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      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

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      November 27, 2018

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      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

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      August 13, 2018

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      September 4, 2017

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Baby Rabies

pregnancy & parenting

  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

      Reviews

      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

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Photography

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone
Photography

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

by Jill February 11, 2019
written by Jill

By far, the coolest thing to come out of releasing my Picture Play eBook back in November, has been seeing all of the incredible edits that people have been doing since they’ve read it.

Inside the Picture Play Facebook group (you get access with your purchase, no extra fee!) readers have been sharing photos ever single day.

I’m totally blown away.

If you’re still feeling frustrated with your phone photography and editing skills, take a look at what’s possible with just your iPhone or Android and some super cheap or free apps.

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were Taken And Edited With A Phone

It’s incredible just how much ambiance you can bring out in a photo like this one! And did you see the disappearing act in the bottom left corner? Love it! Photo by: Sharon C.

unedited and edited image of a Piña colada taken by Krystyn

Cheers! This one was shared with the caption: “Not only good for picture of our kids, right?” Right! Photo by: Krystyn

unedited and edited image of the Statue of Liberty taken by Becci L.

This photo was taken from a cruise ship as they sailed past. Can you believe the difference?? Photo by: Becci L.

unedited and edited image of a child napping taken by Sharon C

That sunshine makes nap time something special. What a moment! Photo by: Sharon C.

unedited and edited image of a white house taken by Calley P

More sunshine! A gloomy day turned bright and cheerful. Magic. 😉 Photo by: Calley P.

unedited and edited image of children playing by Megan H

I LOVE all the colors brought to life in this edit. Another tiny moment made into something truly special. That light makes all the difference, don’t you think? Photo by: Megan H.

These are just a tiny handful of the photos that readers have been posting in the Picture Play group. There are HUNDREDS more inside. If you’re ready to take your phone photography skills to the next level, click here to learn more about the book and check out the reviews (up to 50 now!) that people have left.

image of the Picture Play ebook

Picture Play is a 161-page eBook, dedicated to phone photography and editing.

Download your copy at ShopBabyRabies.com and jump inside the group with us too. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

February 11, 2019 6 comments
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Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your Phone
Photography

Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your Phone

by Jill December 13, 2018
written by Jill

We got caught in a big snow storm in Virginia this week, and while it was kind of a nightmare to get the RV out of, our kids had such a fun time playing in the GIANT snowflakes. (I’ve never seen them so big and fluffy!)

I remember the first time I took photos of my son in the snow years ago, I was so disappointed that they didn’t look as bright and crisp as I was seeing with my own eyes. But I had no idea how, nor the tools to fix that so they just remained gray and dim. 

Now, I know exactly how to use my favorite apps to make our snow photos look bright and happy, and I’m going to show you how I edited this one, and how you can use these same steps on your own snow photos.

First, I opened the photo in Snapseed and pulled up the Curves tool.

Snapseed is a free app available in the App Store and Google Play.

I pulled my midtones and light tones up, and then dropped only the very darkest tones at the bottom of the curve. This brightened my whites, kept the boys’ skin tones natural, and added depth by darkening the darkest colors.

Confused by curves? I have a whole chapter dedicated to understanding this powerful editing tool in my eBook Picture Play!

When editing your snow photos, try a similar approach of pulling that top 1/3 of the line up just a bit to brighten and whiten the snow. 

Next I opened the Details tool and selected Structure.

I increased Structure by 29 which made the snowflakes stand out more and brought out detail and contrast in their hats and the building behind them.

Structure is a really fun tool to play with to add a little extra magic to your photos!

Next, I wanted to create a bit of a light and airy feel so I opened the Vignette tool.

But instead of creating a dark vignette around my subjects, I created a reverse/bright vignette- meaning I made the outside of the circle brighter than the inside. This draws attention to my subjects, who are still properly exposed- their skin tones look great, they aren’t too washed out or too shadowy. The area outside the vignette is just a little brighter. 

Try this when your subject is mostly surrounded by bright whites and lighter colors!

The white balance looks pretty good to me, but sometimes snow photos can look really blue or cold. So head to the White Balance tool.

