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    • We are so delighted that you are here. The National Association of Professional Child Photographers is an association whose mission is to promote and support the artistry and integrity of professional child photographers. To accomplish this mission, NAPCP provides the most comprehensive resources for its members, bringing together a community of passionate artists committed to growth in their skills, their artistry, and their businesses.

    NAPCP.com (formally pronounced "NAP-C-P") is a place where professional child photographers can come and connect, learn, teach, aspire and grow. It is also a valuable resource for parents who are looking for a professional child photographer in their area, and want to be inspired and educated about our specialized industry.

    Crystal JamesCrystal James

    Photographer of the Year – Prize Package!

    July 22, 2014 | Posted by Crystal James | filed in: NAPCP News, Photography

    As NAPCP continues to grow, one of our most important goals is to celebrate the success of our members.  The International Image Competition (going on now) is one of the many ways we do this, and this year there is even MORE to get excited about!

    We have worked closely with our vendor partners to create an incredible prize package for the 2014 Photographer of the Year.  Not only will the winner of this prestigious title be rewarded with Lifetime Membership to NAPCP, tons of press and social media coverage, and an exclusive Seal of Distinction; but they will also receive over $3,000 in prizes from our vendor partners.  As an additional bonus, Triple Scoop Music will be awarding ALL winners (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place) from each competition with one complimentary song license, and Fotostrap will offer complimentary monogramming on any camera strap.

    The 2014 Photographer of the Year will be chosen based on cumulative points from winning images in both competitions.  Visit our Photographer of the Year website for more details.

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    Could you be the next winner?

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    July 2014 Newsletter!

    July 22, 2014 | Posted by Kristen Smith | filed in: Member Spotlights, NAPCP News

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    Click here to read or July 2014 Newsletter!

     

    Abbe McCrackenAbbe McCracken

    Vacation Albums Made Easy

    July 20, 2014 | Posted by Abbe McCracken | filed in: Expert Articles, Helpful Articles, Photography

    Ahhhh vacation.  Bonding, relaxation, adventure and 1,413 images to prove it.   Ok, maybe only 867 if you aren’t obsessed with catching every. single. moment. {guilty as charged}. And don’t forget the 212 pictures on your mobile device.  For many people, capturing these images is fun but deciding what to do with them … well, it can seem daunting.  Here are 5 easy steps and lots of great resources for making vacation albums your whole family will treasure.

    STEP 1: SELECT VENDOR AND STYLE

    Don’t start picking your images yet. Rookie mistake! Before you work with any images at all, identify which album vendors meet your quality, style and pricing goals.  I’ve made many personal albums over the years and Picaboo is easily my favorite.  I adore the Seamless Lay-Flat Books and Classic Photo Books (which also come with a lay-flat option).

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    Both meet my {very} high quality standards and both come in a variety of styles.  Everything from the modern, minimalist look that I love to the med layouts with fun doodles.  Picaboo’s Classic Photo Books start at $19.99 and the Seamless Lay-Flat Books start at $64.99. Coupons are almost always offered so keep your eyes open.  Other popular vendors include Shutterfly, MyPublisher and another one of my favorites, Artifact Uprising.  More on Artifact Uprising in a minute, but the point is explore your options before you design.

    STEP 2:  SET PAGE COUNT

    Determine the approximate page count of your finished album, then double that for the amount of images you need.  For example, if you want a 20-page book then only select your 40 best images.  If you want a 50-page book, start with your 100 best.  I rarely use that many but it’s a great starting point that will allow for a nice variety of spreads throughout your book.

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    Page count is often driven by your budget and/or the scope of your vacation . . . though my latest book is 47 pages and 90% of it was shot in one hour at one location.  Just sayin’, it’s easy to get carried away, which is why Step 3 is where you will invest the most time.

    STEP 3: CULL IMAGES

    It’s time to narrow down your images.  I know you love them all, but honestly some are blurry, some are duplicates and some simply take your breath away.  It’s important to see the differences, use the trashcan and star your favorites.  If you are too attached to let go of any, walk away for a few days.  Sometimes a fresh perspective is all you need.  Your goal here is to identify the best 25/50/100 images for use in your album.  My final selections always include a combination of images from both my professional camera and my iPhone.  Here’s a spread using iPhone pictures on the left and my Nikon d610 on the right.  Don’t be afraid to mix it up.

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    STEP 4: UPLOAD AND ARRANGE

    If you prepare everything as outlined in Steps 1-3, then Step 4 will be a walk down easy street.  In fact, Steps 4 and 5 should take you an hour or less from upload to order. {Those with perfectionist tendencies may take a bit longer.  Not me.  Never.  Type A what?} Simply upload your selected images to your layout of choice and arrange the pictures in the order you want to see them.  I like to tell our vacation story, so I typically default to chronological order.  If your images didn’t automatically upload in order, then you will need to drag them to the appropriate place.  This is another good reason to work with smaller numbers of images.

