Big changes are coming to the Barefoot Memories blog.

I'm hoping to show you soon, and it's gonna be really cool!

As I get that blog stuff ready to show you, I have other exciting stuff to tell you!

Mpix has agreed to sponsor the New York City myFUNcamera workshop on October 23rd!

Every attendee will get a free expo pass to the AMAZING PhotoPLUS Expo
AND a $25 Mpix gift certificate!

Check out the myFUNcamera site for more info and signups!

There are a few spots at the sale price of $200 if you hurry!
After the $200 spots are taken, the rest are $250.

Portrait sessions for NYC have sold out, but a few of those workshop spots are still there for you!

Have a great afternoon!

~Carey

Avast me hearties!!
What's your pirate name?

September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Rackham

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.

You've got til tomorrow to get your Pirate Lingo down!

ARG!

Every weekend included a game or a tournament.

The challenge I gave myself for their last tournament
was finding some way to really show the boys in a creative way.
After taking hundreds of pictures over the summer, I needed to do something different!

A great action shot or a good picture of the team
would just blur into the massive number of pictures I'd already taken,
even if it was a fabulous capture with perfect timing and focus.

So there they were, waiting to get their trophy for making it
all the way to the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME of their last summer tournament.
I took that (blah) picture of the entire team you see up there,
but I felt the need to tell their story a bit more.

I noticed that they were sitting on a bench together,
but since they're still young boys,
their 10-yr-old legs wouldn't let their feet touch the dirt below.

Ten-year-olds are full of dreams, excitement, and potential.
How appropriate that their feet were hovering above the Earth.
They've got their adults lives to be grounded!

For that image, I squatted down very low and used my 24-70 lens in Av mode at f/2.8
(ISO 200, and the camera chose a shutter speed of 1/200sec).
There were lots of parents standing around taking pictures at the same time
making the space very crowded,
so having that lens instead of my 70-200 lens allowed me
get that team image and their hovering feet without backing up a lot.

Here's one last shot I captured from the post-tournament party at Islands.
The boys were enjoying some desserts,
so I held that 24-70 lens up above them at the table
at the widest possible zoom and told the boys to look up into the camera.

For that image I increased the ISO to 3200 because the restaurant was very dark.

They barely agreed to stop grazing on the ice cream and chocolate
to look at the camera for a half a second
(some, including my son, didn't stop at all!)

Enjoy!

~Carey

Blue is my favorite color. (no big surprise there, duh!)

These are some pics from pics from a recent session on Coronado,

when the sky was a crazy beautiful clear sparkly blue.

Dad is off being Superman (Navy Seal... OK, that's cooler than Superman!),

so we created some great images for dad while he's away from home.

I love these closeups of big sister and little bro enjoying some cuddle time, and I think dad will, too:

Have a great day!

~Carey

Lights
Fill flash
Reflectors
Scrims
Power Packs
Assistants

I don't bring ANY of that stuff to my photo sessions,
and I don't have to when I have awesome clients like that dude up there!

Lugging all of that equipment around would be a pain,
and a lot of "schtuff" makes it harder for a family to casually enjoy their time together.

But sometimes I need some help to make families look even better.

Check out these ladies, for example:

Jennifer there on the right has a big splotch of direct sun on her face.
She's shading her mom, and her mom is shading her sister,
but poor Jennifer had nobody to shade her!

Enter our knight in shining armor, HUBBY!

I didn't need a LOT of shade, I just needed to block that one spot on Jennifer's face.
Her husband stood off to the side, raised his arms in the air just right, and VOILA!

I had him bring back his roll as ShadeMakerSupreme for another shot of some beautiful ladies together:

Here's another fun shot from the end of the session when the family patriarch put on his cool shades:

And some closeups of the beautiful granddaughters

This next one was the final shot of the day, when this little gymnast was itching to show off her skilz

Enjoy!

~Carey

If I had to choose an empty beach or a crowded beach for a family photo session,
OF COURSE I'd choose the empty beach, but crowds don't scare me.
They just require a little extra care, thought, and planning.

