bangkok news headlines: Making the Mamarazzi - A Photography Book

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Making the Mamarazzi - A Photography Book | this heart of mine

Calling all momma photogs, mamarazzis and wannabes! Have I got a book for you.

?Making the Mamarazzi? is a new book by family and child photographer, Michelle Sauer of Michelle Sauer Photography. I met Michelle through an Early Childhood and Family Education class when Bug and her youngest were two. Since then, I see her photos, her gorgeous photos, float across different social media feeds. I love her work and am impressed by her tremendous gift.

Michelle is a wife and stay-at-home, homeschooling mother of three sweet children, two girls and a boy. She started her photography journey four years ago when she wanted to be able to take beautiful photos of her quickly growing brood. A self-taught photographer, she learned by reading all she could, testing out what she read, reading some more and so on. In her learning, she found a real passion for photography.

Michelle started her photography business in the fall of 2008 and it?s been growing since then. In the beginning, she shot a little of everything but has since narrowed down her work to children and families, plus a few senior sessions. Her real passion lies in photographing kids being kids. She works to capture families together, laughing, loving and playing as they seem to be more well received that standard posed shots. I agree.

Glorious light!

Michelle?s book, ?Making the Mamarazzi? has been a two year labor of love. It started as she was putting together information for a workshop she was teaching. Slowly, it morphed into a full fledged how-to book, not on starting a photography business but capturing your family life beautifully. The book is almost 50 pages of full color instruction, written in Michelle?s candid style. If you want to learn to take amazing pictures of your children, this is the book for you.

This book,available in PDF download, is broken up into five parts:

1. Channeling Your Inner Mamarazzi
2. Your Camera and How to Use it
3. Finding the Light
4. Creating the Moment
5. Shoot!

It begins with technical information on how to use your camera as Michelle encourages mamarazzi?s to shoot in full manual mode so they have full control over the exposure of each shot. She explains everything from camera symbols, metering, white balance, photo composition, lighting and ?subject vs. story? shots, along with a long list of other technical and creative instruction. While learning about the camera is an important step, Michelle says that a lot of photographing one?s family is more creative.

I love that Michelle takes photos of herself WITH her children. All mommas need to do this!!

I was given the opportunity to read Michelle?s book and I think it?s a fabulous manual for mamarazzis-in-the-making or anyone wanting to take beautiful photos. Michelle has a deep knowledge of the technical side of photography and imparts this knowledge through easy-to-understand instruction and helpful diagrams. I?ve been using my camera in full manual mode for over a year now. It really is fun once you get the hang of it and it changes the photos you take dramatically. I enjoyed the technical refresher plus I learned a bunch of little photo tweaks I am looking forward to messing with in the coming weeks.

I really liked this line:

?A mamarazzi DOES NOT ask her child to smile, or say cheese. She simply sneaks up and pretends she?s on a safari. She observes, she plays on the sidelines; she photographs her subject without interfering in their lives. Of course there are times when you will want that beautiful portrait and it will require some interaction, but that interaction must be done appropriately to illicit a natural look??

Exactly. Well done, Michelle. You have a gift!

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So here?s the sweetest part: Michelle has graciously offered to give away one copy of her book to one of you fabulous readers!

Here?s how you enter:

Comment below and tell me about one of your favorite photos from your life or from somewhere else.

Just to be nice, go on over and visit Michelle?s site and ?oo? and ?ah? at her work. :) If you are in the Twin Cities area and need a photographer, Michelle is the way to go!

The contest ends Wednesday, August 8th at 12:00am CST, the winner to be announced Thursday, August 9th. Please make sure to enter a valid email address so that I can contact you with the free PDF download code.

BUT WAIT!! ? For those who don?t win or those itchin? to learn, she has also made a special coupon code, valid through August 8th, pricing the book at just $70. Follow the link below to the shopping cart, enter the code: mamarazzi and the book is yours at the discounted price.

Buy ?Making the Mamarazzi?

If you buy the book and do win, Michelle will refund your purchase.

Thank you so much Michelle! Thanks for sharing your beautiful gift.

Good luck readers! You are well on your way to becoming a fabulous mamarazzi. :)

Take care.