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Chesapeake, VA newborn photographer

2018-07-24T11:34:00.006-07:00

newborn photographer Virginia Beach, VA. Newborn pictures, baby portraits, senior pictures, family photos, photography studio, Chesapeake, VA, Norfolk, VA headshots, boudoir photography.

Minecraft Birthday Party with Free Printables

2015-12-22T09:43:00.001-08:00

newborn photographer, Chesapeake, VA, baby photographer Virginia Beach, VA, cake smash photographer Norfolk, VA , family photographer, headshots, professional portrait studio Virginia and North Carolina

The nice thing about being a photographer, when it comes time to throw a birthday party, is knowing how to use photoshop to create printable décor! (newborn photographer in Chesapeake, VA)

For my son's sixth birthday he wanted a Minecraft party- what little boy doesn't, right?! After scouring Pinterest and deciding what I wanted to do, I set to work creating what I would need.

Enderman party favor bags

These bags were pretty easy to put together! Just pick up some black bags from your local Party City (or similar store), print out the printable eyes I've created here, cut them out, and glue them onto the bags. Click here to download the printable eyes.

TNT party favors

These were a little more work, but I thought they turned out nicely. I ordered these 2 inch clear boxes off Amazon. I took a piece of printer paper, cut the strips about an inch tall, folded them in four to make them fit inside the boxes, and wrote TNT on each side with a sharpie. Then I taped it into the inside of the box and filled the box with red vines (which had to be cut to fit in the box).

Food Labels

Click here to download these food label tents.

Here's what those look like in use.

Invitations

To download the free printable Minecraft invitations click here.

The Low Down on Metering

2013-09-04T17:52:00.002-07:00

Chesapeake, VA senior portraits

boudoir photography Virginia Beach, VA, pin-up photos Chesapeake, VA, Pin up pictures, boudoir photographer, Norfolk, VA

As a self taught photographer, I found there were some essential things I didn't learn until months into my business. Some of these were just things I stumbled upon on blogs. I am embarrassed to say it, but metering was one of those things for me, which is crazy because metering is so important!

When you shoot in manual mode, your meter tells you if your image will be properly exposed with your current settings. Keep in mind your camera can be fooled by trickly lighting situations and it isn't always right, so you should always take a test shot and see if you need to make any adjustements. Your camera will assess the light based on one of three different metering choices:

Overall Metering
Simply put, if you have set your camera to overall metering it will take in the whole scene in your viewfinder to decide if your image will be correctly exposed. In general, portrait photographers do not use overall metering too often because we are more concerned with our subject being perfectly exposed, even if it means sacrifising the background to a little under or over exposure.

Center-Weighted Metering

Spot Metering

Photographer Interview with Lindsey VanTiem

2012-04-09T06:00:00.002-07:00

Newborn Photographer, Chesapeake, VA, newborn photographer, Virginia Beach, VA
http://sweetconfectionsphotography.com

So Lindsey, you do a little bit of everything. What types of sessions do you like the most and why?

I decided this year I would specialize in newborn through age 1 with a few older children's portraits as well. Newborns are definitely my absolute favorite subject which is why I specialize in that age through 1 year. If I am not called the "Baby Whisperer" at least once during their session then I am not doing my job to make the baby feel comfortable or the parents feeling at ease with choosing me as their photographer. I love newborns for the fact that they are so new and fragile yet durable {If that makes sense}. They can be molded, folded and posed all the while staying asleep if I am doing my job properly. Having a sense of confidence, calmness and a soft approach comes in handy as well.

You have so many adorable props! What are your favorite prop shops?

I have been collecting props since high school which is not something my parents were thrilled about having in their basement. But they supported the fact that they would eventually be used more than once a month. As time goes on I have amassed a vast collection from all over the place. I don't really confine myself to any specific store but you can often find me at any second hand store or a fun thrift shop, flea markets, antique malls and obscure hole-in-the- wall stores- you never know what they might have. Although I would be lying if I didn't say Hobby Lobby, Marshalls and TJ Maxx are my local go- to places. JoAnn's, Michaels and even Home Depot or Lowes have some great finds for backgrounds, moldings and wood flooring. I have also discovered the greatness of Ikea so I will be utilizing that store a lot more. My husband is shaking his head at this but supports my business and therefore me so he just smiles all the while crying inside at all the collectibles laying around the house most days.

We all love to hear how others got started in the business, tell us how you got your start in photography and what things you feel have made you successful.

