We had a great weekend with a pool full of kids celebrating preschool graduation. I haven’t had a moment to download the pictures, but it did get me thinking about photographing kids. Now that summer is here, it is the time when children spend long afternoons playing with friends and exploring their surroundings. These carefree days provide the perfect opportunity to photograph children in a candid way. So, forget the studios and backdrops and instead, choose to capture those perfectly imperfect moments that childhood is made of.

1. Choose an environment that allows for exploration. Your shots will be more candid if you let children roam around and play. After all, that is what children do best!

2. Relax. When you (the photographer) are calm and relaxed, your children will respond in a more natural way.

3. Shoot from different perspectives. Photograph them from above or behind to really get a sense of how they relate to their surroundings.

4. Use props or toys to provide comfort and encourage play. This is particularly effective if you are photographing shy children.

5. Get the parents involved. Nothing is more beautiful than the bond between children and their parents.

I’d love to see some of your favorite photos of your kids. Share a link here!

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Back from a full weekend of a parties, fun and family relaxing. We threw a low-key, birthday party for my little one & her best friend who are turning three. They loved it and we actually relaxed at our own party! We followed that up with a friend’s birthday night out. Yesterday was breakfast in bed, sweet gifts from the girls and an all around relaxing mother’s day. Hope you had a good weekend!

So, today I want to talk about daily picture taking and some of the fun ways to get some interesting shots. So many of us now take photos on a daily basis. Some are taken during planned shoots, while others are taken on a spur of the moment. My favorite photos lately are the unplanned, random ones that I snap throughout the day. The photos that capture a mood or a special moment. The ones filled with those perfect little imperfections. Sometimes these pictures just magically happen, but they can also come with a bit of experimenting. These pictures are often the ones that I hang on my wall and years down the road really provide the best memories of daily life.

Here is a list of a few great photo tips that you can try the next time you grab your camera:

1. Play around with focus. Choose to focus on small details, instead of a main subject.

2. Be willing to embrace flaws. Overexposure, underexposure, shadows, and grainy textures are all imperfections that can set the mood of a photograph.

3. Shoot in black and white. The simplicity of black and white photos allows the subject be the main focus.

4. Try new perspectives. Shoot from up high or down low to create more interesting compositions.

5. Move the camera. Give your photos a new energy by capturing subjects in motion, or creating your own blur by moving the camera.

Hope these ideas inspire an memorable photo!

{ Photographs by Jeff Kubina, Papier Mache, Max Wanger, me, Papier Mache, Pink Sugar Photography, Simple Lovely }

We all loving taking candid photos. Capturing special, and unexpected moments in a more natural way. But getting the perfect shot can be tricky. So to help you take better candid photos, photographer Darren Rowse has created a list of helpful tips:

1. Take your camera everywhere. Taking your camera with you everywhere also helps people to be more at ease with you taking their photo. I find that my friends and family just expect me to have my camera out so when I do fire it up it’s not a signal to them to pose but it’s a normal part of our interaction – this means that they are relaxed and the photos are natural.

2. Kill the flash. There’s nothing like a blinding flash of light in the eyes to kill a moment. If possible (and it’s not always) attempt to photograph without the flash if you’re aiming for candid shots. When in lower light situations increase your ISO setting, use a faster lens, open up your aperture or if your camera has a ‘natural light mode’ turn it on.

3. Photograph people doing things. Images of people doing things tend to be much more interesting than people sitting passively doing nothing. For one your subject will be focussed upon something which adds energy to a photo (and takes their focus off you) but it also puts them in context and adds an element of story to your image.

4. Photograph people with people. Something very interesting happens when you photograph more than one person in an image at a time – it introduces relationship into the shot. Even if the two (or more) people are not really interacting in the shot it can add depth and a sense of story into the viewing of the image.

5. Shoot from the hip. If your subject is aware that you’re there and that you have your camera out they might tense up or act a little unnaturally as they see you raising your camera to the eye. The beauty of digital cameras is that it doesn’t cost you anything to take lots of shots and it can be well worth shooting without raising your camera. To do this most effectively you might want to set your lens to a wider angle setting to make up for any aiming problems you might have.

6. Frame images with foreground elements. A trick that I often use in candid shots is to purposely include something in the foreground of the shot to make it look as though I’m hiding behind it. You might do this with by shooting over someone’s shoulder, by including a little of a tree branch or the frame of a doorway.

For more tips on how to take better candid photos, read the full article.

