Picture Today

A little Vintage Romance with Tiki Closet!

2010-07-28T16:53:00.010-04:00

The thing about doing what you love is that work feels like play (and usually not visa-versa!)

Today I was lucky enough to be able to create some images for a local vintage boutique. Here's a preview of some of my favorites (check Facebook for more to come):

Thanks so much to Bets and the girls from Tiki Closet. You were all amazing to work with!

What to Look For in a Good Headshot

2010-07-27T13:11:00.021-04:00

Portraits are my business. I think about lighting set-ups in my sleep. No joke!

But you would be surprised how many people used come into my studio not knowing what it was they were looking for.

To combat this I began requiring coffee-time with all potential clients. We get all nice and caffeinated. We get to talk to each other. We get to know what it was we were aiming for in a session. Everybody wins!

Today I thought I would include a fabulous guest post by NYC Actress Angela Dee to help all working and aspiring actors when they begin to think about searching for headshots:

What to Look For in a Good Headshot

Knowing what a good headshot is is like knowing when to shelve those high-waisted mom-jeans. It is a trend that is as changeable as any you read about in fashion magazines. Black and white shots? Or color? Horizontal framing? Or traditional vertical/portraiture framing? Full-body shot? Or 3/4? OR tight in at the face? Glossy printing or Matte? Border or no? Name on the front?, etc., etc.

And how much should you be paying for said photography? What's expected of you in the session and what should you expect from the photographer? Do you go for a glamourous shot of yourself or a more candid, snapshot? Knowing what to do once you've taken that photo and have the print/disk in hand can be equally illusive and frustrating. Do you get postcards? Do you choose one photo or go for 3? Do you put one image on the final print or 4?

Today (early 2010) a good NY headshot should be in color, clean, simple, head and shoulders, with bright, clear eyes. I say NY, because the demands seem to differ slightly between NY and LA. So, as I am an NYC actress, I am going to stick with what I know and let the LA readers provide any alternate info through comments.

Now, regardless of what style you go in for, one of the most important factors in a headshot is that it looks like you. I know that must sound pathetically simplified. But you'd be surprised how many people don't understand this fact. If you run out and get a make-up artist to completely glam you up like you were going to the Oscars, and sit in front of a photographer who over/under-lights you, then you finish up by having a retoucher remove EVERY blemish you have and over air-brush your skin, then your photo is not going to look much like the person who walks into the audition room. This is a number-1 pet-peeve of all casting directors and agents. It completely defeats the purpose of a headshot.

All a headshot really is is a quick, visual reference for the casting director or other industry person. If they come across your photo and like what they see, how do you expect to get to the next level with them if you walk into the room looking like a completely different human being. Trust me. It is a complete waste of EVERYONE'S time. Not to mention your money.

Here are some pointers I've learned from personal experience that may help you the next time you are in the position to get a new pic:

Do your research!

Don't just go with the first photographer you see. Or the one with a celebrity on his/her website. That doesn't mean anything. Look at your friends photos. If you see one you like, ask your friend about their experience. This is important. Primarily because someone can have a pretty good shot, but it took 4-hours to get and the photographer was distracted and unprofessional. Look online at as many photographers as possible and mark down the one's that you like in your gut. When you have it narrowed down to say 3 or 4, make an appointment to meet them. You can tell a lot by meeting them face-to-face.

If you have ANY reservations at all, they're probably not the photographer for you. In general, as an avid bargain-hunter myself, one of the most helpful things you can do to secure the best overall experience when you purchase any big-ticket item, is to CROSS-REFERENCE! Ask around. If you are in a class, ask people about the photographer. Google them for reviews. Luckily today there are reviews about everything so chances are you'll get a good idea of whether it was a good experience to work with a given photographer. You can ask other industry professionals, but beware that some agents and such get a commission (percentage of sales) for everyone they send to a photographer (same is true for acting coaches, vocal teachers, classes, etc) so they might not necessarily be 100% objective.

