This is the first time I’ve offered mini-sessions. You’ve been asking for a scaled-down version of our basic photo package and it’s now here. 67% off the Silver Portfolio and only $250. Grab it while you can because these are going to go fast. Details are here
Sweet Candy Girl! The greatest Valentine’s Day gift of all.
Tattoo boy!
Only three days old and wide awake, nice and cozy in her flower-petal Valentine’s blanket. Don’t forget to book early for your Valentine’s Day session. Space is limited!
Capture your little artist creating a Valentine’s Day masterpiece!
Heart People. Boy loves Girl.
Their mom is a playwright, so it’s not surprising that they look like they are acting in a play and not just playing. She could be Tatiana, he could be Puck. It’s not quite night—more like dusk—but the fairy woods, as they call it, is a magical place—a great setting for a play. I love all the poses and expressions, and how brother and sister are having fun and frolicking together. I should have had them bow at the end—they look like they’re about to!
Festively clad little Sprite enjoying a wintery day in the waterless creek with adoring mom and grandma. I love the bright warm colors against the cool, subdued background. Great juxtaposition. And I want a matching jacket!
You’d think they’d be killing each other, or at least trying not to get too close, but these two were starts—born models. They were so cooperative that I almost wanted to see how far I could push it, “Would you two please stand on your heads now, and then hold hands?” But I kept things comfortable and easy with poses that wouldn’t make them squirm. I can never resist asking one to tickle the other, so I did try that—it always produces interesting results, and it’s pretty cute here.
Per my post below, I usually evaluate at my subject before snapping the shutter to determine if the photograph will work best in black and white or color, and I sometimes know right from the outset. Other times it becomes clear when I look at the image straight out of the camera. If it meets my criteria for a good black and white image—strong lines, good tonal contrast,etc.—I will go right to black and white before I start the retouching and enhancing process. In rare cases, the images work equally well in both mode, and I found that to be the case here, so I am presenting both.
When a client expresses their preference for black and white or color, I approach the photo session with a different set of eyes.
If it’s black and white I’m after, I look for bold and well defined shapes, contrast between objects, and graphic backgrounds. I try to create simple, bold lines with cheeks and shoulders and to pay attention to light and dark. For backgrounds: rocks, boulders, and a sea of pebbles work well. Tall grasses are nice and create a little bit of pattern. Blurring out the background is also an effective technique and provides lovely contrast with the subject. Silhouetting a profile with sunlight is a dramatic look that is gorgeous in black and white and can be achieved by placing the subject between the photographer and the sun.
Newborn photography lends itself to black and white because babies are often pink and their skin tones are so different from their parents and siblings. In color, the eye is drawn to the stark color contrast instead of the harmonious shapes of the newborn in mama’s arms or lying on daddy’s tummy.
If a client wants color I look for color in the environment and try to juxtapose it with the clothing. If there are a lot of colors in a family’s wardrobe, it sometimes works best to pose them against a colorful background—green grass, blue sky, or trees and shrubs with colorful leaves. This will help the clothing recede into the background and make the faces pop more.
An environment full of textures, patterns and shapes, like the woods of the Greenbelt, renders best in color. If you turn such a picture into black and white, the subject often blends in because there’s not enough contrast.
A few guidelines:
1) The eye always goes to the area of greatest contrast. That means if your blond, fair-skinned child is wearing a bright red shirt in a wintery landscape with dead grass and shrubs, your eye will be drawn to the red shape in the picture. If your child is wearing blue and being photographed against a blue sky, the face will pop out from the sea of blue because it’s different.
2) If you’re interested in black and white, find strong architectural details like stairs, arches, shadows, or anything else graphic, and experiment with posing your child(ren).
3) Close-ups of faces work very well in black and white, but experiment with the camera settings that will allow you to move close-in without getting blurry images.
4) Think about how your children’s clothes will work with the background you select. Keep in mind that green and red are the same value in black and white-—they both appear as a medium grey.
5) Try to decide in advance whether you’d like the images to be color or black and white.
6) Converting an image from color to black and white is not as simple as clicking on a button. Whatever software you are using should allow you to adjust contrast and brightness settings, and ideally to darken or open up shadows. If you do a straight conversion, the photograph will usually look flat and a little washed out.
Examples to come!
More to come on this irresistibly funny and fun family…
http://gizmodo.com/5967890/how-to-take-holiday-photos-that-dont-suck
Their mom has green eyes and their dad has brown eyes. And they’re quite sure it wasn’t the postman because otherwise they look just like their parents. Full gallery on these two exquisite kids coming soon!
Here’s a few pointers for beautiful DIY family pictures this season:
Natural light is the most complimentary. You don’t get flash burn and red eye, and things beyond 10 feet away don’t disappear into blackness. But most people are inside on Christmas, opening presents, playing, scarfing down a delicious holiday meal. So when’s the best time to take pictures, and how do you take advantage of natural light when it’s freezing out?
1) With pajamas on and holding up new presents, have kids, wife, dog, parrot stand in the doorway of the house facing outside. Run outside (bundle up if need be) and take their picture . Do lots of variations with everyone jumping, poking each other, having fun. Capture their authentic happiness. Think of the film strip machine at malls that give you a strip of pictures that are all slightly different. They’re fun, and they encourage being funny. Switch places with your spouse. If there’s a willing neighbor next door, ask her to come take the pictures. The key is to take more than one, because invariably someone has closed eyes, is moving, is blocked by someone else, etc. But if you have five pictures, one might be perfect!
2) Later in the day find a big window in the house with a lot of light coming in. Preferably on ground floor. Group the kids together or take individual pictures of them looking out the window. (Yes, you need to go outside again). It’s a plus if there’s icicles or snow on the window panes, even if you can barely see the face looking out. But the face will be nicely lit by the sun and that’s what counts. A Santa hat would be cute or have your kid hold up or adorn herself with decorations from the Christmas tree.
Picture to come!
