A great photograph is so much more than a quick snapshot with everyone lined up looking at the camera. That may capture your faces, but it does little to capture your emotion.

A truly great photograph finds the essence of who you are, and shares that within the image itself. If you can look at an image and relive the moment again and again, that is a great photograph.

Anyone can use a camera to snap a picture. But it takes a true photographer to create a great photograph. How do you find the best photographer available to you?

A good photographer will know exactly how to work with your children to bring out the best in their personalities. It doesn’t matter if they are working with one at a time, or every person in your family, he will know how to watch for the precise moment to capture and tell the story.

A good photographer will know how to put your children at ease. No one can be at their best if they are shy, nervous or stressed. Instead of jumping in and “getting the job done”, a good photographer will take the time to put your kids at ease. Photography is all about having fun and creating an experience you will remember.

A good photographer will come highly recommended. This may be your first portrait experience and you don’t know where to go or who to ask. Rest assured you can reel at ease even with just a quick search online. If you find a photographer that has sample after sample, comment after comment, and testimonial after testimonial online, you can feel good about your decision.

A good photographer will have a lot of experience. It may be in the form of education. It may be in the form of on the job training. Either way, a good photographer will be able to handle any situation because he’s been in that situation before.

A good photographer will offer you something new; something that is cutting-edge and completely up to date. No more dated backdrops or old ideas. A good photographer will have fresh ideas and be able to offer you something that brings out the best in you and your family.

And here in New Zealand, Duo Photography is leading the way in photography. We believe you should have photography your way, whether its in your home, on location, or in a more traditional setting. You choose. We help you plan. You get the memories that will last forever. Call us today.

7. A custom portrait of your family is the only investment you will ever make that will increase over time, to the point of becoming priceless within just a few months.

6. A custom portrait offers unlimted options and choices. What means the most to you? Do you want traditional images in front of a background? Do you want playful portraits in your local park? Or something in between?

5. It allows you to take an active role in your family’s memories. Instead of a quick “point and shoot” picture you may get from a chain or your own digital camera, a custom portrait is created by a photographer that wants to incorporate you into the experience. It takes planning. It takes thought. And it takes commitment to bring everyone together for the experience.

4. It allows you to focus on the good stuff. When you have a stressful day, its easy to come home and see your portrait, and reflect on what is truly important in your life.

3. It lasts for a lifetime. Many things in our lives come and go. You’ll replace your furniture, your decorations, your car and possibly even your home. But your portraits will be there forever, allowing you to relive each moment again and again.

2. Your kids change every day. So does your relationship with each child. A portrait showcases that feeling, that expression and that relationship in a unique way.

1. A custom portrait hanging on your wall adds value to your family. It shows your children they are special enough to be considered artwork, to be displayed in a visual way for all that enter your home to see.

Happy Birthday! You’re child has reached a milestone and its time to celebrate. Where do you begin when you have to plan a party everyone will love? Daunting task...yes.  Impossible...no.  Before the big event, be sure to follow these eight tips.

1. Get organized - Before you get to the big day, be sure that you are organized.  The more you know what’s going on (or at least what should be going on) the better you will be able to lead the kids through the festivities of the day. Don’t leave a moment to chance; instead, plan out the time period extensively.

2. Have a theme - One great way to help you get organized is to choose a theme.  Decisions regarding decorating, gift bags, and activities are so much easier when there is a common element tying them all together.

3. Have a reasonable time frame - Don’t invite kids over for the whole afternoon if you only have activities for two or three hours.  The quickest way to loose control or children’s interest in a party is to have too much time on your hands.

4. Use the Internet - The Internet is full of ideas you can use for you child’s birthday party.  Whether you are looking for creative games, crafts, decorations, food, etc.; feel free to use the collective wisdom found on the world wide web.

5. Consider crafts - Rather than spending the whole time on games, consider taking some time to do a simple craft.  This will give the kids something different to do as well as give them something they can create for their goodie bag.

6. Use unique techniques - Make your party memorable by including things like balloons and face paint (preferably not together).  Do a little research before hand to figure out easy ways to make balloon creations or face paint.

7. Consider hiring a professional - No one said you had to do this alone.  If you can afford it, you might want to look into hiring professional help. Many people will come into your home and add to the festivities; or head out and let them do all the work.

8. Remember to have fun - This is supposed to be a celebration, so remember to slow down long enough to enjoy the celebration. Its your child’s birthday; enjoy the day as much as he/she will.

Living in flat, mobile society is great … until you start missing your family. When family is hundreds or even thousands of miles away, its easy to feel like you are missing the important things in life. Yet a simple way to stay active in the family dynamics is to stay involved.

