Today is the Chinese New Year!  Celebrate the year of the Dragon with these fun crafts and treats! Perfect to share with your little ones.

Thumbprint Dragons
All you need is a few colorful inkpads and blank paper. Embellish with a pen to add eyes, ears, legs and a pointy tail!

http://funhandprintart.blogspot.com/…nt-dragon.html

Egg Carton Dragon
Use egg cartons, paint, colored paper, tissue paper and shimmery foil to create a sensational Chinese New Year Dragon.

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/egg…ese_dragon.htm

Colorful Fortune Cookies!
Yummy and fun to make your own fortunes too.

http://diyweddingplanning.blogspot.c…l#.TsbN4j3NmN4

Paper Lanterns
These look great with sequin, sticker and glitter embellishments. Use lots of colors and string them across a porch or window!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/lantern1.html

Happy Chinese New Year! Don’t forget to wear something RED for good luck!

Not that this is a fantastic image, but it does carry memories of our trip to Key West last winter. The line of tourists waiting for their chance to stand next to the marker, the warm sun starting its dissent on the horizon, and of course the laid back atmosphere of the Keys.

As families we take photos to mark our memories, to have a visual reminder of even the most common events. Do these personal images have to be technically correct? Does it even matter if anyone else likes your work?

What should only be important is that these pictures stimulate an emotional response when you see them. Maybe you can become technically better with a little work and education. Anyone could, and that’s why professional photographers are constantly training, learning to incorporate new ideas into there work. We have to work at our craft all the time.

Moms with Cameras are going to be out photographing their kids and family. That fact is never going to go away, and I personally think it’s great. Digital technology has given them the opportunity capture moments that professional photographers will never see. Family photo albums will never be like they were in the film days.

What we should be doing as professional photographers is helping them to understand the craft and art of this industry. Knowing the difference between a snapshot and wall art. Very few of these moms are going to attempt to take their photography to a professional level. And, if they really want to go Pro, Professional Photographers should be willing to give advice on ALL aspects of this business.

Decades ago, learning to shoot film was not convenient. Not hard, but you had to work harder to find good resources. Today learning digital photography has become its own industry and there is a lot of good FREE information to help Moms with Cameras shoot better.

This month I’ll be building a link list of what I think are the best FREE educational sources (check the links on right). In the past I have given FREE photography seminars to nonprofit organizations. This spring I plan on expanding this training and making it available to all the moms with cameras, or anyone else who cares to learn.

More next week.

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http://imagingusa.org/

We’ve got some down time! Yahoo! Not that we don’t LOVE what we do – everyday. Finally, the holiday hustle and bustle is over. The New Year is here and we’re making our long list of resolutions for 2012.

One of those goals on my list is to take some time during the slow season to further perfect my technique. From lighting and posing to camera angles, editing techniques, new sets and props, there is always something new to learn and incorporate into my work. We’ll be attending Imaging USA in New Orleans Jan. 15-17 learning, socializing and recharging for 2012.

I find that this is a great time of year to do a few complimentary sessions and play around with new ideas. Join us for a Down Time portrait session throughout the month of February. There is no session fee, no minimum order or obligation, just a fun portrait session.

For more information:

972-510-5381 or info@galliherphotography.com

Digital painting is an emerging art form in which traditional painting techniques such as watercolor, oils, impasto, etc. are applied using digital tools by means of a computer, a digitizing tablet and stylus, and software. These are hand painted works often based on photographs, not computer generated art.

Trained by internationally renowned portrait artist, Fay Sirkis, we will transform your portrait, landscape, or architectural image into a lasting piece of art. We would love to create a portrait session for you designed to establish a foundation for your painting.

We offer paintings from 8″x10″ up to 40″x50″, all work is by consignment. Please email us at info@galliherphotography.com for more information and pricing.

Gavin and Christopher arrived at the studio in a HumV version of a double wide stroller. Sleepy from the ride over, they took a few minutes to wake up while munching on some Cheetos. It’s always good to let little ones get use to the new faces and surroundings. A little shy at first when mom zipped them into their Halloween Bee costumes, but they soon rallied. Just as you would expect, the 9 month old boys quickly took attention to the lights, reflectors and props. Not walking wasn’t a problem for these two. They could army crawl faster than mom and I could react. Kids are so much fun photograph, you never know what will happen. And, you can’t rush things. Patience, persistence and a good attitude are a must when working with children.

The boys really did a good job for their first time. The only real challenge was getting this shot their mother wanted. They were quick, and without toys in hand, they improvised with what was available. The weekend is their one year birthday – hope to see them soon for another session. Happy Birthday boys!

Disney - Port Orleans Riverside

All this recent wet cold Texas weather has me thinking a lot summer and past vacations. Disney World is a playground for kids and photographers. The image at left was obviously a night image, pre-HDR (for me) in 2007. Taken with a Canon 40D, ISO 320 F/8.0, 20 sec very late at night. If you don’t want a people in the shot, you have to wait until the kids go to sleep.

These images are of the Colonel’s Cotton Mill. Night photography is challenging and fun. Most point-and-shoot cameras can be set in manual mode and used with a tripod, can get really nice shots. Try it.

Colonel's Cotton Mill - Disney

I photograph people, that’s what I love doing. But, people don’t always like to be photographed. In fact most clients tend to be very stiff and uncomfortable being around all the lights, reflectors, and gear. They are afraid that the images will not turn out as they had hoped. The best results always come from having a relaxed and confident subject.

It’s not that hard to make a fearful client relax. And, I give credit to photographer/author Joe McNally for the importance of spending time talking with the subject(s). I like to have fun, make jokes, act professional, but be relaxed. Making fun of myself seems to work the best. I want people to come away great images and a feeling that “that wasn’t so bad, kind of fun actually”.