I think my parents started me in photography without ever really trying. They bought me my first camera for Christmas in 5th grade- it was neon green and a Kodak. I bought film with my birthday money and really have not looked back. Every year they would "upgrade" my camera to something more durable and age appropriate but never the expensive ones {With the exception of my first point and shoot digital} that my Dad dropped and broke shortly after I received it. In high school I was part of the year book class and often took a ton of images. I look back at the yearbook and I am pretty sure I took over half the images in there which is fun to think about but also dates me so we won't go there. Eventually I went on to attend Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. They didn't have a major in Photography so I went for Art History with a concentration in the History of Photography. I worked with an amazing mentor, Claude Baillargeon, who helped me work my major into something that would work for my life plan. I took every Studio Art class available in hopes of the college offering it as a major. They did in my final year so I was fortunate enough to have taken all my classes prior and work it out where I could minor in Studio Art but mostly concentrate in Photography. I am debating on going back for a full major in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography. I think I am three classes shy of another Bachelors of Fine Arts. Maybe someday but until then I am enjoying where I am today and happy with just one BFA. I think part of being a successful photographer is being a "People person/pleaser" to some extent. Just knowing I work for my clients and their happiness depends on putting my heart into each image drives me to want to be the best I can be. Never would I think about talking down to my clients in any way, shape or form that is disrespectful toward them or their children. I treat everyone the way I would want to be treated as a customer. Also without all the mentors I had throughout college and the supportive network of family, friends and peers I would not have the confidence in my abilities nor would I know how to "keep it real" and be humbled by the journey I have made up to this point. In turn I try to help others as much as I can to pay it forward.

And we have to ask, what do you shoot with and which are your favorite lenses?

I am a Canon girl but have had my fair share of different cameras. As you know I started out using the Kodak in 5th grade and in college I ran with a Pentax K1000. I just upgraded to the 5D Mark ii which seems a little less impressive now that the 5D Mark iii is being released {Insert a low, whimpering cry now}. My backup camera is now the Canon 50D. And to be honest when I first started in digital I only had kit lenses because all my really nice equipment and money went into the equipment I had for my manual 35mm Pentax from college. No one knew I was using kit lenses so I guess it was okay for just starting off but then again the digital era had just made a turn and no one really could tell the difference between a shotty lens and the grain caused from only having an 8 mp digital :) I would not do it that way if I had another option at 19 years old but rather I would have continued to use my 35mm film camera and save, save save. Right now I have the 50mm 1.8 but am upgrading to the 1.4 within the next few months, 24-105 L, 28-135, 75-300. I have a flash but prefer my studio lights on a trigger to add more light than my flash would offer. I use Photogenic Professional Lighting System at every session. If I am shooting a wedding I rent my lenses from Borrowlenses.com. My fave right now if the 24-105mm L glass. It has a great zoom but still has that sharpness and allows for some good bokeh similar to the 50mm.

What ages do you find the most fun, easiest, and most challenging to photography? Any quick tips on overcoming any of those challenges?

When I first started out every age except Seniors were a bit difficult. But now after doing this for so long I have each age group nailed down to what I can bribe them with. The easiest sessions for me are newborns (Well most of them anyway). The hardest age I would say is 3-4 months because they are stuck in the can't sit, want to roll, floppy baby stage. Props come in handy for those sessions. All other ages are pretty simple as long as you stay calm, have patience and know that children are going to be movers & shakers then you will have more fun than stress. Oh and of course my secret to all the different ages are bringing Gerbers Puffs for little ones (really easy to edit out of fingers, sitting on props or on wood floors), a jar of candies for toddlers and siblings to see sitting next to me- Yes I bribe hardcore!! Once they finish with their portraits they can pick one piece or two if Mom says it is okay (I always ask before I even bring in the jar). Even communicate with the parents to see when nap or lunch time is so you can avoid those two most cranky times for a child.

