So there were several questions yesterday and I am going to answer them all here: 1. How do I keep my camera out of the mud? I only snap a few photos and then sit it on counter inside. I can reach in and grab it without actually going in the house. I don’t keep…
You’ve seen Father of the Bride, right? One of my all time favorite movies. Growing up I did not have a basketball goal. I grew up with a sister. We are both short. I was a gymnast. Our driveway was steep….no basketball goal. I remember seeing this movie and thinking, I’m going to have a…
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I loved playing basketball with my dad growing up. To this day basketball is the only sport I thoroughly enjoy.
Just a side note, that may or may not be important. In basketball there is no “basketball goal” it is called a hoop. 
Sorry Amanda but it is called a basketball goal… or hoop, either way is fine. Google facts are awesome
Awesome purchase Ashley…. hours and hours of fun for sure! Enjoy!
Father of the Bride is one of my all-time faves too! And I remember making the same mental note about a basketball game. We don’t have kids yet, and I’ve already been suggesting that we get one!
I’m short too, and can’t shoot a basketball to save my life, but it’s fun to go out and play anyway.
Awww, I love that movie!!! And I love how you’ve captured the sweet and special mood of little boys shooting hoops!!!! Beautiful work!!!
My husband and I saw Father of the Bride MANY years ago before having (3) girls…made me tear up as a 20-something year old…can’t imagine the stream of tears if I watched it now! No basketball court in our life…but fields of soccer games…
No. Not so dreamy. Kind of like wet dogs. And not in a good way.
Definitely one of the sweetest movies – great inspiration for a bball goal – love the pics and the tips : )
wait till they are all teenagers!!! i can’t believe how many times i week i say “I’m sorry but you SMELL and you can’t sit by me.” or “go shower right now!” or put your shoes outside” my car just reeks because i pick them up after practice. ugh.
it’s cute on father of the bride…cause she’s a girl!
love this post ashley!
lots of bad smells in your future though….i promise you that.
We had a goal at the house I grew up in. It was great. I have a great memory of my mom playing with the neighbor boy. He was 30r 4 at the time and loved my mom!
I loved that movie…and I have already put my order in with hubby. I have girls who are tall and a flat driveway, too My boy will love it when he gets older. Great pictures, as always! Enjoy the new toy.
I hadn’t thought of it in years but your post made me laugh & remember … oh how I miss the smell of little boys after they’ve been hard at play … kinda like the smell of dirty, wet (but sweet) puppies! I guarantee you’ll remember
‘that smell’ as wonderful when those precious ones are grown men (case in point, my sons are 32 & 29)
…oh and just an extra tidbit…girls stink, too! My 8 year old has to wear deodorant (the natural stuff) all summer long or she smells like ONIONS! Bleh!!
Cute shoes Firecracker!
Father of the Bride makes me tear up everytime I watch it. The basketball scene before her wedding is one of my favorite in the movie.
I have to agree with Amanda…I have never heard of a basketball goal…it is a hoop! I love your enthusiasm for it anyways I love seeing my kids try hard in sports too!
I hesitate to even make this comment, but “knowing the lingo” goes so far with kids so I thought it was best to pass on my trinket of knowledge. It’s a hoop, not a goal
Absolutely LOVE that movie!! And that is one of my favorite scenes for sure!
I was so confused by “basketball goal” for so many sentences. LOL! Adorable.
Who knows how many times I have watched this sweet movie?!
As a basketball player and a mom to 2 teenagers who are also basketball players, you are totally correct in your term ‘goal’. The goal is used to refer to the whole system–the pole, the backboard and the hoop. The hoop is the rim that the ball falls through. They are use interchangeably to refer to the same thing.
I LOVED that movie. My brother, dad and i used to play all the time. (I rock at free throws. I am horrible at everything else!). Good times.
I’ve never heard of a “basketball goal.” If I called it that, my husband would laugh at me. It’s a basketball hoop. But maybe it’s a regional thing???
You love country and you love adoption. Thought of you when I watched it.
i am from ohio, we had a hoop. Is it goal in OK?
5 kids in my family and hours of playing HORSE, PIG and around the world.
Love, love, love that movie. On my short list of movies I can see over and over again (along with Father of the Bride 2, Overboard and Cheaper by the Dozen movies). Thanks for bringing back sweet memories of my older brother and I playing horse years ago. He always won.
I read the title and the first thing I see is a picture of my son in law! haha joke;)
… question .. Changed soccer for basketball?
