Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Check out this post from  Lindsey Bergstrom Photography of Denver, CO post and follow the ring to see everyone’s interpretation of the word sweet.

I am so excited to launch the new site (Tiffany from On The Spot Studio did a fantastic job, don’t you think?!) and share this beautiful family with you!

There are some really exciting things coming up and it is really hard for me not to spill the beans about what is going on because it is going to be such a big year and I am hard at work on them, but it just isn’t quite time yet.  You definitely are going to want in on this (listen up, photographers!) so stay tuned!

Hop on over to the next photographer’s (Lindsey Bergstrom Photography of Denver, CO) post and follow the ring to see everyone’s interpretation of the word pattern.

I’m a bit busy right now trying to get the new website and branding ready to launch (squeee!!!  I am SO excited!) and working on a couple new concept sessions as well as prepping for a major blog post for a big personal project I am working on, but I wanted to pop in some of my favorite photos from this past Summer.  <3  Hoping they warm you up as we recover from all that snow!

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About the photo(s): it’s been snowing here in Seattle since last Friday (basically) and my kids have been loving it!  Snow is magical… especially for us Texans.  Anyway,  the pig that my baby is enchanted with was already living here when we moved into this house in September and I have been in love with him since I laid eyes on him. She just discovered him and now seems to appreciate him as well.  For anyone interested in the technical info, I shot these with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 100mm 2.8 macro.  The first photos settings were 1/320, 2.8, ISO 400 and the second photo’s were 1/250, 2.8, ISO 400.   You can check outLindsey Bergstrom Photography, the next lovely lady photographer in the group, and just follow the ring along from there!

With that being said, I’ve chosen this set of photos to share because a) they warm my heart, b) I hope I will have a relationship like this with my girls when they are this age, and c) I recently read this really amazing blog post about photos being more than pieces of paper (warning, you may need tissues if you click this link) and then I read another really amazing blog post about getting over the mommy guilt of not enjoying your kids on a day to day basis (every mom should read this!); my New Year’s Resolution is to take more photos of my kid’s just being themselves and not worry about the photographer aspect of it.  Essentially, these photos spoke to me in that sense, I love them, and I thought you would too.

When we met for her pre-session consult to try and figure out her theme, she tried to tell me that she was too normal to have anything unique enough about her to center a session around.  After some further chatting, brain-storming, and getting to know her a little bit better, she told me that she and her dad used to walk down to the Ballard Locks all the time as a kid.  Right then, she and I both knew that had to be our location.  So we settled on a “flower” theme (since Gina loves flowers and girly stuff) at the Locks and that was that.

The day of our session, I was so happy to see that she had brought her dad along with her to join in the experience and he was just as excited as she was.  They both had a blast recounting the stories of Gina’s youth and telling me about how she used to do this and that in and around the Locks.  It was so great getting to see a peek into their relationship and memories.  Such a sweet session!

I asked Gina a few silly questions because I like to know quirky random facts about people.  Because of my love for quirky, random, personal facts, you get to know them too.

Gina loves sushi.  Especially California rolls.
Her favorite movie is “Step-Brothers.”  And?  I can honestly say I have never heard anyone say that before.
Favorite song? “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele. (I don’t listen to the radio so I had to look this one up and I actually dig it!)
Gina’s favorite childhood memory was going to the Ballard Locks with her dad.  (Another reason that I adore this session!  I am so sappy.)

I asked Gina when she was a kid what she wanted to be when she grew up.  Her response: “I wanted to be the popcorn lady at the movies or to work in a bagel shop!”  My next question on my little mini interview that I sent her was “Now that you are about to graduate, can you still imagine being what you aspired to be as a child?” and, of course, her answer was a resounding no.