I clicked the eye-dropper tool and put my crosshairs over my white snow. It suggests I make it 3 degrees cooler, and I think that looks good.

When you’re using the eye-dropper tool, just be sure to put those crosshairs over anything white or neutral gray in your photo. See how it automatically adjusts for you. If it looks off, try moving it around to another white or gray spot on your photo to see if you can find a better match.

After that, I saved a copy of my photo from Snapseed and headed to A Color Story for a quick filter. There are two in the free Essentials pack that I think will work well with this and many other snow photos. 

A Color Story is a free app with some free features and some in app purchases. It’s available in the App Store and Google Play.

The first is appropriately named Ice Ice. I applied it at about 65%.

Ice Ice is more muted, cool and less saturated than Pop, which is applied below at about 50%. You can really tell the difference between the two when you look at the red in the bricks.

Both are great for clean, crisp edits with bright whites that will play nice with your subject’s skin. (No turning anyone orange!) 

Again, here is the before:

Here are the finals:

Pop

Ice Ice

RECAP: Tips For Editing Photos Of Snow on Your Phone

  • Use your curves tool (both Snapseed and A Color Story have these) to bring up your light tones and midtones by pulling up the top right side of the curves line-  whitening your whites and brightening your subjects’ skin.
  • Play with the Details->Structure tool in Snapseed to increase or decrease detail, contrast, saturation, and clarity.
  • Try a revere vignette in Snapseed by placing the Vignette tool circle over your subject and increasing the outside of the vignette (dragging the slider to the right) and making it brighter instead of darker. 
  • Check your photo’s color temperature with Snapseed’s White Balance tool. Use the eye dropper and select a part of your photo that is or should be white (like your snow) or neutral gray.
  • Try filters in A Color Story-> Essentials pack. These come free with ACS. Two of my favorites for snow are Ice Ice and Pop. Personally, I rarely ever apply filters at 100%. Try pulling it down to 50-60% to see how that works for you.

If you liked this and would like to learn more about how to take and edit photos you will LOVE with only your phone and free/cheap apps, purchase my eBook Picture Play! 
It’s 161 pages of tutorials, examples, and some of my favorite tips for making my own photos pop. It’s a digital download that you will receive immediately. AND IT MAKES A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT! There is a digital gift card option at checkout. 

December 13, 2018 3 comments
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I Wrote An eBook And Here's What People Have To Say About It
Photography

I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is What People Are Saying About It

by Jill December 6, 2018
written by Jill

Over the last year, as we’ve been travelling in our RV, I’ve had it in my head that I would write an eBook teaching people techniques for taking and editing photos using only their phones.

Last Friday, that book, Picture Play, officially released to the world and the response has been incredible.

Photography is something I get asked about a lot on the @babyrabies Instagram account and on @happy.loud.life as well. People will ask what camera I’m using and what settings. Most of the time I’m shooting with my iPhone (not even the newest iPhone) and editing with a few apps I’ve fallen in love with over the years.

Sometimes I will post pictures to IG that I took with my DSLR, but even then, I’m bringing it over to my phone to edit. It’s just easier and more effective than busting out Lightroom or Photoshop. Especially on the go.

Related: Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside

Inside Picture Play (delivered to you as a 161-page eBook that you can read on your phone, tablet, or computer) I go over how to take and edit photos using cheap or free apps, in a way that will help you discover your own style so that you can start making your photos look exactly how you want them to look- and bring new life to old photos waiting in the depths of your phone storage.

I Wrote An eBook And Here's What People Have To Say About It

When you purchase Picture Play, you’ll also get access to the exclusive Facebook group where we share our photos, go over edits together, and I share even more advanced techniques and demonstrations.