Photographs and video are the easiest way to stay involved. Portraits should be more than once a year, smile at the camera and say “cheese”. Instead, portraits should be about incorporating personality into each image. Show what you like to do, what toys your kids like to play with, or how you interact as a family. Send a special portrait framed and ready to be hung. Or use them to create something more memorable – an album, a calendar, or even a wall collage.

Put together things from your daily life. As you are out visiting the sites of your home town, buy small gifts or souvenirs to show loved ones what life is like in your area. Especially if loved ones can’t visit much and you are in an area they haven’t visited, they can learn a lot about where you live from simple things like postcards, small books, and even newspaper articles.

Turn every day events in an opportunity to share. With today’s technology, you can use Facetime, Skype an other programs to take daily “chats” to a whole different level.

Consider starting a blog. A blog is a great way to share information with more than one person. You can add text, photos and video – really everything that can help you stay close to family when they are far away.

Remember those that don’t use technology in special ways. Grandma’s and grandpa’s might not use the latest gadgets – email may be a completely foreign concept. Instead, find meaningful ways to tell them you are thinking about them. Letters, cards, notes, small gifts and your kids’ artwork can all be welcome surprises.

When you welcome your little one into the world, you may not realize how quickly the time will pass. Before you know it, your baby will celebrate his first birthday – then school, then driving, and graduation.

Time flies when you are watching your baby grow up – that is why it is so important that you capture each stage of your baby's life. These first years of your child's life are precious moments just waiting to be captured forever.

When your baby is a newborn, schedule pictures as soon as possible. You will be amazed at how quickly your baby changes in the first weeks of life. This is when your baby is at his smallest, when he is still curled up – just as he was inside of you.

When your baby is about three months old, he will have grown and changed immensely from birth. He is more alert and aware of his surroundings. He is paying attention to those around him and interacting with them. He is smiling and laughing. Take a moment to schedule a portrait session to capture this memorable time of your child's life.

When your child is six months old, he is a much different person than a few months ago. He has his own personality. He giggles, babbles, and has surpassed many developmental milestones. This is the perfect time to catch his blossoming personality in an image – it is also a great time for a special portrait of you and your child because as his curiosity continues to grow, he is going to want less time on your lap and more time exploring.

When your little one reaches one year, he is no longer such a little one. He is crawling and may even be walking. He has become his own person, with his own unique traits – on the outside and the inside. Your child will one day look back on his one-year pictures and you want to make sure you capture this precious event for him. Make each memory of your child count by preserving them forever – both for his and your enjoyment.

The word “photography” is derived from the Greek words “photo” meaning light, and “graph” meaning light. So a photograph literally means writing with light.

The inventor of photography was Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, who created the world’s first known photograph in 1825.

James Clerk Maxwell is known for creating the first color photograph in 1861. His work on both optics and color vision created the foundation for color photography.

George Eastman founded the company Kodak and named his company after the sound he thought a camera shutter made.

George Eastman wanted everyone to be a photographer. So in 1888 he invented both photographic film and the Kodak cameras that could use the new film. These first cameras were preloaded with enough film for 100 exposures. After the user exposed the film, the whole camera was returned to Kodak where the film was developed, prints made, and new film inserted, and all was returned to the owner.

The cost of this very first camera was expensive for the time - $25 for the camera and $10 for the development process.

Steven Sasson, an engineer at Kodak, invented and built the first digital camera in 1975. He received the National Medal in Technology and Innovation for his invention in 2009.

The most expensive digital camera currently in production is Hasselblad. Though you won’t find prices on their website, its rumored to be listed at around $43,000.

Time off from school means time to explore. But if you’ve ever spent a lot of time with a child sitting in the back seat, you know in many cases it amounts to a lot of stress.

Traveling with your children can be hectic – crying, arguing, and the proverbial never-ending question – "Are we there yet?" – can leave you clicking your heels together and wishing for home. However, entertaining your children on long car rides is not as hard as it sounds. With a little ingenuity and effort, you can keep your kids happy in the back seat, leaving you free to enjoy the ride.

• Let each child pack a small bag with their favourite toys. Having easy access to favoured items can help prevent boredom and meltdowns.

• Pack coloring books, crayons, markers, and paper for the trip. However, do not break them out until your kids have exhausted other methods of entertainment.

• Stock up on kid-friendly (and car-friendly) snacks. Nothing quiets a grumpy toddler like a yummy handful of gummy bears.

• If your car is equipped with a DVD player, have your children's favourite movies ready. Let each child take a turn picking out the next movie to be played. If your car does not have a DVD player, you can easily find a portable set for a reasonable price.

• Your smartphone can definitely be your friend on road trips. Download kid-friendly apps that your children can enjoy while traveling.

• When all else fails, turn up the radio! Create CDs that contain your children's favourite tunes. Your kids will love having a sing-along with their parents and you will be creating an awesome memory at the same time.