Father of the Bride…yes, a HUGE favorite of mine too! There is not a whole lot of difference between my Dad and Steve Martin’s character in that movie. Love it!
My favorite movie too and I dreamed of the same things! I dreamed of their precious “thing” that they had between Daddy & daughter. Love it!
I wrote about that movie also in my blog! http://chachismemories.blogspot.com/2011/10/you-know-that-scene-in-father-of-bride.html
Love that your boys are throwing a soccer ball and that you call it a basketball goal…I grew up playing/watching soccer and know nothing about basketball. But the husband is 6.5 and played basketball…preeeetty sure our boys will be playing both basketball AND soccer!
Fun! I really wanted a goal when I was young. My boys always smell like the lake after they’ve played outside, even though there’s no lake. Stinky.
Interesting. Must be a regional thing, as I have never in the history of my life ever heard a basketball hoop refereed to as a goal O_o
My all time favorite movie – Father of the Bride. And we have a hoop too because of that movie!
SO awesome! I like the pic of him cropped at the knees. Sure he’s prepared for the jump but he’s all about where he’s going… so I like the height of the pic and the empty space! My 2 cents unasked for. And ditto on the little boy smell. I love watching them play hard outside and then regret it a little when they flood back in with dirty shoes and stinkiness.
Just wanted to say what beautiful photos you take…and what a beautiful family you have…the pics of your husband with your little daughter and his guitar…are so sweet..and you can just see the love..thank you for sharing!!
So today I am finally sharing a few phone photography tips. There is nothing rocket science about these, just a few things that popped out to me when I was looking through pictures already on my phone. Indoor Lighting: great lighting is key in photography whether you are using a phone, a dslr, a film…
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love your girl’s dress in the pics.
I love these little ‘how to take photos’ features. It’s so great to see your pictures from different angles. You always do a great job explaining ‘why’ it looks better from different angles. Also you’re photos are always adorable. I love your stylistic choices, and the decor in your home.
firecracker looks good in the headband
thanks for all these tips!
i use my iPhone a bunch too … mostly instagram and hipstamatic for the fun of it.
i’m so curious though, what do you do to get those square pictures put into a collage style on your blog? photoshop? i need blog help big time!! anyone you recommend?
xoxo.
I’m sad that my SnapShop course is ending on Sunday but grateful that you offer lots of tips and such on your blog!!! To anyone considering taking Ashley’s photography course; It is worth every penny!!! The evolution of my photography skills over the past three weeks has been amazing…from shooting in fully automatic mode, to horribly atrocious pictures in manual while learning how each of the three parts work together to now taking decent photos in manual that I’m really proud of….rock my world!!! Revolutionary!!! Ashley teaches the basic skills of manual photography with just enough technical jargon to have a grasp of what’s happening and instills the confidence needed in her clear, simple, conversational teaching style. Now those “wanna-be-mommy-photography” books that I own make sense!!! No hesitation in recommeding this online course!!! My only regret is not signing up earlier!
No compensation received for my previous comment unless you count the photos I’ve captured of my days with my kids !!! It’s just that good!
SnapShop made the investment of a DSLR camera worth it. Getting a nice camera alone would not solve the issues I had with taking a good picture. Ashley not only explains the technical side, but also the creative side. She lets you borrow her eyes to look for what you want to capture in a meaningful and beautiful way. Thank you, Ashley for the gift of SnapShop.
Trish – If only she’d leave them in!
Stacie – I just set it up in Photoshop
Mandi & Kiley – thank you!!!
I love taking pics with my phone. That is probably because I do not way to lug my camera around.
Thank you for your cleverness! I adore your blog!
Love this I just love your photos, period. I could stare and stare at them. I feel like I learn just by looking at what you’ve done. I was wondering if you have any plans in the future for a SnapShops II or SnapShops “Intermediate” or something, lol. I’m comfortable shooting in manual… moving my settings all around to adjust my shots, but they still aren’t as great as I’d like. I feel like I may be just barely beyond the basics the snap shops is intended to teach, but I ****know**** there is a ton I still need to learn. Anyway, just wondering. I think part of my problem is just lighting. I’m not getting pics as sharp as I really want… I think it’s just that my shutter speeds have to hover around 80 or 100 to get a decent indoor shot even with the aperture wide open :/ i also don’t stabilize my body well enough… i know i could get a crisper shot if i improved that.