Lastly here, photographers range from $200 - $1600. The old adage "You get what you pay for" does apply when it comes to photography. But so does the fact that actors are some of the most exploited people on the face of the planet. It costs a fortune to be an actor. But, just because a given photographer comes with a high rate doesn't mean they're any good. And, on the same note, if you find a photographer that is your dream artist but comes with a hefty price-tag you should save up every penny and go for it. If they're good, then you'll spend less on retouching and the picture itself may last you anywhere from 2 - 5 years.

So. You have your dream photographer. What next?

I'll be posting an in-depth look at a photography session and all that good stuff that follows soon. Stay-tuned! In the meantime, please feel free to take a look at my own, personal headshot as a reference to this article at The NYC Actor.

Angela Dee is a professional actress working in Film, Theatre, TV, Commercials and Voiceovers since 2005. She currently live's in New York. Find her at her website: http://thenycactor.blogspot.com/
There she discusses things you should know about the industry, but that no-one will necessarily tell you. "I will be documenting what I learn about being a working actor in NYC as I go along, so that you can learn from my mistakes/successes and avoid some of the pitfalls I may have landed in without knowing better. This is not the holy grail - so I welcome comments and feedback that are helpful to the new or even seasoned actor out there."

A Vintage-Style tutorial featured on MCP Actions!

2010-07-26T11:24:00.006-04:00

A tutorial that I wrote on how to create a Vintage SX-70 style photo was featured on the MCP Actions Blog today!

For those of you who are aching to learn how to re-create the gorgeous warmth that SX-70 photos were famous for, check out the article and let me know what you think!

Link Round-Up for 7/25

2010-07-26T10:26:00.007-04:00

It's time for another blogging experiment link round-up!

Crissy from Indie Biz Chicks: Crissy's Fall Marketing Ideas, among so many other things, is an example of why I follow this amazing lady's blog religiously! When I feel like I have run out of ideas for my business, Crissy always seems to be a wellspring of knowledge, ideas and advice!

Mallory from Miss Malaprop: If you're just starting a business, or are a little low on funds - worry not! Because you can find a contest to win free business cards here!

RJ from Designed by RJ: I am in love with this post from RJ! Memory is a huge thing that effects my work, and it's so inspiring to see her old family photos in her Memory Project!

An exclusive Photo Print Giveaway with Laura Evans

2010-07-22T10:32:00.005-04:00

Yay, exciting news! My lovely friend Laura Evans and I have been secretly planning a fantastic giveaway and now it's time for all of you to have the opportunity to win an exclusive one-of-a-kind print from each of us!

I've definitely mentioned Laura on several occasions, and for very good reason. She is my go-to gal for everything photography! We bounce ideas off of each other and share resources - her support has been wonderful and invaluable in this past year.

Laura's work is also a constant source of inspiration to me. She sees the beauty in the everyday and can transform the mundane into the sublime. She is truly a poet with her camera.

So when we hit upon the idea of doing a giveaway together, we wanted to find images of ours that would compliment each other's. At first glance, our work is very different. Mine tends towards the realm of dream and fantasy, whereas her's celebrates the daily moments many of us overlook.

Despite this seeming disparity, we found a common theme that both of us have been dealing with recently: "Saying Goodbye."

Many times as we grow we move beyond certain relationships, and people come in and out of our lives. It's simply part of being human in our modern and transient world, but it is something that tends to be painful and cause deep reflection. So Laura and I both chose images that seemed to resonate with that theme.

These images are not available in our shops and are available as an exclusive prize to one lucky winner. Both of these photographs could be hanging on your wall for free! All you have to do is tell me what it is about the images that speak to you, and why you would like to win the giveaway. Also tell me where you would hang them, cause that would make me smile!

Pretty simple huh?

For an extra chance at winning, head over to Laura's Blog and do the same there.

If you really want to win these prints, why not tweet about the giveaway (be sure to include us in the tweet @levansphoto & @jenkiaba)!

Also remember to include your email address in your entry so that we can contact you if you win. All entries must be received by July 29th.

Best of luck!

Jen

A day of Joy, from Maggie May the dog

2010-07-22T09:03:00.003-04:00

The women of FPoE continue to amaze me. I know I've shared about them often here on the blog. They've rallied around fellow member Katie to help her buy a new camera after her old one kicked the bucket, they readily share their knowledge and support each other. Most recently I've been inspired about how these ladies have campaigned to help out Joy St. Claire and her beautiful canine companion, Maggie May.