And finally, tell us a little more about you (the non-photographer side of Lindsey)

I am the Mom of two wild, crazy boys and am thinking of adding a third to the mix {I blame this on all the newborns lately}. I married my high school sweetheart who is a fiercely, loyal fan that is always pushing me to do what I love. On any given day or should I say night I am up until 3 am or later working so I do not take away time from my family. Although I am pretty sure it is because I have insomnia! Humor is my ice breaker for everything especially when I am nervous. I am obsessed with movies- all movies, love em all! Any Nicholas Sparks novels, the Twilight movies {I even went to a movie premiere and met Kristin Stewart and stood next to Taylor Lautner- Nerd alert} and basically any chick lit that is by Emily Giffin are on my table all year long. I have a school girl obsession with Channing Tatum and Robert Pattinson and if they were ever in front of my camera I could not physically function to take their pictures. Hmmm what else...Indie music is my muse, old jazz with all the instruments of that era makes me instantly calm and doing something artistic or crafty makes my mind feel free. Other than that I am an old soul who collects vintage cameras and would rather sit home & watch movies or read while hanging out with my family. That is me in a nutshell.

Big thank you to Lindsey for giving us some fabulous insights into your busy world! Stop by and visit her website or facebook page to see more of her gorgeous work.

Photo of Lindsey and Lindsey with her family courtesy Shanell Edwards.

Editing 101- Making your photos pop using curves

2012-04-06T23:09:00.048-07:00

This is the first tutorial in my brand new series- editing 101. Learn some tips and tricks for making your photos look more professional, one lesson at a time. Please excuse the small size of this video. Between this video and the next I will be working on getting them to show up larger here (without having to go full screen).
This lesson is on using curves to give your photos that pop that really takes your image from flat and amateur to professional. Knowing how to use curves is SO essential to making your photos look professional. If you are still intimidated by curves you are not alone, but it's time to dive in and start playing with the most powerful tool in Photoshop! There are many things you can do with curves and this is just one of them. Photographer Chesapeake, VA, Portrait studio Virginia Beach, VA
http://sweetconfectionsphotography.com

Here is the final edit of this photo. Other aspects of this edit will be covered in future tutorials.

Free Birth Announcement Template

2012-03-29T06:00:00.005-07:00

Today is my youngest son's first birthday! To celebrate I have an adorable birth announcement template to share with all of you :) Newborn photographer Virginia Beach, VA, Senior Photos Chesapeake, VA
http://sweetconfectionsphotography.com
If your studio is anything like mine, Spring is full of newborn sessions. I have been gearing up for the season by preparing some adorable birth announcements for my clients to choose from. I am particularly fond of this Hello World Announcement and I wanted to spread the love and share it with all of you! You can download your free copy of the template here. Enjoy!

This template was designed using the specifications of Miller's Luxe Flat 5x7 Ornate Card.

Photographer Interview with Amy Parrish

2012-03-23T06:00:00.003-07:00

I met Amy at After Dark, where she was a teacher. She is truly an inspiration! I actually had the pleasure of having her take a few photos of my own family and they are truly the kind that take your breath away. It's no wonder Amy has been able to build a very successful business! baby photographer Chesapeake, VA, newborn photos Virginia Beach

1) Amy, you have truly been a trendsetter in family photography! How do you keep yourself inspired and creative?
Really? A trendsetter? I think all I do is go out there and try to have as much fun as possible. I do get bored rather easily. When I get tired of the same locations/looks, I try to force myself to do something new. In the past couple of years I've also started working on more personal projects and have found that these have made a huge impact on the work I create for my portrait clients.

2) When you aren't hard at work, what do you love to do?
I love meandering through the woods and being close to nature. I just moved into an old farmhouse and, aside from moving/painting, have been keeping myself entertained by digging in the mud, splashing in the creek and have been on the lookout for salamanders (no luck yet!).

3) You always seem to find just the right angle at just the right time to create a family portrait that is stunning and emotional. Any tips for new family photographers?
For me, photos are a side effect. My primary focus is to get a family connecting with each other. Once you get them to forget that there's even a camera there because they're so wrapped up in each other, it's quite simple to capture those really special moments. I love getting in very close for these with a wider angle so the viewer almost feels as if they're part of that moment.

4) Let's not forget the typical question: what do you shoot with and which are your favorite lenses? Let's spice it up a little this time and throw in: Do you like to shoot wide open as much as possible or is it ever changing depending on the portrait?
I primarily photograph with the Canon 5D MKII. My Canon 24-70 2.8 is almost always on my camera, but I usually pull out an 85 1.2 a few times through a typical session as well. I shoot wide open more often than not, but (especially in family sessions when I need to have several different planes of focus), I'll also shoot at smaller apertures.

