Spirit Essence Photography

We've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Go on over there to pick up where we've left off.

No new content will be coming to this blogitty, so hop on over now.

Enjoying Life | I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 18:16:00 +0000

I haven't posted a photo of my darling boy in awhile. This one just captures the beauty of being playfully dirty and alive in the cool grass on a hot July summer day! Would you just look at those yummy lashes!

(click the image to see it slightly crisper and larger)

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces July photo challenge
Go submit yours, too...no need to be a pro!

arianna - take 2 | family photography | austin, tx

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 03:32:00 +0000

At just two months old, this is my second session with baby Arianna, and my third session with mama & daddy. She gave us a blissful 45 minutes to capture her new smiles and expressions as the evening sun was going down so perfectly behind the trees. You can see the above photos larger here, here and here.

They are the first family who signed on for my new "Year in the Life" plan. They chose the plan which includes 6 sessions over a 12-14 month period. We'll be capturing Arianna's whole first year, from her days in the womb, her arrival as a newborn ~ complete with her birth announcement, and all the way through her first birthday! Then, at the end of the year, the family will pick all their favorite images from each session along the way to go into their beautiful hard-cover storybook (similar to this one), representing their whole year together becoming a new family.

The "Year in the Life" plan is perfect for baby's first year, of course, but it's also wonderful during any phase of a family's growth, capturing the love and interactions between siblings, and special moments and experiences that the family shares together.

For you families out there interested in learning more about my "Year in the Life" plans, get in touch with me, and I'll share all the details!

xo
larissa

sweet siblings | daxton + cecily | newborn photography

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 21:52:00 +0000

With two amazing and beautiful parents like Mason + Mylie, these two little ones could never be anything but absolutely adorable! Congratulations, M+M! Your family is blooming with so much love and radiance.

Three notable things about this session:

{1} Cecily was one bright-eyed little girl the whole time! Very unusually awake and aware for such a young little pea pod so fresh out of the womb. She's gonna keep her mama on her toes, for sure!

{2} Big brother Dax couldn't have been more sweet and helpful the whole time I was capturing all that gorgeousness between the two of them!

{3} We got to shoot these images in the Arnold's wonderfully big and wide-open back yard... all woodsy, grassy, shady, and just the perfect place for these two little ones to grow up frolicking everyday together.

lots of love and light here...

xo
larissa

presenting arianna | newborn birth announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:03:00 +0000

A beautiful new baby girl has come into our midst! She was a sleeping sweetheart during most of our session. I'm so honored this family came to me to capture her entrance, and now we have an entire year to look forward to together, as I'll be documenting her new life and milestones every 2 months! That's sure to be an amazing 'year in the life' storybook as we capture her next 11 months. I just love seeing babies become little children in that first year...such a blessed time.

kim + roland | maternity photography | san antonio, tx

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:23:00 +0000

Three notable things about this session:

{1} We trespassed through a neighbor's yard to get to this empty lot where we found these perfect wildflowers.

{2} Kim is carrying twins, and she is one grateful mama-to-be!

{3} Roland kept us laughing the whole time! He has a sparkling sense of humor :-)

To order any prints or other boutique products from this session, click here!

xo
larissa

angie + aaron | maternity photography | austin, tx

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:23:00 +0000

Oh my goodness, did I have a wonderful time with this absolutely endearing couple! The sweetness they gave to each other throughout our session felt a little bit magical from my viewpoint. These two have such a clear, respectful and loving nature with each other, and I am certain that they are going to make the best parents together!

I cannot wait till "little miss" inside Angie's belly shows up! To have the honor of working with these two sweethearts and their brand new baby girl will be an emotionally heartfelt experience for me.

A+A...I hope you are both just in love with these images we made together! I sure am.

xo,
larissa

Jenson

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:30:00 +0000

here is a beautiful storybook to hallmark little Jenson's arrival...

Be sure to click the 'expand' button in the center to see the web version of this book in full size.

I've been working around the clock these last few weeks, designing holiday cards, wall canvases, birth announcements, and the like, in time for Christmas...and the above album design has to be one of my favorite things I've been working on. It's the web version of the book design that I presented to this sweet family for their blessing to proceed forth with the printing of this beautiful book. It will be arriving tomorrow as a stunning 10x10 hard-cover, lay-flat press book, with thick, flush-mounted pages, and a gorgeous full-wrap image cover.

As soon as I get the real thing in my hands, I'll post photos of it here to share.

I'm in love with the front and back cover!

What's your favorite full-page spread in the book?

a tiny big something to be thankful about

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:59:00 +0000

This little guy is truly a blessing for which to be thankful. His little newborn coos made my heart melt today. We did good, mama. Look at these beautiful moments we captured! There were lots of breaks to soothe little baby boy, but in the end...these pictures make it all so worth the time spent. Jensen is an angel.

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek, M+M+M+J

The love I saw in your home today is so special. Jensen is one lucky little fella!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone! Time is precious. Love on your family this week :-)

xo,

Larissa

senior photo contest ~ madison + emily

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:11:00 +0000

When I posted a request for entries in search of models to participate in a special photoshoot for a senior portrait contest, I had no idea I'd luck out with these two gorgeous sisters, whose photos from our very recent session are now posted here for all of us to admire! We had an amazing 2-hour morning, hopping around to several different spots in central Austin for gorgeous backgrounds and sweeping light. I can't thank you two girls enough for your time, and for your very talented styling of your wardrobes! You made my job effortless!