The eBook already has 20+ amazing reviews over at ShopBabyRabies.com. Here are just a few:

I know life changing seems a little dramatic but I’m so in awe of what this has helped me do. We live in Washington so we often have dark overcast skies and it can be hard to get the right picture. But this taught me about what curves actually were and how to adjust lighting and warm or cool a picture. And now I don’t have to freak out over a rubberband on a wrist because I have learned how to remove it just from this book! – Katie

I highly recommend this book! Everything is broken down and easy to understand. I love that it has actual pictures as examples to walk you through it. I’m always taking pictures of my kids on my phone due to convenience and looking for ways to make them pop later. This is definitely a game changer! It’s great being able to go back to the book as a reference. I’ve been using the book and apps every day since I downloaded them! Great Job Jill! – Kimmy

I’ve always been so impressed with Jill’s photos on her blog and her insta pages, and assumed she used costly programs for editing. Within a few minutes of reading this book, I’ve started making some amazing edits of my own photos! The e-book is beautiful, with easy-to-follow tips and app recommendations. I can’t wait to keep practicing with old and new photos! – Andrea

You don’t need all the fancy equipment to make beautiful edits happen, and when so many of us are relying on just our phones to capture our lives, it really feels like less pressure knowing you can photograph on the go and still make it look amazing.

I wrote more about why and how I wrote Picture Play over at Happy Loud Life if you want to read on. I’ve also shared a coupon code for readers that will be available until December 20, 2018.

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

December 6, 2018 1 comment
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Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside
Photography

Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great Photos Even When It’s Dark Outside

by Jill November 27, 2018
written by Jill

Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my new eBook, Picture Play, coming out November 30th and available for pre-sale at $5 off the regular price. Order your copy at ShopBabyRabies.com. Since it’s the time of year where the days are getting shorter and darker, I wanted to help you find creative light sources in your home! Enjoy!

So, it’s not daylight outside, or you can’t get much sunlight to stream into the room you’re in. Now what? There’s nothing wrong with using other light sources to light your photos. This is a great time to get creative with what those light sources can be.

A well-placed lamp that illuminates your subject can make a beautiful, moody photo. Imagine if I’d turned on the overhead lights for this too. This photo would feel less dramatic and it would have less depth and interest than it does with this single, focused light source.

Just like sunlight, creative lighting is all about where the light comes from in relation to your subject. In this photo, you can see how the lamp is directly behind my head making my face dark, my hair too bright (notice the complete loss of detail in those bright white parts of my hair), and the overall feel of the photo very messy and grainy.

By simply repositioning my phone so that the light source was off to the right side of the frame instead of directly behind me, I was able to light my face properly and even capture some catchlights in my eyes. The shadows and highlights fall naturally across my face and the top of my baby’s head.

With a little editing, I can brighten the photo a bit more.

Here’s a great example of using a lamp to create a silhouette of subjects—very excited subjects who were listening to a hockey game way past bedtime when their favorite team won. The mood and the motion are more important than the subjects’ faces here.

Tip: Your light sources don’t have to be traditional lamps. Consider a TV, a lava lamp, an iPad, or a computer screen.

Sometimes all you need is an open door and lights on in the room next to you. This photo of my daughter and husband at bedtime is lit by an adjacent bathroom with the lights on.

You can still get well-lit photos with incandescent, fluorescent, or LED overhead lighting. A common issue when relying on interior lighting is that your white balance may be off. Do you see how the white bed in this photo is taking on a yellow tint?

That’s a white balance issue. When you have proper white balance, the whites of your photos will appear, well, white. There’s a proper balance of temperature and tint: warm yellows and magentas and cool greens and blues. When this is not balanced, your photo can look more yellow, magenta, blue, or green than the real scene appears to the eye.

There are simple fixes for this we’ll get into later on in the apps section, so don’t stress too much over it now.

Tip: One easy way to deal with white balance AND low light? Convert the photo to black and white. (We’ll get into black and white conversions more in the eBook.)

Many of the indoor photos you take without natural light can still look awesome with just a little brightness and contrast added.

I hope you found these tips helpful! Be sure to pre-order your copy of Picture Play before November 30th so you can save $5 off the regular price! Head over to ShopBabyRabies.com to get your order in today.

November 27, 2018 1 comment
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Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss
Photography

Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Pro

by Jill November 19, 2018
written by Jill

When I was pregnant with my 2nd baby in 2010, I was desperate for a “fancy camera”, not just a point and shoot that would give me blurry photos.