5) Tell us how you got where you are today. Did you always know you wanted to be a photographer? When did it become a profession for you? What amazing things have you experienced in the journey?
Photography was a bit of an accident for me. I first wanted to be an actress, studied Speech Communications & English in college and graduated thinking I'd become a videographer. I purchased my first DSLR a few months after college and got a job working at a high volume portrait studio. It wasn't long before I felt ready to branch out on my own, though, when I first started my website, www.amyparrish.com, I purposefully left out the word "photography" because I wasn't entirely sure it would be a direction I'd stick with (remember earlier when I said I get bored rather easily??). I invested a lot of time and money, but the emotional payback kept me going. Since then I've met so many incredible people, in all walks of life: these interactions have reaffirmed that there is still a whole lot of goodness and love in this world.

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Thank you Amy! You can see more of her fabulous work at Amy Parrish Photography or on her Facebook page.

Feature and Giveaway with Poppy Tree Frames

2012-03-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

Are you loving the boutique picture frames that are all the rage right now? I know I am! My clients can't get enough (and let's be honest, neither can I)! If you haven't checked out Poppy Tree Frames yet, you are in for a very pleasant surprise!!

They have the most gorgeous selection of frames! Tons of shapes and sizes to choose from. . . solid colors and prints. . . the possibilities are endless. And better still, their prices are amazing! With these prices you can actually make a profit offering them to your clients. My studio is decked out with boutique frames and my clients ooooh and awwww over them constantly!

To make things even easier for us, Poppy Tree Frames has come out with pre-arranged groupings (also at amazing prices). They have a grouping to fit just about any space you could imagine. Now you can impress your clients with a fabulous grouping to fit the needs of their home and match the grandeur of their images.

Want to win a fabulous 5x7 Faint frame to start your studio displays off on the right foot?

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory:

Like Poppy Tree Frames on Facebook. Then come back here and let me know you did so.

Optional extra entries:

1) Browse the Poppy Tree Frames website and come back here to let me know which frame style is your favorite.

2) Like Frame Worthy Shot on Facebook AND follow it on Pinterest (if you have a Pinterest account)

3) Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest (one entry for each thing you do). Please leave a link in the comments below so I know you have done so.

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Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do. This giveaway will run for one week. It will close on Thursday March 29th at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be announced that weekend.

DISCLAIMER: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to Frame Worthy Shot and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for the Frame Worthy Shot March Madness Giveaway. By entering the contest you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. You may not reside in Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India according to Facebook.

DIY Prop Tutorial: The 3 Minute Bow Tie

2012-03-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

senior pictures, Virginia Beach senior photographer, Chesapeake, VA family photographer

Okay, so here's the story behind this bow tie. I had this fabulous stylized session planned for my son and his adorable little friend (also known as my best friend's daughter). I wanted to give his outfit more of a vintage feel so I decided to add a bow tie. The only problem is I live in Western Washington when the weather is super unpredictable.

When all of a sudden tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees I was not entirely prepared. I was throwing things together all day to beat the sun and catch that gorgeous backlighting. (Luckily we made it because we haven't had a nice day since. In fact, it snowed here today!!) Anyways, as we were about to walk out the door I realized I still needed my bow tie!

So here's how I whipped out an adorable bow tie in about 3 minutes.

Supplies

- a sheet (or scrap) of felt in desired color

- scissors

- a hot glue gun

- a piece of bulky or extra-bulky weight yarn

Tutorial

Step 1: Cut a piece of felt approximately 1 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches.

Step 2: Fold the piece of felt in half lengthwise. Put a small dab of glue down at the bottom of the fold.

Step 3: Fold both sides back down like so. Secure them down with hot glue (careful not to burn yourself)! This will then be the back of your bow tie.

Step 4: Cut a piece of bulky weight yarn about 20 inches long and glue the middle of it onto the middle of the back of your bow tie. When you are tying onto your little one you will want to tie a very small bow, then trim the ends short so it can all be tucked under the collar.

That's it, you're done! It's not something you would want to sell (lol, funny thought, I know) but it cost me less than $1 and it sure looked cute in my photo shoot, didn't it?!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, thanks for reading :)

DIY Prop Tutorial: The Itty Bitty Headband

2012-03-06T09:49:00.002-08:00

I am guest blogging over at Prop Insanity today! {yay!} Go check out my tutorial for making these adorable little headbands that are oh so popular in newborn portraits right now. You may be surprised (or maybe not) at just how fast and easy they are to make! Etsy online classes should also be able to teach you how to create other cute baby accessories.