I've posted 12 of my very favorite images from our session, and from these 12, I need to pick the TOP 3 { three }, which will be entered into a very exciting Senior Portrait Photo Contest (...and the deadline for entries is TOMORROW! eep!)

I need YOUR HELP !!!

I CAN NOT decide.

The girls are just too photogenic, and we got such amazing shots! The judges for the contest are top-level photography industry experts, who will be judging based on technical skill, as well as aesthetics (all very subjective, of course). This blog post shows the 12 images in a larger viewing size, so please refer back to this post if you find yourself deliberating over several images.

I've created a quick voting site, where you can select your very favorite 2 of the 12 images. By 10pm tonight, I'll log in to the poll to see which 3 images received the highest number of votes, and those are the 3 I will enter!

So, please... go NOW and VOTE TODAY before 10PM !!!!
Tell all your friends to tell all their friends to get THEIR friends to come vote!!!!

We don't have much time! It will take you less than a minute to cast your votes. Just go with your gut first impressions of the images that stand out the most to you! And THANK YOU so much for helping!

VOTE HERE NOW

ALSO...I'm going to give the girls a special gift for being my fabulous models...with your help! Leave a comment below sharing some love for the girls, and the more comments they get from all of you --- the bigger the print I give each of them :-) So make sure to comment below!!!

these two hold the title...

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:16:00 +0000

...of being my very first wedding couple to work with again after a long 3-year "I'm a new mama" break that I took from shooting weddings. I'm thrilled to be back to capturing the beautiful world of love and romance and wedding day magic! These two love birds are getting married next October, 2012, and I couldn't be more excited for them (and for me, too, having the honor of commemorating their special day)!

Enjoy your sneak peek, Lynsey & Kameron!

Wait till you see the photos with their 3 little dogs! Priceless and adorable, and coming to this blog soon!

{ Giveaway } ~ For Future Brides or 'Just Married'

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:43:00 +0000

As part of my launch back into the world of wedding photography,

I’m hosting a wonderful, wonderful giveaway!

Grand Prize:

a complimentary photoshoot, which will take place very soon: during the last 2 weeks of October 2011
The winner will get to choose from the following two session types:

Bridal Portrait Session

(gorgeous shots of the bride in her gown)

OR

“We Just Said ‘I do’ Session“

(gorgeous shots of the couple together in their wedding garments)

Your prize will also include a lovely 5x5 album with the 40 best images from your session,

and a collection of digital images that can be shared with all your friends & family on-line!

The complete prize package is valued at $750.00

If you weren’t able to get the wedding photography you dreamt about, or if you’d just love another opportunity for more beautiful photographs in your treasured wedding gown to add to your collection, here’s your chance!

If you are a future bride to be married within the next year, or if you were married within the past year, you are eligible to enter. You must have your wedding gown in your possession and available by the date of the photo shoot, which will take place some time during the last 2 weeks of October 2011. If you haven’t yet purchased your wedding gown, you must be willing to do so in time for the photography.

All entries must be received within the next four weeks by the end of September!

Entry deadline: 09.30.11

As an entrant, you will submit a favorite photo of yourself or a photo with your fiancé or husband. Ideally, please submit a photo showing you (or both you and your partner) in your wedding gown/garments, if you have one.

You will also submit “your story” about why you should win this giveaway. It can be about anything relating to your engagement or wedding! Funny or romantic. Funniest wedding planning moment. Your romantic engagement story. Silliest moment with your partner. You may also share a hardship that has made your journey to the alter difficult or inspiring. Your story will be submitted to me privately through an on-line form, and you can elect whether or not you’d like it to be shared on the blog, if you are one of the finalists.

The stories that make me giggle or inspire me the most, or that warm my heart or bring tears to my eyes will be chosen as finalists.

I will pick between 3 to 10 finalists based on the number of entries, and then announce the finalists on the blog during the first week of October. Then, voting will open up to the public to determine our winner! If you are chosen as a finalist, I will contact you directly. You will then have one week to get all of your friends and family to come to the blog and vote for you! The bride or couple with the most votes WINS !!!

How to Enter:

Step 1

Go to Spirit Essence Photography and click like! Then post a quick comment on the wall stating that you are entering the contest. Then, whenever you have decided on your contest entry photo, you can return before 09.30.11 to post it on the wall, as well.

Step 2

Sign up here to receive Spirit Essence blog posts by email

Step 3

Spread the word and link to this giveaway on your favorite forum (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus). note: If you post on Facebook, please tag us in your post: @Spirit Essence Photography

Then come back here to the blog and leave a comment saying you’ve done Steps 1, 2 & 3. Please include relevant links to your personal Facebook & Twitter pages. You are now an official entrant!

I will then email you directly with the link to submit your story to me through a private on-line form. It can be short and sweet, or as long as you want. There will be no restrictions on length or number of words, so feel free to go ahead and start writing!

This giveaway will bring awareness and excitement to the news that I am finally back to shooting weddings again, after a very, very long maternity break. And it will also help boost exposure to my blog and Facebook page, which have been a little too quiet these past 3 years while I’ve focused on motherhood and true single-parenting. Your support and enthusiasm with this giveaway is so needed and deeply appreciated! It’s time for some serious buzz to happen for my business. Getting back into work full-swing is my highest professional priority right now! And when the contest ends, I’ll have some brilliant new wedding images to share in my portfolio, and a very happy couple!

Thank you so much for helping me spread the word about this giveaway. Even if you’re not a bride, and you’d just like to help me out by spreading the word, I would be so grateful! It is with humble words that I tell you that it has been a great struggle to breathe life back into my photography business for the past 2 years, and I really need as much support as you are willing to offer. This work is all that I know, and it is my deepest artistic passion. With your support, I can begin thriving once again, hopefully for another 20 years.

