Join professional photographer and lifestyle blogger, Meg Calton, for a Q&A focused on taking better pictures of your family. Meg is here to help you feel more confident capturing memories of your family, and to answer questions about how to use your big fancy camera, or just how to take better pictures with your smartphone.
Welcome, Meg! Meg is a Professional Photographer and blogger from Snap Happy Mom. She is joining us today to answer all of your questions about taking photos of your kids, photography gear, photo storage, and more!
Could you suggest photo storage options with easy access and also could you recommend DIY to have creative timeline of photo prints/album etc. Thank you!
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Meg C.
For photo storage, I recommend putting everything in the cloud AND backing it up on a separate hard drive every month or so. You can decide how to get this done, but I really think you need a backup to your backup. I'm seen too many people not realize what they were deleting, and regreting it! |
We have a big Nikon camera thats been great (although we only use it in automatic mode), but it is too big and bulky to take with us many places. Can you recommend a smaller, more compact camera that works well for a novice? Thank you!
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Meg C.
Compact cameras are tricky. There is no perfect trifecta of sensor quality, compact size, and low price - you have to give up something. Usually, camera makers sacrifice the sensor quality to be able to compete on price - but I find that cheap point and shoot cameras just don't work for parents. Moms need something that will perform well indoors, and be able to take sharp pictures of action - and the cheap point and shoots often don't have nice enough sensors to be able to do that. So be prepared to spend 300+ on a compact camera that you can actually use with less than ideal light! |
Hi! I have a Canon EOS DSLR camera. I have never really learned how to use it properly and always use it in automatic mode. I have thought about getting a second lens but I am not sure it is worth it if I am always shooting in auto mode. What do you think? And if I do get a second one, any recommendations?
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Meg C.
I personally think that a fast prime lens can revolutionize your photos. I see what you're saying - but I think the lens I have in mind will a) provide sharper/brighter photos even in automatic mode, and b) inspire/enable you to move forward in your photography skills. |
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Becky Thanks! I am going to buy it :) |
So you have any suggestions about home to make the most out of my iPhone camera? When ever I zoom the image is super grainy, so I don't use it much.
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Meg C.
You have to have the right expectations for camera phones and zooming. Think about a big zoom lens on a DSLR - it has physical moving parts that allow it to zoom. A camera phone dos not - it's using digital zoom. The reason it gets grainy is because that's literally all it's doing - it's enlarging the pixels that are already there to make it seem "closer." It really is grainy because that's all the information the camera phone has at that distance. A DSLR zoom lens actually changes the focal length to make the subject appear closer, which is why you can zoom in without losing quality. |
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Ashley Thank you so much! |
I currently use grovebook bc it is cheap but are there any others that are reasonably priced?
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Meg C.
Groovebook is not really a true photo printer - you'd get a lot better quality by using a professional printer that has the matte/glossy photo paper. |
Hi,
Is there a free or inexpensive photo editing program like Photoshop that you could recommend?
Also, what is the best way you've found to carry around a DSLR? Do you recommend draping it across your chest or using a wrist strap? I can't tote a diaper bag and a camera bag.
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Meg C.
Yes there are some free editing programs out there. |
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Meg C.
I recommended a cross body strap- I like the sling strap style, which you can find on Amazon. I don't recommend a wrist strap for a DSLR. |
Hi Meg! We have a Canon DSLR and I'd like to invest in a higher quality lens (maybe 2) than what came with it. Are there lenses that you would recommend from both a focal point standpoint and also quality? Thanks so much!
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Meg C.
What kind of camera do you have? I'm assuming it's a crop sensor, but that would make a difference in my answer. |
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Becky It's one of the Rebels, I don't remember the exact model, but I do know that it is a crop sensor. |
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Meg C.
The lens I recommend for moms first is the 50mm f/1.8 prime. If you're shooting Canon they have one for about $100. If you're shooting crop sensor Nikon, I recommend the 35mm instead for about $200. |
Are you avail in the next week to take a few photos of a house in Towson we are selling? Do you do that type of work? My iphone 5c photos I do not think are showing off the house 103 Charlesbrooke Rd 21212 The bedrooms need extra lighting to capture them.
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Meg C.
I'm sorry, I'm not available for hire for your project. |
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Susie Thanks so much! |
Hi Meg,
Help! All my photos are blurry. I use my camera phone and it's a pretty good one, but I just can't get my daughter to stay still. Any suggestions?
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Meg C.
There's a couple of reasons your photos could be blurry. |
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Maria It does! Thanks for the tips! |