Also don't forget, you can win one of these by entering our first weekly photo challenge! Click here to go enter and join in the fun {please :)} ! The top three winners will also get featured here on Frame Worthy Shot. I'll be introducing this week's fabulous guest judge Wednesday or Thursday!

March Giveaway Extravaganza is still open so if you haven't entered yet go check it out for your chance to win almost $1,300 in fabulous prizes! And if you have been considering purchasing anything from one of the awesome vendors remember that lands you an extra entry!

Free 5x7 Birth Announcement Template

2012-02-18T23:35:00.001-08:00

Hello all! This is one of my favorite girly birth announcements, the Emma Announcement :) I've been working hard on some awesome new designs so you can expect many more great freebies like this one.

I love sharing awesome digital freebies with my loyal readers! If you download my templates and love them, please share the love and comment here and/or share this post on Pinterest or Facebook!

You can download the Emma Birth Announcement Template here.

Download the fonts I used here and here.

Free Photoshop Action Set: Basic (but powerful) Photo Fixes

2012-02-10T00:37:00.003-08:00

So I have been diving headfirst into learning all the advanced features of Photoshop the last few days and I have made my very first action set that I would like to share with all of you! You may also want to check out photography classes at online universities that can teach you different post production techniques and effects to make your photos even more appealing.

It contains six actions that will help make your photos look more professional and visually pleasing. Remember to play with the opacities. Most of the time you won't want the action at it's full strength so by lowering the opacity you have more control over it. If an action isn't strong enough for you, you can always run it again!

Most of the actions probably won't work to their full potential in Elements, but I will work on making a set like this compatible with Elements in the next month or so. Meanwhile feel free to test them out in Elements and let me know how they work there. Since this is my first time doing this, please let me know if you run into any glitches!

Actions included:
- Sweet Pea Vintage
- Color Boost and Sharpen
- Warm Me Up
- Take Out Red
- Soft Vignette
- Portrait Black and White

More action sets to come! Like Frame Worthy Shot on Facebook to stay informed when new freebies are posted.

Click here to download your set. Installing actions is really simple, but if you need help installing the actions, this video is helpful.

Marketing and Sales: Lesson 1 {Creating Print Packages}

2012-02-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

For the first year of my business I included the DVD of images with the session (terrible I know, but I was trying to build my portfolio and get some practice and experience). When I finally decided that I was way too talented for the prices I was charging I knew it was time to start requiring a print purchase on top of the session fee.

I looked at what a lot of other photographers offered and just kind of threw some packages together. They didn't really have any meaning to me. I didn't know which one I wanted my clients to purchase or why I was offering certain things at certain price levels. My sales were pretty sporadic with these packages, I never knew which one people would choose and I wasn't making quite what I wanted to for all the time I put into each session.

Feeling overworked and underpaid isn't good for your business so I knew I needed to re-create my packages. My first step was to decide how much I wanted to make from each session. My next step was to create a package that would leave me with that profit while providing enough great stuff to my clients that they felt they were getting a good deal as well.

To choose what goes into this package think about what you want to sell. If you hate designing albums you won't want to include an album in this package. Whatever you do include in this package should be the things you display a lot of in your studio and talk a lot about to your clients during their session (pre-selling). This will end up being very different for each photographer.

For me, I included the DVD of images (printable up to 8x10) in that package because I knew it would pretty much guarantee me to sell that package almost every time because people are so fixated on getting the DVD now days. I realize many photographers wouldn't want to do this because you are pretty much capping yourself off at that price for most sessions. For me, as of right now, I'm okay with that.

Once you've got your ideal package created you'll want to create a couple packages below it and one package above it. I've heard other photographers tell me that if you sell your smallest package very often there's too much in it and if you sell your largest package very often it's not expensive enough. I think that's true. I designed my other packages simply to guide people to the package I want them to choose (package 3). Of course your packages will be unique to you, but here is my pricing list for some inspiration:

Since I implemented these new packages I have sold package number 3 (with the exception of only one client) every single time! Amazing. And that was over three months ago. It's so nice having more stability in my income and being more confident in what I am providing and why it is valued at what I am charging for it.

I hope this is helpful for some of you. If any of you have any tips to add to this please comment!

DIY Prop Tutorial: Pennant Banner

2012-02-01T23:25:00.002-08:00

Pennant banners are all the rage right now for newborn and baby photography. I really wanted a boy banner and a girl banner and there are so many cute ones out there, but they are a little on the spendy side. After looking around and debating about purchasing one I realized I could probably just whip one up myself. You may also want to check out arts and crafts classes at online accredited colleges that can teach you how to make different kinds of darling pennant banners using left-over fabrics.