Thank you, again, and Best of Luck!

{ behind the scenes } self portrait and the beauty dish

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:06:00 +0000

Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed testing out some new lighting gear that I'll be using for upcoming weddings, engagements, and bridal shoots. Gorgeous lighting is so important to have for these shooting situations, and sometimes, the perfect natural light just isn't there. Here's my solution for perfect portable lighting...

The self-portrait featured above is the end result of my new, quick, on-the-go, single-light set-up that will be great for bridal portraits, or any shots where capturing beautiful, smooth skin tones, or even going for a fashion look, is the aim. It's a highly-stylized look done with a single strobe and a beauty dish. Very simple!

I'd love to share the behind-the-scenes look at how I achieved this self-portrait, plus my editing process and equipment list (posted further below). I've tried to write this for the average person, because I know I have both clients and fellow photographers reading this, however there is a fair amount of technical-lingo in the mix. Please post any questions you may have in the comments section below, and I will expediently answer them for you!

If you've ever tried to do a self-portrait, you'll know that the hardest part of getting it right is nailing the focus, especially when you like the look of shooting in close (like a head-shot) with a shallow depth-of-field.

When I first began with my set-up, I put the camera and my 85mm lens on a tripod about 6 feet directly in front of an off-white leather couch, where I would be sitting for the shot. I set my single light just to the right of the camera. I positioned the light at the height of where my head would be, so that the light would be as direct on my face as possible. As you can see in the final shot, I've turned my head a bit off-center from the camera, but directly square with my key light. Doing this ensures a nice, even, smooth lighting coverage for a more flawless look. If I had positioned the light more above, below, or off to the side of my face, the result would have been some rather undesirable shadows ~ accentuated under-eye circles or shadows cast by the nose. When you're going for a fashion-look, where a beautiful, flawless face is desired ~ flat, even lighting like this is the easiest way to achieve it.

What really enhanced the beauty-boosting quality of the light was my new 22-inch High Output Silver Beauty Dish Reflector with a translucent white diffusion sock that converts the Silver Beauty Dish into the equivalent of a round softbox, with very even coverage, and outstanding even lighting across the face. It works a bit of magic, indeed, because what you don't see in the photo are the "new mama" badges of honor that I now wear ~ the puffy dark circles under my eyes from 2 years of sleep deprivation, or the little splotchy break-outs I've been getting lately because my eating habits now look too much like my toddler's ~ not enough veggies and too much mac 'n cheese! But, hey ~ at least it's the organic kind ;-) Anyway, yay for brilliant lighting (and some good makeup, too)! Now, if only I could have professional lighting follow me around everyday to mask my droopy-tired face!

I took a few initial test shots with my camera set on a 10-second self-timer while I hopped over to position myself on the couch. My usual preference for shooting close portraits like this is to have my lens aperture wide-open (somewhere between f 1.8 and f 2.8) to get that really lovely blur around the focal point of the face. However, it's near impossible to nail the focus on a self-portrait like this when you don't have anyone present to help you focus the lens while you're in position. And it's really hard to pre-focus on some inanimate object that's temporarily positioned where you'll soon sit, and then run into the shot and position your face in the exact perfect sweet-spot of a shallow DOF focus.

When you're shooting this close and personal, getting the eyes in focus is critical. So, I opted to go with a much bigger depth of field by shooting at f.11 ~ it would be almost impossible to miss the focus at that aperture setting! I knew I could add in some digital lens blur in Photoshop afterward to get the soft, hazy backgrounds that I love.

Next, I metered my single B400 Alien Bee strobe light with my Cyber Commander, and adjusted the flash output to match my desired camera settings of 100 ISO, f.11 at 1/125. Then, I put my new favorite certified neutral gray card (designed by Michael Tapes) right up against my face, and took another test shot.

By using this gray card, I knew I'd be able to adjust the white balance perfectly in Adobe Lightroom. The white balance setting on my camera was set to strobe, which would get me in the right ball park, and then I'd be able to get spot-on color balance with the click of an eye-dropper on the gray card in Lightroom.

Once I had my set-up perfected, I then snapped about 15 different shots until I captured a pose I liked.

Now, let's take the RAW camera file into our editing software. Below is a quick snap-shot of my edit progressions to get to my final image. I'll walk you through each step in more detail.

1 ~ Here is the image SOOC, or straight out of the camera...

From a technical perspective, this shot is already really good: the face is well-lit, the exposure is right, the color is right, the focus is tack-sharp, etc. Now, it just needs a little polishing :-)

2 - 3 ~ In this next image, I have brightened and sharpened the eyes, and performed all my desired skin retouching ~ cloning out any spots and blemishes. I then smoothed the rest of the skin a little (including the neck and hand) with Pro Retouch by Totally Rad! (using a brush at 15% opacity). Then, I used one of my own custom lens blur actions to soften the back of my hair and background, since the hair was way too in-focus at f.11 for my taste. You could totally stop here, and call this a polished image, but let's play a little more!

4 ~ Let's play with some actions to create different color and tone shifts, bump up contrast, add some haze, and add an overall signature style to the finished portrait. This first final version below is the most subtle of the 3 following images. The look was achieved with the Cashmere action from the Luxe Collection by Florabella at about 47%, plus I turned off a few of the layers and softened the opacity on some of the others. There's no perfect formula; just tweaking a bit here and there until you get the look you want.

