This one is for my fellow photoshop users. A template for creating a family storyboard/collage like this one:

This makes a gorgeous 30X30″ storyboard, but can be used in so many other ways. Keep it small and use it as a family photography book template or go extra large for jaw dropping photo display. The template is sized at 10X10″ to keep the file size down. It can be easily upsized or downsized using the “Image Size” command within Photoshop.

The template uses clipping masks and there is no accompanying action (I find it easier and more customizable without one). There’s a brief explanation on how to use clipping masks in the template but if you still don’t get it try a google search.

Download Photoshop Template

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Certainly not required, but I’d love it if you link to your final pieces in the comments. It would be fun to see how others showcase the families they photograph.

My husband and I have committed to eating healthier for ourselves and for Kendall. Over the past month or so we have found some great companies/products. I want to share them with you in case you are sick of eating chemicals and too much sugar as much as we are.
HAPPYBABY
“HAPPYBABY was born when we saw the need for nutritious and convenient alternatives to highly processed baby food. We believe baby’s first meals should taste and look delicious—and nourish baby’s body.”
Kendall recently starting eating HAPPYBABY organic brown rice cereal. So far this is her favorite. We especially like it not only because it’s organic, but it’s also made with whole grains. Two thumbs up in our household. We also started Kendall on their frozen fruits and veggies as well. They are a little more difficult to make than simply twisting the top off a jar, but they smell like real food. We couldn’t believe how bad Gerber’s Organic Bananas smelled when we took off the lid.
We found HAPPYBABY at our local Super Target. It’s also available at Whole Foods and the cereal alone can be found at Babies R Us. Find HAPPYBABY products near you.
Kashi
“Making natural food that tastes great is our job. And we love it. When you eat great-tasting all-natural food you won’t miss the highly refined sugars, artificial additives, or preservatives. Our food is your ally in wellness, so everything from breakfast to dinner will make you feel healthier and happier.”
Of course, Kashi. I couldn’t talk about eating better without talking about Kashi. They have a wide range of foods available. My favorite addition to my diet is their shakes. I use the vanilla shake mix in my mid-morning smoothie. That’s one banana, 1c of strawberries, 1tbsp of flax seed, 1c of soy milk, 2 scoops of Kashi Vanilla Shake Mix. It’s full of protein, so it makes a great after workout snack. They also have a chocolate shake mix which I think would make the perfect chocolate-banana smoothie. Magically delicious! Kashi also has a wide selection of cereals and crackers for breakfast and snacking. My husband started eating Honey Toasted Oats in lieu of Honey Nut Cheerios which has its share of sugar.
Kashi is readily available. We’ve purchased ours at Trader Joes, Super Target and our local grocery stores (Jewel & Dominick’s). Find Kashi near you. Kashi.com also has an online store. I ordered a case of the shake mix, because Trader Joe’s is the only nearby place that had it and we don’t have time to go there often enough.
Annie’s Homegrown
“We at Annie’s believe that there’s something reassuring about knowing what’s in your food and who it comes from. As nourishers, we see the world as one giant system, beautifully complex yet intricately interconnected, that grows organically with the care it is given.”
I tried Annie’s Homegrown Whole Wheat Bunnies when I was looking for a tasty cracker to have with lunch. They reminded me of the original goldfish. Good. They also come in cheddar which means Kendall will be snacking on Wholesome Bunnies instead of Goldfish.
Annie’s Homegrown is another one that we’ve found pretty easily. Our Target and local supermarkets stock several of their products. Find Annie’s Homegrown near you or shop online.

That’s all for now, more to come.

Waiting List » In the next two weeks, I’ll begin booking June, July and August from the list. I’m putting together a few different types of session packages and I want to make these available before booking any more sessions. Options are good. If there’s something you would like to see in a session fee + portrait products package, let me know. Things are still in the works.

Casting Call » After I get through my waiting list, I’ll be doing a small casting call for unique looking kids of all ages (curly hair, red hair, dark hair + blue eyes, etc.) to take part in a few complimentary conceptual sessions. These will be to test new locations and ideas I’ve been cooking up.

Reminder » To those reading along via an email subscription I’ve set up an options page where you can select what type of email you receive. If you are interested in one of the other options, simply unsubscribe from your current subscription (you can do so at the bottom of each email). Then, sign up for a new one.
There are so many of you currently on the list I can’t help but cringe each time I post a new entry. This is especially the case when I’m posting personal entries. I’m thinking who could possibly want to read this. Nonetheless I’m going to keep posting. It’s a nice distraction from the everyday and it serves as good therapy.

The Usual » Since I haven’t posted portrait session images in a few days… check out this adorable one year old. She is just as sweet in person as she looks here.

You had to admire my blissful ignorance when I so enthusiastically said to bring your camera to your next doctor visit as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.
Today was Kendall’s 6 month wellness check.
It was quite different from her 4 month in that the exact second I put her down on the table she started to whimper. We are having our bit of separation anxiety these days! The whimper escalated to a cry, I soothed her, back to whimpering, crying, soothing. Repeat. Very different from her last visit. I nixed the documenting idea within a minute of walking into the doctor’s office. A record for me, I think.
We still tried. We had to at least try. I’m so happy we did. My heart melts into a pile of mush when I look at those two images of daddy and Kendall. I could look at them together like that all day.

People are often surprised that I take photos that don’t have kids in them. I actually take photos ALL the time of just about anything. Take today for example. I was sitting in my office plugging away and I saw some special light coming through the window. I had had to grab my camera and capture it.

I got up close and personal with a micro lens. No method to my madness it just happened to be on my camera. The first shot I aimed my camera towards the sun. That big bright circle? The sun. Love it. The second shot was seconds later shot towards the grayish blue sky and technically underexposed a tad for effect.

Nothing special in the grand scheme of things, but enough to keep the photography juices flowing.