Welcome to the Little Story Studio blog! There's something here for everyone: for the lifestyle or documentary photographer searching for online photography education or tutorials, and for the mom and dad with a camera trying to beautifully document their son or daughter's childhood.
Andrea Moffatt is a Pittsburgh PA family photographer, serving Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas through family photography sessions and photography education workshops.
Do you know how sometimes, you visit a place and you just feel INSPIRED? Inspired to write, inspired to sing, inspired create, inspired to plant, inspired to shoot? That's just how I felt a few weeks ago when I visited Arona Road Greenhouse in New Stanton PA. I went for flowers and came home with a box of them, but it only left me wanting to hurry back as quickly as I could with my camera! Because oh, the COLORS! (Not to mention the lines!)
Read MoreIn April, I had the pleasure of stepping out from behind my camera and getting a turn to be the subject. This means that I got to actually be in the pictures with my kids, thanks to the lovely and talented Sue Keller Photography! Sue and I have been collaborating a lot lately around the idea of lifestyle and documentary photography because we are both have the same thing in common: we live in the same geographical area, and we want to convince YOU that you want (no NEED) unposed, real life, documentary style images of your family!
To that end, we decided to photograph each other's families. Now I know exactly what it feels like to be on the other side of the lens in a Story of a Day session. And I know what it feels like to have all the concerns I hear from my own potential clients- because at some point during my session with Sue, they all crossed my mind! And so now, without a doubt, I can address the main worries (which are, by the way, all myths!) that I commonly hear about this type of in-home, moment-based photography. In no particular order they are:
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If you can believe it, we are already a third of the way through 2016! Because this is my second consecutive year of shooting daily, getting "The Shot" has finally become an ingrained habit and a natural part of my everyday life. Would you believe me if I told you it took me about one full year to really make that habit feel easy and unforced? It has!
Read MoreEver consider booking an in-home documentary photography session, only to put it on the back burner because you don't know what part of your life is interesting enough to photograph? It's something I hear again and and again: My life's just not that interesting. To that I say, do any of these moments look familiar? Do any of these moments look like something worth holding photographing?
Read MoreIf your house is anything like mine, Easter and springtime mean bubbles! But those see-through little orbs are so elusive to photograph, right? I've pulled together 5 tips so that if the Easter bunny leaves bubbles in your child's basket this year, you'll know where to start.
Read MoreHow many times have you gotten out your camera for a special occasion, hoping to come away with pictures that tell the story of your day and you come away with a few awkwardly posed shots of your unhappy kids + some random happenings from the day that don't flow? I know I have! I find that something that helps me is to create a very loose "shot list" in my head before the day so that I'm organized in what I'd like to capture, as well as how I might go about it.
To show you what I mean, here's my possible shot list for this Easter 2016:
Read MoreMy big news today? I patched together my first simple stop motion video! (Check it out below.) And I'm proud to announce that including shooting, editing, and posting, it took me under an hour. I might have found a new obsession!
Read MoreThe light is back!
But did you know that it's not just a matter of light/no light? The light in your home makes its appearance in different rooms and at different angles all through the year. In my Mom's Story class, we cover the topic of knowing the light in your house- most basically, where the sun rises and sets. But if you've mastered this in your own home, you're ready to start a more seasonal observation of light.
Read MoreThe darkest months of the year are now offically behind us! To anyone in the midst of a 366 project: you've done the hardest part!
Our February wasn't filled with lots of sun, but it WAS full of pretending and snuggling, building and celebrating. My youngest turned 3, my oldest discovered the addictive nature of photography and video making. I spent the month feeling rather "blah" about shooting, but looking back at some of my favorite shots makes me realize it wasn't so bad. If I can do February, I can do any month! Last year March brought some of the best light of the year, and this year, I'll be embarking on a new adventure: film making! Bring it on!
Read MoreAt the beginning of February I set a goal to take 29 "good" No People photos during the month. I ended up shooting hundreds of No People frames and being happy with 39! Success!
Setting this goal enabled me to be more aware of opportunities around me to shoot still life images, and where I saw no opportunity, to more actively seek them out.
Read MoreI'm big on challenging myself. When I'm feeling uninspired, when the light is less than ideal, when I don't feel like picking up my camera, a simple, self-issued challenge will sometimes snap me out of it.
The weather report for today and tomorrow is full of rain and clouds, I haven't taken a good picture in days, and all I want to do is drink coffee. Time for a challenge!
Here are 5 shots for a Gloomy, Rainy Day + ideas to keep you inspired on your less than inspiring days:
Read MoreWhat a treat it was to spend the afternoon with the awesome, loving, and all-around fun Shorkey family! I told them, but I'll say it again: It is easy to make great pictures of families whose love is very apparent. This is the case with the Shorkeys. Whether it's through a giant hug, silly antics, or just a simple touch on the shoulder, love is easy to photograph and impossible to hide with this family.
Read MoreHere are 10 images for the 10th of February. I couldn't have asked for a more ordinary February day in the life of a toddler and preschooler- a trip to the doctor's for an ear infection through the white, sparse canvas that is winter in Pennsylvania, lunch, stories before nap time, Valentine card crafting, indoor play, and stories before bed. It's ordinary (and cold!), but it's our life right now and I've pledged to look for the beauty in all of it.
Read MoreOne of my favorite places to photograph my kids is in their bedroom. Why?
Why NOT? Their bedrooms are like an extension of them. What they read, play with, hang on their walls, set out on their shelves... all tell a story about who they are now and who they are becoming. As you read the rest of this article, don't forget about older children and teens. It is at every stage of your son's and daughter's childhood that you will find satisfaction in this process.
Read MoreJanuary and February are definitely the hardest months of the year for most of us 365ers. We've passed the glowing lights and warmth of December, but we're not quite to the return of the light in March. It's dark, dark, dark and often dreary with very little hope of pretty snow to cover it all.
When I'm met with a challenge in my daily shooting, I often get through it by, well- issuing myself a new challenge!
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