5 ~ This next look was achieved with the Starlet action from the Luxe Collection by Florabella, again turning off some layers and softening or increasing opacity. This is my favorite stylized look, and the one that I chose for my final image, but there's a million other directions I could have taken it. I love how this portrait looks a little surreal with the color shifts, but it's also very soft and creamy. Very Hollywood glamour, and perfect for bridal portraits!

and here's a zoom-in to see more detail:

6 ~ And this last image was achieved with the B&W Mink action from the Luxe Collection by Florabella with some tweaking. It also has a very Hollywood glamour kind of feel with it's warm browns and creamy skin tones.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing a little of how I work. Again, please feel free to ask any questions through the comments section below. I'd love to clarify anything for you!

Here's my equipment list for this shot set-up, as promised:

Canon 5D Mark II

Canon 85mm 1.8 Lens

B400 Alien Bee Strobe

22-inch High Output Silver Beauty Dish Reflector

Cyber Commander™

CyberSync™ Receiver Plus - CSRB+

certified neutral gray card

And if you're a client interested in having me shoot your wedding, bridal or engagement photography, please inquire here. I am so thrilled to be able to finally start shooting weddings again, now that my son is old enough to be away from me for a full day!

Lastly, I'm starting something today for all my loyal blog readers...

I will regularly announce my give-aways here in my posts, and they're big ones, so you'll want to know about them as soon as they're posted. To hear about them the day of, please sign up to receive my new blog posts to your email inbox, if you haven't already. And not to worry, I don't post more than once or twice a week, sometimes less, so you won't be inundated ;-) You can unsubscribe at any time just as easily.

TOMORROW, I will be posting a give-away contest to receive a complimentary Bridal or "Just Said I Do" photo session, so if you or someone you know is about to get married or has recently gotten married, make sure you or they know about subscribing to my blog! The give-away is to announce and launch my new wedding photography services, and the resulting images from the session will be the first to grace my new wedding portfolio, as my old wedding portfolio has images from over 3 years ago, and I can't wait to have new and fresh work to share with future clients! Contest details to follow! Come check my blog tomorrow!

summer hibernation

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:15:00 +0000

wow! has it been a hot summer in Austin! i've been holing up indoors with some amazing productivity during these past few weeks. who wants to be out shooting photos in these crazy texas temps? certainly not i.

nor anyone, i imagine... unless you're photographing little boys with water hoses. more on that later.

i decided it was time to jump back in the saddle in a big way, as i've been a little too quiet lately (on this blog, on Facebook, everywhere). i've been pulling in the reigns, hunkering down, and reconfiguring nearly { everything } about the way i work. and now it's time to reach out again, say hello, and share all the fabulous new things I've been up to, and creating...

for instance, here are some new outreach cards for current and prospective clients. this first one is a special-shaped postcard (front & back) to send out with a personal note to clients before their session with me. i just love how clean & light this feels...

and here's another great card serving as a perfect little reminder to all the mamas out there to get on it, and schedule those amazing milestone sessions with me...the ones where we capture all those adorable little personality traits emerging in your your little guy or girl...

i'm standing by the phone, mamas. seriously. don't wait another second. life is moving ahead, and we have so many great moments to capture!

a side note: i could easily take images from your past or future session with me, and design a sweet personalized postcard { like the first one } for you, too, so you can reach out to your loved ones near and far. or the design just above would make a great birthday card invite or birth announcement, with the right text and photos. and, let's not forget, the holidays will be upon us before we know it. now is the time to get your holiday session booked, so i can have your holiday cards ready for you in time (die-cut cards like these, tri-folds and accordion cards are all client favorites). best months for holiday sessions are september and october. spots are filling up. jump on one today :-)

so, what else have I been up to?

i'm really glad you asked!

i've been organizing. evaluating. planning ahead. restructuring. and going deep.

my photography business model has been in major overhaul. i have lots more to share in the next few day's posts about what all i've been working on, so stay tuned!

i also have a few really great contests in the planning stages. i'll be letting readers vote on who deserves to win a session with me! which means, if you enter, you can have your friends and family vote for You to be the winner! i'll be giving away a maternity session, an engagement session, a post-wedding bride & groom session, and a newborn session! send a link to this post to all your pregnant, engaged, recently-married friends, so they can start keeping an eye out, too, for contest announcements!

on that note, have you signed up to receive my blog posts by email, yet?

You can subscribe at the top of this post by entering your email address in a box that looks like this:

it's a great way to follow along with your favorite bloggers without having to remember to go visit their site regularly. i wish every blogger that i love would offer this convenient blog feature...all their latest fabulous content coming straight to my inbox. easy peasy.

well, i gotta go take a break now, and jump into the cool and refreshing swimming pool that's right outside my door...then i'll be back later with more excellent eye-candy and announcements.

but, in the meantime, let me cool you off visually with some playful water hose action...enjoy this quick little snippet of a personal photo video that i'm working on. it's my son having a ball at grandma's ranch in fredricksburg. i can't wait to show you the whole finished piece when i'm done...

larissa

twilight in nature

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:36:00 +0000

Tonight, I was inspired to try instagr.am iPhone app for the very first time after reading a blog post on the Pioneer Woman Photo Blog with an invite to show off our best iPhone snaps. I'm so happy with the shots I was able to capture without lugging around my big DSLR camera gear. I pretty much never carry my pro gear around when it's just me and my very elusive and quick toddler going out somewhere together. I need free hands to be able to chase after him and swoop him up before he jumps into ponds and darts into streets. I'm still waiting for this phase to pass, when he graduates into finally listening to me instead of challenging any command to "Stop!" or "Wait for mama!". He just hears me and runs faster in the opposite direction :-) Typical.