 Gina’s closest friends describe her as outgoing, spontaneous, funny, bubbly, and vivacious.  From the time that I have spent with her, I’d say they hit the nail on the head.  She is an absolute delight and I am so proud to have this lovely lady as my senior rep for the 2011-12 school year.  Juniors at Ballard High School, track her down and get a card from her.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

]]> http://hopeandmemoryphotography.com/seattle-senior-photographer/gina-seattle-senior-photographer/feed/ 1 http://hopeandmemoryphotography.com/seattle-photographer-specials/merry-and-bright-seattle-holiday-mini-sessions-at-twirl-cafe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=merry-and-bright-seattle-holiday-mini-sessions-at-twirl-cafe http://hopeandmemoryphotography.com/seattle-photographer-specials/merry-and-bright-seattle-holiday-mini-sessions-at-twirl-cafe/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:31:28 +0000 Sarah Vasquez http://www.hopeandmemoryphotography.com/?p=1218 Imagine your family cuddled up on the couch sipping hot cocoa, playing games, and giggling in anticipation of all that holiday magic.  Break out of the traditional holiday photos and come join me for a very special event sponsored by Twirl Café (and you know it is no secret how much I love them!).  Make it even more special by showing me how YOU celebrate the holidays!  Bring in something that signifies your family’s holiday traditions to show off in your mini session.  We want to see what makes your culture and your family special, even if it is just something simple like cuddling up on the couch and telling each other stories.  Come in and break free of the Santa photo!

Down to the nitty gritty, I know you want details.  Here’s what you get for $50: 20 minutes of my undivided attention, in which I will photograph some pretty adorable moments, and 5-8 fully edited proofs to choose from in an online gallery.  If you choose to purchase any photos (remember, there is no purchase required, but you’ll want to because they are going to rock), you’ll have the choice of picking them up at Twirl on a designated day or having them mailed to you… all in time for Christmas.  Just remember, space is limited, so book sooner rather than later, my friend!

See what Twirl has to say about the Merry and Bright sessions.
Check out the Red Tricycle event page. 

Do you ever “give up” in a newborn session? Yes.  I realized I am not a newborn photographer in the traditional since.  I do not enjoy the studio look (no offense to those that do it and do it well, it just is not my thing) and I tried doing newborn portfolio shoots because I thought I needed to as a photographer.  I realized that I do not have to shoot all things and things I do not enjoy or am not good at.  I tried shooting newborn twins not that long ago.  I was trying to do the “baby curl”  and halfway through I threw up my hands and mentally said “ok, no more… this isn’t me and this isn’t what I do” and just started doing more of a lifestyle type shoot because that is more my style and what I excel at.  Guess which shots mom loved more?  So, now I still do newborns but I refuse to shoot anything that isn’t me.  I tell people upfront that want newborn sessions that I do more of a lifestyle and/or concept session with newborns but that I don’t really do the cutesy sleepy shots and if that is what they are looking for I am happy to refer them to a great photographer that will do that for them.  Long story short, my advice is to be you in your work, regardless of how that looks.  It may take a while, but there is a market for you even if it is very niche.  You will be happier and your clients will be happier.  Trust me.

What do you think is the perfect size blanket for a newborn session? See above.  ;) This isn’t really my area, but I would guess that the bigger the better if you are using it for a backdrop.  If you are using it to wrap or drape, then probably throw size… at least that is what I did when I was doing this sort of thing, but then again, I wasn’t very good at that style.

How do you photograph people that blink often (think light eyes) or are not-photogenic at all (yes, they do exist)? I personally do not believe that people are not photogenic at all.  Sure, some people are more attractive than others and sure some people have some features that are difficult to work with, but as a photographer it is my job to know how to minimize these “flaws” or quirks.  I’ve worked with a LOT people that have thought they weren’t photogenic because they were notorious for being the blinker or funny face maker in snapshots or family photos or because they had body or self esteem issues but once I got them in front of my camera and shot them at flattering angles and had them relax (the key really is getting them to relax; in my experience, the first 10-15 minutes almost never turn out winners from anyone over the age of and got them laughing and joking and goofing off, they realized that they really are photogenic!  On the other hand, I’ve also had a couple people in front of my camera that did have genuine “quirks” (I really hate using the word flaws because we all have things that could be construed as flaws but that is also what makes us different and we are all beautiful in our own way) and it was definitely more challenging, but the person being photographed is very aware of it, trust me.  I would never mention it and I think the key in this situation is to be really graceful and treat them just like you would any other person.  Without going into specifics, I again think it is about angles and also lighting to minimize this sort of thing.  Photoshop is also your friend. As far as the blinking and light eyes, I like to use Amanda Holloway’s trick: if you have someone that just can’t stop blinking or the light is super bright, get them posed how you want them, get your shot framed and focused, and let them keep their eyes closed the whole time with the agreement that when you say “Open!” they will pop their eyes open and give you the smile or look that you want.  As soon as they do, you snap the shot.  Their pupils will be perfectly dilated and their eyes will be open and gorgeous and not at all squinty.  Works perfectly most times… when you have someone that can take direction.  This doesn’t work so well with really young ones or babies.  When they are that little you just have to embrace it and go with what they give you.

