18 Feb 2012 Fanatic about photos

by Tanner Cangelosi

I am no photographer, but I sure love photos. I really liked photos before I had children, but now that I have these wonderful little people to capture their expressions, well, I’m addicted. In particular, artistic photos with a little tradition in the mix are my favorite.

With spring around the corner, I wanted to share a few tips on inexpensive photography and framing.
First tip: if you can find a photographer whose style you like, see if they would trade with you for a service you might offer.

For example, I am blessed with a wonderful sister-in-law who is very talented with photography, editing and the like. We are a good match because she likes things custom- painted (which I love to do) for her children, so every family visit we just trade. Most of the photos in my home, she took.

Although the sad thing is she lives all the way in Baton Rouge, and we can’t always see each other for every momentous photo occasion. In these times, I take the photos myself with my iPhone or regular camera. She is sweet to me and allows me to email her the pictures. She edits them, makes them look fabulous and then emails them back to me.

I take those wonderful photos and upload them to Snapfish.com. Next, I order my prints, and they are delivered right to my door (which is nice with three small babies to haul around – it’s one less errand).

I stole this next idea from a Conway friend, Leslie Lloyd, who had taken a photo of her sweet daughter Madison. Her photographer brother then edited the picture. She then framed the artwork in an old frame she had (16×20) and placed it on her mantel.

I spied this masterpiece when our girls were playing together one day. I was so eager to copy her idea. The next day I woke my girls from their naps, gave them a bath and threw smocked dresses on them and a bow in their hair. After they were ready, we went outside and I took a few photos on my iPhone right in our front yard. This worked out perfectly because you can only keep two little baby girls happy and clean for so long. (Side tip: Bribe your children with gummies!)

Next, I simply emailed them to my sister-in-law, Kasey Cangelosi (her website is kaseandalliphotography.com if you want to see some of her amazing work and see some great ideas). She then edited this rough photo. When I got it back, it was amazing. I immediately ordered a large print from Snapfish.com.

Finally I took a frame that was gathering dust in my attic. It was gold, and I thought I would never use it until I realized that it would be pretty painted white. After painting the frame, I placed my new artwork of my princesses in it and hung it in a prominent place in our dining room.

I love the southern charm of this photo and of course the sweet smiles that I adore. To get professional photos taken and then custom framed, this would run around $500, so I think $18 is a steal!

Picture perfect:
Frame – Free
Paint – $2
Photo – $16
Total – $18