Click on the image above to read our fall newsletter. Also, as a reminder, I have serveral boards on Pinterest with “What to Wear” clothing ideas for your fall and holiday photo shoot. Click here for that. Although please feel free to call me with any questions regarding your session, including “what to wear”. Be sure to get your session booked early in order to get the best fall color. Our late September and early October sessions are already starting to fill up!
Here is a cheat sheet I made up for all of my friends that are still having trouble understanding what makes for perfect exposure in your photos. These three elements are what makes a photo. They work together to make your photo exposed correctly or incorrectly depending on which mode you set your camera. Even when you are in AUTO mode, the camera “reads” the light and sets these 3 elements to the settings that the camera sees as the best exposure for the light that it “sees”. When you are shooting in Aperture Priority Mode, the camera will adjust the shutter speed based on the conditions that the camera interprets in order to expose your photo correctly. It will also adjust your ISO IF you have your camera set to AUTO ISO, Otherwise it will adjust the shutter speed based on the ISO that you have set. The same is true for Shutter Priority Mode, but reverse. Your camera will adjust the aperture based on the shutter speed you have set. The ONLY setting in which you have FULL control of the exposure is in Manual mode, where you set all three; ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed.
Many of you have asked me what the “P” mode is. It is Program mode and it is similar to Auto mode as the camera sets the aperture AND shutter for you, but “P” mode allows you to set your ISO and whether or not to use the on camera flash. I hope this helps to demystify some of your camera’s settings. Feel free to download a copy of the cheat sheet here to carry in your camera bag!
Happy Shooting!
I often get e-mails with questions from other photographers, so I’ve posted some of the more frequently asked questions here:
What Equipment do you shoot with. What Equipment would you recommend to a photographer just starting out.
What’s MOST important?? The glass (lens). Invest MORE in your lenses than in your camera body. It is a good idea to get a zoom lens that goes down to f/2.8. Always get your equipment from a reputable dealer. I use B & H photo. Learn from my mistakes! – DON’T buy from ebay or used….UNLESS you KNOW the person you are buying from and trust them.
Here is a list of my equipment ;
Camera Bodies
What actions do you use to post process your images. I use Lightroom to organize and catalog my images and Photoshop CS5 for most editing. I mostly use a combination of the Florabella actions - Totally Rad Actions and OnOne Software, along with other actions I’ve created. I never really do the same exact thing to an image, and I usually never use an action to its full strength.
Do you offer mentoring sessions? At this time, we do offer one on one personal mentoring sessions where we discuss all aspects of running a photography business, including photography and editing skills, Half day and full day sessions include a sample photo shoot with a couple and all shoots include notes and sample business forms. Please contact us for more information on pricing and what is included in a half or full day session.
Too many of us think that displaying portraits on our walls will make our home “look like Grandma’s house”. Honestly, this is NOT TRUE! There are a few tricks to prevent that “look”. The number one trick or rule is….8×10 is NOT a wall portrait. If you hang one or many 8×10′s on a wall in an unorganized and unfashionable way…then you risk having your home look “old fashioned”. Secondly, choose portraits that are artsy and in a similar color palate to each other. I can help design a display for your home! It is not a well known fact that prior to becoming a professional photographer, I graduated from Interior Design School…A little BONUS you get with me! Please let me know PRIOR to your session that you are interested in this option so we can plan your shoot accordingly. We also have a program that can take a photo of your existing wall space and digitally display your portraits in various arrangements and sizes until you are happy with the look! Contact me today and I will be happy to discuss your ideas, wants and needs! You’d be surprised what amazing artwork photographs of your loved ones can make in your home! It NEVER goes out of style. It’s the best kind of artwork… artwork that MATTERS.
The above is a canvas wall collage I just finished in my home. Yes, I live in Ohio…But a girl can make believe, right?
My studio manager, Brandi, ordered this display before she came to work with me.
Client.
Will Your Grandchildren Be Upset With You? Author: Fred Molesworth, Salem, Oregon
I’m willing to bet your grandchildren will be upset with you. Here’s why. Imagine, 50 years from now, as your grandchildren or great grandchildren are going through the boxes in the attic. They are enthralled with the treasures and keepsakes they find and how they tie into the story of your life. Amongst all the old items, they find a number of round silver objects. Some have writing on them, some are blank, but they resemble some kind of a small platter about 4? across, with a hole in the middle. Puzzled, they take them to their parents. “What are these, Mom?” they ask. “Oh, I think those are all of grandma’s photographs. Yep, here’s one labeled ‘My Wedding’. Here’s some more labeled ‘Family Photos,’ and some more labeled ‘Vacations’.” “How do we look at them?” they ask. “Well, I’m not sure we can. First of all, no one has the device that reads these anymore. Besides that, I doubt after all these years that they’re any good anymore. Being stored in the attic, the heat and cold probably ruined them.” The kids are very disappointed. Nowhere amongst all the treasures are any actual prints. All that history is lost. Their connection with the past and all the wonderful stories that might have gone along with all those photographs are gone as well. Along with all the wonders of our digital age come some significant problems that most people have never thought of.