Here are four tips for what to do when you want to take pictures on a crowded beach,
but you don't want a thousand people in the background:

1) Choose a mid-range lens instead of a long zoom!
Normally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 70-200 lens for beach sessions, but for crowded days,
it's not a great lens to use. With that 70-200 lens, you have to back up from your subject quite a bit.
On a crowded beach, you'll end up with people walking between you and your subject.
For this session, I chose my 24-70 lens so I wouldn't have to be as far away from the people.

2) Choose a location that's uncomfortable for beach-goers.
This may take some walking and exploring, but it's worth it.
This photo shoot had 13 people, so all 14 of us walked for quite a while to get to a spot
that was more rocky and not as "easy going" for beach bummin' folks.
I told the group that we'd need to walk and that it would be worth it,
and they all agreed (they were scared of the crowds, but they trusted me).

You can see the type of location we chose here:

That image leads me into tip #3:
3) There aren't as many people in the SKY!
Everyone at the beach is on the sand or in the water (usually!).
Choose shooting angles where you shoot the water and a lot of sky,
like in that image of the dad with his baby boy up there.
If you find a rocky spot, it's pretty likely that there won't be many people
swimming in the water behind your subjects, too!
In that image, there are probably at least 20 people in the background,
but they're WAYYYYY far away, so you can't even tell.

Last tip:
4) Remember that closeups are great, too!
For quite a few shots, I got up close and created some nice closeups for this family:

I still left the beach and water in a lot of them, like this next one,
so you can see the beautiful beach, but it's not a big huge scenic shot:

So, you have my permission to be a little bummed when you show up to a crowded beach,
but don't be scared any more!!

~Carey

If you're a professional photographer or an enthusiastic camera owner,
you need a great way to show off your images online!

I started working with Zenfolio earlier this year, and it is an AMAZING system!
First of all, those tech-brainiacs up in San Jose are GENIOUS,
and they actually LISTEN to what photographers want!

Second, the galleries and the layout of the Zenfolio system is CRAZY AWESOME.
And, it's so easily customized that you can make it suit your own style with a few clicks.

THIRD, you get prints from the radest print lab on URF -- MPIX!

Compared to other online gallery systems, I think Zenfolio is the beezneez,
and it's only $100 a year, BUT NOT THIS WEEKEND!!!

THIS WEEKEND ONLY, through MIDNIGHT on Labor Day,
you can get a membership for an entire year of Zenfolio for only $60!!!

So, as you celebrate this Labor Day weekend,
decide to save yourself some hard Labor, and SIGN UP FOR ZENFOLIO.

This is a price I've never ever seen before, and I'm SO STOKED that the guys at Zenfolio
are letting me offer this to you!!

Use the code barefoot-60 to get your $100 membership for $60!

Start creating your galleries, and you'll be blown away by how easy it is!

Drag and drop your images that you want in a gallery, and click a button... SIMPLE!

Then you've got a gallery that ROCKS and makes your images look as amazing as they are!

That code is barefoot-60

It's valid on NEW MEMBERSHIPS only, and it expires at Midnight on LABOR DAY.

Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone!

~Carey

To say goodbye to summer, this family came down to their San Diego beach condo
for one last summer adventure.

We met in La Jolla for to create great family portraits.

There was bird chasing, wave jumping, and lots of running:

Now they're back to school, but they'll have some great photos to hang on their walls,
and I have a feeling their family Christmas card will include some warm sunny memories included!

~Carey

OK, this is pretty cool.

The lastest "MPIX ROCKS" ad has hit newsstands!

First, it was THE Photoshop DUDE himself, Scott Kelby.

This blog post is going up about 20min after I planned, because I just spent that much time
reading all about his awesome BLACKHAWK shoot -- VERY COOL, Scott!!

After Scott'sMpix ad came my buddy JP!

DAGNABIT! You guys are too good!
I just delayed this post (and my Rubios lunch!) by another 20 minutes watching JPs videos!
LOVE the engagement video, JP!