Kai and I went to our very first Nature Nights at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and it was simply the perfect backdrop to have a lot of fun with my older iPhone 3G. I'm thinking it's time to upgrade to the new 4G iphone with the far superior built-in camera and flash. I bet these pics would have been oodles better (sharper, clearer) had I already upgraded my phone. These, however, aren't too shabby...

(go out and shoot yourself some of your own phone pics! super fun.)

yep - i know...

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:06:00 +0000

...two posts in a row featuring my one and only...little Mister. Couldn't help myself. Actually, photos I take of him always take the back-burner to all my client's photos. I figured it was high time to play a little catch-up with editing some of his photos. I just took these a couple of weeks ago, so they're super fresh and show exactly what he looks like these days...one month away from his 2nd birthday!

This was "haircut day"...his 2nd professional one ever. I had cut his hair 2 or 3 times in between his first professional haircut and this one. It always turns out so much nicer when someone else does it AND would you look at this cool place we got to hang out in and play afterwards?!?!? The colors were stunning! I turned it into our own little mini photo session documenting our mommy & Kai playdate at Snip-its!

handsome...isn't he ;-)

For our long-distance family and friends...enjoy some recents of Kai!

and please let me know you stopped by...leave a little comment below (that means you, too, mom ;-)

I'm thinking about entering one of these photos in a photography competition themed "babies + children". I've already entered 5 other children's portraits I've done this past year, and want to enter one of these. Help me decide which one. Out of all the above pics, which is your favorite? Comment below.

xoxo

Larissa

mother's day love

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Sat, 07 May 2011 23:44:00 +0000

I'm celebrating my second Mother's Day this year, so I thought I'd post a recent storyboard of a session I did of my son 8 months ago (he was 16 months old in these images; he's now about to turn 2). To date, these are my absolute favorite photos that I've taken of him. He's hard to photograph unless he has someone else to distract him from me and my camera, so I had his "uncle" Steve be his playmate while I focused on getting the shots. They look so sweet together...and they do share a very special bond.

You can see all the larger sizes of these images in this composite here.

To all the brilliant, amazing, dedicated mothers out there, who are passionately in love with their children (that means ALL of YOU mamas)...Happy Mother's Day! I celebrate with you on this enlightening path of self-discovery and selflessness...

window to the soul | Head-Shot Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:58:00 +0000

A few months back, I had the sweet privilege of working with a very special couple from Houston, Brian and Christy. They run a wellness / yoga / massage / life coaching / spiritual space called The Vitality Center and Vital Way Yoga, and they hired me to photograph them individually and together, to create a new collection of wellness and yoga-inspired images for their web site and print marketing. These were 3 resulting head-shots from their session that really capture their luminous inner light...a very empathic couple!

Their joined life path and compassionate nature for community inspires me...

So, today, I thought it would be nice to offer a Facebook / Blog exclusive to all my friends and community:

Get a Specially-Priced Custom Head-Shot Session with Me

Head-shots are the most time-intensive images I create. A tremendous amount of attention goes into taking the photographs themselves. There's a lot of attention to detail during the session, making sure faces aren't shiny, adjusting tons of tiny stray hairs, getting the lighting adjusted to give the face beautiful, smooth coverage and limiting harsh shadows. And that's just the beginning. I spend 2 to 3 times longer in digital post-production on head-shots, enhancing and retouching them to look both natural and extraordinary at the same time.

Browse through my entire Portfolio of Signature Head-Shots

For those reasons, headshot sessions with me usually cost more...

But not today!

If you're reading this post, you are invited to receive an exclusive head-shot session with me at the "friends and community" price of...

$150

(I would normally charge $300 for this session package)

Do it for fun, for work, for your partner, or just for yourself!

Promote yourself! Get some sweet personalized pictures to gift to your loved ones or something on the sexy side for your honey-boo! Go high-fashion or urban casual! So many directions to explore!

Session Includes:

45-Minute On-Location Session in Downtown Austin
2-3 Custom looks and outfit changes
We'll be walking around a bit, exploring several urban backdrops and scenics
5-10 Custom-edited Images for your selection in an On-line Gallery for one week.
1 Fully-Enhanced Signature Head-shot of your choice, in both high-resolution and web-optimized digital files (option to purchase additional digital files or prints; cost varies based on quantity purchased; various package options available during your ordering period)
A digital "contact print" of all the images in your gallery, which will be a fun image to post to your Facebook Profile or Blog, and will serve as a great memento of your session, preserving this time in your life forever.
25% off of any prints, canvases, promo cards, iPad photo skins, etc. for one week during your gallery posting.

Session is for 1 person only. Bring a friend or your own personal stylist along for support!

Hurry! Respond today!

I'll be honoring this promotion until May 15th, 2011 (session fee must be paid by deadline, but you can schedule your session for May or June).

Extra Bonus { no purchase necessary }

Earn an extra gift from me just by spreading the word ;-)

A $30 Gift Card that you can use however and whenever you like

You can apply it towards this head-shot session promotion or towards any other future session with me within 2011 --- simply help me reach more people and boost more traffic to my blog, by completing the following steps:

Share this promotion with your Facebook friends by posting this to your wall:

@Spirit Essence Photography is offering a fabulous Discounted Head-Shot Photo Session for a very limited time! Go check out: http://www.spiritessencephotography.blogspot.com/
Be sure to type the @ symbol before Spirit Essence Photography so that it tags our page

Like Spirit Essence Photography on Facebook. While you are there, say "hi" with a quick post on the wall
Subscribe to our blog by entering your email address in the box at top of this blog page, then press the "get posts by email" submit button.
Leave a comment here at the bottom of this post telling me you completed all of the above, and include the URL to your FB wall so I can verify your wall post.
Finally, send me an email with your mailing address, so I can mail you your $30 gift card

Thanks, y'all...your help spreading the word about Spirit Essence Photography is super appreciated, and so very needed, since the Austin market has become so saturated with weekend-warrior photographers. Steer your friends to a photographer whose work you've been following, that you know and trust :-)

down by the tracks

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:17:00 +0000

There is something just SO satisfying about a good Before + After...I can't take my eyes off this one. I had to add another sneak peek from today's editing efforts.