Now here's the thing, this is a simple, no-sew banner. I wanted it to be quick and easy. It is not heirloom quality like the ones you can purchase on Etsy. Those banners are spendy for a reason, they are double sided and stitched with love and care to make a very high quality product. I may very well purchase one of those beauties in the future but for now, since I have to pick and choose which props to spend money on, I save where I can. The banner I am going to show you how to make may fray over time or in the wash because that's what happens to fabric when you don't finish your seams (which includes lots of sewing time).

However, if you take care of the banner it should last you quite awhile and make a great, affordable, and fun prop to add to your collection.

A couple notes before we get started:

1) After seeing the finished product used in my photography there are a couple things I would change If I were to do it over again. I would choose only fabrics with small prints on them because the larger prints seem to be a little distracting. I would probably also switch the brown fabric out with another shade of blue, or maybe a soft green. The brown just seems to bold to me. I would also choose a ribbon that had no gloss/shine to it.

2) The adorable birthday outfit set was purchased from Fuzzy Cheeks Boutique.

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Okay let's get started.

Supplies:

- An assortment of fabrics. I chose to do three flags of three different fabrics (total of 9 flags) but you could choose nine different fabrics if you wanted, or do something in between. If you do three fabrics like I did, a half yard of each will be plenty. If you do nine different fabrics the little pre-cut portions (I think they're called fabric quarters) would easily be enough for one or two flags.

- Fabric scissors

- A ruler

- Fabric chalk or normal chalk

- A piece of paper

- A roll of 1 inch wide ribbon (that coordinates with your fabric)

- A hot glue gun

Steps:

Well there you have it. I hope some of you will have fun trying this out and making yourself an adorable pennant banner! I would love to see any photos if you do try it out! Let me know if there are any questions.

Free 11x14 Storyboard Template (and some exciting things to come. . .)

2012-01-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

I love this storyboard! Clients get so excited when I show them something unique like this that they can display and show off in their home. This is a personal favorite so I hope some of you will enjoy it as much as I do :) You can download it here.

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Okay now on to that exciting news. . . I have started organizing a giveaway extravaganza! One event, three HUMONGOUS prizes, tons of fabulous vendors, and lots of fun! I've already had so many really exciting vendors jump on board, including the fabulous Wild Sorbet (see post below this one). I am only inviting companies that I love, most of which I am already a loyal customer to so these are going to be some fabulous prizes. The giveaway will begin March 1st so mark your calendars!

Free Blog Board/Web Board Templates

2012-01-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how long it can take to blog your sessions. Using blog boards helps to streamline the process for me and it also makes things look nice and tidy. My business photo blog is 900 pixels wide so I typically build my blog boards to be 900 pixels wide that way I can choose the "original size" option once the photo is inserted into my blog post. You can see my blog here.

If you are planning to use these blog boards on your website I would resize it to fit your blog before you insert any photos. These blog boards are very easy to use, just insert your photo above the shape layer and click ctr+alt+g. Enjoy!

Blog Board 1

click here to download blog board 1

Blog Board 2

click here to download blog board 2

Blog Board 3

click here to download blog board 3

Taking Your Own Family Pictures

2012-01-25T11:21:00.002-08:00

I am being featured over at Inspired by Family Magazine today! I hope you'll stop by and check out my article on taking your own family portaits. Hope you're all having a fabulous Wednesday :)Alternatively, you may also want to check photography classes at online colleges that can teach you the Do’s and Don’ts of Family Portraits.

Family Portraits: What to Wear

2012-01-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

Saratoga Springs Family Photographer

When planning family portraits, wardrobes play a huge role in the final outcome! And any of you who have had the joy of trying to coordinate outfits for your whole family know just how challenging that can be. Here's what I tell my clients to help them prepare for their session:

Please plan outfits carefully. Solid colors are great (and slimming). Layering and texture are essential for adding visual interest. Be careful with busy prints (they can look good but must be planned carefully) and avoid tees with large logos or words on them. Choose colors that coordinate and compliment each other, but do not match exactly.

The layering on the dad and little guy here are perfect, they have tons of visual interest. I usually recommend a solid color, especially for mom, but this particular mom is thin and pulls off the print very nicely. It adds visual interest since the other family members are wearing solids.