I felt I NEEDED a $600+ DSLR, plus a $150+ prime lens. Honestly, back in 2010, that really was one of the best options for capturing beautiful photos of my soon-to-be-born baby girl and toddler son.

Using my PHONE to capture photos I would cherish forever, print, and frame? Ha! That never crossed my mind, and if someone suggested that I’d have laughed.

Baby Photo Ideas

Fast forward 8 years, I’ve invested thousands of dollars in pro-level photography gear and photo editing programs. I’ve taken classes and spent countless hours teaching myself how to master my DSLR camera and complicated programs like Photoshop and Lightroom.

And I’m here to tell you that some of my very favorite pictures of my kids were taken on my iPhone, and edited with free or inexpensive apps.

Honestly.

Baby Photo Ideas

As a full-time parenting and travel blogger, there is a place for my fancy camera and advanced editing programs.

But as a parent, thanks to rapid advances in camera quality and intuitive and accessible apps, many times my phone is all I need to beautifully capture my kids in the moment.

And so, I’ve written an eBook to help you get the same satisfaction of snapping the best photos possible using just your phone and some super accessible apps!

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

Pre-order the Picture Play eBook today and save $5

Who is this book for?

  • If you are totally clueless about how to take pictures that you will love with your phone, this book is for you.
  • If you are good with taking pictures, but have no idea how to make them pop and look beautiful or you tend to over-filter your photos, this book is for you.
  • If you carry your fancy camera everywhere with you, but would love the freedom of getting great shots from your phone, this book is for you.
  • If you want to up your Instagram game, this book is for you.
  • If you just want to take better pictures that you have no intention of sharing online, this book is for you.
  • If you own an iPhone, this book is for you.
  • *If you own an Android, this book is for you.

Baby Rabies Picture Play eBook | Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On Your Phone Like A Boss

Click here to order now >>

BONUS!

When you purchase Picture Play, you are invited to join the exclusive Picture Play Facebook group where you can learn even more! I’ll be demonstrating more advanced photo edits weekly in the group and I’ll be available to coach you through editing some of your own photos as well!

*While I personally speak from my own experience with using an iPhone (currently a 7+, not even the newest model), most of the techniques I’m sharing will work on any type of phone, and all apps are available for both iPhone and Android. I will not get into the basics on how to operate the camera function on any phone. This book assumes you know how to access the camera on the phone you own and how to take a photo with it.

Pre-order the Picture Play eBook today and save $5

November 19, 2018 2 comments
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I'll Never Apologize For These Selfies
PhotographySchool Age DaysToddlers

I’ll Never Apologize For These Selfies

by Jill October 23, 2018
written by Jill

I was going through my camera roll on my phone over the weekend, doing my best to organize what feels like the entirety of my life on there, and something struck me like a blast of cold air.

I don’t take napping selfies with Lowell anymore.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on Nov 6, 2015 at 11:58am PST

We simply don’t nap together anymore. He’s mostly outgrown the nap, though he still catches a few Zs in the truck to and from places. He’s sleeping in a tiny bunk bed these days that doesn’t have much room for me, and we don’t spend our days home alone or with a baby- just the two or three of us.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on May 17, 2017 at 1:14pm PDT

Since we took off on this full-time family road trip, a lot has changed, obviously. And I get to experience so much with Lowell and the other 3 now that we are spending nearly every waking moment together exploring.

Related: Reminder To Self: Don’t Compare This Baby To The Others

But I miss those sleeping moments when he would cuddle up under my arm, hand in my hair, and doze off while watching Netflix. It was just the two of us at first, and then he would cradle my pregnant belly. When Wallace was born, he would nap side by side with him.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Rabies (@babyrabies) on Aug 3, 2017 at 5:13pm PDT

This is a blog post written by many a mom before me- you never know what ordinary moments will last be your last, and when they’ll transform from just another part of your routine into a memory on your camera roll.

I sure am grateful for all those selfies, though. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel vain or superficial or silly for snapping pictures of you and your little in a moment you will want to remember.

Related: The Treasure Trove That Is My Photo Booth Library

Last night, I asked him to climb up in bed with me and snuggle, and while he was way too chatty to doze off in my arms, we still took a selfie for old-time’s sake.