Did you know that over 90% of all images taken on today’s digital cameras are NEVER PRINTED? I’m guilty of that myself. I have gigabytes of personal photographs that have never been seen other than on a computer screen. In the old days, film went to the lab and everything that was printable was printed. Even if it was a bad photograph, it still was a hard copy, a part of your family history and it had permanence. Even if they never went in an album, they at least went into a box, to be discovered as treasures years later. The same problem exists in professional portrait studios today. Many people are simply asking for the images on CD. “I’ll print them later” or “I’ll design my own wedding album” are common phrases. Usually this is done with the thought that they’ll save some money by doing it themselves. But you know what? Most never make it into any kind of an album. Life gets busy and 20 years later they’ll be looking for some way to read those disks. I bring this up only to point out the importance of what we, as a professional studio do. Our job is not just to create the images, to create wonderful story telling photographs about the people in front of our camera; it’s to create a final product, whether it be a professionally retouched and printed single image, a family heirloom wall portrait, or an incredible storybook album using a collection of the images that were created. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a wedding, a newborn baby, a senior or a family. Having the final product created for you is important. To do less is to leave the job half done and to short change the customer. So, if you’re asked for a disk with all the images “so I can print them later”, that’s fine, just make sure your customers understand that if not printed, the conversation their grandchildren will want to have about their family history may never be able to happen.
Fred Molesworth In addition to running a full time portrait studio in Salem Oregon, Fred Molesworth is a small business teacher and advisor, and the author of the Portrait Studio Marketing blog (www.portraitstudiomarketing.com). He’s also a nationally known business and marketing speaker in the portrait industry, and past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon.
I have a new collection for Senior Portraits What to Wear on Pinterest! Graduation is just around the corner for high school seniors this year. It is a VERY exciting and BUSY time of year for you, but if you haven’t made the time yet for your senior portraits, it’s not too late! This is such an important time in your life your senior portraits is an important way to document your personality. In my Pinterest collection “Seniors-What to Wear”, I’m featuring some ideas for the high school seniors. For senior sessions I always recommend outfit changes with layers and tons of accessories to change up the look in your portraits. Always bring clothing that is in your color palette. If you don’t know what your color palette is, Skin Perfect is a great place in Columbus to go get an analysis. Skin Perfect describes it as “An analysis and identification of a person’s natural skin tone and determination of the best colors that are in perfect harmony with their tone. This includes clothing and hair recommendations. A customized makeup lesson and take home swatch booklet is included. Knowing this information ensures that money is never again wasted on the wrong makeup color and your face color seamlessly integrates with your neck color.” I have had it done and it is life changing! It has saved me tons of money on clothing and makeup that I used buy that is NOT my color and I end up not wearing it and wasn’t sure why? Also, be sure to bring MORE than you will need for your portrait session so we can go through and chose what will photograph best. Feel free to contact me before your session to talk more about wardrobe…for seniors, children, family or any type of session.
I have to admit, I have a new love in my life….PINTEREST! If you are not familiar with Pinterest, you REALLY need to check it out. If you don’t have an account yet request an invite from pinterest.com or a friend like me (contact me with your email address and I’ll send you an invite).
A person can have multiple boards, each with multiple pins. Each pin is a saved image that links to the original webpage showing the image, and a description set by the person who pinned it. Pins are organized by boards – a simple way to connect pins together under a single topic or theme. If you are like me, I’ll see something I love and then FORGET where I saw it and search for hours to find it again. Pinterest SOLVES that problem. I use interest for inspiration, bookmarking, sharing and organization…as well as some web marketing for my business.
Anywho, I have created a board that I think might be helpful to my clients. Its the number one question I get asked before a photoshoot….WHAT DO WE WEAR?? Well now you can go to my board and gets some ideas and inspiration. You can find it here http://pinterest.com/spiritphotog/what-to-wear/ . If you find other ideas, feel free to pin to this board. I have included a “pin” from the board below. I hope you guys find this helpful for future portrait sessions. Happy Hump Day!
I am going to show you one of the tricks photographers use to get the most unbelievable shots. It’s photoshop magic! Many of todays most popular portrait poses look almost too good to be true! Most of the time they are!! I am going to show you step by step how to get amazing portraits with photoshop. This is the final image.
I don’t have images of the first few steps in this process, but I will tell you that my assistant went into the woods and drug this LIMB into the studio! We cleaned it up and let it dry for a few days. In the meantime we went to Hobby Lobby and picked out some silk flower bunches that we liked. When we got back to the studio, Brandi (my creative studio manager) proceeded to patiently plucked off the silk flowers and glue gunned them to this branch hanging out in our camera room! After that we were ready to shoot!!
