Sue Rissel Photography Blog

Approved!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:03:00 +0000

"You've got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with Mister In-Between" (from the song "Accentuate the Positive" by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen

Recently, I submitted four photos to Bigstock.com for approval. One made the cut!!! I could moan about the three that didn't (and I did, on Facebook), but I'm also proud that one of my favorite photos actually made it! I'm officially selling stock photography! And yes, it's the image in this post! Woot!

On a side note, I'll be taking a break from serious photography for a few months due to the winter holidays (my family celebrates Christmas... what do you celebrate?) and my new venture with Visalus Sciences' Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge. So excited!!!

Attention Warren County PA Photographers!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:40:00 +0000

One of my entries, taken at Buckaloons

The Warren Times Observer is hosting a photography contest.

Attention shutterbugs... your work could appear in the forthcoming Scenes of Warren County 2012 calendar.The Times Observer publication will feature images from photos taken in the county."We've seen many amazing photos posted to our CU site since we launched the site," Publisher Robert Patchen said.Those photos inspired the newspaper's leadership to create a calendar and "put some of those photos into print for everyone to enjoy," Patchen said. "This contest will give local photographers a chance to show Warren County through their lenses. We want to showcase local talent and the beauty of the county we live in."

Click the link above for more information and if you choose to enter the contest, GOOD LUCK!!

FREE Scrapbook Software Giveaway

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

One of my most talented photographer friends is giving away FREE scrapbooking software from My Memories.

"My Memories is an award winning digital scrapbook software that is extremely easy and fun to use! My Memories Suite is rated #1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews. Using this software, anyone can create digital scrapbooks, photobooks, cards, calendars, and gifts without having to buy expensive and complicated software programs." -Terwilliger Photo

If you are interested in winning or even obtaining a coupon code, head on over to her entry page

---> Here <----

Good Luck!!!

If you can't click on the link above, enter this address into your browser bar:
http://terwilligerphoto.blogspot.com/2011/09/free-scrapbook-software-giveaway-by-my.html

My Favorite Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Summer is winding down and the last holiday of the season finally passed. Our family made a trip to our favorite beach and braved the chilly wind to hunt for beach glass. Rather than lug around Little Ozzie (my apologies) I carried the cell phone and managed a few decent shots.

You wouldn't believe how many people were collecting rocks, driftwood, and beach glass.

We spied this abandoned wooden ladder by the pier.

The waves were rolling in strong.

Mobile Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:34:00 +0000

Occasionally, my mobile phone produces stunning results.

Chautauqua Mayville Gorge

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:57:00 +0000

All of these photos were taken at the Chautauqua Gorge (Mayville, NY) on a weekend outing.

To Color or Not to Color?

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I can't decide which way I like this better. This poor moth found refuge on my sheer curtain at home.

Rimrock: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Wood Frog

Wisp Stalks?

The trail itself.

Rimrock: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

A recent hike on the new trail at Rimrock gave me PLENTY of photographic opportunities, and since nature is right up my alley (so to speak) it was quite a treat to get so many that I enjoyed out of one hike. That said, there will be a second part.

I realize you may not see him clearly, but there is a spider there.
"I'm walking on a spider web, leave a message and I'll call you back."
-No Doubt "Spiderwebs"

Namesake

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:50:00 +0000

I'm always delighted to see flowers that bear the same name as me in the woods.
This brown-eyed Susan was growing wild off the new trail at Rimrock.

A Different Angle On Things

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:18:00 +0000

I think I loved this sunflower as much as the bee did. This post is an example of how I'll move around a subject and utilize different angles and lighting. The only problem with that is when I can't decide in the end which shot(s) I prefer most.

St. Simon's Island

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:33:00 +0000

While in Georgia over the recent holiday weekend, I did manage to pull myself away from gawking at the landscape and take some photos. In fact, I hadn't planned on photographing much, but at the suggestion of somebody special I did eventually get the camera out while visiting the beach on St. Simon's Island. I'm glad I did, because I managed to capture my first time time seeing the Atlantic Ocean.

St. Simon's Island is a beautiful mix of old and new architecture and charm. I can't wait to go back.

