Framing ideas for your Photography Prints!

A client of mine recently asked me about framing ideas for her photographic prints. My client had an idea around what images from our photo session were her favourites, but was wondering how to best display them in her home.

Her query is a great one and there really are no right or wrong answers here as it really depends on the image or images, the wall space available and personal taste! I thought it would be a great idea to offer some suggestions regarding framing your prints to help give you some inspiration!

One Print as a Feature

Image sourced from http://blog.jwwalls.com/tag/style-ideas/

A single framed print will work on any wall space, they key though is the right size for the space. Too large and the print can be overwhelming, too small and the print gets lost. Just right looks fabulous! 

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732001/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732013/

The above image looks much better - is not overwhelming, not understated.

Two Prints Together

Using two prints on a wall space can look very effective. Again the print size needs to be appropriate for the wall space to be most effective. The prints should also be the same size, use the same frames and the images should relate to each other for the best effect.

Image sourced from http://blog.poseprints.com/tag/animal-wall-art-for-nursery

Three Prints Together

Once we start putting three images together, we can start being really creative with how the images are displayed! As with all images, the size of the images will depend on the wall space, but also on the size of the other images. The sizes need to complement each other and not overwhelm the other prints being displayed together. 

Here are some examples of groupings of 3.

Image soured from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732007/

Sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590907165160

Image sourced from http://www.theblockshop.com.au/store/single/set-of-3-framed-limited-edition-prints-by-mailarksee

Four Prints Together

Four images together (as well as 6 images together) are my favourite combinations! See below for some inspiration on framing four prints together.

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732009/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590907165178/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732414/

Five or More Prints Together

With 5 or more prints, the options are only limited by your imagination! Below are some of my favourite combinations!

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732392/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732409/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732403/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732408/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732390/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732398/

Image sourced from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/411727590909732398/

I hope this Blog has provided you with some inspiration for presenting your images in your home! All clients of Larissa Hill Photography have an opportunity to discuss how your final images will be displayed in your home. I bring a range of print sizes and products to your home so that you can see how the various sizes and combinations work on your walls!

If you would like even more inspiration, I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to framing ideas - the link to my Pinterest site is here. 

Now is a great time to update your family photos! My website www.larissahill.com.au has information about organising your own photography session. Contact me today so that we can discuss how we can create your vision for your home!

Until next time .... Happy snapping!

Larissa x

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9 Top Tips for Capturing Great Holiday Photo's!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has enjoyed the festive season and are continuing to enjoy our Summer weather (well in the southern hemisphere anyway!) While many people are back to work today (including me!), many of us still have plenty of holiday time left - so here are my 9 top tips for capturing great holiday photos (and these tips can be applied to any situation!)

Tip #1 Have your camera out and ready to go!

While this may sound obvious, there is nothing worse than desperately wanting to photograph something but finding that your camera or smart phone has a flat battery or the camera card is full or your smart phone is out of memory!

This happened to me Christmas Day! We have a tradition every Christmas morning that we video our son opening his Christmas presents - about 1 minute in - my iPhone was full!! Luckily my husband was able to take over on his phone! I'm pretty good at making sure that my camera is always ready to go but now I will also make sure my phone is ready too!

With a little forward planning it does not take much to make sure all is good to go. With my camera, I always down load the images and back them up as soon as possible after taking the photos (usually the same day). That way I know the images are safe and I can remove them from camera card. I also recharge the battery after every session, then I know my camera is good to go at any moment! I'm going to make sure I back up and download my iPhone images regularly so that I don't run out of memory again!

Tip #2 Capture Moments not Poses

Capturing moments is by far my favourite type of photography. Capturing moments allows the photographer to let personalities shine through and really tell a story about what is going on, the relationships between the people being photographed and the feelings and emotions behind each image. The image above and below are "moment captures" and both images tell very different stories!

Tip #3 Click Before and After Set Poses

While Tip #2 is all about capturing moments not poses, there are times when you will want to take posed images. I really enjoy taking photos immediately before and immediately after the posed image as I find that these images are more relaxed and again show personality!

Posed Photo

Immediately after the Posed Photo

The examples above demonstrate how taking another photo immediately after the posed photo can make a real difference. While the top image is OK with everyone looking at the camera and smiling, I prefer the second image as more personality is coming through the images - much more fun!!

Tip #4 Fill the Frame

Get in close! It is so important to fill the frame of your photos with your subject. Images of your subject in the distance (unless of course this is deliberate - but that's another Blog post!) just won't give you great images. Frame your images nice and close in camera for the best results!

The above image would not have had nearly the same impact if his face was way back in the background.

Tip #5 Don't Hesitate, Press the Shutter!

Hesitate and you'll miss the shot! Capturing the best images means you have to be ready to click the shutter without hesitation! While the age of digital photography allows us to take many images without the worry about wasting a roll of film, taking hundreds of photo's in the hope of getting a couple of good shots is a waste of time - you have to go through them all to find them! A much better way to take photo's is to be deliberate in your approach and be ready to click the shutter! A moments hesitation is a moment gone and an inferior image is the result. Capturing these images of the kids jumping in meant that I had to click the shutter at that decisive moment!!