So now for the fun stuff! We started by taking a photo of the limb – camera on tripod to keep the same distance and height, etc. The image below is what we used as the base image.
Next we moved in a giant bean bag and the baby! you can see what we got in the next photograph. Again, camera in same location, same lighting, same white balance, etc.
WOW! Lots of stuff to clone!! NO NO, its much easier than that! In the next photo you will see how I used the lasso tool to circle the baby and a bit of the surrounding area. Then switch to the selection too and drag the part you have circled with the lasso onto the base image. as in the following photo.
As you can see the baby is too large for the background image. Simply hit the shortcut “ctl/cmd T” on your keyboard and resize the layer to fit nicely into your background photo. Then just use your erase tool on soft edges to take away the excess around the baby until it all blends nicely. Flatten your image and VOILA! Baby hanging in a tree!! I save my limb/background image in case I want to use again- I won’t have to repeat that step. Feel free to email me if you have any questions! Happy Photoshop-ing!
As a photographer, the number one question I get is on the topic of what to wear to their photo shoot. When booking a portrait session I think it is almost always a given that the client is going to ask for suggestions on what to wear. I struggled with this question when I was first starting out. My clients would come dressed in matching outfits or in the same color head to toe. These clothing choices do not make for the most visually appealing image.
I knew that I had to change my clients way of thinking when it came to choosing outfits for their portraits. I personally believe that is part of my job to help style a session. This gives my clients another reason to hiring me over going to a chain portrait studio. I always tell them to choose items with good color, texture (ie, knits, ruffles, denim) and accessories. I tell them to think coordinating not matching. I even go as far as offering to come to their homes and dig through their closet with them or tell them to bring a trunk full of options and we can put together outfits on location.
I am guilty of dressing my family in white shirts and khaki pants. I now realize how visually unappealing that is, so I really stress to my families to think coordinating outfits not matching. I tell them to browse their favorite stores websites for new collections and a lot times you will see outfit ideas that coordinate really well together. I honestly think that when you let your clients know that it is OKAY not to have matching outfits it lifts a weight off their shoulders. Now they can look for outfits that fit each family member individual style but tie all the looks together by picking a few select colors to coordinate. Trying to find one color and style that works for every family member is hard! I use to dread picking out family outfits for pictures now it is one of my favorite parts!
I have compiled a few tips on how to take better family photos on your next special event or vacation. Being a professional photographer, I used to be a SLAVE to my camera over vacation…I felt like it was my duty. Thankfully I have learned that quality is way better than quantity. I spend more time interacting with my family and less time behind the lens (and they are thankful and less aggravated as well!)
1. Capture the Moments: Most of us have gotten into the habit, at one time or another, of ONLY getting posed shots by the Christmas tree, in front of Cinderella’s castle at Disney or beside the Washington Monument. While there IS certainly a place for those in your photographic history, those images generally do not evoke the emotion nor do they conjure up the memories from that particular trip or event. The images that capture our imaginations, the ones that will stick you as a warm embrace are never – yep, never the ones of everyone lined up and posed. They’re moments – individual, natural moments. They are also the ones that your family doesn’t grunt and groan over having to “line up AGAIN!” Looks for the moments that will tell the story of your trip…the things that you will look back on and say “Awwwe, remember when you….”
2. Walking Away: Yes, you read that right. An image I love is the one of someone walking away. This moment will come back to you time and again. The example I am using here is one of my nieces at the beach in the fall. Notice the relationship of the older niece teaching her younger sister and their contrasting sizes. This image is priceless to me.
3. Use Props to tell your story: In this image, my son was taking his first surfing lesson. He was 8 years old. I had the instructor hide behind the surf board to hold it up for us so I could show the size comparison. He is sporting the “hang loose” sign that is popular with surfers.
4. Full Sun Lighting: The toughest situation for taking family vacation photos must certainly be on the beach in bright sun! Obviously the best beach pictures are taken early in the morning or later in the day around sunset or in the shade. Although we all know that 90% of our time at the beach is spent in the bright midday sun. When you aren’t in optimal lighting, the best way to remedy this situation is to keep the subjects back to the sun (no squinting) and pop up your flash. Most consumer cameras will automatically adjust for having the flash on during the day and the extra light will prevent the harsh shadows on your subjects face.
5. Change Your Perspective: Get down on your 2 year olds level, shoot a pic of all their tiny sandy feet after they write their names in the sand in front of them, tilt the angle of your camera, the possibilities are endless. With todays digital cameras, you CAN’T make a mistake and you wont waste film…just delete and try again! Just make sure to invest in a large memory card!
6. Refer to #1: Tip number 1 on this post is worth repeating. If you capture the moments rather than a posed portrait, you will be forever thrilled with the memories you have captured! Good luck and have a GREAT VACATION!!