And to think...I thought I had nothing spectacular from this particular segment of the family session. The boys had other ideas that didn't involve wanting to be directed by me and my camera ;-)

Who knew we had actually captured a rather sweet moment of their curious attentions!

And here, we turned decent light into extraordinary light with the wonders of special lighting effect overlays...

If you're a photographer (or even if you're not), and you enjoyed seeing this Before + After, leave a comment below, letting me know you stopped by :-)

And if you're an aspiring photographer, be sure to check out this upcoming mini-workshop with me on May 7th.

three finishes

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Today, I am editing a large family photo session of this fine bunch! It's a father, two sons, and their families with four adventurous, young boys! We were chasing the light, running out of time, and wrangling the kids in efforts to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time...you know how that goes ;-)

I think we got a pretty great shot with this one!

With a great urban background like this, there are so many wonderful ways you can instantly enhance the photo to make the colors pop, get a great black and white finish, or give that warm, grungy urban vibe to the photo. With photoshop actions, one can make quick color, contrast and tone boosts, and really speed up your post-processing work flow. Here, I've used 2 actions from Florabella (Gypsy and B/W Mink), and 1 from Totally Rad Actions (Grunge Rock) to give some very different, very fun effects. I've also added my own action for creating selective background blur.

Nothin' but fun!

More to come as I continue to edit this family's session!

And, don't forget, if you're interested in learning more about taking better pictures with your own camera, consider this intimate photo workshop with me on May 7th. You'll get an instant boost in your picture-taking skills!

get to know your fancy camera | Austin Photography Class

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Everyone loves photography!

And, more and more people are buying *fancy* digital cameras with interchangeable lenses, otherwise known as DSLRs. But there's a big gap in the number of DSLR camera owners and those that really know how to use theirs.

I see far more DSLR cameras now than I did even a couple years ago. They are now more affordable than ever, and the technology is advancing so rapidly that a good camera is just far more accessible to the general public these days.

It's so helpful to learn how to move beyond auto mode, and really harness what your camera is capable of! Let’s face it, the technology can be awesome, but it is still technology, and it can’t think creatively the way you can...it's limited. The internal light meter and focusing system is smart, but there are many situations that fool the camera, causing you to end up with blown out whites or overly dark shadows, or blur or the wrong subject in focus.

If you're tired of your photos looking too much like snap-shots, and you really want to begin the process of capturing images more like a pro, than this mini-workshop is for you!

We'll sit around the table together in an intimate small group setting, and talk about the ins-and-outs of your camera's settings, when to use certain meter and focus settings, how aperture, shutterspeed and ISO all work together to achieve the perfect shot, when to use wide-angle or telephoto lenses, etc. I'll share my personal tips on capturing beautifully lit and composed portraits, so you can begin taking better shots of your children, pets and the whole family.

DSLRs can be intimidating! There are tons of buttons and switches and knobs and abbreviations that can all start to look the same after a while. Your camera will seem so much less intimidating if you have someone to help you figure it out, so I'm here to help!

Feel free to bring the kids, as long as you have someone else there to care for them, and let them have a yummy brunch and run and get their wiggles out on the Whole Foods rooftop playscape while I teach you what you need to know. I’m even planning to give away a private one-on-one session with me to deepen your knowledge even more, so you do not want to miss out!

Limited to 8 participants
PLEASE DO NOT show up the day of the workshop without contacting me prior and reserving your spot. I am sometimes spontaneous in changing the location at the last minute due to weather, etc. Also, if I have to cancel the workshop due to illness (me or my 2-yr-old), I'd hate to leave anyone in the dark as to why no one is there :-) I must be able to contact you. I must know who is coming. Plus, there are only 8 spots, afterall. Thanks for your cooperation.

Please contact me to reserve your spot or to ask any additional questions. Feel free to address your questions to me in the comments section below, as well.

Come spend a fun and casual morning with me, and learn how to adjust your camera settings for Wow pictures you'll be thrilled about!

Educate Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:27:00 +0000

With the digital age of photography, there is an ever increasing misconception of the value of professional photography. After all, it's easier than ever before to buy a good quality camera at an affordable price, begin to practice your photo skills, and use powerful digital tools that do the work for you and make your images look really cool...

Everyone now, it seems, is calling themselves a photographer :-)

And how cool is that?!! It's wonderful to explore our creative sides, and be able to take beautiful pictures of our families and loved ones. Bravo for us...truly.

The problem arises when we begin to believe that we should be able to hire a "true" professional photographer for unreasonably low compensation for their talent or time.

A true professional photographer is defined by most of these parameters:

They have studied photography / lighting / composition / business / marketing / digital workflow and post-processing in a formal education setting extensively over several years or longer.
They continually invest in their on-going education through hands-on workshops with more experienced photographers.
They invest in the best pro camera and computer equipment that their money can buy, and are constantly investing in local and remote safe image storage, as well as creativity, productivity and workflow boosters like Photoshop actions, etc.
They invest extensive time and money into marketing and customer appreciation.
They understand that a successful photographer must charge their clients the value of their skill in order to keep functioning and thriving as a viable business year after year.