Because I have a little Maggie in my own life (our basset, whom we lovingly call "Maggie Moo") it was important to me to share this with you!

Maggie May is Joy’s best friend, going wherever Joy goes. Maggie May is Joy's whole family. In addition to her fame on the internet and on Joy’s Etsy shop of fine art photography, this free-spirited Lab/ Greyhound mix has been giving back to the community for years.

She has been featured on animal calendars to raise money for rescue groups, and she was also a therapy dog, visiting local hospitals, and helping heart patients recover from surgery and treatment. Despite being in two different homes and two animal shelters by the age of 1, Maggie has forgiven and forgotten her tough start in life.

After a bout of pancreantitis and complications, she is recovering and eating again and getting back to being her old,playful self. Joy has spared nothing in making sure her best buddy was saved. In the meantime, Joy is left with supporting her health care and recovery which involved hospital stays and lots of medication.

Already Joy donates portions of her sales from Etsy to aide the Gulf Coast oil spill recovery, but from now until the vet bills are paid all sales must go toward Maggie’s veterinary care.

So what us ladies of FPoE are asking is that you take a moment to reflect on the special partnership that our companion animals share with us, and visit Joy’s awesome photo shop

With every purchase you’ll be helping Joy and Maggie May recover, both in health and finance. Not to mention that you will be adding an original piece of beautiful, affordable art to your home that will have a very special meaning that you’ll remember every time you see it.

Joy has also been selling a special set of textures to photographers! All of the proceeds will go to paying for Maggie's vet bills.

Check out Joy's Shop Here

And her Blog here!

Ooooh Purdy! New Business Cards!

2010-07-22T08:34:00.000-04:00

So I've been doing some revamping on my website (lookout: blog revamp may be soon to follow!) and decided that it was time to do a revamp on my business cards as well.

Thought I would share some of my designs with you and see whatcha think!

I'm pretty excited about this new look that I've come up with, so I'm off to Moo.com to get them printed!

Where do you get your business cards printed? Do your cards need a facelift? Let me know!

How Focal Length Affects Portraits

2010-07-21T09:27:00.003-04:00

Do you read Jodi's MCP Actions Blog? I think you should! She has a plethora of resources there for photographers of all levels - and today's post is no different.

Her guest blogger, Haleigh Rohner, has written a great article on focal length, how it affects your portraits, and why the 70mm-100mm range is generally considered ideal for portrait photography.

This visual example alone is pretty stellar!

Before your next portrait session, I highly suggest sitting down and reading the full article!

Are you missing the Summer Biz Sessions?

2010-07-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Summer Biz Sessions Audio Highlights

This summer has been flying by! I hope you've been able to enjoy the
season and have been able to do some fun things - like picnics and
barbecues, watching fireworks, visiting the beach, or just sitting
on your porch and enjoying a nice summer breeze at night!

But let's not forget that there is still LOTS of work to do within
our businesses! If you're ready to learn some new things - and have
fun doing it, check out the Summer Biz Sessions
calls!

Crissy from Indie Biz Chicks has these calls each Tuesday night from
9 - 10pm Eastern. Everyone meets on a conference line and there have been some great speakers so far, and the
topics have been awesome!

I'm going to include a quick recap with some highlights below.

The Summer Biz Sessions are
onlyt $15 - which is a GREAT price!

You will have access to all of the recordings as soon as you
purchase them. You will be able to listen online or download them to
your computer.

And we still have MORE sessions to come! The fun doesn't end until
the end of August!

To purchase now for only $15, visit the Indie Biz Chicks!

Here are some highlights of what we've heard on The Summer Biz Sessions
so far.

Jennifer Perkins
of Naughty
Secretary Club giving tips on approaching a craft store and
asking to teach a crafty class there:

Tishia Lee of Tishia Saves
Time gives tips on how to tell a client that you are raising
your rates

Hilary Halstead Scott of
Halstead Bead
gives tips on inventory management

Leslie Truex of
Work At Home
Success gives tips on spotting a phony telecomuting offer

Rachael E.C. Aklin of

Caffeinated Design talks about Personality Branding

Alexia Petrakos from
Thrive
Creative Coaching talks about time managment and not letting
your work "work" you.

