Telling stories. It’s how we share with each other what is important, what matters. I have had the privilege this year of sharing some of the most beautiful moments of your lives and helping to illustrate your stories through the lens of my camera. You have motivated me to begin PICTURE THIS!, a monthly newsletter to bring you some of my ideas, announcements, and inspirations. Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons!

          Scroll down for this issue:

•          1.  Sure Shot Tips!
•          2.  Announcements
•          3.  Getting Ready for the Family Portrait
•          4.  Framing the View

1. Sure Shot Tips

The lights and smiles of the holiday season make for unforgettable family photos. You can improve the quality of your images and impress your friends with these simple tips:

1. Use a good tripod to position your camera. BestBuy or L.L.Bean offer tripods starting at about $30 for small cameras and iPhones. If you have a high quality DSLR*, I recommend a strong, solid tripod to support the camera.  I have used Bogen for more than twenty years and feel confident sending you their way. I am a strong supporter of buying local, so check out a camera store in your community where you can test the tripod first or go back if you have any issues.

2. Check back to the camera manual to understand your timer. Of course you want to be in your family shots, and changing the delay timer to ten seconds gives you the chance to situate yourself, exhale and smile before the shutter clicks!

3. Don't want to worry about getting the right shot in one take? The camera burst setting will maximize using the timer by taking five to ten pictures one right after the other. You can then choose the best image to share. You can find the burst setting in the timer menu of your camera.

*For those of you like my sister, DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. In other words, like the camera I use on shoots.

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS

TEAMWORK AT ITS BEST! I am super excited to announce the latest addition to the Sharyn Peavey Photography team! My big sister, Sheryl Peavey, is now working with me to provide part-time office support and business management. She has spent the last thirteen years as a public servant and can’t wait to let loose all of her bottled-up creativity (and organize my office, which she thinks is fun).  It's a perfect business match for us--now that we're both in our forties and have years of experience and skills to bring together for you!

CALLING ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS! Having beautiful and professional images of your business, your team, and your products or services can boost revenue. This is a great time of year to book photo sessions for your company.  Take a moment and check out our packages for small businesses and make your marketing shine!

THANKFUL FOR GENERATORS! New England certainly had its share of wild weather last month. At one point, nearly two-thirds of the state of Maine had residents with no power. We lost power for a week and managed to escape major damage, but an entire row of trees in my favorite field for photographing were toppled right from the roots. I am grateful we had a generator, although the folks at the Casco Bay YMCA were generous with their heat, their wi-fi, and their space for the community. There were quite a few of us gathered there daily. I hope you all fared well during November!

SPOTLIGHT ON METALS...Looking for a new way to display cherished family photos? Have your image transferred onto metal. Mounting a picture onto metal not only elevates your memory to fine art, it provides a lasting medium that won't fade as the years go by. Check out the options in your personalized gallery to see how you can share your family history with metals! Please contact Sharyn if you're interested in this new product.

3. Getting Ready for the Family Portrait to Remember

Worried that a toddler meltdown at a Family Portrait Session will ruin the day? Stressed about sitting still with wiggly children to get the perfect shot? There's no need to fret--in fact, by shifting your perspective now, you can change the experience for the whole family.

 See more family pictures in our Blog post!