Capturing Children In Their Element

Anyone who has photographed children before knows how difficult it is to get them to cooperate. Recently, at one of our Stroller Warrior group runs, I had the opportunity to get candid shots with my 75-300mm lens while the kiddos played at the park. I'm typically a fan of black and white, but for the most part, these photos are better in their original color without edit.

And while I'm new to this profession, I think the best way to get children to cooperate is to not let them know you're aiming for good pictures. Make it into a game. Let them run free and place less worry on the perfect backdrop. Oh, and take 5xs as many shots as you think you need:)

Belward Family

This weekend, my friends Keith and Colleen brought their son, Max, to visit! We attempted to take a few family photos, but our session was cut short because Max was ready for a nap. It was ridiculously hot that day too, so we kept it quite short. Here are a few shots:

By the last family shot, the sleep monster had definitely gotten to Max:)

And of course I couldn't resist snapping a pic of my favorite little Weasel:

With A Little Help From My BIL

As I delve into the world of photography, there are so many different things that keep popping up. Most of those things come with a hefty price tag, so they will have to wait. Luckily, I have an extremely talented brother-in-law, Geoffrey, who was kind enough to spend what little free time he has to develop a watermark for me!


I've been wanting to mark my photos in such a manner ever since I started stalking other photographers' websites, but I'm no computer whiz and didn't know where to start. With just a mention to Geoffrey, he developed a couple designs and we went from there. This evening, he sent me a final version. After Googling "how to add a watermark using Aperture" and watching a tutorial on YouTube, I figured out the process. It's really quite simple and just a few extra steps after editing. 


Here is the final result:

This is a picture of my beautiful friend, Colleen, and her absolutely adorable little boy, Max. 

First "Real" Photo Shoot

A while back, my dear friend, Maureen, asked me to take some pictures of her brother-in-law and his wife with their adorable baby girl. We got some fun shots in Surf City and had a blast. The baby was 6 months old, but super cooperative and so smiley! Here are several pictures from a really fun day:

These last two pictures are Maureen's very handsome son and his cousin:) Maureen has been an amazing friend and supporter of me delving into the world of photography. She's also great at carrying props, the camera bag, and anything else that might come up:) Thanks Moe!

Getting Started

Hello out there! I'm a military spouse and mother of one little girl. I developed a love of photography from watching my father while growing up. I've owned my camera (Canon Rebel XS) for a year and a half and have taken over 20,000 pictures. Yes, I love shooting!

I'm just getting started and by no means have the equipment or skill to call myself a professional, but I'd like to think I've gotten some good shots. While I develop this hobby into a profession, I've been shooting families in the local area. Here are a few shots from our sessions:

Thanks for visiting my newest blog. Hope to add some more pictures as I get a few more "clients!" If you're interested in getting some photos taken, email me at jennifer.ryu@gmail.com.

I have a small fee to compensate for my time (actual photo session & driving, plus editing) but in return, I'll provide you with a disc of all the pictures taken while explicit rights to print in whatever manner you prefer. The images are of a large file size and suitable for blowing up to larger prints.