With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday sessions it was refreshing to photograph a newborn. There is so much excitement, yet chaos, the first few days of a newborn’s life that time flies by in blur. Capturing those tender kisses, itty bitty fingers, and squishy lips will fill you with joy for years to come.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

Happy 2nd birthday to my daughter! Thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

I love exploring new settings, especially with such easygoing clients like the family below. Thankfully, the drizzly November afternoon didn’t stop their 15-month-old from having fun. She was quite a little ball of energy, with tangible curiosity.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

The Josett family are neighbors and wasn’t even discovered until our kids started kindergarten earlier this year. You can tell big sister loves her little brother so much and lights up every time she places her arm around him.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

Squeezed in my own family’s holiday portraits amidst the busy season!

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

“Celebrate life” is a blog feature sharing a photo from my daily life.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

I’ve known this mother for over fifteen years and always enjoy their annual fall session. It was a fun change of pace to do a Malibu session that wasn’t directly in the sand. Backdrop was gorgeous and the family always impeccably dressed. Love you all to pieces!

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some sessions to my blog, but excited to start sharing some fall family sessions. The last time I saw this adorable little girl she wasn’t even walking and in a few short weeks she will be joined by a baby sister. I was charmed by her ease in front of the camera and even her ability to tell me everything she knows. Looking forward to capturing more of this family next month during their newborn session!

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

If you receive my email newsletter, you’ve already read my photo tips for what to wear in your family photos. If not, it’s never too late to sign up. Please, subscribe here! I’ll be sharing monthly photo tips, upcoming events, and special offers only available to newsletter subscribers.

What to wear in your family photos photo tips :: october 2013 My clients often ask for advice on what to wear when trying to coordinate a family session. With the holidays looming, what better time to address your questions. The clothes you wear are just as important as the lighting, location and posing. You want your session to reflect your style & personality and the following tips will guide your wardrobe selection. Solids and dark colors are the most flattering and don’t draw attention away from your face. I’m not entirely against patterns, but like to encourage clients to use simple patterns sparingly (skirt, tie, or perhaps headband) so no one person stands out. DO:  Choose a top with sleeves at least to the elbow. Arms take up more skin area than your face and may appear larger than they actually are. DO: Stick to more fitted clothing. Anything hanging off your body (baggy) will make you look bigger than you are. DO:  Accentuate the positive. (Darker clothing is slimming. Light tones tend to emphasize body size in photos.) DO:  Tie in your own personality with accessories. Scarves and jewelry help pull together a great look. Coordinate your outfits to remain in the same color family or wear complimentary colors. (A great example would be to choose a base color, like grey, and then add pops of one or two accent colors, like yellow or turquoise.) DON’T:  Wearing white matching shirts with Khakis blends everyone together and washes the faces out.DON’T:  Dressing your children in shirts with big logos or characters is distracting in a photo and takes away from that timeless look.DON’T:  Wearing clothes that wrinkle easily. DON’T:  Exact matching outfits only look good on young children. DON’T:  Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair right before your session.

If you receive my email newsletter, you’ve already read my photo tips for understanding exposure. If not, it’s never too late to sign up. Please, subscribe here! I’ll be sharing monthly photo tips, upcoming events, and special offers only available to newsletter subscribers.

Understanding Exposure photo tips :: september 2013 The hustle and bustle of summer has finally come to a close. Kids are back in school and I’m gearing up for busy fall season. I skipped my August newsletter to focus on design projects, but previous photo tips can always be viewed on my blog. Like other creative mediums, photography is about telling a story. You have to have something you want to say or something you want to express. Your camera is the tool that you use to express it. There are three settings on your camera that will affect the exposure. They are called Aperature, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Exposure = Aperture (amount of light made available to record an image) + Shutter Speed (the length of time the light is made available to record an image) + ISO (sensitivity to light). Aperature Aperture is an adjustable circular opening by which light enters a camera, through a lens, to record an image. The size of the opening is the aperture, and when you control the aperture you determine how large or small the hole is. Aperture is measured in f-stops, such as f/22 and f/4, but here’s the thing: The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the opening, and vice versa. ISO ISO (International Standards Organization) is the sensitivity to light of the sensor. The higher the sensitivity, the less time (shutter speed) or the less amount of light (aperture) needs to hit the sensor for the correct exposure. We use ISO to help us achieve what we want to do with the other two sides of exposure; Aperture and Shutter Speed. Why don’t we just use the most sensitive one and forget about it? Because the downside of higher ISO is that it increases the grain in our images. So our objective is to use the lowest ISO possible, but balancing that to what we want to achieve. For example of light sensitivity, think of staring straight into the water while on a sunny beach or squinting at a clock in a semi-dark room. Now imagine your camera trying to capture images under those conditions. Shutter Speed The shutter speed controls how long the light comes through our aperture to the digital sensor. The longer the time, the more light will hit their surface. That is technically what shutter speed does. Think of actual window shutters in your home, and how quickly or slowly you open and shut them: the longer you leave them open, the more light enters your room. Shutter speeds are expressed in fraction of a second (1/8, 1/125, 1/1000 etc.). NOTE:: If you are using a very slow shutter speed (like image above), make sure your camera is stabilized on a tripod or non-moving surface to prevent camera shake. Creating the perfect exposure Shooting in manual mode to master your exposure settings can be frustrating––a change to one (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) will impact the other two. Keep practicing and remember the following rules: If your pictures are too bright, try increasing your shutter speed, upping your aperture (higher number, smaller hole), and/or reducing your ISO. Conversely, if your pictures are too dark, decrease your shutter speed, reduce the aperture, and/or increase your ISO.

