Chic Critique Forum | Photographer Idol Submission

In the previous blog post, I used this image to describe my style and methodology.  It was taken just this summer and it still lingers in mind despite other photographs I have taken.  When the opportunity presented itself to share an image that exemplified my style I gravitated to this photo once again.  It gave me great joy to showcase such a gorgeous girl in a manner that was true to her personality.  Once I had found the light, everything else seemed magical.  I love that her skin tones are just as creamy as they are in real life, that there is a twinkle in her eye, that she is wearing the hair accessory (versus the hair accessory wearing her), and that the composition draws you in and makes you pause.  Who is this girl?  What is her secret?  Where is she going?  How can that be me?  When a photograph elicits an emotional response then it has fulfilled its purpose.  I am grateful for the opportunity to share my vision via Chic Critique Forum (http://chiccritiqueforum.com/) and the Photographer Idol Contest.  I hope that you stay tuned to see if it is chosen as part of the top ten!

Reminder:  You can follow me on Facebook (*e photography) or visit my website (ephotography.ifp3.com) to learn more. 

Q&A

This is the type of portrait that makes me stop and stare.  The model is so serene, confident and luminous.  (You can click on the picture to see a larger version.)

This was taken as part of a commercial shoot for The Bow Chick.  (If you love this hair accessory be sure to check out http://thebowchick.bigcartel.com/product/mint-coral-collection-the-lily-ann - this is such a gorgeous piece in person!)  I am also including the before and after photos for this particular image because I have gotten a few questions recently about how I transitioned from a hobbyist to a professional. 

How I think about my camera, composition, light and editing:

I crop “in camera” 99% of the time.  This means that I frame the image in the camera prior to taking the shot versus cropping the image into something different on my computer.  Although I like negative space in my photos I chose to fill the frame with my subject because I wanted the viewer to focus on how the accessory creates a “look”.  I could have put the headband on the ground and snapped a photo but it was important to me to create a feeling instead of a two-dimensional image of the flower.  I also tend to place my subject with the light behind them so that it creates a soft frame around them. I want my editing to enhance my photo, not fix my photo.  It took me a long time to learn how to get the right exposure straight out of the camera and it is always a priority for me.  As a novice I struggled with this and I tended to over-edit.  (I laugh when I look back at photos that I used to think were awesome.)  Any editing I do now is purposeful.  Some of my edits are “clean” and some are more artistic.  It depends on the client and the intent of the session.  Either way, I stick to my aesthetic and produce photographs that make me happy.

Never forget that it is the vision of the photographer, the capacity to take quality photographs and the ability to edit those photographs that ultimately creates an emotion on behalf of the viewer.  A great camera does not magically produce great photos.  Ever. 

The best advice I can give is to shoot constantly, learn your equipment, invest in quality lenses, find a mentor (or two), educate yourself and ask for feedback in a forum comprised of other professionals.  There is a wealth of information in the cyber universe – just don’t get overwhelmed.  It takes time to improve and I am still learning and growing each and every day.

I genuinely value your support, business and feedback.  I hope that this has given any aspiring photographers a start in the right direction – Good luck!

A Better Tomorrow

The caption reads “Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow”. 

This I shall do.

I’ve had a tremendously gratifying year in my classroom both academically and on a personal level.  Caring for my big kids at school and my little people at home has limited my time behind the lens but being the best educator, mentor and mother is my number one priority.  That said, I’ve been shooting nonstop, working with other photographers, refining my editing style and updating my website.  I literally can’t wait to meet the families who won the giveaway earlier this year and meet new clients.  We are going to make some beautiful images together!

 Things that will be helpful for you to know prior to booking a session:

1.     I enjoy “setting the stage” and creating a particular look for a shoot.  I will be using a professional stylist for certain sessions and/or shooting in unique locations.  If you are open to having an adventure we are likely to exceed your expectations!

