Well OH MY GOODNESS it was NOT a Mint-astic weekend at my house. I may have mentioned in passing more than once that I’ve made a very important decision in my life. I’ve wanted to do it for a very long time but have always found reasons not to.

It’s a really big deal and though it may not be easy at first, I know that in the long run, this is what’s best. I have to just trust that in the end it will be worth all the aggravation.

So this is it.

I’m moving.

To a Mac.

I don’t adapt well to change so this is a bit of challenge for me. What’s been the most difficult is after 5 years of Peppermint Creative, I’ve created QUITE the disorganized mess on my computer and so I’ve been trying to reorganize everything and get it all transferred over. It’s taken me a while to even get that far with it but I’ve been trying to get it done quickly as it was clear that my *&*!*@* PC was going to spontaneously implode into a flaming ball of fire at any given moment. Over the years I’ve cursed it, threatened to throw it off my balcony on numerous occasions, even used Bill Gates’ name in vain a couple of times. But this slow and unreliable machine and I have gone through some pretty amazing times together.

I was just trying to hang on a little longer.

And then it happened.

SYSTEM ERROR. HARD DISK CORRUPT.
ALL YOUR SH*T IS GONE SUCKER!

Oh crap.

So to make a long story short, the weekend was spent trying to back up what I hadn’t yet backed up and installing a new hard drive only to discover that it was a virus which was removed and as of 9pm last night I was finally back up and running. In the meantime I was preparing for the worst and hooked up my printer and scanner to the Mac so now I’m in an odd transitional phase…computer wise.

SOOOOOO that’s why we are having Mint-spirational Tuesday instead of Mint-spirational Monday.

Okie dokie pokie?

In happier news, right before this happened I was designing up a storm and should have some really fun new goodies for you shortly. I’ve already seen what the team has been creating while I was down and out and it is AWESOME!!

And speaking of awesome, let’s check out the gallery this week. Please forgive me but I’m not going to talk about each page individually this week, I’ve got a TON to catch up on and I want to get you guys some new products ASAP!! But I LOVE them all! ;)

Loved | tkeetch

Rock Star | mj.johnston

Always be yourself | nina81 

All American Girl | wendella247

Make a Wish | mama_pajama

Little Miss Sunshine | jen10510 

2011_DyeingEggs_Page1 | JamWest1007

Daughters | my2monkeys 

Game of Life | lijezz

Christmas Lights | marylee

Life’s A Beach | CupcakeJamie 

Thanks ladies for sharing your stunning pages! Keep it up and check back next week for another dose of Mint-spiration.

I’m out.

Ummm HELLO!

Earth to Miss Mint.

Testing, testing, 123.

Well smack my ass and call me Minty. It’s Mint-spirational Monday and I totally forgot. The last two weeks have been non-stop madness (all good stuff, thank goodness) but very busy and I seem to be losing track of time. I haven’t even blogged since last week. Maybe if I hadn’t been up ‘till 2am watching Cee-Lo Green flip around on his flying piano on the Billboring, I mean Billboard Music Awards I would have gone to bed at a decent hour and remembered. Worst show EVER.

Shame.

Did anyone see the SNL season finale? It was hilarious. Justin Timberlake with Lady Gaga. OMG I was laughing all the way through. Definitely one of the best episodes in a while. If you missed it be sure to check out these sketches:

Liquorville Sketch
SNL Digital Short – NEW! Music Video.
Andy Samberg & Justin Timberlake are at it again …if you liked Mother Lover & D*ck In a Box you will like this. Note that it is totally inappropriate. LOL.

I’ve got lots of unimportant, moderately interesting things to tell you but I will save it for tomorrow to spare from an obscenely long blog post today. One thing that I can not, will not, just won’t put off is introducing you to our brand new team members! Yippeeeeeee! PC’s packing a full house now! I’ve got the largest team I’ve ever had including our first ever challenge team dedicated to creating fantastic challenges and inspiring layouts and to kick off their PC debut, all challenges will be worth $5 Minty Bucks starting June 1st.

Check out the ABOUT page for detailed and very interesting bio’s from these super talented ladies.

