growth

Noun: The process of developing or maturing physically, mentally, or spiritually.

A couple of years ago I was taught by the very talented Christine Kane that choosing a word that will inspire every single action you make over the year, is way better than setting a whole bunch of resolutions that most likely will never be accomplished and she was so right!

This year I decide to choose the word GROWTH. In this 2012 not only I want my business to grow, but I also want to grow in my personal life, my relationships and grow my possibilities. I have set my intention and I have said it out loud, and I am sure  the universe has heard me: IN THIS 2012 I HAVE CHOSEN TO RISE. 

I now leave you with my latest set of Self-Portraits. Here it is to a very AWESOME 2012

Taking self-portraits is a whole project, and finding the perfect composition and right focus can be hard. Here I didn’t know I was that close, nor that the crop was right above my lips (which I LOVE) or that the focus was on my zipper, “hello zipper” as my husband told me. But regardless of all that, I just ADORE this image

If you are ready to find some self-realization I recommend you read Danielle Laporte’s Blog she will rock your world. Also, if you are in business, any type of business, I recommend you subscribe to Marie Folio’s Newsletter. She is funny, clever and such an AWESOME business woman

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

FRIDAY 13, 2012 UPDATE!

You have chosen a winner!!!! Thank you so much for participating and for voting for your favorite image of 2011.

Drum rolls please……

And the winner is HUDSON+DADDY with 39 likes!

You can see all the scores below

I am back in the office and ready to rock 2012! But before I get busy with new and returning clients, it’s time to recognize the best images of 2011.

One of the perks of being my client (besides AWESOME ARTWORK of your family, a killer referral program, complimentary seasonal sessions and much more) is THE BEST OF THE YEAR AWARD.

The way it works is very simple, I chose my favorite image of each session (some clients have more than one entry. There is one entry per session booked) and on Facebook I posted an album with all the images so YOU can vote for your favorite image of the year! Obviously, the image with the most Facebook likes wins a super awesome  11×14 museum wrap canvas

Spread the word and start voting now! The winner will be announce on Friday January 14, 2012

#1 Jissel+Kenny (7 likes)

#2 Nicholas (5 Likes)

#3 Rebecca & Michael (1 Like)

#4 Phoenix+Paxon (5 likes)

#5  Hudson + Daddy (39 Likes)

#6 Gabi (0 Likes)

#7  Bianca+Frank (1 like)

#8 Canadian Family (0 likes)

#9 Shelby (4 Likes)

#10 Valentina (2 likes)

#11 The R Family (2 likes)

#12 Aeson + Alethea (19 likes)

#13 The S Family (0 Likes)

#14 Esteban + Isabella (3 likes)

#15 Mr.+Mrs.D (1 like)

#16 Noah (2 likes)

#17 Catalina (8 likes)

#18 Laura (1 Like)

#19 Michelle+Felipe (0 likes)

#20 Janet+Jared (2 likes)

#21 Nicholas (2 likes)

#22 Juliet+Jaedan+Gabi (2 likes)

#23 The F Family (16 likes)

#24 Nicholas T (o likes)

#25 Manuela (2 likes)

#26 Stephanie (3 likes)

#27 Ximena+Oscar (5 likes)

#28 The G Family (2 likes)

#29 Nili+Jeffrey (1 like)

Thank you for a FABULOUS year

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

1000 IMAGES? WHAT TO DO NEXT?

Yes, we made it! It’s been an amazing nine days of photo tips. So now you have some tricks to improve your photography and I am sure you also have 1000 images of your family. So what to do next? Yes, you have uploaded them to Facebook, you have tagged yourself and your friends and now you can move on, right? Well, not in my house! I refuse to let my pictures go to waste. Those memories of my dinners,my friends, my family, my dog and my husband deserve a better place in my house than being on a file, who knows where on my hard drive! Those pictures deserve some love!

I have used Blurb to create two of my personal books and I love how great they are! You can have as many pages as you want, and the program is very easy to use; it also has some great templatesso you don’t have to design pages or layouts. Blurb books are great for all those family pictures and the quality is outstanding!

