colored wall, you'll want to cover it with something white so the color of the wall doesn't reflect onto your food. Plus, these white posters will bounce more light onto your subject.

5. Turn off the lights and close the flash!

Once I took an entire set of pictures, and then discovered they all had a gross yellow tinge. Why? I forgot to turn off the overhead lights. You want all your light to be coming from the window, which provides a pure white light, and not from the manufactured bulb above your head. And I promise you do NOT want your flash on! Flashes create harsh shadows and uneven lighting. Unless you're going for a very specific type of artistic food photography, keep that flash off.

You may also like: 5 Shots to Take When Photographing Absolutely Anything

And there you have it! I'm planning on posting soon about the best camera settings for food photography, and maybe a post about food styling as well. What would you add? Anything that I'm missing? Favorite tips and tricks for great food photography lighting?

DIY Photo Backdrops

One of the main things I do to make my pictures more beautiful and professional is use a good backdrop. Sometimes a simple white poster board will do, or a fun printed tablecloth or towel. But often, I want something more. That's where my DIY backdrops come in!

Today I wanted to share my two favorite backdrops that I use all the time. One of them is tile, and the other is the white marble look that is so popular right now. And the best part? They're both under $20, and since I use them constantly, they have been well worth the money to me. Here's how I made them!

TILE BACKDROP

MATERIALS:

1 foam board (this one was a good size) or piece of plywood (most home improvement stores will cut it down to your exact size specifications for free)

6 peel and stick vinyl tiles (I bought mine at Home Depot for 87 cents each. I believe these are the exact tiles, but if you buy online you have to buy a pack of 20.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

All you have to do is line up the tiles to cover your foam board or plywood, and then peel and stick each one on! Make sure the edges are firmly pressed against each other so there are no gaps.

My vinyl tiles hung over the edge of my foam board, so I used paper to cover the back of them. That way the edges of my tiles won't stick to everything they touch. It's a little flimsy around the edges, but since I always put it on a solid surface when I shoot, it's been fine.

A recent photoshoot with my tile backdrop (see more here):

MARBLE BACKDROP

MATERIALS:

1 foam board (this one again!)

white marble contact paper (I loved this one)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Another super easy tutorial! Roll out your contact paper on top of the foam board and cut to size. Starting in one corner, carefully peel the adhesive off and stick to the poster board. Work slowly and use a ruler to press out any air bubbles as you go.

A recent photoshoot with my marble backdrop:

And that's it! Each one of these backdrops took me ten minutes, and I use them for beautiful, high-quality backgrounds no matter what I'm photographing. 

What other backdrops do you like to use for photography?

Any favorites I should make?

Let me know how these turn out if you make them!

*This post contains affiliate links to products I used and loved.

how to write an awesome pitch email

I've sent (and received) many pitch emails during the course of my blogging career. Sometimes I'll never hear back from the company, or they'll tell me I'm not a great fit for them. But many of my emails have turned into really successful, awesome collaborations. (Recent favorites that came out of pitch emails can be found here and here. Can you tell I'm on a baby product kick?)

I've learned a lot about pitch emails over the years, and I want to share my tips with you. I believe blogging should be about sharing success, not hoarding it for ourselves, so read on to learn how to write an awesome pitch email!

WHAT IS A PITCH EMAIL?

If you understand cold calling, you'll understand a pitch email. In the business world, cold calling is when you call potential future customers out of the blue and try to get them interested in your product. Pitch emails are the blogging equivalent. A pitch email is an email you send to a company that will hopefully begin a business partnership with their product or brand. In a pitch email, you introduce yourself, your product, and your collaboration ideas.

Here are some tried and tested ways to improve your "cold call" pitch emails:

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

I can't tell you how many pitch emails I've received that say something like, "Hello Silver Lining, Are you interested in posting about X product?" I honestly don't even open the full email. It goes straight to the trash! If they didn't take three seconds to learn my name, they're not a company I want to work with.

Research who you're pitching to! Take a few minutes to browse their website, favorite their Etsy page, like their Facebook page, or retweet them on Twitter. Find the specific name of the person you're emailing. This shows your potential collaborator that you're serious, interested, and willing to invest in their brand.

2. INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Spend a sentence or two telling your potential collaborator about you, your blog and your audience. Don't be shy or talk yourself down! I usually write one sentence about my blog, and one sentence about who my audience is.

This is also a great time to mention why their product is a good fit for your lifestyle. Maybe their product solves a problem you had, or looks beautiful in your home, or makes your work day three times easier. Tell them why you are the perfect person to promote their product.

3. PITCH!

This is where you tell the company your awesome ideas for working with them. Whether it's a product review, or working their product into a lifestyle post, or including them in a curated list you're making, this is where you get to say your specific ideas for working with the company. Include an estimate of how many times you'll promote your post and their product on your social channels.

I like to pitch two clear ideas. One usually is more comprehensive, and one is less involved. That way, companies feel like they have options and can begin talking about which option would work best for them.

4. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

In one of my very first pitch emails, I felt it was too brazen and forward to ask for money right away, so I kind of skirted around the payment issue until the very end of our collaboration, only to find out we both had different (unsaid) expectations about compensation. It became a terrible sticky mess while we sorted things out.

This is not the time to be shy about payment and compensation. This is a business email, so don't be afraid to get down to business! Be very clear and specific. The details can be worked out in later emails, but make sure to mention if you're expecting to be paid in product or actual dollars right from the start.

5. THANK THEM AND INVITE THEIR FEEDBACK

You're almost done! Ask your recipient their thoughts, which option might be the best fit, and if they have any specific promotions or new products coming up they might like you to rave about. As always, end with thanking them for their time.

6. ATTACH YOUR MEDIA KIT

Don't forget to attach your media kit! At the very least, leave links to your main social sites, and your monthly reach and audience size. That way, the company can combine your numbers with your creative pitch ideas to get a feel for what working with you would be like.

And that's it! My pitch emails tend to be about three paragraphs long. If you follow this format, you'll end up with a clear, concise, professional pitch email that will impress potential clients and start a great business dialogue with them. Don't be afraid to send a quick follow-up email if you don't hear from them after 4-5 business days.

What tips do you have?

What do you like to see when someone sends you a pitch email?

Any other great ideas for improving pitch emails?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!