Crissy Herron from Indie Biz Chicks gives some tips on how to use
video to promote your business

Grab ALL of The Summer Biz Sessions audios now by The Indie Biz Chicks!

Happy Listening!

Best,

Jen

Wanna win some Free Greeting Cards?!

2010-07-20T08:35:00.001-04:00

This week I am offering another awesome giveaway! The lovely prize is 50 5 x 7 Greeting Cards for One (1) lucky winner! The Giveaway is sponsored by Digital Room, which specializes in greeting card printing!

And just to be totally up front with you, I do get a set of these too as a thank you from the company. So I'm pretty excited to begin designing some cards! =)

Save the Dates, Birthdays, Thank you cards, Invitations - the options are pretty endless.

Get a chance to win a set! Design them to your heart’s content and be as creative as you can be.

Here are the details:

50 7x5 Folded Cards with Plain Envelopes
14pt Cardstock Gloss
Outside Print Only
4 Baronial Blank Envelopes
Half Fold (Scored only)
Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above

Here's how to enter:

Leave 1 (one) comment here and tell me what you would want your Greeting Cards to say!

Bonus Entries (leave one new comment each time you have done the following):

1. Subscribe to my newsletter!

2. Follow my blog.

3. Blog about the giveaway and leave me the link.

4. Follow me on Twitter and tweet the giveaway. You can tweet once per day.

5. Become a Facebook fan of Jen Kiaba Photography

The giveaway ends on July 25 at 12:01 am. The winner will be chosen randomly, but the more entries you have the better your chances are of winning!

Best of luck!

Jen

Leave it to the Pros: Photography for Your Biz!

2010-07-19T10:33:00.008-04:00

You're as busy as a bee when you're an Etsy seller; you have to run every aspect of your business!

Or do you?

Did you know that there are a lot of options out there for the photography for your buisness. It's true, you can do it yourself. But you don't always have to!

You can find young photographers and models out there to help you create professional looking photos without having to spend any money.

When you need top quality photos, professionals are the way to go. But if you can't afford it right now, it's never a bad idea to help someone do some portfolio building.

No, it's not too good to be true. You will actually be doing them a favor by helping them build their portfolios, and you won't have to struggle with photography.

That way you can spend your time doing what you do best: crafting your amazing handmade goods!

I've created an Free ebook to teach you how to find Photographers and Models for your Handmade Biz! This exclusive guide takes you through different options for creating amazing product images for your Etsy and Handmade shops. You will learn the free and cheap options, as well as how to approach hiring a professional photographer!

Download the Free Ebook "From Muse to Model" here!

Blogging Faves for July 18

2010-07-17T12:50:00.000-04:00

This summer I am doing a blogging experiment this summer with a few other bloggers. Here are my favorite posts from them this week……

From Crissy at the IndieBizChicks: A year ago Crissy had a big health scare. But so far she has been coming out on top and has been winning her health battle. Read her story here! Congrats Crissy!

Mallory from Miss Malaprop: I don't wear it often, but I love makeup. Need I say more?

RJ from Designed by RJ: School's out for the summer! And even if you aren't technically in school, we are all students of life, right? Right? Haha anyway I love this reading list recommended by RJ. I'll add these recommendations to my Summer Reading Stack!

Your Photographs on Book Covers: How to get them there!

2010-07-15T09:18:00.009-04:00

Do you ever browse through your (independent, locally owned) bookstore and wonder about the images on the cover of a book? Do you find yourself daydreaming about that perfect photo in your portfolio that would look great on the cover of the next big best seller?

Really? Me too!

Book covers and stuff, originally uploaded by caryndrexl.

About a year ago my mentor and I were enjoying a cup of coffee, having the "I wonder how you do that" conversation. We were completely and utterly clueless. My answer, whenever I draw a huge blank is: "Let's do some research!" But even the all-knowing Google didn't have any answers.