Welcome to the team:

Look for their amazing work in the Design Team Gallery
…and for their missing faces ;)

And nooooooow, it’s time for Mint-spirational Monday. Let’s see what’s been happening the the gallery this week:

Jumping For Joy | tkeetch
Ahh! I just love this one. From the cool urban feel to the funky round frames and the awesome diagonal stripes, this page is a total stand out for me. I also LOVE the cool mix of colors. Pure awesomeness. Yes, it’s a word.

love music | Keela
I love how this page really uses text as it’s main design component. Great use of color to coordinate with the photo – which is such a great candid shot. Great mix of fonts and word art here!

You’re A Rock Star | my2monkeys
Ohhh this is just layer upon layer of scrappie goodness! I love she fearlessly used SOOOO many different patterns over top one another and totally made it work!

Kiss Me | Cherry Limeade
This page just makes me smile! First because that picture is just so darn cute and second because of the awesome use of colors, patterns and elements. It just so cute and fun and I can’t quite put my finger on it but it totally works!

Once Upon a Potty | sarah&cali
This is such a soft and quiet page. I love the soothing colors and simple, clean design. And of course LOL at him reading on the can. OMG that’s so funny.

Easter Tradition | Juno
That is one HUGE chocolate bunny. I LOVE this page. Fantastic layering and I love the use of the brown paper as the main background. I think it really plays into the ‘chocolate’ bunny thing very well. Super cute.

adore you | nina81
Beautiful and simple, this sweet page is just perfect for this photo. I love the stacked design with the lollipops tied under the photo.

Edible Science | Cherry Limeade
The colors are what really popped first for me with this page. I LOVE the use of the font and the mix of the yellow and orange. Just a super school page!! Just enough elements to compliment without being too distracting.

Pool2 | Melody
Don’t you just love that wacky frame that she constructed from the edges included in the kit? So COOL! I wish I would have thought of that! Love the mix of different shades of blue.

Love Birds | Scrappie Irene
Adorable! LOVE the bold colors and funky mix of different elements from here and there. Love the black and white conversion on the photo which I think really makes the colors of the page pop.

Pre Exam Obgyn | Lijezz
Who would have thought we’d see such a fun page about an OB-GYN exam..am I right? Love the use of the kit and template!

Kaitlyn 6 years | jen10510
ADORABLE!! Love the design of the carefully placed photos.
It’s so clean and well designed!

Thank you everyone for sharing your gorgeous pages!! Keep posting ;)

Hey gang! Thanks for stopping by. It’s Monday, which means it’s another exciting edition of Mint-spirational Monday! There was a bit of action in the gallery this week. Let’s see what’s cookin’.

Petite Fraîcheur | ingridfasquelle
Adorable! LOOOVE the choice of yellow and blue as well as the mix of elements.

Life’s a Beach | my2monkeys
Fun page with lots of layers and Love how the photo is stacked with all the elements and the title on top. Great beach picture too!

Wedding Invitation | Immaculate
How great is this?! It’s such an honour to see my designs being used in this way! Beautiful design and great typography too. Very classy!

Beauty | glumirk
The delicious mix of color really stands out on this one! I just LOVE these colors together. The coral and lime with the teal and the yummy touches of yellow and purple and just fantastic.

 

Phineas & Ferb | Keela
Pretty cute and a fun use of fonts on the title! Love the boyish choice of colors it really compliments the photo well and the slight tilt of the photo and text adds a nice touch!

Fourlets | rjcjme

SO CUTE! I’m copying and pasting the text.
Journaling reads: We were talking about a woman who had twins when Rhyley pipes up he knew what 3 babies was. What? I asked Triplets he said. I asked do you know what four babies is? His reply: Fourlets.

Girls just want to have fun! | jen10510
This IS fun. Gosh I still love this kit. Love how all the fun flowers and hearts are tucked into the edges. Such a great girlie page.

Orchids | janfrn
Isn’t this cool? This page was for our ad challenge and it almost looks like it could be an ad of it’s own! Beautifully done.

Ok I’m late for yoga so I gotsta go!! Sitting at the computer all day every day does NOT do a body good. Thanks everyone for sharing your wonderful work and remember to keep POSTING!!!