Accessorize!!! Add a scarf, a cardigan, a blazer, an awesome necklace, and more. Adding lots of accessories and pops of color is great. Choosing one color to be your accent color and adding it here and there can be fun. An outfit that looks great in person can look boring in photos if there is no accessorizing.
Think about your outfits well in advance so you can buy additional things if needed.

I loved this family's choice of color palette, bright and beautiful, bold summer colors. The print looks great on dad and there is some layering there. The solid color looks fabulous on mom and I love the texture on her top as well as the texture of the ruffles on the little one's dress.

Some great color palates are yellow and gray or earthy neutral tones like brown and beige with pops of color like purple or pink for example. Sometimes really bright, fun colors can make an awesome color palate. You may want to consider the season your photos will be taking place in (but you don’t have to!) and definitely consider which colors look good on you.

This is from my family's most recent photo session. It was Fall so I loved the earthy tones for our color palette. Getting both the boys outfits from Gymboree made it easy because they have coordinating lines. I went for a solid color for both me and the hubby to slim and balance the kiddo's outfits that were a little on the busier side. I made sure to add a great necklace to my outfit, accessorizing is important for photos.

I've put together a pinterest board with some great outfit inspiration that I also share with my clients, so you can stop by for more ideas. http://pinterest.com/jilltirrell/outfit-inspiration-for-portraits/

Hope this helps!

Complete Newborn Edit Tutorial

2012-01-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

This tutorial is for all of you new photographers who are still trying to get your newborn editing skills where you want them. I use some purchased actions in my editing, but I can say without a doubt that those actions have been one of the best investments I've made for my business. I know how to do all these things myself BUT not as well and not as efficiently. The companies that sell their actions are (usually) photoshop geniuses and having that kind of skill available to use on my work has helped set me apart from all other photographers in my city!

Okay here goes, a complete newborn edit:

I always shoot in RAW. It's amazing. When you shoot in RAW Photoshop will automatically open your image in Photoshop Camera Raw, where you can make improvements in a snap. You can often even save underexposed or overexposed photos if you've shot in RAW. So the first thing I do is make adjustments in Photoshop Camera Raw.

Here are the things I always check for and often tweak in this step:

- color balance (My photos often have a little too much red, so I move the slider towards the cyan side a little and voila, much better!)

- exposure (Very important! This depends on your style. I like bright photos so I typically brighten until I start to see hot spots then I take it back down to that level just before they showed up.)

- temperature (Would it look better if it were a bit warmer?)

- I usually raise the black a little

- I often up the clarity a little

- Sometimes fill light if my shadows are too heavy

Most photos don't need all of those edits. In this photo, for example, all I did was adjust the color balance a bit, raise the blacks to +6 and raise the clarity to +3. And then we have this to work with:

Okay now that we are in photoshop I run two of my favorite actions. The first is classic color from the Florabella Classic Workflow Collection. The second is creamy and smooth skin from Paint the Moon's Picture Perfect Portrait Mega Set. Skin smoothing is essential for newborn portraits to look professional! And now we're here:

My next step was to sharpen her eyes with the sharpen tool. I also used the patch tool to get rid of a little cut on her cheek. I then decided there was still a little too much red in her skin. There are two ways you can fix that. You can either lower the saturation of the reds by going to hue/saturation in the image menu under adjustments. You would then select reds in the drop down menu and lower the saturation to your liking, sometimes raising the brightness too. The other option is in the same menu, but instead you would select color balance and just move the red slider towards the cyan side until you like your result. In this case I went the saturation route. You can also create a layer mask if you want the changes to be made only to baby's skin and not the rest of the photo. In this case that wasn't necessary.

My last step with any photo is usually using my Boost action from Pioneer Woman (this one is free)! I rarely leave it at 100% opacity, this time I lowered it to 20%. I know you can do the same thing using curves, but I am yet to become an expert at curves.

I hope that was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions for me! Happy editing :)

Free 11x14 Storyboard Template

2012-01-01T23:21:00.000-08:00

I love this storyboard template. It's always a huge hit with my clients and it looks great framed. Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions about how to use it. You can download it here.

Free 8x8 Storybook Album Template

2011-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

This simple and elegant album is easy to customize by switching out colors. It is formated to an 8x8 lay flat press book from Millers but could easily be changed for other labs and other sizes of square albums. Download the album templates here.

My Favorite Actions

2011-12-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

Okay I want to start this post by saying that I paid for all of these actions so I have no reason to give a biased review. I have purchased A LOT of action packs. Some were better investements than others. So here you have it my favorite and most used actions. . .