Happy Fourth of July

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Happy Fourth of July everybody from southeast Georgia!!

Cheeky

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:01:00 +0000

Lilacs

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Probably one of my favorite subjects to shoot (as it does seem to be the easiest) is a flower. Any flower. Any setting. It's such a non-thinking task that I can slip into a sort of Zen-spot, where my camera becomes an extension of me rather than a lugged-around accessory. It's easy to find beauty in flowers, and often just as easy to take that beauty for granted.

What really intrigued me on this particular night was that, although I was taking both shots from the same spot, all I had to do was change the angle of my stance to yield a different white balance and contrast.

Swallowtails

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Our lilac tree by the back porch was a swallowtail hot spot this past Sunday. On a whim, I decided to try photographing them. It's not nearly as easy as I thought. Not only are they super fast, but the differences in lighting due to shadows and a setting sun made it hard to get a good composite.

I saw this one several times, identified by its unfortunate missing wing/tail pieces.

Panning

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:15:00 +0000

I think it's time to invest in a monopod.

I am liking my panning shots more and more as I continue practicing.

Slow Shutter Speed

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:23:00 +0000

As an experiment, I decided to try out some slow shutter shots to get used to the technique. I chose the creek behind my house as a subject and set up the tripod (an essential tool for this task).

I think I did pretty well for the first serious attempt at it. There are many, many locations in my county to choose from, and an entire summer to practice and perfect. I am also open to suggestions and pointers (as always) if you see something I could put more attention towards.

The Beginning: Making a Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Tue, 24 May 2011 23:31:00 +0000

I have always loved photography, but I have not always embraced it as a photographer. My first camera was a 110 (as was my second... with a FLASH!). When I was in junior high, I saved up money and bought the coveted Kodak Advantix (still have it, and it still works). Believe it or not, I have only recently acquired a 35mm camera of my own. I loved to experiment and I saw beauty in everything. I didn't have to look for something to pique my interest, I just had to open my eyes and-BAM!-there it was.

When I became a mother and took on a full-time (plus overtime) job, I lost touch with this favorite hobby and eventually settled into taking family snapshots and special-occasion-only photos. I stopped looking for beauty. I stopped capturing what I saw. I stopped creating art. And I was very, very unhappy.

The night I got back in touch with photography burns in my memory. I was cleaning and my mind started to wander (as it often does when I work). My thoughts zeroed in on how unhappy I was, how unfulfilled my life felt, and it wasn't long before I started to cry. My voice, in my head, screamed out of frustration "you're not good enough at anything" and I collapsed into the nearest chair and succumbed to heavy sobs. It felt as though I wept forever, but in reality it must have only been a dozen or so minutes. As the release of pent-up emotions eased and my mind started to empty of its thoughts, I let out one soft plea into the silent room, "I just want to be good at one thing. What am I good at?"

No sooner than I had said it than my own voice answered back in my mind, just as soft, and maternally gentle: Photography

There were no shouts of joy. I did not nod in affirmation. I just sat there, opened my eyes, and stared at the wall. I debated if I had heard that voice in my head, and eventually accepted that I had. I let out a long, shuddering exhale and stood up, brushing my tears and wet wisps of hair off of my face. Was this the right answer? Was this what I was good at?

I didn't doubt my aptitude in it, I already knew that I am in my natural element when I'm behind the lens. I didn't doubt if I could "make it" as a photographer. I didn't doubt that it would bring me joy (does it ever!). But I did sit and digest this revelation seriously. It was, after all, a defining moment of my life.

Later that night, I approached a trusted friend (at the time) and discussed my wishes to properly learn photography with him. He gave me a few basics (1. take lots of photos, keep the good ones. 2. Fuji film has a green tint, Kodak has a red tint. 3. Practice, practice, practice... oh and 4. buy a few books on the subject and learn composition). It was the nudge I needed in the right direction, and boy did I hit the ground running!