Life is about those spontaneous moments, not the posed portraits. Capturing a candid moment of your children laughing, or the baby playing on the floor, or your significant other cooking you dinner, those are the real moments we want to remember.
More often than not, I get asked how to take better candid photos that don’t seem so flat or unconnected to the moment. Here are a few tips that might help…

1. Become inseparable with your camera.
Start taking your camera everywhere with you. You never know when that “moment” will happen. Having the camera with you at all times keeps you prepared.

2. Take lots of photos.
In the age of digital photography, one should not be afraid of taking TONS of photos. Fill up your memory cards. And then delete all the ones you don’t want later. The more photos you take the more likely to capture those “little moments”.

3. Turn your flash off.
You’re more likely to capture a candid moment when there’s not a blatant reminder that someone’s taking photos. Not only does the flash momentarily blind the subject but makes them aware of the camera & probably self conscience. Neither are conducive to capturing a candid moment.

4. Use a zoom lens.
One way to stay inconspicuous is to stand back, away from the action and use a zoom lens to capture what is going on. The subjects tend to act more natural when a camera isn’t in their face. Let the scene unfold naturally and capture it from a distance.

 

5. Get in the right position.
Move around the room, or space the “action” is taking place. Don’t stay stationary. Anticipate what is going to happen. While candid photography is about capturing spontaneity, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for what may happen and put yourself in just the right spot to capture it.

6. Use your creativity.
Think about the way you’d crop the scene and do so accordingly. Sometimes the right cropping makes a good image into a great image. Visualize things differently. Get down low, or get up high. Come at it from a different angle. Changing perspective also helps add to the candid nature of the shots. Zoom in really close, but then pull out and get a wide angle shot of what’s going on. Frame the image with things in the foreground. This creative element puts the focus on the action.

 

7. Be in the moment.
Shooting photos of people doing things or interacting in some way is usually more interesting than people doing nothing. The subject(s) will be focused on what they are doing rather than the camera. It also adds a story element to the photos. When the photos aren’t staged or posed but captured naturally, you can see the relationship between those involved and you get an organic image that captures the moment more beautifully than a posed portrait.

 

8. Observation is key.
It would be hard to capture those candid moments if the photographer isn’t watching the scene with interest. To watch what is going on around him or her, the photographer gleans information about their surroundings, the mood, the flow, the feel. This enables the photographer to capture those candid scenes better when they’re more in tune and keeping an open eye.

 

9. Melt into the background.
The best thing for a photographer trying to capture a candid moment, is to not be seen or heard. Don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself. Move around quietly. Hold your camera a hip level and “shoot from the hip”. Shooting from the hip gives the impression to onlookers that you’re not even using your camera. You can casually walk around taking photo after photo without ever raising the camera to your eye. One would probably want to set the camera to a wide angle setting, & automatic setting to give them more freedom to capture a more accurate shot.

10. Don’t try too hard.
The tendency, when capturing an event or moment you want to remember of your loved ones, is to put a lot of pressure on yourself for the photos to be perfect. One of the first obstacles is overcoming the self consciousness of the subjects but the second to is overcome the perfectionism of the photographer. Taking photos of an event is suppose to be fun. Take lots. If the moment calls for it, interact with the subjects. Candid photography is about moments & spontaneity & daily life & ordinary made into the extraordinary.

Article & Photography by: Sarah Harbuck for PeppermintCreative.com

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Want more? Check out other related posts:

• Understanding Shutter Speed
• Understanding Aperture
• Understanding ISO
• Understanding White Balance
• Understanding Depth of Field
• Understanding Basic Composition
• Understanding Natural Light for Portraits
• Understanding Camera Lenses
• Understanding Histograms
• Photography Tips: Taking Great Self-Portraits
• Photography Tips: Pixels, Resolution, Format & Memory Cards
• Photography Tips: Night & Low Light Photography

Wowie! It was a busy week in mint-land. With National Scrapbook Day and Mother’s Day back to back, not to mention the big release of new products and at least five renditions of the $5 Gift Card Giveaway happening in various Minty locations, it was a pretty eventful week. I even found time to wash my car, transfer most of of my files to my new Mac (oh please god let me finish before my PC spontaneously bursts into flames) and throw a surprise party for Mr. FireMint…oh, and make cookies. It was a seriously ‘super woman’ week. I even worked out a few times. If only I could always be so productive.