    STEP 5: UTILIZE AUTOFILL

    Talk about easy, now simply click “autofill” and let it do its job.  Within minutes your book is ready to preview.  Picaboo’s autofill feature is especially good at detecting appropriate layouts and using a variety of them.  I’m always amazed at how the images fit so perfectly.  Autofill saves me time and gives me creative layout ideas but it’s not 100% perfect.  I make final adjustments before ordering because it’s easy to swap pictures, change layouts and make a whole host of additional customizations.

    BONUS BOOKS

    With so many of us shooting in square these days, it’s nice to have Instagram friendly books too.  You could easily document your whole vacation on your mobile phone then upload your selected pictures to Artifact Uprising.  The company’s best-selling Softcover Books for Instagram start at $16.99.  If you follow me on Instagram you know that I use these books to showcase my iPhone 365 project.  Each month I create a 5×5 book of my family’s daily happenings.  I adore the product and the ease of Artifact Uprising’s Mobile App.  It takes me about 20 minutes to design and order straight from my iPhone.

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    The coffee table in my family room holds all the albums I’ve ever created.  It’s a mix of old, new, tried and true but the important thing is that we see them … I mean, really SEE them.  Not a single day goes by without my kids picking up an album and reliving those moments.  I love that.  I want that for your family too.

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    Mandy BlakeMandy Blake

    Find Your Style

    July 17, 2014 | Posted by Mandy Blake | filed in: Expert Article Test Cat, Expert Articles

    So you are looking for a photographer and you hit the internet to scope out the pros in your area. You find a handful whose work that you like and now you are trying choose just one – how are you going to narrow it down?

    Of course, there are going to be several factors to consider when making your final decision such as investment cost vs. your budget, session availability and your desired final products.

    But perhaps there is one factor that you haven’t spent as much time considering – the photographer’s STYLE. You may be drawn to certain pictures in your chosen photographer’s portfolio, but maybe you don’t know exactly why you are pulled in…

    A photographer’s style is usually defined by a few different things, such as composition, light, lens choice and location. But another important stylistic element is image processing.

    Huh? What do you mean by image processing, you ask? Well, if your photographer uses a digital camera, the images produced are often enhanced and stylized using image editing software to support your photographer’s style.

    Some common processing styles are clean and classic, light and airy, rich and colorful, dark and matte, and most recently, more pastel and “film-y”. Still confused? Let me show you a few examples of each processing style, so you can see how the same image can invoke different emotions and moods based on how it has been processed.

    Clean & Classic

    These images will stand the test of time, with clean colors and classic tones. This processing style is the most popular, as you would expect.

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    Light & Airy

    Typically, images that have a light, airy look have less depth to the shadows and generally evoke happiness and softness.

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    Rich & Colorful

    This bold style of processing is typically full of color and the tones are beautifully rich. Sometimes this can also be paired with a matte look for a slightly different take. This processing style can be used to emphasis emotion and mood.

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    The more matte version:

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    Pastel/Film Emulation

    With the resurgence of film photography, many digital photographers are adding a slightly more pastel/film look to their images to emulate the look of film. Of course, it is never quite the same as actually capturing the image on film, but the look is gorgeous nonetheless. This style often evokes a soft, natural organic feeling in the imagery.

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    Now that you have had a chance to check out these various processing style, do you find yourself drawn to one or another? Think of how each style makes you feel and use this as a guide to find a photographer whose overall style (lighting, composition, lens choice, location, image processing, the whole shebang) is right for your family.

    Follow your eyes and your heart and you will never go wrong!

    A great way to start your search for a photographer and see examples of great style is to click here for our NAPCP Member Directory!

    Barb SubiaBarb Subia

    EndlessSummer7

    1 – Everyone gets to be in the photos!

    It’s so important for kids to not just have photos of themselves as they grow up, but also images together with you, the parents. Memories of all the fun you had together as a family, and how much you love them.

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    2 – Maximum cooperation!

    This will be one photo session you won’t have to beg and plead your spouse and kids to participate in. Everyone’s already relaxed and in vacation mode, it will be easy to convice them that a photo session is going to be casual and fun.

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    3 – You get to relax!

    You won’t have to worry about bringing your expensive camera to the beach, and potentially having it ruined by sand, water, and salt. Knowing that you will be going home with professional photos, you can relax and enjoy yourself, instead of feeling the need to capture every second of the kids having a blast.

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    4 – Leave technicalities to the experts!

    Lighting in different locations can be tricky, especially at the beach – hello nuclear orange skin tones and dark faces at sunset… and that was supposed to be the photo for the Christmas card. Your local photographers are used to photographing in their environment and have the knowledge and equipment to deal with these challenges.

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    5 – No post-vacation digital overwhelm!

    Returning to real life after a vacation is hard enough without having to sort through hundreds of photos to find the best ones. Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a package in the mail with a book, album or prints, and indulge in reminiscence?

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    Be sure to visit our member directory to find a photographer for your next family vacation!


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