Mac/PC? I technically have both.  I used to use a Macbook but my super-uber-ultra-awesome-rockyoursocksoff techie husband got me a Dell Latitude E6410 with 8gb of RAM for Christmas last year so I kind of was forced to switch to a PC.  It blows my Macbook out of the water as far as how well in runs.  So, while I definitely prefer Macs because they are prettier and far more user friendly, you can’t beat PCs when it comes to price.  And since my husband is my IT solutions guy, I defer to him on these things.  He set up a really amazing back up system and all sorts of other cool stuff for me and since it is all PC based, I’m running on a PC system right now.  Unless you count my iPhone.  One day I hope to be back on Macs, but I know I’ll get a ton of grief for it.

Favorite lab? Right now, it’s Miller’s, although there are a couple others that I am looking forward to trying out soon.  I love them for almost everything.  I use Pixel2Canvas exclusively for my canvas and metals though.  I will never use anyone else as long as they are around; even though they have a bit of a turnaround time, they are the best by far and definitely worth the wait!  I have accounts with several labs and use them for certain things.  I am of the opinion that most labs do a couple products really really well and the rest are average so I have no problem placing orders with a few different labs for one client.  This is obviously just my opinion though, formed from my own experience.

Biggest fear as a photographer? That’s a toughie.  Even though I haven’t had technical issues in, like, forever, I think this is one of my fears.  I think it is always in the back of my mind that I am going to royally screw something up.  Or that for some reason the family isn’t going to love what I shoot.   I also really worry about creative stagnation, but I think these are all common fears.

How do you balance family/work? I don’t.  Not successfully anyway… not yet.  I’m working on it!  Although, I just got some pretty awesome tips from Keren Brown, the busy momma behind Foodportunity.  She suggests blocking out your time if you work from home just like you would if you worked in an office, using timers to break up your day (set a timer and only give yourself 30 minutes to write that blog post; don’t finish it? give yourself 30 more minutes tomorrow!), keep phone calls short, and don’t be afraid to tell people “Hey, I’m having to pay for child care and this is my work time so i really can’t chat right now, but I’d love to catch up at XYZ time!”  She also said that if you block out your day then you need to stick to it and not mix stuff from other blocks in.  If it is supposed to be family time, do not work (put your out-of-office responder on your email if you have to)!  Work time?  Family stuff can wait.  Keren also said the productive moms she knows take naps.  This chick rocks.

How do you deal with glasses at outdoor sessions? Again, it’s about the angles! Are you getting sick of me saying that yet? lol  It really is true though!  I would never ask a client to take off their glasses.  If they choose to take them off, that is one thing, but you as the photographer asking them to take their glasses off risks being insulting.  If I start to notice a glare on glasses, I first try changing my shooting angle and recomposing the shot.  If that just isn’t cutting it, then I will adjust the actual glasses on the person’s face (usually tilting them down slightly) but I can almost always avoid this by simply changing my angle.

Do you give out your phone number or do all (or most) of your interactions online? Most of my interactions are online.  I definitely prefer that since I work from home and my dog thinks that any time my phone rings it is prime barking time. I do give out my phone number to clients (I have a variety of reasons for this) and happily plaster it all over the web.  I use Google Voice for my business number so I am not giving out a personal number but I can have it ring my cell phone (or wherever else I choose, for that matter).

