Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Top 5 tips for doing the 365

YAY!!! Happy last day of 2014. I can not believe I have now finished my first 365. What a year, full of so many memories captured. Since I have just completed my first 365, I wanted to highlight some of the tips I learned along the way. Yes I could make this a top 25 list, but decided to narrow it done to 5. If you have not yet tried this journey, highly recommend it. It is amazing the level you can bring your photography too, just by picking up your camera everyday.


1. No rules.

Since last year was my first year, I choose to have no rules put on myself. I did try to focus on capturing my kids, but some days you see a leaf that catches your eye, and that ends up being your photo of the day. Embrace it, just take a photo a day of anything.




2. Do it for you.

This is one of the most important lessons I learned, and once I got it through my head, my photography improved. I had to take a step back about halfway through, to better understand my real goals for the 365. I was getting to focused on topping the yesterday's photo. I felt that every photo to everyone had to be the WOW factor. But I was not on this journey to pump out amazing work everyday. I did it to become more familiar with my camera, to capture those moments I might miss otherwise. They were all treasures to me, even if to you its just a photo of messy wet hair, to me it's the memory of how she always missed those stands while washing it.




3. Take the same photo.

365 days is a long time, and you only have so many rooms in your house and so many places to visit. Don't be afraid to take the same photo. For example we did a lot of sleeping & bath photos, but in the end it's worth it to see how your little ones have grown, and how your photography has grown from your first bath photo till your last bath photo.










4. Reuse old photos, a little cheat won't hurt.

I drove myself insane some days. It would be 10 pm at night, only to realize we were so busy I forgot to grab a shot. But yesterday we were around home and I got a nap photo, a bath photo, a playing photo. Well let me tell you, using one from yesterday won't matter to anybody. I think out of my whole 365 photos there might be 25 that I used from the day before. Now that I am at the end, I could not even point everyone of those out, I have even forgotten which ones.





5. Share your images with friends & family. 

 Post it some where you know you will have a following, like every day on  Facebook album, or once a week in a blog post. This helped me not to quit the journey. There were days I thought I would throw in the towel, but knowing I had friends following me, waiting for today's photo, keep me wanting to keep sharing them. If it were not for all my friends and family following along, I might of gave up. Nothing beats a support team and a cheer squad!











If you want to see more, you can view the full 365 album



Sunday, 28 December 2014

Life {Unscripted} Blog Circle: December Volume


Isn't Meagan Dwyer Photography's work amazing, I 'm her biggest fan!!, Thanks for taking a look at Meagan's blog.

Welcome to the December issue of the Life {Unscripted} blog circle. Make sure to click on the link for Elise Meader Photography at the end of the blog, to keep the circle going.
How can it be the end of the year already. December seemed to go by very fast, and I had days were I hardly even picked up my camera, But Christmas day made up for that.

Every year we do 3 Christmas' in one day. We get a treasure map book left from Santa and head out to visit family and find our presents along the way! It is busy, yes it's chaotic, but we truly do love getting the chance to be with our whole family on the day that matters the most. 

This is our crazy Unscripted Christmas day,


Christmas Eve

The girls once again this year put Santa's milk in Daddy's whiskey glass, I think they know he drinks it.


The Treasure Map Book

The 1 am fun of putting toys together, until Daddy won't stop playing with the Firetruck, and woke someone up early to see his Christmas gifts



Papa's House for Christmas morning

Wearing silly hats for photos this year at Papa's, I think she makes a pretty cute bear!

        Love that I brought my 70-300mm to the bush to capture some birds.



Back on the road


Nana's house for Christmas lunch

I love the Christmas chaos you get when you stick 3 generations of siblings in one room together.









Auntie house for Christmas Dinner




Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

Now head on over to the amazing work from Elise of Elise Meader Photography, you won't be disappointed she works wonder behind the camera!