This was where the ladies of Female Photographers of Etsy team came in. (Can I say enough wonderful things about them??) Someone asked the very same question on a thread, and the ladies in the know freely shared their information!

So I must credit both Elle Moss and Caryndrexl with sharing the following information, which helped me get my work represented by two agencies!

Develop a Portfolio -
Before you go out there banging on doors to get an agent, you need to be able to show the world that you have a body of work that is marketable. If you are just beginning, why not take a trip to your local bookseller and start browsing?
Bring a pen and a notebook and begin to write down descriptions of the images that you see on the book covers. Take note of styles, as well as poses and locales.
Then go out there and shoot, trying to incorporate those notes into your own personal style!
Discover the Agents -
This step can be done during your Portfolio-Building-Note-Taking trip, but I suggest making a separate bookstore trip for this one. If your bookstore sells yummy coffee drinks, then bonus!
Do a power walk around the Fiction section of your shop - if the shop is small just be careful of other patrons - and pick out a stack of books that have eye-catching images. Yup! Judge that book by its cover!
Usually the agency is listed on the back cover.

With hard-cover books you might find the info on the inside of the jacket at the back of the book.
When I was searching around for an agent I made a list of the agencies I found, and then began to create a tally to see which agencies seemed to dominate the market.
Make Contact -
Now that you have a solid portfolio of 30-50 images, it's time to shop out that hard work you've done! Take that list of agencies you made and start to Google them! Most agencies should have an info page on how to submit to them. Take note of their instructions - and make sure that your image quality fits their specifications!

Now, write up a cover letter and create a lo-res zip file of your images and begin sending out your inquiries! Make sure you research the person you are sending your portfolio to! None of this "To Whom it May Concern" nonsense - unless you really can't find the info!
Follow Up -
It might take about two weeks to hear back from your submissions, but worry not. A nice follow up email is all that is needed. If you don't get a slew of resounding "YES" emails back, don't despair! Some agencies are happy to tell you what they are looking for, which is a great opportunity for you to refine your portfolio.

After my first submission to Trevillion Images, I got a very nice rejection letter. The next seven months were spent researching and photographing. And it paid off! My second submission was accepted on the same day it was sent, as were about five images from my initial submission.
Sign a Contract (Well, read it first!) -
If you get an offer, congratulations! You have your foot in the door. Now it's time to read over that contract with all of the fine print. Make sure that you will retain the copyright to your images. If possible, make sure that your images will remain Rights Managed - which means you make money each time your image is used.

Read up on the difference between Rights Managed and Royalty Free stock here!

Now hopefully you are well on your way to seeing your gorgeous photographs on the cover of a book! (And getting some lovely paychecks as well!) No matter what, always try to enjoy the work that you do; in the end that it what you remember the most.

Best of luck and Happy Shooting!

♥,
Jen

Big News - Part I

2010-07-14T10:25:00.002-04:00

For those of you who love Social Media, you may have heard that I am merging my Facebook Pages. Yup! As of Aug. 1 there will only be one place to get updates.

So if you're a fan over at the page where all of the Etsy updates have been happening, you will have to stay on top of the merger in order to continue receiving updates!

Here's an easy way to change over! Check out the new page and say "Hi!"

A Summer Walk in the Woods

2010-07-13T15:27:00.004-04:00

After a ridiculous heat wave, it's finally cooling down here in the Hudson Valley. We actually have some stormy skies on the horizon. But because the temperature had finally dropped to a tolerable level, I had the urge to take a walk and snap some photos.

Just thought I would share some photos from the day:

I have some really exciting things in the works right now: a couple of fantastic giveaways, more photos, and some new photography goodies that will help you and your business!

So keep an eye out! Also, are you ready for a big announcement at the end of the Summer? Are you sure?!?

Link Round Up!

2010-07-11T14:08:00.003-04:00

So by know you probably know that I am participating in a blogging experiment this summer with a few other bloggers. Here are my favs from them this week……

Crissy from Indie Biz Chicks: Using Twitter can be a great way to grow your business. But it can also be a powerful tool to turn people off if you use it incorrectly. Crissy makes some really good points about what not to do!