{ Photograph via Flickr, Tips by Darren Rowse for Digital Photography School }

Here at Cluster, we love mixing patterns. But, we also know that sometimes it can be difficult to achieve an eclectic mix, while still maintaining a cohesive design. Well, thanks to these tips from Better Homes & Gardens, mixing patterns is easier than ever.

1. Coordinated groups of fabrics and wall coverings can make it simple to combine two or more patterns. But even if you do it yourself, remember that by varying the scale of your patterns, you can combine them with confidence.

2. Start with an existing carpet, wallpaper, or paint color. If you have nothing to start with, then search first for a favorite fabric to anchor your overall color scheme. In this room a medium-size floral pattern was selected for the bed.

3. As a general rule, a good mix includes a small-, a medium-, and a large-scale pattern. Ideally, each pattern or the fabric’s color should be repeated at least once in the room.

4. Mixing various types of patterns is a good way to get started. Think florals with stripes and checks.

5. Be careful with pattern on the walls. Before you buy wallpaper or do a paint technique, always look at it from a distance of at least ten feet so you’ll have an idea how the pattern will look in a room. Because the first rule of thumb is to vary the scale, any wallpaper used on the wall should be stepped down in size from a pattern on upholstery or bedding.

6. Don’t feel compelled to match colors perfectly. Choose colors that blend beautifully, and when set on the same neutral background, make the mix even more eye-pleasing. The bottom line: Make sure all of your patterns have at least one color that is similar, even if it is a background or neutral.

7. Finally, in a room with multiple patterns, make sure there’s a place for the eye to rest. It could be as small as the lacy white pillow nestled into the chair. The pillow, poster, and other white accents also help separate and highlight the patterns.

{ photograph via Lonny Magazine, article by Better Homes & Gardens }

Are you an interior designer looking for the perfect art for your clients? Well, here at Cluster, we offer a wide variety of patterns and designs that are sure to complement any style.

Finding Your Style

Contemporary: simple design, clean lines, subtle color, and natural elements.

Color Palette: neutrals, subtle pops of color.

Patterns: Chelsea, Peacock Feather, Etcetera, Floral Damask, Alle, Burlap O’s, Geometric Pattern, Zebra Ikat

Traditional: formal elements, classic patterns, and old-style design.

Color Palette: mid-range colors.

Patterns: Sandblasted, Floral Leaves, Flourish, Relaxed Damask, Byzantine, Wing Back Chair, Fleur de Lis, Venezia

Minimalist: open space, limited color, geometric design, and natural elements.

Color Palette: neutrals, dark earth tones.

Patterns: Wild Oats, Circles, Winter Series, Tribal Herringbone, Diamond, Spegling, Simple Zig Zag, Midnight

Eco-Friendly: natural and recycled elements, clean lines, cool colors, and open space.

Color Palette: earth tones, neutrals, pops of color.

Patterns: Marina N12, Trees, Simple Herringbone, Dancing Ferns, Pattern Nature, Diagonal Weave, Creek Bed, Hage

Seaside: rustic design, natural and nautical elements, classic patterns.

Color Palette: neutrals, cool colors.

Patterns: Anchors, Illustrated Seal, Santorini, Faglar, Summer Stripes, Whale, Coral, Marina N8

Indie: artistic elements, eclectic design, bold textures and patterns.

Color Palette: bold colors, neutrals, earth tones.

Patterns: Triangles, Colorblock, Deer, Happily Ever After, Yak, Asteroid 531, XOXO, Right on Target

Eclectic: varied design, wide-ranging textures and patterns, ethnic elements.

Color Palette: bold colors, earth tones, subtle neutrals.

Patterns: Casablanca, Ikat, Mexican Design, Abstract 102, Classic Chairs, Santa Fe, Target Practice, Peaks & Valleys

{ photographs via Lonny Magazine, Traditional Home, ShootFactory, Pure Green Magazine, House to Home, Studio Sweet Studio, Apartment Therapy }

For Kids

Finding art for kid’s rooms is now easier than ever. Whether you’ve got a space cowboy or ballerina princess, Cluster is the perfect place to find art that matches your child’s interests.

Inspiration

We love these kid’s rooms, and hope you will love them too.

Patterns: Laughterbk-1, Birds on a Wire, Happy Ever After, Pocket Full of Posies

Patterns: Balloon in the Air, Sunshiney, Chase Me, Alphabet

Patterns: Bear Princess, Quincy Stripe, Taivaalla, Woven

Patterns: Before You Go, Arrow Fletchings, Cross, Carnival

{ photographs via Redbook Magazine, Ohdeeoh, Rue Magazine, Poppytalk }