I could expand on my journey further, how I met one person after another who has helped me on my way, how I've been lucky to find bargains and how I feel blessed to live in a naturally wondrous environment to practice on. I may, on a later date. For now, I want to issue a thank you to each and every one of you who have helped me become who I am today as a photographer. You've helped in deeper ways than you can even imagine.

For the Birds!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 20 May 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Over the past few days I have been patiently waiting by the living room windows so I could practice taking photos of birds. We are blessed with a small variety of bird at our feeder (Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Cardinal, Blue Jay, Indigo Bunting, Chickadee, Sparrow, Nuthatch, Catbird, and Grackle). But, as I have never really taken the time to sit and watch, or study the art of wildlife photography, I was "winging it," so to speak (haha, I kill me!), with this shoot.

I've learned a few things along the way.

1. I need a longer lens.
2. And a different place to sit and watch.
3. Because the living room windows are filthy and hard to clean.
4. Come to think of it, so is the feeder (ew).
5. I need to figure out how to shoot fast enough to capture the delicate movements, but also while having enough light.

From 154 photos, these are the (very) few shots that I liked. (Feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged!)

My favorite.

I'm determined to nail this, so I'll do a little research, play with the settings, and get back to work. Let's just consider this my "before" post, shall we? I plan to work with the good shots I took and learn from the bad shots.

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."

- James Joyce

Published Products

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:22:00 +0000

My latest published products:

Two soft cover books of various images.
The images were crisp and of high quality.

A mouse pad featuring some of my favorite flower photographs.
I was not only impressed by the quality of the photographs, but also with the quality of the mouse pad itself: thick, durable, and quite functional.

These items have inspired me to create more and find a way to share them with others (selling and/or gifts).

Both projects were completed using software on Inter-State Studio and Publishing Company's website.

Play Day: Azalea

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Wed, 11 May 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Once in a while, I chuck the "rules" (who makes those things anyway?) and take the camera out for a play day. Those are the days I forget about thirds and exposure and f-stop and shutter speed and just SHOOT. Sometimes, I deliberately mess up the settings just to see what happens (Famous last words: Go ahead, push the button.").

One of the items that captured my interest were the recently discovered azalea blooms.

It's amazing the bugs these pretty flowers attract, including a pesky photographer with nothing better to do.

Shoo, fly, don't bother me.

Peek-a-boo!

Mother's Day Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I made this for my mother for the holiday using my own photos.

She will receive a high-definition copy of this slideshow for her own personal use.

Unfortunately, some quality was sacrificed for the sake of quicker upload.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Budget Photography with Jessie Terwilliger - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

We continue from yesterday's post with Jessie Terwilliger of Terwilliger Photo regarding how/if pricing affects the quality of a client's portrait packages.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

Does budget photography have to mean low quality?

It should NOT mean low quality by any means. Photo quality wise, the consumer should base whether or not they hire the photographer on what is in the portfolio, and the photographer's portfolio should be an HONEST reflection on ability. We all get a lucky shot every now and then, and you should always put your best work forward.

Frankly, even the high end photographers put photos in their portfolios that aren't top notch. I believe that this is actually good because not every single picture that comes out is going to be 100% guaranteed as amazing as the one you saw online. (Hello Murphy's Law!)

Even the best shot in the world can be ruined because Grandma decided to use her flash on her point and shoot. or someone walking in front of your lens. Or what if it really was your fault and you have an equipment failure, or you had the thing set to 46 billion ISO?

It shouldn't happen. Not for any amount of money. But, anything is certainly possible.

When a client looks through my portfolio, they see an array of images that reflect my ability. I am artistic, I am known for getting the "little moments," and I create images that people like. I'll put it this way--nobody is telling me to lower my prices. Even my clients want to pay me more, and sometimes do. It's not customary to tip the photographer, but it is certainly welcome.

Let's get one thing clear right now, by the way. I am NOT a "shoot and burn" photographer. Thems fightin woids and I don't like them.

Shoot and burn implies that I pull them straight off the card, throw them on a disk, sharpee some date on top and shove it into an envelope and call it a job well done.

Even in my price bracket, it does me no good to throw out a bunch of less than quality photos and then hope to get more business. If that were my goal, I'd do business as "Uncle Bob's Discount Photo Mart."