Mallory from Miss Malaprop: I had no idea that these little security devices even existed – when I was younger and working overseas I had to carry some ugly versions of these kind of things. But these are actually cute!

RJ from Designed by RJ: Have you seen the amazing charm necklaces that RJ makes? Well now you can get them for 10% off! I'm definitely eying this cuties!

Transforming your Vision with Photoshop Actions!

2010-07-10T08:33:00.000-04:00

Because I am a huge Photoshop Nerd I like to sit around and write actions to create the vintage style effects that I use over and over in my work. Recently I have begun sharing these actions with you lovely readers, as well as testing out new actions with my closer photographer friends!

Laura Evans, a fabulous photographer that I have blogged about on several occasions, has recently been playing with a couple of actions that I wrote to see if there are kinks in them - and also to get a feel for how the actions affect different kinds of photos.

Recently Laura blogged about her experience with actions, and has shared some of the fruits of her experimenting:

I was introduced to the wonderful world of photoshop actions last year by my friend Jen Kiaba. It was love at first sight. Simple put they are a way of changing the tones & feel of a photo through a series of actions in photoshop, done all at one time. & they are so much fun. I love messing around with the free ones on the web (check out websites such as Coffee shop & The Pioneer Women) & customizing them for my own work.

As a photographer i firmly believe that composition is the key to a good photo, & photoshop is a tool in creating stunning images but it needs to be used in conjunction with the actual process of taking a photograph. I personally feel it is wrong to use photoshop to "remove" an object from a photograph because you don't like it there (& trust me when i say there is a whole lot of debate on this subject) & actions can & do sometimes push the boundaries. But i feel that where you are using them in the same way you would use a camera, a lens, light, or the old school dark room it's ok & all kinds of fun.

Anyways back to actions two of my wonderful talented photographic buddies have recently been creating their own actions & me being me well of course i volunteered to take a look. On the butterfly below i used an action by Elle Moss called "dreamland" (for more information check out her blog) minus the "optional blurry edges" just because i felt for this image it didn't work (this is the fun on actions).

& for the chairs i used "dark dreamy glow" created by Jen Kiaba that i have fallen in love with (it creates such a haunting feel to many of my images for some reason) & totally transforms what would otherwise be two wooden chairs stood in the corner.

Creating an Art Wall

2010-07-09T08:53:00.001-04:00

Inspired by Brittni's blog post on Paper n' Stitch (♥), I thought it would be lovely to share a bit from her article on creating an Art Wall for your home:

The Art Wall

I have always subscribed to the theory that artwork can turn an average home into an amazing home. It gives your walls personality; almost like a nice necklace or a great pair of earrings.

Of course, I understand that most of us aren’t going out and buying thousands of dollars worth of original artwork every weekend. But you don’t need a big budget. After all, purchasing prints from some of your favorite artists, is a wonderful way to start off a collection of work. And with prices often starting as low as $20, you can afford to buy more than one at a time..

Red Sky at Night print by Brainstorm Print and Design and Can-O-Color print by James Gulliver Hancock.

So, what do you do with all these prints once you have them sitting in your spare bedroom collecting dust? Well, frame them up and cluster them together to create an art wall. An art wall is the perfect way to showcase small to medium size works. Filling a large visual space. It’s a lot easier than a looks.

Check out the rest of her article here and then do some shopping on Etsy to find lovely work to begin your very own Art Wall!!

Do you really need an expensive camera?

2010-07-08T08:26:00.003-04:00

When I was on vacation this weekend, I saw so many people sporting really expensive cameras. My boyfriend and I drove up to Niagara Falls to stand in the wonderful mist and cool off during the heat wave. While getting drenched and soaking up the gorgeous visage of a double rainbow forming over the falls, I was also checking out cameras.

Some of those cameras made me green with envy.

But the question arises: were those people with the $3000 cameras actually getting good pictures? Sometimes, just from the ways in which they were setting their shots up, I knew the answer was "No".

So, do you really need an expensive camera?

Joanna's Foto has a really great discussion on how much camera you actually need:

Maybe, you don’t need an expensive camera?

Also, did you catch the article I wrote for Etsy on which Digital Camera you should buy?