Boredom is the primary reason why kids have trouble on road trips. The key to keeping your kids entertained on long car rides is to have a variety of options so they never get bored.

A healthy self-esteem is a vital part of your overall mental health. Think about it – when your self-esteem is low, your entire outlook on life changes. You may even fall into a depression.

With a healthy self-esteem, you will have a more positive outlook on life. You will feel better about yourself. You may even find yourself being more outgoing and sociable. When you feel good about yourself, others will respond.

Finding ways to boost your self-esteem is not hard. In fact, you may be surprised at just how easy it is.

How about scheduling a portrait session?

Portrait photography is not the same thing as your best friend snapping a picture of you on his or her phone. You know all about those candid shots – the ones that make you groan and turn away from, while making your friend promise not to share them on Facebook. These candid shots taken by friends and family with bad cameras, bad lighting and bad angles will do nothing for your self-esteem. But a professional photographer is able to capture your true essence, which definitely helps to boost your self-esteem.

A professional photographer knows how to utilize cameras, lighting and angles to bring out your true inner beauty while capturing the best features of your outer beauty. Your photographer will help you find the poses that best suit your features. He or she will take many pictures from many different angles and with various forms of lighting. From these pictures, your photographer will choose the very best. You will finally see the true beauty that you have, inside and outside.

With a quick candid, you may store it forever on your computer (if you don’t delete if first). But with a portrait, you’ll gladly display it and use it for many things. How about a gift for your parents? How about replacing your business cards and include a photograph of you?

So go ahead and make the appointment. Let a professional capture your very essence. And enjoy the perfect self-portrait.

Separate Parents From Kids

In many cases kids completely transform when the parents disappear. There’s something about mum standing by with orders and directions that turn kids into completely different beings. In many cases kids transform into cooperative, enthusiastic participants that actually have fun with the process as soon as their parents walk out the door. Because we work with kids, we know how to have fun with kids. We get down to their level and they soon realize we’re really just “big kids” too. Their portrait session may be the most fun they’ve had in weeks.

Make Obnoxious Noises

Do you know what a bear sounds like? How about a chicken? A howling dog? It may not sound like anything you’ve heard before. Yet it’s a great way of getting kids to think outside the box. If you bark like a chicken, kids are left to question what is happening. “Really?” they may ask. And then the fun begins. They will laugh and try out many other silly combinations.

Quiet Competitions

Once you have everyone in the room laughing at a barking chicken the next logical step is to turn down the volume. When something is impossible to do, you just have to try it. So tell kids that a barking chicken is impossible to keep quiet, and they won’t believe you. They’ll have to try it themselves. And of course that’s when its easy to jump in and get some great serious images. For a few moments anyway.

Continue With A Few Compliments

Everyone loves being complimented. “I love your dress” or “That’s a great hat” can go along way with anyone, kids and adults alike. As photographers, we know a few compliments can go along ways, so we like saying things like “You are great at posing” or “That was an amazing face for this portrait.”

Being a mom is a full-time job – actually, it is more than a full-time job. Moms are "on duty" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Moms do not get sick leave or paid vacations. They work morning, noon and night to take care of their families.

Many moms also work outside of the home. With all of the stress and worry that comes from being a mom, it is essential to make time for yourself to avoid mommy burnout. Mommy burnout, in simple terms, is becoming overwhelmed and overburdened – you might begin to feel taken for granted or pushed to your limit. These 5 tips will help you avoid mommy burnout, so you can continue to fully enjoy being a mom.

1.    Stay in contact with your friends. This does not mean bonding with other moms at the baseball field. Reach out to your closest friends as often as possible. Arrange for a night out with the girls once or twice a month. Utilize social media to stay in touch.

2.    Treat yourself to "the little things". Remember, you deserve something special, too. Even if it is just a candy bar hidden in your top drawer, you deserve that candy bar. Think of various small things that you enjoy and buy one of the items a few times a month. These little treats will keep you happy – and happy moms have happy children.

3.    Don't let your mind turn to mush. Your mind needs stimulation just as much as your baby's – so download that best-selling eBook to your Kindle and read it. You may even want to enroll in a class at your local college – something that interests you, while also getting you out of the house.

4.    Keep up appearances. This doesn't mean put on a happy face when you are down – this means pay attention to your own appearance. Just because you are a mom does not mean you do not need to feel attractive. Take the extra time to add a touch of lip-gloss or eyeliner – you will be surprised at how much better you will feel about yourself.

5.    Forget what everyone else is doing. You are your child's mom – no one else. So, don't worry if our parenting style differs from the "norm".  When it comes to being a mom, there is no "norm".  There is only putting forth your best effort and hoping for the best result.