The list goes on, but those are some of the big differentiators.

There are no board certifications or the like for photographers, but there should be. Anyone can create business cards and give themselves the title of professional photographer. They can put up a free blog, snap some good pictures of their best friends and their families, and start earning a few bucks to afford their hobby. Everyone starts somewhere; this is true. And because they realize their experience level is still very green, they charge very little to do a photo session for people, for the sake of building their portfolio and getting a little exposure.

There are hundreds of new photographers like this in every town. It's easier than ever to hire someone to take photos of your family for less than $50, digital files included. Everyone knows someone with a good camera willing to work for a low minimum wage to build their portfolio.

If that's what's in your budget, better to have some pictures than none.

But do give yourself the real insight of knowing what you're paying for before you hire someone.

Here are some good thoughts to consider...

Unseasoned Photographers aren't equipped to handle all of their Client's Requests

Someone who charges very little for their time and work will usually get busy very quickly, because, of course, so many people want to hire them at such a steal, right?! Then, these new photographers get overwhelmed by the number of clients they've taken on, and they get extremely behind in producing the final images and products for their clients. They begin to cut lots of corners out of necessity. They don't polish the final images to the standards of an experienced pro.

Unseasoned Photographers haven't yet had the Opportunity to learn from their Mistakes

So, guess what? They'll be learning them at your expense. They typically don't know how to optimally prepare the final images for good quality archival prints, albums, storybooks or large wall canvases. So the client either ends up with poor quality prints and products, or the photographer can't meet the demands of their client's requests in a reasonable amount of time.

A photographer who has had little experience with knowing how to digitally prepare an image for print will shy away from offering any printed types of products. There's a ton of education, trial and error that goes into monitor to printer color calibration, skilled cropping for various print and output sizes, and file-size preparation. It's daunting to the novice. Hence, the reason why they typically just offer a session and all of your images on a disc, because they don't know any better than you how to take that disc of images and get any real lasting, treasured physical keepsakes that you can hold in your hands and display on your walls, and truly Enjoy everyday.

What do You Really want to do with your beautiful family photographs?

So you spend $50 bucks, you get a session, and you end up with a disc of all your precious family photos... Your images usually then end up stuck on said disc or on your computer's harddrive, and maybe you'll remember once in a blue moon to pull them up for viewing on your monitor. You may as well just buy a tri-pod and use your camera's self-timer function, and just do your own family photo session.

But, if you've taken the time to lovingly choose the perfect outfits for your family to wear, to get everyone dressed and out the door on that special day, to hike about going from location to location, and invest a lot of time and thought into your perfect family photo session, don't you want to have so much more than what you could do by yourself? Don't you want those gorgeous, perfectly and artistically rendered prints on your wall at the end of the day? Or what about that beautiful, irreplaceable storybook on the table in your family room to gather around often, and reminisce about those special days in your family history?

All { Too-Good-to-be-True } Things Come to an End

Eventually, after a few months of a crazy shooting schedule and long, long nights editing away at the computer, these new photographers finally catch on to the fact that they are actually doing themselves a huge disservice by charging so little. They begin to run some numbers, and find that they've been working for as little as $4 an hour when all the true business costs are accounted for, and all the actual work hours are added up. It's a disheartening moment to realize this. I think most professionals have been through this stage of growing themselves into a true business.

What results is that they eventually see the value in raising their prices to the industry standards, and begin to take their efforts more seriously.

As a client, learn that it is fair and reasonable to invest a bare-bones minimum of $300 on a basic session and a few quality prints to hang on your wall with a seasoned professional photographer. Most pros, on average, charge $500-$800 for a middle-range session package, but many charge more. For the whole enchilada, expect to pay upwards of $1,200, which includes 30-40 fully enhanced images, digital files, wall prints and/or canvases, and usually specialty products like breath-taking 12x12 albums or storybooks, for the full custom experience!

There are Always New Fish in the Sea

Bargain-seekers, Fear not. Everyday, there are more and more camera owners taking that next step to start charging for their work, so there's always a fresh stream of new photographers in any market who are giving their time and talent away. So, if the economy has hit you hard, you'll always be able to find crazy-affordable new photogs out there. But take note...the adage "you get what you pay for" holds very true. Oftentimes, as an inexperienced client hiring them, the risks are high of being greatly disappointed in the outcome of your inexpensive photo session.

It's a learning lesson on both sides.

All new photographers eventually start charging appropriately for their work, and all clients eventually get tired of the disappointing experiences with cheaper photo sessions, and eventually start better researching the photographers in their city to find one that they know will truly be able to provide the quality level, artistic skill, and experience they are really seeking.

___________________________________________________

I invite you to leave a comment below with your thoughts on this post, with any experiences you've had with hiring photographers in the past, questions, opinions, etc. Let's discuss!

Hear What Other Photographers Have to Say

I'm always compiling great posts by other seasoned photographers on how much professional photography should cost, how do you choose what size prints to order for your rooms, what to look for, etc., so that you may hear a variety of viewpoints, and learn a little more about how best to choose the perfect photographer for your family's vision of your ideal photo session experience...

