Alex was born in Lima, Peru. When she was sixteen when she moved to Central Point, Oregon. A few years after graduating high school she met, fell in love with and married her husband. Together they have two very active girls. She is an amazingly creative photographer, and we are excited to have her share her "brilliance" with us!! Make sure to go to her FB page and "like" her! She deserves it!!



I've been having a blast documenting my little ones lives by taking pictures and video taping them. Even though I live to imagine, invent, and create, I have never been a fan of scrap booking. Nothing against it I think it is a great way to preserve pictures and memories. I just have never gotten into it, however I do love to put pictures up on our walls.



In this post I will give you ideas of fun ways to personalize your kids rooms in a way that they will always remember. You can decide what you would like to do for this project, by coming up with an idea that best fits your family.



I have chosen to take a picture of my daughter Jennah and her best pal in the world. Her name is baby. I know it is not very original -- she did name her when she was one, but she loves her so much. She has been in our family since Jennah was born. We do not dare to leave her anywhere because she won't sleep without her; literally! We left her in Seattle once and we did not sleep until grandma overnighted her!!! I have also decided to take a picture of my youngest daughter Isabella and her weiner dog Twinkers, who is her best pal.



For this project you need:

An idea/ vision like the one above

A camera ( it does not need to be a fancy one )

Some sort of editing program such as Photoshop elements, or Picasso ( it is free I believe)

[editors note: EMM's use picnik.com...it's easy for those not too smart :) ]

Frames to hang the pictures in.



Step One

Decide what background you want to use for your picture...be sure to pick and area that has plenty of natural light. I chose my girls playroom because I like the pastel tones in that room.

Alex owns Maria Alexandra Photography and is our guest contributor here at EMM today. She is inspired by the beauty each individual has, by the innocence and happiness of every child, and by the love each couple feels for one another. She cherishes capturing those special moments and the ability to create a treasure for her clients to keep forever.

Photography is all about good light, nailing the exposure of each picture by choosing the right aperture and shutter speed. Mix all that up with a little creativity and you have got yourself a great photograph. I wont get technical about it in this tutorial. This is for the regular mom with the regular camera to learn how they can easily take a great picture of their kidos. 

I was making fart noises  I was telling her a story Moms Please do not bribe your children with their favorite candy and threaten them with not getting any if they don't smile. This will only make them give you a cheesy smile or upset them, however you may reward them after the shoot is over and tell them they did so good. This makes the experience a positive one and they will be happy to have you take their pictures again.