Oh, also, I was thinking… it seems to me like if my iPhone shot is too dark, I can lighten it up considerably by tapping a part of the composed shot that is darker than other areas… it doesn’t seem to affect the overall focus in a negative was (usually) and helps the camera know that I’d like more light. At least, it seems like it works! lol. i don’t really know what I’m talking about
Thanks again Ashley for your wonderful shooting tips! We have a nice dslr, but not a smartphone, and now I’m itching for an iPhone just to use those awesome photo apps. ;D By the way, I LOVE Firecracker’s headband and must figure out how to make one for my LO!
Talking about beauty in the everyday and taking pictures that tell a story … that’s what my brother does. He co-founded an organization called To Tell A Story (http://totellastory.org) that does just that. He uses social media to tell stories. He spent the better part of 2010 traveling throughout Africa and Asia taking pictures for Bright Hope World, telling stories of all God is doing, giving a voice to people who otherwise don’t have one.
your pictures are always wonderful, but lets face it phones are always with us & therefore we’d better figure out how to take better pictures with em! I’ve found I like the app pics better because of the coloring issue….but camera+ does all of those things you just get to choose, but that also adds more steps.
on a side note…..thought of you yesterday while shopping in Target for stuff & giving a lookyloo thru the Valentines cards, we exchange more than one so I keep looking even after I get “the card” for more…..and there was one that looked JUST LIKE YOUR NEW WEBSITE! So lovely & just same colors etc. By chance is your designer making cards too? Anyhwho, had to tell ya.
Praying your adoption papers are flying thru quickly and that babe is home soon!!!
xo
I am DYING over that headband!!! PLEASE tell me I can get it online because I’m pretty sure both of my darlings absolutely need one!
Ah ha – after reading through the comments I figured it out and found them. Thanks!
I have been trying to talk myself into buying a nice camera for a long time. Because my daughter is an awesome photographer, I’ve gotten lazy and relied on her to capture life on film. However, she’s become busier and busier and will soon be getting married, so it’s definitely time I took some ownership of the need for some good photos. No more excuses that all I’ve got handy is this iphone camera! You’ve inspired me
Great tips, Ashley! I just realized (by accident) this week that it’s also possible to lock exposure on the iphone (great if you’ve got a back-lit situation). To do so, just hold your finger on the screen (where you want to set the exposure) until the focus square flashes larger. You can then move your camera around without the exposure changing constantly. This has been great for snapping photos of the little ones (if I can’t pin them between my legs or bribe them with chocolate).
yes i have this problem with my little one too… i found if you put their hair in piggies and then tie it under them it stays longer, unless they rip it out and have issues with their hair being done. Which i have that problem too
Thank you!
Now to buy the phone…I am thinking I should wait for iphone 5?
Can I wait that long?!!!!
Can I just say that I love your house decor? It looks cozy, inviting and warm! And your kiddos are adorable! I agree with more people reaching for their phone to snap a quick picture than a camera. I love these tips because my phone pictures always look bad! lol Thank you for sharing and happy Friday!
Awesome ideas. I just became obsessed with Instagram! Also, love the headband!
I love having my phone available at any time. I love my dslr too and the phone can’t even compare, however it’s great to have the convenience and size of the phone. My favorite phone apps are
PicSayPro, Little Photo, PicsArt and Streamzoo. I have a droid, so I don’t have Instagram on that (boo!) but Streamzoo makes up for it! (just voted the #1 photo sharing app for 2011) I have an iPod Touch but the camera quality is terrible.
Her headband is from Daisy & Dots, a Craft Weekend sponsor
http://www.etsy.com/shop/daisysanddots
I love these pictures! I LOVE my SLR, but my iPhone plays a big role in my daily photography habit!
Thank you for the tips!
Great tips! I am keeping notes for when (and if) I finally get an iPhone.
I love Instagram for the very reason of changing up my photos. I just started using Camera+ more and I love it. It has lighting settings to help with the funky colors. Like you can change it to flourescent and stuff. Hope that helps!
Oh wow, I LOVED this post! I am pretty good w/ my phone and pics, but not great w/ it. These tips will be duly noted! I am a total beginner when it comes to photography but I know what I like and how I want my pictures to come out. Thanks again…cannot wait to try them out. xx
Thanks for the tips! I’m always too lazy to bring my DSLR out so have resorted to using my phone’s camera too but the pictures are always less than ideal. Could be the fact that I’m using a BB too? You don’t happen to know of any good apps/tips for them, do you? 
Thanks so much for the tips! I love Instagram & Hipstamatic but it’s great to see how to get some great “normal” shots with a phone camera.
I have to bookmark this post for when I get an iPhone. Who knows when that will be though.
[...] there are tons of great phone photography tutorials out there – I’ve seen this one and this one most [...]