Scott and JP's ads finished their runs, so it was time for a GIRL to come in and show the boys how it's done, right!?

Where else would my Mpix ROCKS ad be but THE BEACH!!??

To create this photo for the ad, I called on my buddy, ZAK and his family.

We met on Coronado, and I brought along my Alien Bees lights, power pack, and wireless trigger.
We set up one light with a big softbox on it and set it off to the side a bit.

I used Zak as the test model to get the light setting just right.
Normally when I use my lights, I go for an over-dramatic effect,
but for this, I wanted it to look more natural, just to help me stand out because it was a cloudy morning.

Zak took the opportunity (soooo prize soooo prize) to ham it up a bit.

Seriously, though, he is a pretty cool dude... when he wants to be:

Once the lights were set up, Zak's family played in the background and I took some shots of them,
turning back to Zak for "the shot" for the ad.

The best moment of the morning was when Jack decided it was time to hug and cuddle:

After the hug break, we went back to work...

Here's one of the shots I got while I was shooting the cute family:

And here's the final result, on newsstands near you!

Here's my own version, though...

MPIX DOES ROCK, by the way!! Haven't experienced the awesomeness yourself? WHY NOT!?

GET to Mpix.com and see for yourself!

Summer vacation is officially over,
and it officially went by faster than any summer vacation in recorded history.

To give Mr. Summer one last kiss goodbye,
we invited some kids over to splash in our little backyard pool.
(not too many kids... "little" doesn't quite cover how tiny our little pool actually is!)

The kids don't seem to mind the miniscule pool proportions,
especially when it's over 100 degrees outside and the water is an awesome 78.

I did get them to hold still for a few seconds to grab some quick pictures.

How cute is this kid!? (I love those ears!)

Earlier that morning, I splurged on the $20 water polo set at Target.
It's the one Mat had been coveting all summer,
and darnTarget never put that blessed little red clearance sticker on it!! HOW DARE THEY!?!

Turns out, it's worth every full-price penny,
and the perfect size for our pool (known from now on as the Schumacher Water Polo Field).

Even though school has started, it's still pretty hot around here,
so I'm sure we'll have many more water polo matches!

Mat's the kind of kid who will organize a tournament with brackets, rankings, points, and trophies,
so we'll see if that happens!!

~Carey

Sadly, I was trying so hard to keep up with my blog,
but here we are, at the end of August, and I haven't posted since August 7th!

A lot has been going on, it's just been mostly MOM stuff and not photography stuff.

Plus, I've been trying to avoid time on the computer
while my kids enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation.

Here are some of the things that have been going on lately...

Mat's soccer team won another tournament! (YAY!)

You know how parents at youth games form a line of high-fives to congratulate their players after a game?

Well, inspiration struck me in the toy department at WalMart,
and I decided to "enhance" the high-five line at the tournament.

After the boys wrapped up the 1st place spot in their bracket, they came running through the high-fives,
and that's when four parents pulled out their hidden cans of SILLY STRING!

It was SO FUN!!!

I didn't have a can myself because I wanted to get pictures!

How cute are those boys!!?? Such a fun (and tiring) weekend!

After that tournament, I turned a year older (sigh...), but that's also about the time that
my national Mpix ad came out on newsstands! I'll be putting up a blog post all about that soon...

In the middle of birthdays, soccer, family beach outings, bike rides, (and laundry..yuck),
I've also gotten to meet with a bunch of fun families!

I've been putting more constant updates on Twitter and Facebook,
but here's a good look at a few weeks in the life of Barefoot Memories:

I hope you're having a great summer!

I'll try not to stay away so long before my next blog post!

~Carey

Sometimes I laugh so much that I feel a little twing in my abs.

At this session, I was in downright PAIN from laughing and smiling so much!

This little birthday princess had a laugh that would not stop.

The session was shared by Mom, Dad, Princess, Grandma, and Grandpa
on Coronado with the gorgeous San Diego skyline in the background.