 Get all 9 tips NOW!

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

LIGHTING

Lighting is one of the most important components in an image and mastering it takes lots of practice. However, a basic tip is to avoid shooting against light.  Another great tip, if you are planning to photograph your kids at the playground do it two hours before sunset. The light at this time of the day is not as harsh and it will give you beautiful cream tones. To master lighting you need to practice a lot, but these two tips will set you in the right direction.

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

B&W.

I LOVE B&W; there is something very special about it and no matter how much I use it, I just never get enough. If you want to convert images into B&W never, ever shoot in monochromatic. Always shoot in color and then edit the image to B&W either in Aperture, Photoshop or Lightroom.  This way you can control the contrast and the image does not lookplain gray.

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

DON’T SWEAT IT. THEY DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

This is another urban legend, just like the cheese. Who says that your family ALWAYS has to be looking at the camera? That is so not true. Beautiful photos are also captured when the family is interacting. Let them be! This tip references back to Chasing Toddlers. As I said before, just sit back and let the moment unfold organically. Shoot away and move around so you get different angles.

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

Lets Stay Connected

Fun Families & Kids | Couples in Love | Join me on Facebook | Lets Chat on Twitter | Get awesome News

*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

CHEESE IS ONLY GOOD IN A SANDWICH!!

I am not even sure how the whole cheese thing became a part of photography, but we have all been brainwashed into saying it! I am on a mission to make it stop! LET’S BAN THE CHEESE!

When you say “cheese” your smile is never, EVER natural. Try it right now. Say “Cheese” out loud, I’ll wait…

You see. It is horrible! It makes your eyes squint giving you wrinkles and the smile is so unnatural.  Instead of asking your kids to say “cheese”, crack a joke, especially if it is about a fart.  I know! Not very glamorous, but you’ll have your kids laughing out loud!

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

Lets Stay Connected

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

Welcome back to 9 days of amazing photo tips! I hope you are finding this information useful. Happy shooting!

PHOTOGRAPHING NEWBORNS

Newborns are so sweet and cuddly. They truly are a joy to photograph. Plus just having a brand new life in your house must be celebrated. I always suggest that you hire a professional photographer to do this job, but if you also want to get some great photos of your baby, here are some tips:

1. SAFETY FIRST! You don’t need to get all crazy and put your baby in strange locations or objects to achieve amazing images. I actually like the simplicity of newborns. You just need a cute blanket. Wrap your baby in it and place him/heron your bed and take several photos from different angles.
2. Make sure your room is warm. If your baby is warm he/she will be more comfortable and probably fall sleep faster.
3. This goes back to the DETAILS tip. Make sure you capture your baby’s toes, belly button and lashes. Those are details that you will cherish once your newborn is all grown up.

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

INCORPORATING PLACES OR REMOVING OBJECTS

Beautiful composition is achieved by looking at what surrounds you. Before clicking away, take a couple of seconds to really see through your viewfinder.

If you have a lot of mess in your background, that can take away from your subject and make the final image less appealing or very distracting. If it is impossible for you to clean or rearrange what sits behind your subject, you can just re-position yourself and take that beautiful picture from another angle.

Incorporating places into photos is so much fun. Not only is it a reminder of the actual place, but it also allows you to be creative.  Position your subjects in front of the structure and take several steps back until you can see the whole structure through your viewfinder, then take that awesome photo!

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*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission

Welcome back to day # 2 of amazing photo tips…

DETAILS

I love details! Details are what make us unique. Make sure you capture your kid’s lashes, chubby toes and the curls that so beautifully drop on her face. What about the things that your kids love? That rag doll, a teddy bear and his favorite pair of shoes. Make sure you document the little details too.

No need to wait. Get all 9 tips NOW!

Lets Stay Connected

Fun Families & Kids | Couples in Love | Join me on Facebook | Lets Chat on Twitter | Get awesome News

*All Images remain the property of Carolina Guzik Photography and are protected by federal copyright laws. Images can not be reproduced, copied, published, edited, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.