“Celebrate life” is a blog feature sharing a photo from my daily life.

Elizabeth is a graphic designer & natural light photographer, specializing in lifestyle portraits for families in the greater Los Angeles.
To see her portfolio and additional information, please visit the main website at: www.emadesign.net. Thanks for looking!

If you receive my email newsletter, you’ve already read my photo tips for looking fabulous in front of the camera. If not, it’s never too late to sign up. Please, subscribe here! I’ll be sharing monthly photo tips, upcoming events, and special offers only available to newsletter subscribers.

Looking fabulous in front of the camera photo tips :: july 2013 You don’t have to look perfect to take a perfect picture. While being photogenic just comes naturally to some people, there are a few things that anyone can do to look better in photos. Whether you’re nervous about a double chin or losing those pesky post-baby pounds, the following ten tips will build confidence and leave you feeling great in front of the camera. 1. Appear leaner Rotate your body at a 45 degree angle away from the camera. Place your weight on the back leg and your front shoulder slightly dropped. Elongate your other leg and cross it in front, with the foot pointed toward the camera. You’ll look leaner, which can even make you seem taller. 3. Relax your face Staring into the camera lens can be intimidating and no one wants to end up looking like a deer in the headlights. In reality, you probably just need to relax. If you start to feel your eyes squint or smile stiffen, feel free to push the reset button. Create a thoughtful and natural look by letting your lips fall back into place. 5. Fake sleek arms Arms tend to look bigger than they really are, because they’re resting slightly in front of you. Hiding your arms close to your body can actually make them seem larger and your shoulders broader. With just a slight bit of separation between the arms and the body, your waist will appear to be the widest part. 7. Shift weight on legs As mentioned above, shifting the weight on your back foot will align the hip and shoulder giving a more comfortable pose while maintaining balance. Overall, this creates a beautiful frame for the rest of your body. When seated on the ground, sit on your hips. By holding your body up on your hip, rather than your bottom, your body looks thinner and legs will appear longer. 9. The beauty of laughing A genuine smile is hard to fake, so strive to feel some kind of emotion to make it shine through. Think of something that makes you happy or even pretend you’re laughing. This often creates an effortlessly natural, beautiful, flattering, and candid smile. Regardless of how you choose to smile, the happier and more relaxed you are, the better the photo. 2. Stand up straight Posture is important and ultimately gives you a more flattering silhouette. Lean slightly toward the camera, drop shoulders back, tummy in, and spine straight. This will ensure you look naturally poised and appear more confident. 4. Avoiding the double chin Trust me, a double chin can plague even the slimmest of women in pictures. To avoid it, elongate your neck by tilting your head slightly forward and lift up your chin. Also, try resting your tongue against the roof of your mouth right behind your front teeth. 6. Awkward hands When your hands are relaxed, the rest of your body tends to follow suit. Hands can tell incredible stories. A wife’s hand placed lightly on her husband’s chest showcases romance and love. An older brother holding his little sister’s hand portrays a protector. Keep this in mind when you aren’t sure where to place your hands. 8. Flaunt your best asset We’re often our worst critics so why not show off what you’re most proud of. This way, people will automatically look at an area of your body you like first, which means slight imperfections are less noticeable. Most people have asymmetrical features. So posing with two-thirds of the face in view and the remaining third turned slightly away from the camera makes facial asymmetry less obvious. 10. Capturing the connection Get closer! Capturing a candid moment of love is the most important tip for looking great. A loving glance, hug, or even a touch on the shoulder can guarantee a more relaxed image that shows more of your connection and focuses less on your imperfections. Lastly, don’t try to look or be anything other than yourself. The above tips are to put you at ease so that your beautiful personality is what shines in your photos.