rocktroll Loc: NH

Some photos I took of my granddaughter sitting in a high chair that I used over 60 yrs ago. Please let me know what you think, both good or bad. Beginner in photography so I need the input.

MickiV Loc: Divided between GA and FL

Aren't grandchildren wonderful. I'd zoom in closer to fill the frame with her precious face...and capture the cute expression on her face.

JKF159 Loc: Arkansas

Hello rocktroll. I agree with MickiV that you need to crop out a lot of the distractions in the background. By crop I mean get closer or use a longer focal length to start with.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Facial close-ups are great; however, including surrounding artifacts can contribute greatly to the context of a photo. Especially with children, every photo doesn't have to be a portrait. Years from now people will smile about the kind of cup she had, and the historical significance of the old high chair.

Personally, I like my grandkid's pictures to tell a story. The good thing about digital is that you can take as many shots as you want, trying to capture every memorable moment.

Get in front of the kids, get behind them, get beside them. Get down on their level. Don't always wait for them to pose. Catch them doing what they do, without them even be aware that you're there.

I've got 2 grandkids, and have been taking their pictures for nine years. I've got thousands of shots for the family to enjoy now, and in the future.

Organizing and sharing the pictures can be a chore. There are many options, but this is just one. What I do is this ... I use Picassa to store all my images on my computer. Then I use the upload feature of Picassa to upload all my images to the Walmart website. This insures that if anything happens to my computer, the images are still stored on the Walmart site.

Once on the Walmart site (or any other print service you prefer) I can order prints easily. I can also share the images with any friends or relatives, and they can easily order any prints they want.

Have fun! The holidays are almost here, and lots of great shots are waiting to be captured.

rocktroll Loc: NH

Thanks MickiV, learning new things everyday thanks to folks like you with great ideas to try.

rocktroll Loc: NH

Thanks JFK159 for the tip, will try this next time.

rocktroll Loc: NH

Thanks MisterWilson for the great tips. Never thought about storing my images anywhere but in my computer. Will work on this.

Val Loc: Minnesota

They are basically snapshots but your granddaughter is adorable!

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Here's a little more about Picassa.

In addition to organizing your photos, it's a good basic program for making changes to your photos.

http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2010/06/a-new-series-how-to-use-picasa/

rocktroll Loc: NH

Thanks Val, I think any photo of her is a keeper, I just want to take better ones! She is a highlight of my life. :-)

rocktroll Loc: NH

Thanks for the link Mister Wilson, I'll check it out.

tk Loc: Iowa

Love the photos. I am going to pirate for a second and ask a very disturbing question.

My daughter and I just had problems with Picassa. We have been using it for YEARS. Suddenly, yesterday, it cleared all but 8 photos out of 540 for the files. Luckily, I had stored them in the Picasa web albums on line. But, what a hassel to get most of them back. I'm still not sure they are all in the web albums. Anyone else have trouble?

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Sorry to hear about your problem. been using Picassa for 8 years or so,with no problems (over 14,000 images). However, as with any program, that doesn't mean I won't have a problem next week.

That's why I also upload everything to an online service, like Walmart, Walgreen's, or any of the other print services.

rocktroll Loc: NH

tk--thanks for liking my photos. Glad you posted that comment about picassa and thanks to MisterWilson for his answer. I'm still going to check it out but will also back up somewhere else.

Gidgette Loc: Boerne,Texas

I burn all pictures on CD or DVD. Just another back up.