2.     I am going to be true to you as a customer and myself as an artist and not overbook my calendar.  When I first started my business I was eager to please and it cost me a tremendous amount of time, money and stress to deliver a product.  I felt rushed and I worried that the quality of my work was being compromised.  I am terrible at saying “no” but I am committed to making time for us to meet, style your shoot, and meet again once your gallery has been completed. 

3.     I want to share your gallery with you in person and help you identify the best ways to preserve your favorite photos.  The options can be overwhelming and it will be helpful to look at sample items for inspiration.

4.     Lastly, the session tab and the gallery tab on the website gives a detailed description of what to expect from your session.  This includes cost.  Getting your photo taken by a professional is an investment and should be treated as such. 

Here’s to a busy summer filled with family, fun and photography!  Hope to see you soon!

Out With the Old and In With the New!

Regarding 2011…
2011 is one of the most significant years of my life due to the loss of my father. There are not words adequate enough to define how iconic, generous, fascinating, loving, exceptional, intelligent, disciplined or remarkable he was. He is the single greatest man I’ve ever known and I physically ache from missing him. On a lighter note, I have many fond memories of the past year including the launch of this business. (Ironically my very first blog post is about my father.) It is from him that I learned to love art, and I am grateful for the opportunities I was given as a child to explore and create. Photography has always been of interest to me and I have had a camera in hand so long that I can’t pinpoint how long it’s been. (I still have negatives of photos taken as an adolescent and I treasure them dearly.) In my parents basement there are shelves of photo albums; my entire life in pictures. How could I not be inspired to continue this tradition? Once I had children of my own the camera simply became an extension of my body and the rest is history. (Please note – I have read a vast amount of information, sought mentoring, practiced daily and I learn something new every time I shoot. Shooting “professionally” is still scary sometimes and the decision to do so was not made lightly. I am committed to creating photographs worthy of your memories.)

In respect to the holidays, we had so much fun I was concerned that my children would literally die from excitement! We adopted the ever popular “Elf on a Shelf” and he was quite a little character. One morning we woke to find him in the Barbie convertible with his arm around Barbie. (Who knew that elves were sexy?) He also got into stockings, the pantry, light fixtures and the cookie jar (please see below).

In respect to projects, my daughter constructed two gingerbread houses and I am going to duplicate one of the ideas again next year. At her school, they used empty milk cartons as the foundation for graham crackers – genius! Christmas trees were upside down ice cream cones and powdered sugar provided just the right amount of snow. We also tried an idea from Pinterest using oil pastels and water colors but it didn’t work as expected. The goal was to trace and color her hand with the oil pastels then paint with water color overtop. The oil and water should have repelled each other to make a neat effect but it wasn’t as cool as the example I found online. (FYI - We are going to try again using canvas paper instead.) We also made a swag (another idea inspired by Pinterest) that was created from punched out paper that had been decorated and written on. The example shown is mine and I wrote down all of the things I was thankful for this past year. I like how the words aren’t quite discernible to others but very significant to me. Lastly, I cooked my brains out over our Christmas break and I tried some awesome new recipes. (There is a cake in our refrigerator that is so good you would gladly eat it off the floor.) I also made what my daughter now calls “Taco Cupcakes”. The photo isn’t fantastic but I thought you’d like to see why they were given this very appropriate name.

Regarding 2012…
Be on the lookout for some unique photo shoots, new products and the further evolution of e photography. I constantly think about the fundamentals of photography, composition of photos, lighting, subjects, spaces and places to photograph, editing…truly this list is endless. I only hope to have the time and technical skills to physically create everything that I see inside my head. I am excited to share my journey with you and I appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given to help you preserve some of your greatest moments. During my school year I am not able to devote the time I would like to this endeavor. Please do not mistake my lack of posts for lack of desire or lack of business. It is simply a lack of time that tethers my aspirations. (Maybe my resolution should be to cut loose the things I do but do not need to do so that I can do more of what I want to do.)

In closing, I hope to see more of my old friends this year and meet some new friends along the way. Until then…Happy New Year!