Tip #6 Work With Kids, Not Against Them

By far the best way to photograph kids is by working with them! Kids love to have fun and I promise if they are having fun, they will work with you! The images below were the first images I took that day and my son let out a big groan and told me to put the camera away!! Within a minute they were eating out of my hand as I encouraged them to jump into the water and I'd take their photo and show them!! They loved it!!

Tip #7 Tell a Story

Tell a story with your images - let viewers know what was happening. The images will also remind you of what was happening! Here's a great story from our swim .....

The kids thought it was fantastic every time River joined us in the pool - my son spent considerable time coaxing him in for a swim! I probably would have forgotten if it weren't for these images.

Tip #8 Make Sure You Are In Some!

I am most guilty of this - I tend to feel much more comfortable behind the camera, not in front of it! But I want my son to remember that I was there with him having fun not just taking photos all the time! With selfies all the rage right now, this is my preferred method of getting myself in images! Other methods include using a timer or asking someone to take the photo for you.

A very rare photo of me! Complete with photo bomber in the background! Love it!

Tip # 9 Put Your Camera Down

Yes I know this is a post about tips for holiday photos! I think this is an important tip though! I can be guilty of having the camera out a bit too much and I need to remember to put it away! So while I may have my camera out nearly every day, I have taken the pressure off myself to capture everything all the time and have allowed myself to capture some of the time.

I hope you have enjoyed my tips! I would love to hear some of your tips for taking great holiday photographs - please comment below. I would love to see some of your holiday images too! Please post them below!

Until next time - happy snapping!

Larissa x

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About Larissa Hill

Larissa is based in Melbourne, Australia and is a child and family portrait and lifestyle photographer. Larissa is married with one son, a dog, 2 cats and a huge tropical fish tank! Larissa enjoys all things photography, SCUBA diving and snorkelling, reading and hanging out with family and friends. Larissa's website showcases her photography - www.larissahill.com.au

Celebrating 50 years! Beautiful couple still so much in love!

I have had the absolute pleasure and honour to take celebratory portraits for this beautiful couple to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary!

Like many families, this lovely couple have endured many challenges and heart break during their lives, as well as many wonderfully happy times and memories! Together however their obviously strong bond has meant that their marriage survived the bumps, pot holes and a particularly large mountain that life has thrown at them and their family!

I was first introduced to this family many years ago now as one of my dearest friends married into the family. From my first meeting all those years ago, I have always been welcomed and met with open arms! This couples generosity and kindness is obvious.

The children of this couple are fantastic individuals and I'm so pleased that I have been able to get to know their children (and grandchildren!) and be a part (albeit small!) of this lovely couples lives.

I enjoyed hearing some of the stories about their lives - their wedding day, first home, the home they are in now, their amazing garden, the birth of their 4 children and a very tragic loss. I heard about their children and what they are doing now, how proud they are of their grandchildren and how much they are looking forward to seeing their son and his family in Cairns this Christmas (and I'm particularly jealous of this!)

Doreen and Peter - congratulations on 50 years of marriage - you should both be very proud of all you have achieved in your time together and it is lovely to see you so happy together. Thank you for allowing me to share this special time with you!

Until next time …..

Happy Snapping

Larissa x

Personal Child and Family Post

It was such a beautiful morning this morning as my son and I walked to school - the sun was shining, we spotted 3 kookaburra's on the electric wire (no pants on fire!) and watched as 2 of them caught their breakfast! This morning was much like another morning on this day 6 years ago ...

Today is a significant day for me, as is the 10th of October every year! Today is my son's birthday and today he turns 6!

Here is my newborn son - Yes - 10 pounds 7 ounces! Big Boofa!

All of us who are parents know that the journey of parenthood is like a giant never ending roller coaster ! The highs and lows are endless and we've certainly had our share. Every year at this time, like I'm sure many parents do, I reflect over the past years and the many years leading up to his birth.

Less than a week old

My husband and I are one of the couples where falling pregnant did not come naturally. We tried to fall pregnant for several years and ended up needing to explore other options which led us to our journey with IVF. Trying to fall pregnant was an incredibly emotional time of our lives, facing infertility and the possibility of not having children. I still do not know how I would have ever coped with that outcome! I had started an alternative life plan - if I was not pregnant by my 40th birthday - we were moving to Far North Queensland for a couple of years to work on dive boats!

Just after his 1st birthday - cheeky boy getting into everything including the heating ducts!!!

Thankfully for us, IVF worked, and before my 40th birthday!! I was thrilled to find out I was pregnant - I clearly remember finding out - I had been to the IVF clinic that morning for a blood test (as I had embryo's implanted 2 weeks earlier - those 2 weeks after implantation are like no other 2 weeks a woman experiencing IVF can ever live through!). It was the first blood test I had where I had not started menstruating, so there was a little glimmer of maybe bubbling away in the background! I did not let those bubbles rise to the surface though - too much disappointment!