Do you get nervous before a session? To an extent but usually not full on butterflies.  I am confident in my creativity and technical ability but I do get nervous about interacting with people.  From what I hear from very successful photographers that have been doing this for ages, this feeling doesn’t really ever go away.  I guess it is good though so we don’t get too big of an ego, right?

Do you ever worry that you aren’t going to be able to produce something that someone is expecting? Not really.  When someone hires me, they are hiring me for my style and creativity.  Knowing that gives me the artistic freedom to shoot how I need to.  The only time a client has been unhappy with their photos since I have been looking at it this way and really letting my creativity flow has been when their kids didn’t act the way they anticipated.  This is part of the reason I think it is so important to find your artistic voice/style.  Once you do, you will be so much happier.

When you arrive on scene for a shoot, how do you go about finding the best natural light? I just look around me.  I can’t really say how I do this because once I learned to “see the light” it is now like I can’t not see it.  If you are really struggling though, look at your subject’s eyes and turn them until you find the best catchlights.

What have you found to be the best way to let people know you are out there? Obviously if you don’t have a website, you need one!  If you aren’t on Facebook, you need to be.  It is absolutely free advertising and everyone and their mom is on Facebook.  Pretty much any and all social media needs to be taken advantage of and hand your business cards out like they are candy!

camera raw…. what is it that makes shooting raw so worth it if you can get correct exposure in camera without it?? Oh man.  I don’t know why anyone shoots in jpeg anymore!  Seriously.  Even if you get your exposure correct in camera, chances are very high that you are going to blow some highlights.  How many times have I blown the sky in my photos in order to properly expose for the skin?  Way too many times too count.  The awesome thing about shooting in raw is that you can recover a lot of this detail.  Maybe you didn’t blow it all the way but you want to bring back more of the detail in that white shirt, or, for you wedding photogs, that bride’s dress.  I don’t know about you, but I want that little bit of insurance.  Plus, it just looks better to me.  I can’t describe it really, but I can just see the difference between jpeg and raw when looking at the same photo.

What do you process your image in?  I start in Lightroom 3 and then finish in Photoshop CS5.

Craig plays the cello with such passion and fervor.  Seriously, watching him play was almost spellbinding.  He is so so talented; his momma was telling me that he has been competing in regional competitions and is seriously considering studying music in college.  I’ve heard him talk about wanting to play in an orchestra when he gets out of college.  Did I mention this boy can play?

Craig wanted to include his cello in his senior photos without having the stereotypical senior photo look (or, worse, the cheese factor).  He knew that I am concept photographer and specialize in this sort of thing so we picked out a location and headed down to Galveston.  We wanted that old world semi New Orleans feel.  I just thought it fit so perfectly.  So, off we went.

I am always so inspired by each and every one of my clients.  I could not do what I do without you.  My creativity and my style thrives on you.  Your families, your memories, your lives are what inspire me to continue to create the magic that I do and I so appreciate you allowing me to be a part of your story.  As I sit here in my favorite tea shop writing this, I am compelled to tell you about the delightful family that I just met with at an ice cream shop.  I think as artists we all have times where we feel in a slump, like we are stagnating and just not where we want to be.  These sweet children I met with gobbled up their rocky road and unnaturally blue ice cream while enthusiastically telling me about unicycles and soccer and tumbling.  At first I felt like there was no way I was going to be able to come up with something unique (that was the slump talking); after prying a little deeper and chatting some more, Mom and I had virtually planned an entire session based on something unique to each child and true to their life but “enhanced.”  This is what I am talking about.  This is my goal for you.  THIS is why I do a pre-session meeting.  I know it can be tough to fit that one more thing into your schedule, but it is so so worth it, y’all.  I can’t wait to share this lovely family with you and what we come up with.  It’s going to be great.  Your session can be great too.  Want me to buy you some ice cream or a cup of coffee?  Maybe a glass of wine is more your thing?  Just give me a call (253.655.7848) or shoot me an email and let’s chat.  I can’t wait to see what we come up with.