October 23, 2018 0 comment
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This Photographer's Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming
ParenthoodPhotography

This Photographer’s Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming

by Désirée August 28, 2018
written by Désirée

Parenting is hard and it’s made even harder when you’re worried about being judged and shamed for every move you make.

Abbie Fox, from Foxy Photography, wanted to create awareness around this issue after experience mommy shaming over her choices, and the resulting photo project has been shared more than 54, 000 times.

We got in touch with Abbie to learn more about the story behind her Anti Mommy Shamers Unite project and what the community reaction has been.

Mom shaming online has to one of the most harmful things the community is doing to itself and it can be hard to go a day without seeing it happen. What was the spark that lead you to creating this photography project and how did you get started?

I’ve been shamed for many things that I’ve done in the past, especially when I was a new mom to Maverick, eight years ago. I started with how I fed him, next was how much screen time, and after that it was about rear-facing car seats. People were mean. Friends were mean. It put such a bad taste in my mouth to see all these mommy shaming. I ended up leaving all of the Facebook mommy groups because it just wasn’t worth it.

This Photographer's Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming

How did the project come together and what was it like meeting all of these families and hearing their stories?

For the last year and a half, I’ve wanted to do an anti-mommy shaming photo project. I knew I wanted to give it my all, so I let the idea grow in my mind until I was 100% ready to make it happen.

I posted about the project in my client VIP group. In the end, 17 women joined in to take part in the photoshoot, which meant 30 kids in total, including my three.

This Photographer's Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming

The session was chaos, as you can imagine with 30 kids! We did the individual photos first, then the group photo which turned out to be quite comical. Since I had photographed most of these kids from an early age- some of them from their birth- I already knew their stories and it make it even more important to me to share them.

What has the reaction been since you’ve shared the photos on your Facebook page?

To be honest, the reaction has been both good and bad. There have been some nasty comments left on the photos- people trying to make this a negative experience, but we are all banging together to share our stories and to make sure that the entire project isn’t being tainted.

The entire point of the project is to show, through this series of photos, that mommy shaming is alive and well, and the negative commenters are just proving our point.

This Photographer's Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming

Most of the comments, however, have been overwhelmingly positive:

“I love this. And I love how you advocate for Mommas from all walks.”

“Love this project… ALL children should be loved! Isn’t that we all want?”

“I LOVE this! Mom/parent shaming needs to stop and I love the message you are sending. Every baby is different as is every parent. The best thing ever said to me was that it’s okay to parent differently than someone else or to even parent each of your children different. Because after all they are all different.”

One comment that really stood out to me was this one:

“This made me realize I do Mom shame sometimes. I don’t publicly, but I do internally. I need to be more open minded and not roll my eyes at other people’s decisions.”

To me, if one person can change, then the entire project was a success.

You can find Abbie’s work on Facebook and at foxyphotographylv.com. Click here for more photos from the Anti Mommy Shamers Unite shoot.

This Photographer's Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy Shaming

August 28, 2018 0 comment
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Photos Are A Life Treasure
ParenthoodPhotography

Moms, Direct Your Own Photos

by Jill April 24, 2018
written by Jill

Sometimes it’s like this, moms:

1. You hand the camera to someone else.

2. You say exactly what you want them to capture.

3. You ask nicely that they please try to capture a flattering angle.

4. But most of all, that they just take a TON OF SHOTS because you are more likely to love one if there are many to choose from.

You take control and you tell people, “Hey! I need a picture with the baby. So here’s the camera. And here’s what I want the picture to look like.” And you don’t delete the shots, even if you think you hate all of them, ok? Don’t look at them for a few months (or years!) if you must. I promise they will age beautifully.

Get the Picture Play eBook and Learn how to take and edited photos on your phone like a pro

It may feel weird in that moment, saying you want someone to take a picture of YOU. I think we stigmatize women wanting photos of themselves in a moment, especially when that moment isn’t a major milestone.

And I think a lot of us have a real barrier up when it comes to asking for this. I know I do! We wish and hope our partners will finally just pick up the camera, and there are tons of posts and articles advising people to take pictures of moms when they don’t ask.