The Digital Era and The Photographer: A Love/Hate Relationship by Jessica Strom
BIGGER REALLY *IS* BETTER by Amy Ro Photography
And You Call Yourself a Professional? by Scott Bourne
MWAC Is a Four-Letter Word: {Mom with a Camera} by Kara Wahlgren

Yoga Art Purchase and Giveaway | Om Namah Shivaya

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Om Namah Shivaya Series

I'm giving away several sets of this beautiful featured series! Read on to find out how to enter.

click here to see it larger

I've been working on these 3 pieces for awhile now, in between photo assignments, and I finally completed them over the weekend. It's been so inspiring to create a fine art series for my yoga friends who are so deeply moved by the Anusara Invocation. The chant opens with the sanskrit mantra "Om Namah Shivaya", which translates simply to, "I bow to the presence of God within" or "I offer myself to the Light, the Auspicious Lord".

The 3 separate pieces are designed to hang together in sequence on a wall in your home studio, your bedroom, your office, on or above your puja table, or anywhere else that becomes sacred space to you. I'm offering it in a few size options, as archival prints or gallery-wrapped canvases.

I'm announcing this series for purchase and as a very special give-away this week. For this introductory offering, I'm extending special discounts through 04/18/11, for one week only. Use the 20% off coupon code: OMNAMAHSHIVAYA20

(3) 5x7 prints (final display area approx. 20"x10") | $32 ($40 after 04/18)

(3) 11x14 prints (final display area approx. 45"x17") | $96 ($120 after 04/18)

(3) 16x20 canvases (final display area approx. 52"x20") | $288 ($360 after 04/18)

If you choose either of the 2 print options, they arrive unframed, so that you can seek out your own desired frames. The 16x20 canvas option needs no frames; they arrive ready to hang.

Purchase the Om Namah Shivaya Series

And now, for the Give-Away...

Grand Prize

One Lucky Winner will receive the 16x20 Om Namah Shivaya Series as Gallery-Wrapped Canvases (a $360 value)

Additional Prizes

Three Lucky Winners will receive the 5x7 Om Namah Shivaya Series as Archival Prints (a $40 value)

How to Enter

The Om Namah Shivaya Giveaway starts today and will end on April 18th at midnight (CDT). The winners will be selected by random number generator and announced here on the blog on April 20th. Each winner will have 24 hours to claim their winnings or another winner will be selected in their place.

Please leave ONE comment below this blog post for EACH step that you complete below (tell me which step you completed); you'll get an ENTRY for EACH step that you do! All steps are not required, but the more you do, the more chances you have to win!

Here’s each step you can choose to do to enter:

Leave a comment on this blog post telling me where you'll hang your prize, if you win.
Spend $10 or more in our online store "Spirit and Spaces" Yoga Fine Art Prints ... lots of beautiful artwork for your sacred space or puja table in whatever size print options you'd like. All products are available under the "add to cart" button. Choose from:

Prints 3.5x5 up to 24x36
Canvases 8x12 up to 20x30
Artistic Covers for your iPad, iPhone, iTouch, 15" or 17" laptop
Yoga Greeting Card Sets
Mounted Photo Panel on an Easel: 5x7, 8x10 or 10x10
Mahogany Sacred Keepsake Puja Box

Like Spirit Essence Photography on Facebook. While you are there, leave some love on the wall (heart)
Make this your Facebook status:

Yoga Lovers: Go check out @Spirit Essence Photography at http://www.spiritessencephotography.blogspot.com/ to enter to win an Om Namah Shivaya Canvas Series valued at $360 for your yoga room!
Be sure to type the @ symbol before Spirit Essence Photography so that it tags our page.

Subscribe to our blog by entering your email address in the box at top of this blog page, then press the "get posts by email" submit button.

If you purchase a print or canvas set of the Om Namah Shivaya Series, and you end up being a winner of the exact same prize, you will receive a full-refund of your purchase of equal value.

As my gift to you, use this special 20% Off Coupon Code to buy ANYTHING from our online store "Spirit and Spaces" Yoga Fine Art Prints
Unlimited uses before Expiration: midnight 4/18/11
Code: OMNAMAHSHIVAYA20

Good Luck!

spring is blooming!

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:04:00 +0000

The signs of springtime in Austin are beginning to sprout up all around! With all the budding greens and new blooms, everyone is getting excited about booking their Spring Portraiture Sessions...perfect for families, children, bridal, engagement, head-shots, and yoga portraiture! The gorgeous blooming Texas Redbud trees and Mountain Laurel won't last long, and they make for stunning, colorful back-drops...

My Openings are filling up fast! I have a last-minute emergency cancellation for tomorrow morning (Saturday 3.12.11), if anyone wants to jump at a rare Austin weekend session opportunity with me. I'll discount the session fee by $50 to the first person ready to book. Just mention this post. I only have 3 other openings left for this month!!!

Get in touch with me today to request a date for your session!

Here are some lovely ideas of what we can capture together during a family portraiture session...

lauterstein-conway...the final collection

noreply@blogger.com (Larissa) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:28:00 +0000

This was such a fulfilling project...one which recently came to completion. This school is seeing some big changes now on their web site, and their hallways are about to feature large canvases of these brilliant teachers and students working together in these images.

Mr. Lauterstein sent along some kind follow-up from our time working together...

"It is rare indeed to find a photographer who can really capture the essence of their subject. I was completely impressed by Larissa and her work with my school, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School. Larissa was 100% focused, enthusiastic, easy to work with, and inspired. She grasped what we wanted thoroughly. She was well-prepared and time-efficient, which also therefore helped us stay within our budget. She is the first photographer to capture the essence and the spirit of what we do here. Spirit Essence Photography deserves its name! She has our complete endorsement."

-- David Lauterstein, Lauterstein-Conway Massage School