[...] if you are looking for some great tips on how to improve your phone photography, check out this post. Good reminders that the basics still apply – pay attention to lighting and composition when [...]
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Linda - Love those pictures! I ordered a doll for my daughter for Christmas from goodbye blue monday and it never came in. I followed up on it and saw the shop had closed…Goodbye $50. I think I’m more disappointed that my daughter doesn’t have the doll though.
Kezia - I have a four year old brother – four is such a fun age, I think:) Happy Birthday to your son!
anna - my younger daughter turned four today – i think she’d get along like a house on fire with your 4 year old.
i love four…
Belinda - Goodbye Blue Monday etsy shop is closed because the failed to fill their Christmas orders. I along with many others did not get their orders and received no explanation. I was left out of pocket two dolls. Very disappointing!
Mandi - It is sad how little four seems now that I have a 12 year old! My four year old was almost named what your four year old is named because it is Daniel’s middle name! Instead we went with Daniel’s first name as Big Boy’s middle name. Thanks for all the photo tips! I have been practicing a lot since snapshot, but still struggle with blur from aperture.
Danielle - Happy Birthday sweet boy.
Carrie - I love that now that I have taken your Snapshop course (thank you!), I understand the words aperture and shutter speed and can actually track along with the helpful suggestions in your blog posts. Yeah!
Ashley - what a disappointing thing to hear about that site not sending out people’s orders … I just found a link yesterday on another blog with a free tutorial from Black Apple on how to make a doll that looks very similar … I’m going to try it for my daughter’s first birthday in May … p.s. really enjoyed the SnapShop class
http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2008/05/easy-and-cute-doll-pattern.html
kiley - Thanks for the photo tips! My biggest frustration lately is out of focus pictures like of your son’s eyes…can’t see it on my camera display…and I feel pretty happy about my shots until I see the larger image on my computer screen.
Have a blessed day!
Shelby - Ashley, I’d love to hear from a pro how you typically get photos printed from mpix. We have some amazing pics of our 2 year old from a pro but she doesn’t do the printing, and I’m not sure how to specify my order. Any tips or best practices you can suggest?
Happy birthday to the little man!
Beth - “the easiest and the hardest”…..that’s our son, too….and how we’ve always described him. but now, at 20, and we’re still using those descriptive words….well, it’s not quite as cute or fun anymore.
you know what they say….little kids, little problems…big kids, sometimes the sheriff shows up at your front door to ask a few questions
Brooke - he’s such a ham for the camera, he’s gonna be a charmer one day for sure!
I love that you not only share these great pics but teach us with them too!
heather - i love when you share links you’re loving.
those are all SO good!!
Heather - Went to old navy a few weeks ago and saw a girls wonder woman shirt in case someone was asking because they wanted one.. Of course I smiled and thought of firecracker when I saw it!
erin from candy kirby designs - i was so sad that goodbye blue monday closed shop because i wanted more of their dolls! so i made myself a pattern and a tutorial so anyone who wants to make one can! it’s in my shop: http://www.candykirbydesigns.com/product/elise-doll-sewing-pattern-and-tutorial
stayday - I also ordered 2 dolls for christmas and they never came, it’s like they dropped off the face of the earth. I issued a dispute with paypal and got my money back no worries.
Ann Voskamp - I love how you make art, friend.
Everyday.
He uses you to kindle us all!
Light on!
Mary - just wondering what you typically use for your metering mode, think that’s what half my problem is. I use spot metering, but wonder if that doesn’t narrow down my area of focus too much sometimes. I get more pictures soft than I do sharp!
Geneva - Hey Ashley, I have been a long time reader but this is my first time posting (woot!). I am in love with everything about your blog and your family. I am so excited to see your baby girl soon and to follow your family’s excitement upon welcoming her home at last!
But the real reason i finally decided to comment today is what I found on apartment therapy that i thought you had to know about. You may have already seen it, but just in case: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/star-wars-lightsaber-night-light-yes-please-168111
Have a great day! God bless.
Recently and Links « - [...] A great, easy tutorial on getting portraits of your kids inside(hint: have them face a [...]
Meghan - I also ordered a doll from goodbye blue monday which never came. I almost filed a dispute with Paypal, but heard from the shop owner ONCE saying my doll would arrive soon. I waited and my 45 day limit to file a complaint lapsed and almost immediately after that the shop closed and I’m out $50. I filed a complaint with the federal bureau for internet crimes, but that’s about the only recourse I had. On a happier note- gorgeous photography!