But I’m here to tell you- ASK. And try not to be mad that you had to ask. Don’t just ask, DIRECT. Tell them the picture you wish to have.

Related: Moms, If This Father Is Your Partner, Wake The Hell Up

If your partner is anything like my husband, they will be 1. so glad you reminded them and 2. so glad you told them how to frame up the shot and what you really want.

You can’t rely on someone else to give this gift to you. You give it to yourself. And you give it to your baby. You both deserve it.

Photos are a life treasure, and they are guaranteed to appreciate in value as time goes on. Think about it! They are the most sound investment you can ever make.

So invest.

Be intentional.

April 24, 2018 1 comment
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Get Inspired By These Baby Photo Ideas- Birth to 6 Months
BabiesParenthoodPhotography

Get Inspired By These Baby Photo Ideas- Birth to 6 Months

by Jill July 6, 2017
written by Jill

Babies are my favorite photo subjects- well, up until they can move fast. I think I’d have more success photographing bird poop than a mobile toddler.

Continue Reading
July 6, 2017 1 comment
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Work Smarter, Not Harder- This Service Will Design Photo Books For You!
ParenthoodPhotographyReviews

Work Smarter, Not Harder- This Service Will Design Photo Books For You!

by Jill April 27, 2017
written by Jill


I have pictures of my mom with my kids, starting from the minute my oldest was born. Well, okay… a few minutes after he was born, as she looked over him in his Isolette.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

The post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Make this Mother’s Day with a personalized gift that says it all.

It is not lost on me how fortunate we are to have her there for so many big and little life events, and I am also super lucky to have so many great pictures of her with the kids. But, despite how much I treasure them, I hardly have any printed.

Getting pictures off of my phone and computer and into the real world in some tangible form is always a struggle. I get so overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do with them! I don’t have the space to put all of them in frames, and photo books? I do NOT have the time these days!

She’s always saying (or commenting on my Facebook) “I want this one printed!” And I’m always making a mental note, “Hey, just print these pictures for her and your Mother’s Day gift is complete!” But then life happens, and I don’t have the time to curate all the pictures and organize them. I have this problem where if I think I can’t do something perfectly, I just don’t do it at all.

What if someone ELSE could do it perfectly for me, though? And what if it wasn’t hard to get the pictures to them, and they did all the organizing and designing? That’s EXACTLY what Shutterfly’s Make My Book Service does, and that’s exactly what they did for me.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

Y’all, look at this lovely photo book of nothing but pictures of my mom with my kids!

It’s a real, paper book with real pages that don’t live on the internet! It’s that one thing I’ve wanted to do for her for so long, and it took me 15 minutes.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

You read that right. FIFTEEN. MINUTES. I uploaded the pictures from Facebook and my computer, then quickly made sure they were in chronological order. I picked a theme for the book and sent a little note that I wanted the pictures to remain in chronological order and events grouped together.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

Then a real person and professional designer took it from there. They chose the layouts and added the pictures, adding design elements throughout, too. Within a couple days, I had a draft ready to approve. I did go in and make a couple quick changes, rearranging a few pictures, but it only took a few minutes until I was 100% happy and clicked the purchase button.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

The Make My Book Service is only $9.99 (plus the cost of the book), and you only pay it if/when you decide to order the book. There isn’t any cost to get started and see what they design for you. And while you’re on Shutterfly, you can check out all the other great, personalized stuff they have for mom.

Shutterfly's Make My Book Design Service will design photo books for you! | BabyRabies.com

I always thought I’d be the scrapbooking kind of mom, but it turns out I’m the Shutterfly Make My Book Service kind of mom. (Have you seen that Pinterest/Amazon Prime mom meme? So funny.)

I love that the end product is exactly what I’d get if I spent hours creating a personalized gift for my mom, just without the hours spent. Of course, my mom never misses a blog post, and it’s not quite Mother’s Day yet, so obviously SPOILER ALERT, MOM. Love you. See you soon. Hope you enjoy your book! (We’ll have more surprises for you.)

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks it’s about time we can pay someone else to design photo books for us! Work smarter, not harder, friends.

April 27, 2017 3 comments
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