Etsy Success: The Right Camera

Remember, it's the photographer that makes the pictures - not the camera. The camera is just a tool, the vision is yours!

Favorites from the Blogging Experiement

2010-07-07T11:18:00.003-04:00

For those of you keeping up, you know that I am participating in the fantastic Blogging Experiment! Here are my favorite links from this week:

Crissy from the Indie Biz Chicks: I love free. What's better than free stuff? Free information to help you build your business! In this case, a Free Press Release Ecourse. I signed up!

Mallory from Miss Malaprop: Love Fair Folks & A Goat? Interesting post title, FANTASTIC and inspiring photos! Check it out!

RJ from Designed by RJ: I was in Canada for this, and felt like I got to celebrate all week. Check it out: Happy Canada Day

Vacation!

2010-07-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

Hello lovely readers! Hope you are all having a wonderful day. Sorry that I just disappeared off of the face of the earth for several days. I went on vacation for the 4th of July weekend, thinking that I would have occasional access to the interweb to do some vacation blogging - but that was not to be!

We spent several days on Lake Ontario doing some sport fishing and generally soaking up the lovely sunshine. It also happened that we caught more salmon that we could possibly eat! Our catch of the day almost pulled me overboard, until my wonderful boyfriend came to the rescue and helped me reel it in. That's 33lbs of deliciousness right there:

Learning to relax on vacation and not worry about clients, sales etc is definitely something I'm trying to learn how to do (and to properly type after a week away from a keyboard!!). In fact, there were times I had to leave my Blackberry in the hotel because otherwise I was answering client inquiries and trying to figure out how to send digital products out after they were ordered!

I need a better vacation system! Hehe.

How do you deal with putting work stresses aside when you are spending time with your loved ones or on vacation?

Watermarking Your Work: The Why and Wherefore

2010-06-29T10:40:00.004-04:00

Theft of one's work is a huge issue these days in the digital market. Many photographers bemoan the fact that people would rather possess an ephemeral digital image stolen from the internet than buy whatever the image sells. Often having possession of the idea of a thing almost as good as having the product itself.

I'm guilty of it too: I put an image of a chic camera bag on my digital desktop and left it there for weeks before actually buying the bag. A pretty minor offense in the grand scheme of the interweb.

But as a photographer, when someone steals your image, the likeliness of their coming back and purchasing the real deal is slim to none. I've heard stories of people printing pixelated images from the internet and hanging them in lieu of buying the image from the photographer.

Things like that make my eyes cross in frustration.

One solution is to watermark your images. On both Etsy and Facebook I have taken to watermarking my images. No, it doesn't exactly indicate an unswerving trust in mankind. Instead it very clearly says that I am protective of my art.

Many artists are hesitant to watermark their images, as it obscures their work. The ladies of FPoE all have different opinions on the subject. Some are as aggressive as I am about watermarking, while others would prefer that everyone be able to enjoy their work fully - even at the risk of those who might steal the work.
(For an interesting discussion on the other side of this debate and free sharing, check out: Hazel Dooley's post "Shifting with the Paradigm.")

The fact of the matter is that I am in business with my art. Every time someone illicitly prints an image from the internet, there is the potential that they are taking money from an artist. *Rar*

So today I decided to create a Photoshop Action for all of you out there who want to watermark your images, but either don't know how or don't want to pay for an action. This is a simple (dare I say, rough?) action. If you want something wonderful and lovely, check out Rita's Coffeeshop Ultimate Watermarking Action kit. For $25 you get an amazing set of actions that help brand your images in a friendly way.

But if you need something quick & dirty, download my Watermarking Action Here.

Need help installing Actions? Check out Rita's great tutorial here!

A Free Vintage Style Lightroom Preset: Burnt Sunflowers

2010-06-28T10:06:00.005-04:00

Bear with me for a minute whilst I geek out a bit. I've created my first Lightroom Preset and I am quite pleased as punch with it. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me enlighten ya:

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is photo management and editing software. If you are familiar with Google's Picasa, you would find that there are many similarities - only Lightroom is much more powerful. A difference, let's say, between driving a car with a 4 cylinder motor, and then hopping into a sexy BMW with a V12 motor. Mmmm - horsepower!

