Better Children’s Photos are Just a Click Away

RALEIGH-DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- For every family experiencing those once-in-a-lifetime moments – from trick-or-treat excitement to a chilly day spent snuggled up on the couch - professional photographer and best-selling author Tamara Lackey offers parents a handful of simple tips and tricks to help them capture their children beautifully using only a point-and-shoot digital camera. Translating nearly a decade of professional experience into easy suggestions for the “everyday” photographer, Lackey’s tips will help parents improve on what they are already doing with their digital camera to help them get the very best out of every possible snapshot.

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An acclaimed lifestyle and children’s photographer, Lackey believes that the key to taking beautiful and authentic photos can be found in making simple adjustments to what you already know. Lackey captures this philosophy in her upcoming DVD and book, "Tamara Lackey Capturing Life through (Better) Photography," which will be available on October 11. The entertaining and educational product bundle combines Lackey’s fun, approachable and outgoing personality with simple and smart tips that makes it easy for any parent to quickly be guided to photo success.

“I am a parent and I know what it is like to experience those once-in-a-lifetime family moments and to want to capture them perfectly,” says Lackey. “My tips and tricks are designed to help parents preserve those moments as they happen and as they should be remembered, and to give them more confidence in their creativity.”

Follow Tamara Lackey’s top ten tips for transforming photos of your children and family from good to great:

1. Children should mirror parents as they interact - turn it into a game by getting children to sit, stand and pose like their parent.
2. Say anything but CHEESE!  Use silly expressions to get children genuinely laughing and smiling and eliminate that pre-conditioned "cheese" smile.
3. Try photographing children in new locations, whether it’s a different room in the house or a new scenic location near home.  By picking a new venue for a photo shoot, parents can bring new life into photographs.
4. Consider how location fits a child’s personality.  If a child is full of energy and active, a shoot in a bustling downtown would work, while a shy or reserved child may prefer a park or quiet setting.
5. Consider how location fits a child’s life stage.  If a child is in the middle of potty training, an open field without any bathroom nearby is probably not a good idea!
6. Keep snapping photos. Don’t put the camera down after you snap the first shot – many times the best photographs are taken in the seconds after the “big smile” moment.
7. Remember to photograph the little "fine art" scenes of life - not just the children, but their scattered shoes on the floor, a bunched up wet towel, their overflowing book bag.  These things may drive parents nuts now, but they’ll be fondly remembered over time.
8. Turn off the flash and use natural light as much as possible for more natural-looking imagery.
9. Use a simple monopod to steady shots when shooting at soccer games and indoor, poorly-lit school plays.  This will make a dramatic difference in minimizing motion blur!
10. Parents should show they are having fun.  Kids can tell when adults are getting stressed out about trying to get the perfect shot.  If parents loosen up then children loosen up, too.

The complete Tamara Lackey Capturing Life through (Better) Photography DVD, book and quick reference guide bundle will be sold for $59.99 beginning October 11, 2010. Lackey will also release her 90-minute DVD and 100 page book as stand-alone items for $27.99 and $34.99 respectively. Visit www.capturinglifethroughbetterphotography.com to view the DVD trailer, learn more about Lackey, pre-order the product, or outreach for an interview and more simple photography tips!

About Tamara Lackey:

Tamara Lackey is an award-winning professional photographer and best-selling author with nearly a decade of experience. Her collection of instructional and edutainment resources include the best-selling book, “The Art of Children’s Portrait Photography,” acclaimed instructional DVD, “Inside Contemporary Children’s Photography,” and the “Tamara Lackey Style Book” and DVD. “Tamara Lackey Capturing Life through (Better) Photography” is the first of several anticipated products from Tamara designed for the general consumer market. Tamara has been a speaker at industry events and workshops and her work has been included in media outlets including Vogue, O – The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine, Town & Country, Rangefinder, Professional Photographer Magazine, Professional ImageMaker and on “The Martha Stewart Show” and “Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition.” For more information on Tamara Lackey’s work and her products, visit www.TamaraLackey.com or follow Tamara on Twitter @TamaraLackey.

SOURCE Tamara Lackey