Hanging with my dog on a camping trip, just turned 2

I was at work and my mobile rang and it was lunch time - I looked at the number and I knew it was the IVF clinic - they NEVER called me this early - it was always mid afternoon. I didn't answer it, I was in the staff room, I was feeling a little freaked! A message was left - is scoffed the rest of my lunch and went to the quiet room at work. I listened to the message - please call back - I called back. I was pregnant! Ecstasy! I was bursting! I called my husband! Jubilation!

First trip to the snow! Just before his 3rd Birthday, with mum, grandma and grandpa.

The first few weeks after a positive blood test and undergoing IVF, the pregnancies are very closely monitored. There were weekly blood tests for the next few weeks plus a scan at 7 weeks to check for the heat beat. Seeing and hearing the heartbeat for the first time was amazing! I was instantly bonded with this child growing within me, I was in love, I am a mother …. finally. Until ……….

Yep - a massive Cars fan! Just after his 3rd Birthday

I started bleeding. Oh no! It can't be happening! Having had a miscarriage already around the same time of pregnancy, I new what this looked like. The same bleeding, the same time. Ecstasy to the deepest hole in hell in the space of 5 seconds. I need to be admitted to a psychiatric unit, I can't stand this anymore. Coincidentally I had my final check up with my IVF specialist the next day. Don't jump to conclusions, it might be OK (really? Bull!$%#). We arrive to see the IVF specialist, I look and feel like crap, I've done nothing but cry for the last 12 hours and I haven't slept at all. The IVF specialist is stressed too and ended up being quite rude which was not helpful!!! Off for an emergency scan ……

Love our mum and son hugs at bedtime, my favourite time of the day (or night!) Around 31/2

The sonographer is tense, my husband is keeping a brave and stoic face, I'm just a mental case of sadness, despair and hormones. There is my baby - did I see it move? No, just my imagination, no, it moved - Oh! there's the heartbeat! Really! Is it really there? It is really there - my baby is still alive, bouncing around. The source of the bleeding can't be found, but the baby is fine, just fine, looking healthy and fine. So I cry again, and sob and try and compose myself. I'm exhausted, but feeling so relieved, so very relieved.

Dinosaurs have been and continue to be a big feature in our lives! Just after his 4th Birthday

I find a fabulous obstetrician and I am still monitored closely. The pregnancy continues fairly uneventful until my 14 week check up where we receive our 12 week scan results. Only one umbilical artery found at the 12 week scan. There should be two. What does this mean? It might mean nothing, or it might mean kidney and or cardiac problems for the baby (won't know until 24 week scan), could mean the baby needs to be born at 28 - 30 weeks as the baby wont receive enough nourishment in utero. Should I be worried? No said the obstetrician, I shouldn't. Yeah right!

Father and son! Just after his 5th Birthday

Us! Great Barrier Reef - aboard Calypso out of Port Douglas - I'm in this one! (The boats photographer took these images)

I was in denial. I had entered the bizarre 2nd trimester where I no longer felt sick and felt quite good. Thankfully I could feel the baby move by around 17 weeks, so I took some comfort in that. 24 week scan day arrived and I was nervous, but at least I new my baby was alive and I would cope with what ever was coming my way. I told the sonographer that I was a nurse and that I wanted to know what they were seeing and to not hide anything from me!! So here we go again, what are we going to find out this time? Ummm, well, there are actually 2 umbilical arteries! Pardon? Yes, there are 2 umbilical arteries! So there is nothing wrong? No, there is nothing wrong. For goodness sake! Thank goodness but really!! I don't need anymore of this roller coaster ride!!!

This is his bad man gangster face (we were at a gangster and flappers party in Cairns!) Just after his 5th Birthday

Thankfully the rest of the pregnancy was very routine - no more surprises, no more strain, no more ups and downs and round and rounds. Until the birth - but that is a story for another day - maybe the 7th birthday!

While life has not turned out exactly how I imagined (unfortunately no more children for us, but we feel very blessed indeed to have our amazing son in our lives), each and every day I am so grateful that we have a beautiful healthy son to share our lives with. His zest for life is awesome and each and everyday he brings so much joy and laughter to our lives. You have changed me, I am a better person because of you.

Happy Birthday my beautiful, amazing wonderful son. Your dad and I are very proud of you and the brilliant young boy you have become. We love you to the moon and back, all around the universe and back a hundred million times!

Happy 6th Birthday!

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I would love to hear your comments and experiences with your pregnancies and falling pregnant! Feel free to share in comments below!

If you are struggling with fertility issues, have experienced miscarriage/s and are feeling pretty crap - my heart goes out to you as do my positive vibes. There is hope in your future and you will come through the other side, you will get there, hang on! Life is meant to throw us curve balls that smash us in the face. If you are feeling overwhelmed and not coping, please seek help.

Here are some useful links -
http://mivf.com.au/fertility-treatment/ivf-counselling-support/ivf-patient-suport-groups
http://ivf.com.au/fertility-treatment/ivf-counselling-support/ivf-resources
http://www.sands.org.au
http://infertility-support.meetup.com/cities/au/melbourne/
http://pregnancylossaustralia.org.au
http://www.bubhub.com.au/directory/find/miscarriage-grief-loss-helplines