Moving to an official .com

This blog is moving! I am going to be officially at AlishaSiddoway.com, which is not longer linked to this blog. I'll be deleting this blog soon. So come follow me over there!

Bedtime Stories and Secrets

Let it be known that I am a sucker for black and white photographs. I LOVE them. There is something timeless, classy, and just perfect about them. I know I’m probably in the minority on this subject, but I don’t care. I have to talk myself into printing photos for the walls of our home in color. It’s hard. I am drawn to black and white, it speaks to me. (I’m an artist, I can say weird things like that!)
I got these shots while I was hanging out on the floor with my baby when my little girls decided to “read” each other a book. They took turns, which is a big deal some days at our house. I laughed because suddenly my 4 year old was telling her sister that the book was about baby Jesus’ birth. Totally not what it was about, but I didn’t correct them. It can be about Jesus.

These first two shots  are through the slats at the foot of the bed. So if you are wondering what made my sides dark and blurry, that’s what it is. I decided that I like them. They add something to the photo that normally isn’t there.

I love capturing my kids just being themselves, it makes me happy. And this photo above it definitely Kyla. She throws her hands up in the air when she’s excited, cocks her head to the side when she asks a question, and shakes her hips when she dances. She’s completely expressive with her tiny little body. And the photos below are totally Sophie. She loves to whisper “secrets”. But she usually is so paranoid about having someone overhear her that she basically mumbles in your ear and it really tickles.

Tell me, do you prefer color or black and white?

Dinosaur Park

The weather is finally turning! My Monday blog post must have helped. hehe! We decided that it was time to venture out, and since we had half off tickets to the Dinosaur Park we made an afternoon of it. I know I have girls, I know dinosaurs aren't really their thing. But when you have a half off coupon, and two toddlers that are dying to get out and do something (anything for that matter), you go. 

I would say the day was a success.

I laugh every time I see this picture. My oldest is totally faking it, but her sister’s look of terror is real. It isn’t the dinosaur that she is panicking about (well, it is a little), but the fear of her sister grabbing onto her while she is standing on a bench. My poor little girl, she got my fear of heights. I can read the look of "get me out of here asap!" on her face, it's one that I have felt many times in my life. I even remember being nervous standing on anything a foot or two off the ground, and especially if someone touched me. Pathetic, I know. And here I am, all grownup, and still afraid of heights (don’t tell anyone).

  My parents came with us, and my mom carried Kyla around pretty much the entire time, and oh boy was she milking the sympathy from Grandma.

Imagine what this place would be to a little boy. I can see Jack going nuts about this place in a few years. Running around, roaring and teasing his sisters. But for now, he chills with his binky and is a happy little soul.

Getting out was so wonderful! I can’t wait for spring to officially arrive!

Tip of the Week (#2)

This week I wanted to talk about window lighting and how to make it work for you. I know most camera’s have a flash on them, but let’s be honest, it’s not very pretty. So let’s work on not using it!

Imagine you are in a room with lots of light. You stand and take a picture, you look down at your shot and this is what you see:

How did this happen?  There was so much light in the room.  It was a bright room.

What’s the problem?  You, the photographer, had your back to a wall without a light source (translation, no windows on the wall behind you).

Watch your back. If you have a window-less wall behind you your subject is gonna be dark. So all you have to do is move your position. Let’s talk about two options for shooting with window light.

Option #1: you can shoot with the light source to the side of the subject and you’ll get a result similar to this…

Notice the side lighting. One side of her face is in part shadow, the other in light. The only difference between these and the first photo is that instead of facing the window-less wall she only has one cheek towards it. The shadowed side of her face is towards the wall with no windows. Makes sense, right? This is really a very basic tip.  (disclaimer: with 3 walls with windows there is plenty of light to shoot this way. It may not be the case in your living room. But give it a try).

Option #2: If you don’t like the shadows on your subjects face you can always face them head-on towards the light source and you’ll get something like this:

The window-less wall is behind her now, so the only place that isn’t getting light is her back. 

Oh, the possibilities! Isn’t light amazing? Pay attention to it next time you shoot, and go take some amazing photos!

Missed the first tip? Check it out HERE

Cabin Fever

This photo hangs on my girls’ bedroom wall, a nice 16x20 canvas print. Every time I see it these days I get antsy for winter to finally end. It’s like the canvas is taunting me, reminding me how long and cold this winter has been. We are desperate to get outside and play, but 40 degree weather isn’t really ideal for playing outside especially when we still have two feet of snow in our backyard.

So by posting this picture I am hoping it’ll encourage spring to finally make it’s grand entrance!

Tip of the Week

As parents we take a lot a pictures. Now with smart phones and tablets, we all have cameras. So it’s time to share some tips on how to get better pictures of our kids, animals, or whatever we are taking a photo of.

So tip #1 is something that anyone can do that doesn’t require any fancy camera or equipment.

And it is… (drum roll please)…

GET DOWN ON THEIR LEVEL!

I can’t tell you how many times I look at cute photos of kids on the first day of school, or in their new Easter dress and I see something like this….

The first thing I always think is, why didn’t they get down on their level?

See how much more fun it is? How much better it looks? It’s like a miracle!

Much more engaging.

Another example above. Much better, right? And I’m not saying that we should never shoot down on a subject. I do it occasionally, but it’s more for this…

So next time you get out the camera, for whatever reason, remember to get down. I promise it’s totally worth it! It might take only a funny little squat if you have an 8 year old. Or with a baby, you might be laying on the floor. Either way, your picture will be TONS better. And an added bonus may be a great smile or laugh that you capture when your 8 year-old watches you stick your bum out trying to get the shot.

So remember to get down on their level! It’s fun, free, and easy to do! So go take some amazing photos.

Little Guy in a Tie

Two teeth, one tie, and no worries.  That’s how we roll on Sunday mornings at the Siddoway home.  Jack here was all dressed up in is white shirt, tie, and new vest and I couldn’t resist taking a few shots.  As you can see, he does well in the spotlight. 
It’s ironic that Jack has as much hair as he does, being that his two older sisters were pretty much bald until the age of two.  This little guy has already had multiple haircuts and it just keeps growing.  Maybe I should just let it grow so he can channel his inner rock star.  I mean, look at him, he is definitely a rock star.  Or a fat little business-man…one of the two. 

Amber and Zach- Maternity

 

 

I am so excited for these guys, they will be such wonderful parents. Amber is glowing, and beautiful and her baby bump is so little and cute, see for yourself…