This shot with Grandma was one of my "no look" shots that I try every once in a while
where I hold the camera way down low near the ground and click the shutter without looking thru the lens:

The San Diego skyline looks so cool in black and white:

This next one is one of my favorite shots of the year. I have to get it up on my website soon
because it makes me smile every time I see it
(mom in the background laughing at the goofballs is the best part!)

Daddy never gets to see the joy in his daughter's eyes when she gets to hug him... until NOW!

These were the last shots of the day... the laughter hadn't died down one little bit!

I put the family's collage on the Barefoot Memories Facebook page, too, so check that out!

Have a great weekend!

~Carey

As I was working on some images for a family,
I also had my mind on this canvas sale,
and when this image came up on my monitor,
I thought to myself,
"OH MY! I WOULD TOTALLY GET THIS ON A BIG CANVAS!!"

Seriously... how cute would this be!?

He loved the water so much that his jeans were weighed down by all the salt water.
Can't you just see his thoughts!? "Uhhh... a little help, guys?!"

To make a cute set of canvases, I'd order this one, too, with the brothers' sandy toes:

With this canvas sale, it's possible to get more than one and make a heart-string-tugging set
on your wall or in a hallway.

Here are the links to get your canvases:

CLICK HERE to order a 16x20 ($100)

CLICK HERE to order a 16x24 ($120)

prices include shipping! good through SUNDAY NIGHT!

This is only for Barefoot Memories families, and once you order your canvases,
just email me (or include the details in the notes of your order) and let me know
which image(s) you want. Then POOF! You'll have your Fine Art Canvas in about 2 weeks!

Have a great weekend!

~Carey

They came out to the beach to capture some memories of this "last summer."

First of all, how beautiful is MOM!?
I hope I look half as gorgeous as Shawna when I have a senior in high school!

Here's the man, the senior, looking off into his future
(ok, that was pretty cheesy... forgive me...)

And one last family shot just as the sun was getting low:

Now, here's that sale I teased up there in the title:

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, and SUNDAY

If you are a Barefoot Memories family,

you can get a 16x20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas for ONLY $100!!

If you want the entire image without any cropping and a little more canvas, that will only be $20 more: $120!

That price is just drop-dead-unreal. Very rarely do my canvas artisans offer great sales,
and they're doing it this weekend! (and those prices include shipping!)

So, if you already got a canvas with your Platinum Package and you need MORE,
or if you had a Mini session that didn't include a canvas,

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to get them at an amazing price.

These usually sell for $250 at least!

CLICK HERE to order a 16x20

CLICK HERE to order a 16x24

Then just email me and tell me which image(s) you want.
No uploading, no accounts to create, just look through your CD and pick your canvas!

Here's an example of the difference between a 16x20 canvas and a 16x24 so you can choose:

So quit reading this and go order your canvas already! That price is ONLY GOOD THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT!

~Carey

Last weekend I had a Mini Platinum Day in La Jolla, and once again,
the families made my job so easy!

The first family came ready to JUMP IN with both feet (no kidding!)
These kids took mom and dad straight to the water and never wanted to leave.
If mom and dad wanted anything close to cuddly pictures,
they had to get WET!

Mom and dad also got some pictures sans kids, which is always nice...

The next family had a love affair with the water, too,
and the kids had a ball running up and down the beach together:

I'm including this next one after much consdieration.
I TOTALLY screwed up the focus on this shot... in a BAD WAY, and not in a "fuzzy artsy fartsy" way.
It was not intentional, but I LOVED the composition and the love coming through in the image.
So, even though I would usually never include a shot that is SO out of focus,
this image kept calling to me. I think I went back to it about 10 times, and I finally said to myself,
"If I keep coming back to this, there's something there! Forget that it's not technically perfect!"

I changed it to black and white and added a lot of grain, and here's the result:

If the style of it doesn't ring your bell, that's OK. I still like it!
And the mom and dad can decide for themselves if they love it, too.

Enjoy!

~Carey