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

I do light editing. I don't shop heads onto skinnier bodies, I just try to take a good photograph. I'll make contrast adjustments, I'll sharpen or saturate and even do the artsy stuff--beyond black and white conversion, I mean textures and other things that you can't do with Picasa (though I'm actually a Corel user, so when I'm asked if I photoshopped something, I can honestly say no.)

After my photos are edited, if it's a wedding I've done I'll send a nice card in the mail with a few of the photos printed right on it. (Rather than signing up for a multi-level marketing service like "send out cards," I use Snapfish. The cards cost me $2 and the print quality is fab.) The couple receives the card in the mail with the teasing little message "Just wait till you see the rest." They FLIP! They pass the card around at work (more marketing for you) and they get all super excited.

I then release a few of the photos online if I've been given permission, post a teaser blog, upload a few to my Facebook page and keep them on the edge of their seats.

But not for long. My turnover rate is two weeks.

Two weeks?

When I get home with your photos, I burn them all to a disk right away for safe keeping. Then I get started on the edits. Fortunately I am a full time photographer and so I can devote 8+ hours a day to getting your photos finished in a timely manner.

Now some might say "I am not a one hour service, they'll get them in 8 weeks because I said so." Actually, someone really said that. The photographer, who will remain nameless, said that she gets the photos done a little quicker, but that she sits on them to "build suspense."

Tell you what, if I'd just paid out the butt to have a professional photographer at my wedding, I'd be pissed if I found out that they were making me wait that long just for the sake of waiting.

I take my photography business very seriously, and I do not want to feed into the idea that it MUST take weeks and months and years to complete a job. Granted, sometimes it can. There are photographers out there who truly DO need that much time because of all of the specialized editing they do, but frankly those photographers aren't having any trouble finding work or whining about how someone who makes a few hundred dollars at a wedding with 35 people in attendance is "ruining" the industry.

So not only do I deliver in a timely manner, but I give my clients a big show of handing over their photos. I place the professionally labeled disks (ditch the sharpie and messy sticker labels and get a light scribe drive, you'll thank me and so will your clients) in a gift bag, and in that bag I include a small framed 4x6, a tape measure (so they can plan out their wall space) and a thank you card.

People send restaurant gift cards to me through the mail when they look at what I've done with their "budget" photography. It is not something to slap a sharpie'd label on, it is art and it is to be cherished and respected.

And it doesn't end there. I also send another one of those fine photo cards for their anniversary, and a desk calendar featuring their photos at christmas time. (The calendars are about $3 each at vistaprint.com.)

Shoot and burn? Let's leave that to Uncle Bob.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

How my final price is figured?

Well I may be cost effective but I'm certainly not giving it away.

I love what I do. More than anything else, or any of the hobbies I've picked up through the years. Photography IS MY THING. First of all, I really don't consider it "work" for me any more than I consider playing with my kids "babysitting."

You don't "babysit" your own kid, you raise him, and photography for me isn't "work," it's "creating."

Then again, I've got bills to pay too and it is perfectly acceptable to expect compensation for my time.

I think the easier way to answer this question is to list what is NOT factored into my price. My equipment is paid for, so nobody is paying for my interest charges on my credit card. I work without a studio, so nobody is paying my rent. I don't buy Facebook ads, or Google ads, or anything like that. I rely on word of mouth, and for my photos to speak for themselves. If people like my work, they will hire me and they will tell their friends.

And remember, I am the favorite photographer of many many clients right now. Sure they're 20 and they work the drive thru, but in 10 years they'll be finished with law school. There is actually a very clever method to my pricing strategy.

Of course there are expenses for travel--with gas at $4.50 a gallon I certainly have to stay within a certain zone before gas itself eats into my profit.

Overall, I have very little overhead and even with a bit of equipment upgrading (second body, telephoto lens and new laptop) I am still ahead.

My final [point] is that I've looked at the market. I know who pays the big bucks for their photography and I know who wishes that they could.

Personally, I make satisfying amounts of money working with people who are appreciative of what I am able to give them, and I am certainly not at the beck and call of the over privileged.

