Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth {Book Review and Giveaway}

I was recently sent a copy of "Mamarazzi - Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids" by Stacy Wasmuth for me to review here on the blog.  How adorable is that little girl on the front cover?  Seriously, I don't know if it gets much cuter than that!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book because, though I love to take pictures of my girls, and I do have a nice camera, I don't exactly know what I'm doing.  I hope that's ok to admit.  Yes, I'm outing myself - My name is Lindsay.  I have a dSLR camera. And I don't know exactly how to use it. 

But with that being said, I have been working really hard to learn more about photography and how to take good pictures, so this book came at the perfect time!  I find so many photography books are way to technical for my liking.  I am a visual learner, so I love pictures and examples and many of the books I've picked up are just filled to the brim with text.  I want to take good pictures of my kids, but I am by no means looking to become a true professional.

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth was written with a casual, friendly tone and addressed all of the issues I have with photographing children.  She covers a wide-range of topics that will interest many moms who just love, love, love taking pictures of their little ones.

Here is what the table of contents looks like so you can see what all the book entails: 

This book goes into some detail with how to use your dSLR camera but it also has other great photography tips for those that use basic point-and-shoot cameras as well.  I love that the author goes into some detail in regards to photo editing as well because I end up doing a lot of that with the pictures that I take.

She talks about shooting different children of all ages, what to have them wear for photo shoots and how to get those winning smiles out of them without them saying "cheese" (which if you've ever photographed kids before, you know that never looks attractive).

Mamarazzi has some of the best eye candy of any photography book I have ever seen.  The sample photographs are amazing and there are TONS of them.  Besides being very informative, who doesn't love looking at photographs of adorable babies, cute toddlers, beautiful children and happy families?

Here is some additional information from Amazon.com about Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth:

Calling all mamarazzis! Every camera-toting mom will want this guide!

Moms, if you can't seem to take enough great photos of the children in your life, this is the book for you.  Now you can learn how to photograph children with the style, clarity, color, and beauty you see in professional photographs.  This fun guide combines humor with solid know-how to show you how to compose shots, handle cameras from basic compacts to advanced dSLRs, take portraits or candids, create prints that impress, and even work with kids! Packed with beautiful examples and written in a down-to-earth style from one mom to another, this book will help mamarazzis everywhere take better photos.

• Moms are one of the fastest-growing segments of the camera-toting demographic, and the blogosphere has a term for them, mamarazzis
• Mixes information, inspiration, and fun for women who want to take better photographs of the children in their lives
• Explains how to set up a camera and use the controls on basic compacts up to advanced dSLR cameras
• Covers shot composition, determining settings, exposing images correctly, the essentials of printing images, how to process for clear and bright color, and more
• Includes stunning examples of portraits and candids of children

So today, we are giving away one copy of "Mamarazzi - Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids" by Stacy Wasmuth to one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader.

Here's how to enter:
Please use a separate comment for each entry (enter all three times or just once....it's up to you).
1. Tell me who you love to photograph or why you need this book.
2. Become an official follower of The Cottage Home blog.
3. Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so).

Giveaway will be open until Friday, July 15, 2011 at midnight (CST).