Your Family In Pictures by Me Ra Koh

I received this book from Blogging For Books for this review.

I've mentioned before that I'm trying to improve my photography and I've been reading several books to help me out.  One book I found particularly helpful is Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh.

Originally a writer, Me Ra Koh didn't start taking pictures until she was thirty yeas old.  She discovered photography after experiencing personal tragedy and discovered photography offered her a creative outlet while she healed.  She describes herself as not being a technical person and feeling completely lost when she first tried to read her camera manual.  She learned to use her camera and take beautiful pictures by photographing her children and her friend's children.  She grew her interest in photography into a successful wedding photography business and continued to grow professionally working with Sony, Nate Berkus, and Disney.

Her personal experience as a mom with a desire to take beautiful pictures of her children is what drives her passion to teach and empower moms with cameras to "shoot with heart and confidence" in her sold out workshops.  But you don't need to attended her workshop to capture your family's story and improve your photography skills.  Her book Your Family In Pictures contains many Me Ra-style explanations that demystify the technical side of photography.  It includes hundreds of tips and photo secrets along with forty "photo recipes." Me Ra wants you to feel confident in capturing your family's story, regardless of how technically versed or unversed you may be.  She acknowledges the technical side of photography can feel overwhelming and she guides you though the creative process, where the technicalities are kept simple so you can focus on the creativity.  She doesn't believe you need a "photographer's eye" and that taking great pictures is something that can be learned and developed.

Though the book does cover some technical aspects of photography, the emphasis of Your Family In Pictures is on developing the ability to tell a story through pictures.  You don't have to wait for special occasions or events to take the camera out and start taking pictures and she gives many examples and tips for capturing daily moments in everyday life.  Plus, I really love that she includes advice for both point and shoot cameras as well as DSLR cameras!

After reading this book, I realize I'm really bad about not taking many pictures of my family!  Not only don't I take many family pictures, but the ones I do take are always traditionally posed pictures during special occasions, not relaxed candid shots taken during everyday moments.  I'm really looking forward to using the advice in this book to take more family pictures and capture special moments in everyday life.