Thanks to my trusty Silhouettte I was able to make some mock record labels for some old records for my party decor. There was a bit of a music theme going on…

Hence the cookies. OMG black icing is such a nightmare. But these turned out pretty well all things considered. Next time I’ll use thicker icing for the strings and a smaller tip. The icing was too watery and runny. Ahh well. Nobody noticed.

He was so surprised and SO thrilled. Well worth all the stressful planning.

Yes there were other people at this party besides us. ROFL. I’d love to share more pictures but if people find out I’m plastering their photos on my blog I may not get invited to more parties. LOL. Don’t you just hate that with Facebook? You go out with your friends and the next day your photos are tagged on Facebook? That drives me nuts.

Anywho I’ll save the rest of that rant for another day. It’s time for a little inspiration. And because I missed last week’s Mint-spirational Monday because I was launching the NSD sale and all the new goodies, we’re going to do a double edition so hang tight there was a LOT of action in the gallery in the last two weeks!

Summer Fun | ingridfasquelle
This page is a refreshing splash of summer fun. I love the fun layout with all the floating circles and wave of photos spread across the page. Great use of elements too!!

Family is Forever | glumirk
The colors on this page are so eye catching! What great color coordination between the photos and the papers/elements. I just LOVE the combination of the teal with the rusty brown. What a perfect mix. Beautiful pics too!

A Knight’s Tale | joelsgirl
Ohh this is a fun birthday page! This colorful mix of photos and papers/elements is a real standout! I love how so many pictures were incorporated into one page so well.

Firework | birgit
This messy mix of photos is piled to perfection! I love how Birgit used that burst stamp at the bottom. But my FAVE part of the page is the concept. I love how she’s captured all her ‘roles’ in her life coupled with the lyrics (you don’t have to feel like a waste of space, you’re original cannot be replaced) from the song ‘Firework’.

Rock Star | ingridfasquelle
Another rockin’ layout from Ingrid this week. Love her blue/grey/green choice of colors. Such fun pictures and a great overall page and works great with the photos converted to b&w.

sliding | Keela
This is such a cool page. I just LOVE the pink glow the tube slide gave the pictures and how that was emphasized with the choice of papers and elements. Such a fun, pretty page.

My Cowboy | wendella247
It’s not everyday we get a real life cowboy in the gallery! Love how Wendy used this months’ PMP challenge template and gave her own flavor!

Story Bath Time | mj.johnston
These pictures just make me smile! I love it! The ‘just add water’ word art couldn’t be more perfect! LOL. OMG they are so cute reading in the bath.

Family | my2monkeys
Ahh this is so gorgeous! I LOVE the element clusters, the overall layout and the vintage feel of this page!! Aren’t the drop shadows delicious?!! Just lovely.

Surf’s Up | originalcher1
How awesome is this? Love the use of elements and color plus kudos for the surfing skills! That’s pretty great and I’m totally jealous!

Ready, Set, Go 1st Steps | rjcjme
This page just makes me smile. I love how the angled photos adds to the shakiness effect of this little one’s first steps. OMG so cute!

hybrid bath sign | mj.johnston
Seriously how awesome is this and don’t you totally want one for your bathroom?!

Thanks everyone for sharing your FANTASTIC work. Keep scrapping and posting!
xox

MM.

Happy Scrapbooking Day everyone!

In celebration of this special day not only are we holding an amazing ‘Make Your Own Sale’ Event, but we are also giving things away. The $5 NSD Gift Card Giveaway is here. Leave a comment (up to x3 per person). The next time I check this page, the LAST comment before I post STOP wins. Use your comments wisely! ;) You don’t have to post anything funny or profound…I do enjoy flattery though. LOL. Good luck!

Check out our Facebook page, Twitter AND the forum for more chances to win! ;)