End.

Jessie writes on her blog at Terwilliger Photo (blog) and also updates regularly on their Facebook page.

Budget Photography with Jessie Terwilliger - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sue) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:47:00 +0000

I recently posed a few questions to successful author, blogger, and photographer Jessie Terwilliger of Terwilliger Photo regarding how/if pricing affects the quality of a client's portrait packages. What started out as a candid interview quickly morphed into a full-blown guess blog post (in two parts, no less) and boasts a wealth of information that clients and new photographers can benefit from.

She was more than willing to lend her expertise and personal experiences, and I think all photographers should pay attention the points she brings to light.

Does budget photography harm the industry?
Well does it?

There are videos circulating the internet and even the smug meets about the importance of pricing your work to the industry standard, and that budget photography is harming the industry because it brings it down to a level that "real wedding photographers" should avoid being associated with.

Yet at the same time, they ridicule "Uncle Bob." Uncle Bob is a fictitious scapegoat, but a very real entity in reality. Uncle Bob represents the relative of the bride or groom who has a "pretty nice camera." Everyone has one. They might even shoot your wedding for free!

But this is dangerous because...why? Uncle Bob has never shot a wedding before, and though he takes some wicked cool pictures of the flowers in his back yard, and there's that one picture he took of your niece with chocolate pudding on her face that you made your screensaver for a while, there's nothing to suggest that he would photograph a wedding to the caliber that brides expect their weddings to be photographed.

In any case, unless Uncle Bob knows his stuff, safety relies on hiring a professional photographer.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

BUT, the groom works at wienerschnitzel, the bride does horseriding lessons. They want to get married, and everyone deserves to be married if that is their desire. They make ends meet, they've decided to have a small cordial ceremony in a little apple orchard up the road. Her dress was bought on clearance, she whipped up some sweet bouquets from some dollar store silk flowers, her bridesmaids wore stuff they already owned, and all this girl wants is a photo of the first time her handsome young Army man sees her when she comes around the corner with her arm hooked through her Dad's.

That photo will cost her thousands of dollars that she doesn't have. Why? Because there are no photograpers in her area who will even pick up the phone for anything less than $1000.

So the photography industry starts with the folks who can afford that thousand dollars. That's it. Boom, done deal. Nobody wants pictures done for less, and there isn't even a market for it.

Oh, but that scenario I just wrote about? That was real life for a real couple.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

Hi yall, I'm that budget photographer you guys have been talking smack about.

Budget photography is certainly not harming the industry. After all, those who will pay $10,000 for a wedding photographer are still going to pay $10,000 for a wedding photographer regardless of what I charge.

The fact is that there is a market that is being totally ignored. And to suggest that if we as photographers don't all rise up and raise our rates we're tarnishing our good name, well, maybe that's why people are turning to Uncle Bob.

It makes no sense to try to drive clients away from hiring their uncles with their pretty good cameras, but then charge them for what they cannot afford.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terwilliger911/

One photographer at one of my smug meets said, in regards to the recession that we're in, that the people are still out there spending money. They're in the malls, they're buying all kinds of things! It's just a matter of guiding them toward spending their money on photography.

Yes, it is true that people are still spending. But those people aren't in the market for a budget photographer anyway. If offering services at a lower rate and extending the industry to those with smaller budgets is ruining the industry as a whole, then I think the industry must be a little more unstable than I thought.

After all, how is the budget photographer harming the high end fashion industry OR the luxury wedding industry? Lots of people spend money that they don't have, but ethically, I don't want to be the kind of person who is trying to convince another person to spend money they can't afford. What they do on their own time is their own issue. The point is, know your own market, but don't disparage other markets, ESPECIALLY if it's a market you don't even want.

Bottom line, any GOOD business person should be looking at their business from the consumer's point of view, not from the "industry standard."

The guest post continues tomorrow with:
"Budget Photography with Jessie Terwilliger - Part 2:
Does budget photography have to mean low quality?"

Jessie writes on her blog at Terwilliger Photo (blog) and also updates regularly on their Facebook page.