The Elusive Hummingbird | Nature Photography

It's not even really the elusive hummingbird itself. It's the elusive hummingbird photo.

It's the moment where you have an opportunity, but you weren't prepared. You aren't even sure you have the right tools but you go for it anyway.

A couple of months ago I was visiting someone when I spotted a hummingbird in their backyard. I had my camera (yay!) but didn't have the lens on that I would have liked. Plus I knew my opportune moment's seconds were already ticking away. I was stuck behind glass indoors. No time to try to run outside. But darn it, I snapped away.

I got it, but it wasn't up to my standards. With the lighting the colors were off. There was a glare from the window. And with a fixed lens, I had to do major cropping to get anything halfway decent.

After this photoshoot with the Cusick family, opportunity popped in again. They had just left and I was taking some flower photos, when I spotted it. I still didn't have an ideal lens on, but again didn't have time to change it. It didn't matter though. I was determined to get one decent photo of a hummingbird. I walked up as close as I dared and snap.

Sometimes you try and fail. And sometimes... you get the hummingbird photo.

A small shout-out is owed to Jasmine Star - who recently blogged a post that reminded me it's ok to have a one-photo post - and I should probably do it more often. 

©Kristin Serna This post and these photos cannot be republished without my permission.

Children & Family Portraits | The Cusicks

The Cusicks are an on-the-go family. The oldest daughter knew exactly where she wanted her photo taken from the moment she stepped into the park. Both girls were dressed adorably and full of energy to boot. We had a slight fall chill in their air, plenty of light-diffusing clouds to work with and a lot of ground to cover.

And here's that magic first location...

Her sister didn't mind too much where she stood as long as someone she loves was nearby.

And that part about having a lot of ground to cover... well, there was definitely some running.

A little pick up in the wind made for beautiful model shots...

Did I mention I'm a huge fan of their outfits? The textures, the ruffles, the dots, the buttons.... Anthropologie Kids, I think we've found your next spokes-kids.

We got a few family photos too, but I just want to close with these two candid family moments. 

Thank you, Cusicks for a great opportunity (and all that exercise).

And to everyone else, just a reminder that now is a great time to get photos taken for your holiday cards.

© Kristin Serna This post and these photos cannot be republished without my permission. 

What is Photojournalistic Lifestyle Photography?

You may have noticed the banner on this blog says "photojournalistic lifestyle photography." Maybe you wondered what I mean by that. Well... either way, I'm going to answer it for you.

I'm an observer. Some people mistake it for quietness. Although I do like to sit in silence, noticing the details and watching how everything fits together.

Sometimes I watch that through my lens. And I capture what I see.

For food, places, and events, I like seeing how things have played out. I like noticing someone had the forethought to plate food in an artful way.

I admire that someone took the time and had the skill to carve that shape into stone.

I like capturing that moment of joy - no matter how big or small.

I say photojournalistic instead of photojournalism because while a large part of what I do is grab how things were in that moment, I'm not beyond giving a little direction for a portrait (unless it's of a building - they're rather stubborn). Sometimes the occasion just calls for it. Sometimes a person looks into your camera at just the right time.

The lifestyle part comes in with the location. It's what helps round out the story. For kids especially it also brings a certain comfort and lets them really just be themselves. My moving subjects can run, jump, and play. And I can freeze them for their loved ones and their older selves.

The world is in constant motion. Sometimes it's just nice to hold on to a moment.


©2010 Kristin Serna This post and these photos cannot be republished without my permission.

Photojournalistic Lifestyle Photography | A Sneak Peek

I'm currently working on a post about what the phrase photojournalistic lifestyle photography means to me. It's not quite ready to go live, but in the meantime I wanted to share one of the photos that made me realize I needed to write that post.

Parent interaction can be such a great addition to a photograph of a child. It usually means an increased comfort level and brings a real slice-of-life quality to the composition. Not to mention, it can look so darn cute. 

©2010 Kristin Serna This post and these photos cannot be republished without my permission.