How did we get talking about cars?!

Anyway, much in the same way that one can create an Action to automate certain procedures in Photoshop, presets in Lightroom memorize and save settings that you have adjusted for color, clarity etc.

I created my first one the other night whilst playing around and I thought I would share it with you:

The three examples above show how the preset behaves with different tones. You may find that you want to adjust the Hues of your Red or Oranges, depending on the type of tones found in your original image.

Download this preset for free and try it out for yourself: Download Burnt Sunflowers

Let me know how it works out for you!

And this week's Blogging Faves are:

2010-06-28T09:10:00.005-04:00

For those of you who are following along, you already know that I am participating in a blogging experiment this summer with a few other awesome bloggers.

Here are my favorite posts from my fellow bloggers this week……

Crissy, from the Indie Biz Chicks has a great post on how to create Free Graphics with Gimp! (Do you remember my talking about Gimp before?) Despite the silly name, Gimp is an awesome program (and free - did we mention free?) that rivals Photoshop in many ways. And Crissy has blogged about a Free (omg so much free!) Webinar that will teach you how to create awesome graphics for your website using Gimp.

One thing that I love about Mallory from Miss Malaprop is that she doesn't hesitate to praise other artists and share their work with her readers. In fact, you might even forget that Mallory herself has a really fabulous shop where you can find all kinda of green & indie gifts. Ah, but I digress. She was talking about hand painted earrings made by a local artist, Taslim van Hattum, who runs abiqutie Etsy shop.

Check out the amazing work Mallory shared of Taslim's:

Lastly, but hardly leastly, RJ from Designed by RJ shared the progress that her back garden has seen lately. I had to sigh a little bit looking at her photos. Her garden looks like the perfect place for a photo shoot! Hehe. It also makes me wish that I had a yard to grow lovely flowers in. Check out her photos and see if they don't transport you just a little bit:

Creating Fabulous Vintage - Style TTV Photography!

2010-06-27T12:54:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wondered how photographers create those amazing vintage-style photos? There are many ways to create that antiqued look, but one of my favorites is through a technique called TTV - or Through The Viewfinder.

One photographer that I have been following lately, Diana Pinto, has posted this wonderful explanation on how she created her TTV set up to take dreamy vintage-style photos! I thought I would share it with you so that you can create you your own set up and get to know Diana's work a little better!

How I TTV

Welcome, readers, to my personal guide to TTV photography.

Before I start, I'd like to mention that there is nothing in this post that a trip through the Googleverse couldn't provide for you. I'm not giving away any trade secrets: none of this was made up entirely by me. But I wanted to show you how I do my TTV self portraits, in case you might find something in here useful. Also, this blog refers to digital TTV photography. I don't trust myself enough to do film TTVs, but if you can I emphatically tip my hat to you. The Through The Viewfinder group on Flickr is also an excellent source of information.

First, what is TTV? TTV stands for "through the viewfinder," which, if it isn't already self-explanatory, is a photography technique that involves shooting an image though one camera's viewfinder with another camera. Pretty much any camera around has a viewfinder that helps to frame the shot, but most TTV photographs are shot through the viewfinders of medium format cameras. The big, bright screens and characteristic frames and textures help add artistic value to the picture. Here are some examples of my own TTV work:

Still lost? Don't worry, I'm going to get a lot more detailed.

Let's start with the basic equipment you'll need:

1) A camera with a viewfinder on top, the kind that you look down into. I use an old Argus Super 75 (for now, I want to get another model too) that I got off Etsy, but you can find other cameras like this for very convenient prices all over the place. Popular models for TTV include the Argus 75, Kodak Duaflex, Spartus Fullvue, and many more. The differences in these cameras are mostly in the borders and the unique abnormalities of the particular body. I was looking for a camera with dust and scratches inside, but a lot of people prefer their viewfinders to be clean. It's really up to you! I do recommend, though, if you are looking for a camera on the internet that you find a seller who provides you with a picture of the viewfinder so that you know what you're getting.

Click here to read the rest of Diana's article on her blog!

See more of Diana's TTV work on her Flickr Photo Stream: Diana's TTV Work