B Family, Utah County Photographer

Can I just say that I love taking pictures, especially with families who are also having fun?  The B family had a lot of energy (or the little one did, anyway) and they were willing to try anything I asked them to do.  We were freezing by the end, but it was well worth it for some adorable shots!

H Family, Utah County Photographer

I had a great time with the H family.  At first I was worried out shoot wouldn't work out because of a snow storm, but the fresh snow made everything that much more beautiful!  I love taking pictures of families with little kids, even if it is a little more difficult.  I had a lot of fun running, jumping, and laughing with this precious little boy.

Baby C, Salt Lake County Photographer

Baby C was sweet, tiny, and perfect, just as all babies are!  He was a great sleeper, and didn't mind me moving him from pose to pose. 

Baby A, Utah County Photographer

I've had a fun time photographing babies lately!  This baby was sweet and fairly alert for a newborn.  I love that every baby has a different personality, even when they're only a week old!

Baby J, Utah County Photographer

This baby was so sweet and tiny!  She only weighed 6 lbs, but was so perfect.  At first she didn't want to go to sleep, and you defenitely feel like you can see into her little soul through those dark eyes.  Eventually we did get her sleep, and those shots are precious too!

Baby A, Cache County Photographer

When my Nephew was born, I made the drive up to Logan to take some newborn pictures.  It was so much fun to do and he's such a cute, chubby baby!  Newborns are so precious and it's fun to do different things with them.

J Family, Utah County Photographer

These boys are so cute!  I love their big eyes and their fun little personalities. 

J Family, Utah County Photographer

This family is always fun to photograph!  With 6 boys things get a little (or a lot) crazy, but they sure are handsome boys!!  We were able to go to the State Hospital in Provo on a beautiful day, and came away with some great shots.

M Family, Utah County Photographer

I had a lot of fun taking pictures of the M family!  We found some fall leaves, which were fun, but mostly they made the pictures good by just having a good time together!

W Family, Utah County Photographer

I took these pictures of the cute W family with my friend Jessica George, who is also learning photography.  I don't know who took which shot, but collectively we ended up with some great ones!

R and L Engagements, Big Cottonwood Canyon

This was my first engagement shoot, and I loved it!  We had a lot of fun together, and we found some beautiful places up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  The biggest tip I can give for shooting engagement photography is make sure you are relaxed and having fun, because you don't want a stiff couple on those announcements!

Expectant Mother B, Davis County Photographer

I was excited to be able to shoot some pictures of my sister-in-law right before she has her baby.  She's such a cute expectant mother, and I look forward to doing her baby's newborn pictures soon!

C Family, Utah County Photographer

The C family and I went to the Riverwoods to take their family photo. It was dusk, which was somewhat tricky lighting but still made for good photos.  A tip I learned about photographing groups: Try to aim for a triangle shape, because this is most pleasant for your eyes to follow.  In big groups, make sure that everyone's head is at a different height, rather than a straight line!  I also like to make sure I focus on individuals as well as the entire group, especially if there are children.

Baby Q, Utah County Photographer

I've decided that three-month-olds are one of the hardest ages to photograph.  They're not mold-able like newborns, but they still can't sit unsupported.  They usually HATE tummy time, but they have precious little smiles if you can catch them!  With this photo shoot we had to get a little bit creative, but it was rewarding in the end. 

Baby L, Utah County Photographer

Oh, what do you do with a 3-month old who won't smile?  Take serious poses!  (and then get cute poses of her sister).  This photo shoot was a challenge to get good shots, but we still ended up with a handful.

Baby G and Brothers, Utah County Photographer

In July I had another shot at a newborn photo shoot, and it went much better!  I made sure the baby was only a week old, it was warm outside, and we were able to keep him asleep for most of the time.  I still didn't have all the props I wanted, but these shots turned out adorable!!

Toddler L, Utah County Photographer

This was another fun one-year-old shoot!  I really do love this age, and I believe that you can see into a child's soul through their eyes.  I love capturing the depth of a child's eyes, and with this toddler it was super easy!

Toddler C, Utah County Photographer

My next photo taking adventure was with an adorable one-year-old.  This age is harder because they can move away from you, but they are super cute!!  We took these pictures at Brigham Young University, and they turned out beautiful.  A few tips that I learned while on this shoot:  scope out where you want to take pictures BEFORE you go, and make sure you go at the same time of day that you will be taking pictures so you know where the shadows will be! Also, the more your subject can interact with his/her environment to let some personality shine through, the better your photos will be.

Baby B, Utah County Photographer

My next subject was about 2 months old, so we didn't try any of the newborn poses with him. This age was fun though, because he was more interactive and was able to support his head a little.

Baby K, Utah County Photographer

For my second photo shoot, I tried a newborn again, with not much more luck.... This baby was awake the entire time, and even though we tried warmth, feedings, rocking, etc., she did not want to cooperate! Here's to show that you can still get some cute shots even when baby is uncooperative.

Baby A, Utah County Photographer

I started off this photography endeavor by photographing a newborn baby. Probably not the brightest idea, but I did manage to get a few cute shots. As this is a blog to help me and others learn about photography, here are some of the mistakes I made. 1: Never take pictures of a newborn at night. You have to either use the lighting from inside lights or a flash (which is really hard on that brand new baby!). I bumped my ISO up to 1600, which made my pictures grainy and still didn't catch the light I wanted. 2: Make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Newborn pictures are really only cute when they're asleep, because otherwise they're usually crying. Give ample time for feeding, rocking baby to sleep, posing, etc.

All of that being said, here are some pictures:

Welcome!

Welcome to Kelley's Kandids -- a site I have created in my efforts to create beautiful and long-lasting memories for families and individuals alike. I love photography, and I think there is something special in a laugh, a tender look, or even a scowl frozen in time. Life is all about our interactions with others, and preserving those interactions can bring great joy. This is my theory about photography, and why I am striving to improve my skills and learn all that I can. I hope you join me in my journey!!