Saturday, December 22, 2018

A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.



  • Favorite Photography Books and Authors: part 1. This first post on my favorite photography books and authors focuses on authors who explore the bigger picture of photography and will inspire you will ideas for composition, design, and more.

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Saturday, December 8, 2018

A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.


  • All about Bokeh. Bokeh is an incredible effect from lights and blur, and the holiday season is a perfect time to experiment with bokeh. This post will walk you through how to create fabulous natural bokeh shots.
  • Shaped Bokeh. The next step in bokeh photography is to create shaped bokeh. This post will walk you through this simple DIY hack for shaped bokeh photographs. 


  • Shooting Modes part 1: program mode. Learn how to use all the different modes your camera provides during this month-long series. This first post starts from the beginning by getting you off of Auto mode and into Program mode.
  • Holiday and Photoshop Posts over at Craftsy. This next post features a collection of posts over at Craftsy including advice about how to photograph your holidays (without going insane) and how to use exposure compensation for perfect holiday lights.
  • Yes, You Need a 50mm Lens. A 50mm lens is a major upgrade from your kit lenses, and this post lays out a series of arguments (and photographs) to show you what you might be missing. Plus, at around $100 USD, a 50mm lens is also a steal! 


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    Saturday, November 24, 2018

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.



    • Great Gifts for Photographers (and Yourself). Treat yourself or the photographer in your life with something special this holiday season. This post offers a collection of must have and super-useful photography gifts and accessories at a variety of price points. 




    • Photography Gifts for the Holidays. Now is the time to start planning for holiday gift-giving. This post offers a wide-range of ideas and possibilities for how to use your photography to create lasting, memorable gifts. Check out the post for some great ideas!
    • Where to Order Photography Gifts. Part 2 helps you answer the question of where to order those photography gifts. Read on for a detailed comparison of three popular online photography retailers: Cafe Press, Snapfish, and Shutterfly. 
    • Thankful for Food Photography. Thanksgiving got me thinking about food photography. This collection of quick tips will help you with the settings, strategies, and stylings to make a big difference in your food photography.
    • Shoot Successful Self-Portraits. Selfies may be all the range among millennials, but any one can get in on the action with these helpful tips! Strategies for self-portraits as well as some ideas and inspiration - even for the camera shy.

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    Wednesday, November 21, 2018

    Preserve Your Photographs Easily: Print Custom and Automatic Photo Books with Chatbooks!

    Struggling to get your photographs off your camera/phone and out into the physical world? Chatbooks offers a quick and easy way to make photo books from your images - even automatically!  Chatbooks has both an app and a web portal that you can use to make and print books. [Yes, it's a referral link, but yes, this is a company I use regularly.]

    Series Books


    What sets Chatbooks apart from other photo book companies (and my favorite feature) is their ability to automatically create books for you from your Instagram feed. Simply log in to Instagram via Chatbooks and every time you share a new photo, it will get added to the current book in your series. Once you hit 60 photos, you will get a reminder email and three days to make any adjustments, then presto, the book gets printed and shipped! You can also add or delete photos any time via the app or web site, as well as edit captions and choose covers.



    Why I Love It


    • Automatic integration of Instagram and Chatbooks means no extra work
    • Imports your captions as well as images, adding stories and details to the memories you want to preserve
    • Inexpensive. 6x6" books start at just $10, which is a steal for a printed book
    • Makes great gifts. You can have your series sent to multiple addresses. We have ours sent to both sets of grandparents, which means surprise photo book deliveries right to their doors!

    Custom Books


    Chatbooks also offers a variety of options for custom books and cards, where you pick and choose the photos to include. You can easily add photos from Instagram, Facebook, Google Photos, your phone's camera roll, or your computer. Photo books come in two sizes: 6x6 or 8x8 inches, and you can choose a hard or soft cover, either your own photograph or one of their numerous cover designs.

    This year I'm making a year-in-review book by simply choosing from all of the photos that I've previously printed in my Chatbooks series. The whole process took only a matter of minutes. I started the project, chose Instagram for my photo source, selected my favorites images, and then they quickly populated the book in order and with their captions included. These will be for us as well as gifts for aunts and uncles.



    They also have a lot of great ideas for different types and uses for photo books. One is a custom ABC book where you add your photographs alongside each letter of the alphabet. This is a super-cute idea for kids who could be the star of their very own book. I'm planning to use this format to make an ABC book celebrating my son's first birthday. Right now I have a list going of different ideas for each letter of the alphabet ... (Ideas for X appreciated!)

    What are your favorite ideas for photo books?

    Quick Personal Note


    I've been on a bit of hiatus from sharing new photography advice due to the birth of my son. And while I've certainly been taking many, many photos, there's been very little time to stop and write about it. But I'll get back to it eventually! If you have ideas for future topics you'd like to see covered on Boost Your Photography, leave your thoughts in a comment.

    Saturday, November 10, 2018

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.


    • The Line: elements of visual design, part 1. This month-long series explores different elements of visual design, beginning with the most basic: the line. Read on to find out how to use lines to improve your photography.
    • Shape: elements of visual design, part 2. This post moves the conversation about visual design from the one-dimensional line to two-dimensional shapes. See examples of translating images and scenes into their component shapes.

    • Photography Collages: start a collection A collage can be a great way to display and share your photography. Think about a common topic, theme, or style that can unite your collage. This post includes further details and examples to inspire you.
    • Photography Is .... What does photography mean to you? Read my reflection on how photography is timing, patience, and luck. 


    • Find Time for Photo Books. Now is the time to get started turning all those incredible photographs into permanent, printed books! This post will help you over the hurdles of beginning, planning, and arranging to move you towards completion. Holidays gifts, here you come!

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    Saturday, October 27, 2018

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.


    • Spooky Levitation How To. Take your spooky shots another step with this easy how-to for levitation using digital manipulation and Photoshop. Find out how to seamlessly blend images for exactly the look you want.


    • Learn Your Camera Lens: accessories. Part 3 provides an informative overview of common camera lens accessories, including lens caps, lens hoods, and filters. Find out what you need and how best to use it.
    • Local Photography: Photograph the Harvest. Now is a great time to get out and explore your local surroundings - visit a farm, pick your own pumpkins, or try your hand at apple-picking. This post lays out some suggestions for how best to capture the bounty of the season.

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    Saturday, October 13, 2018

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography

    A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.


    • How to Photograph Ghosts. In a single photograph, capture a spooky or ghostly creation - no Photoshop or digital manipulation necessary! Learn how to use a long exposure for this fun effect.

    • Learn Your Camera Lens: What's in a Name? Part 1 in the 'Learn Your Camera Lens' series focuses on all of the information provided in the name of your camera lens. Find out all the information you can from your lens name, and find out how best to choose a future lens.
    • Learn Your Camera Lens: the lens itself. Part 2 in the 'Learn Your Camera Lens' series carefully lays out all of the detailed pieces and parts of your camera lens. Learn what all the numbers, dials, buttons, and switches mean and how best to use them in your photography. 



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