Number 1:
Sparkle Eyes from Paint the Moon's Miracle Makeover. I LOVE this action. I use it on pretty much every picture I edit. It is seriously awesome. It made this action set more than worth the investment. I also occasionally use the make my skin perfect, healthy smile, and kissy lips actions.

Number 2:
Classic Color from the Florabella Classic Workflow Collection. I'll be honest, this set was pretty spendy and I rarely use any actions in the set other than this one. . . BUT I have used it in almost every picture I've edited since purchasing the set so I deem the set worth purchasing! It really is a one click edit kind of action, pretty awesome!

Number 3:
Boost from Pioneer Woman. I use this action pretty often and what's really great about it, is it's free!

Number 4:
There are two actions that I use pretty frequently from Paint the Moon's Picture Perfect Portrait Mega Set. The first is baby powder for toning down hot spots, such a necessity! The second is the creamy and smooth skin, great for babies! Of all the sets I have purchased this is probably the one with the most actions that I actually use. In addition to many "essentials" it's got several fun actions that add great effects.

Number 5:
My favorite black and white action is B/W Mink from Florabella Luxe Collection. My second favorite black and white would probably be Machiatto from Paint the Moon's Coffee Shop Set. It doesn't look good on all images, but when it does it's gorgeous!

Learning to Shoot in Manual Mode- Lesson 4 (Putting it all together)

2011-12-17T23:39:00.000-08:00

Okay we've gotten through the technical stuff, so now we've arrived at the fun part. . . actually doing it! And just in time for Christmas so you can get some great family shots. You'll want to make sure you're good and ready for this post by reading the last three posts in the series carefully and commenting with any questions.

When you are shooting in manual mode and you look through your viewfinder, you will see something like this at the bottom:

This is your meter. Your camera tells you how it thinks your image will be exposed based on your current settings, the zero being correctly exposed.

For me, I usually keep my ISO around 200 unless I find myself needing to raise it (which you may need to do more often if you don't have a lens with the ability of a wide aperture setting like 2.8 or lower). When I'm going to compose an image I choose what I want my aperture setting to be based on what depth of field I'm looking for. I usually shoot between 1.4 and 2.8 unless I'm doing groups of people who aren't on the same plane.

Once I've got my aperture setting where I want it I look through my viewfinder and see what my camera tells me. I adjust my shutter speed however I need to get my meter (as seen in the picture above) at the zero. If my shutter speed falls too low I will raise my ISO or open my aperture more so I don't risk blur. If the shutter speed is acceptable I go ahead and take a shot.

The next, very important step, is to look at the image and see what you think. Your camera can very often be fooled by lighting and backgrounds so you may need to adjust your shutter speed (or one of the other settings if you would like) and try the shot again.

And that's pretty much it. Sounds so easy now, huh? Well give it a try and start playing around. It's all about practice. And of course comment here with any questions.

Things to remember:

- Always set your white balance. So important!

- Use spot metering when shooting people. I talked more about that in one of the previous posts so look back if you don't remember.

Thanks for reading, I hope to see some pictures and hear some success stories!!!

Learning to Shoot in Manual Mode- Lesson 3 (shutter speed)

2011-12-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

The final element you must consider when adjusting your settings for correct exposure in manual mode is shutter speed. Shutter speed is pretty easy to understand, but it's very important! As we learned last week, the aperture determines how much light can get into the camera. Well the shutter speed determines how long your camera will have to collect all that light. The longer the shutter is open, the more time it has to collect light. This is why your shutter speed usually has to be lower (slower) when you are shooting in low light situations.

So the lower your number, the slower your shutter speed. This means you'll be able to get more light into your camera BUT slow shutter speeds can cause blur. When your shutter is open it is recording the image. If your shutter speed is open for too long it will register movement which will cause a blurry photo. Let's face it, you can't hold the camera perfectly still and when shooting people, they often can't hold perfectly still either.

If your subject is holding still and you hold your camera as steady as you can, many photographers are able to shoot at a shutter speed of 30. I'll be honest, I don't have the steadiest of hands so I prefer to be at at least 50. A good way around this problem is to use a tripod. You can get away with much lower shutter speeds when using a tripod.

Here's what happens when you shoot with a slow shutter speed:

I was outside and starting to lose sunlight. My shutter speed was around 20, maybe even a little slower. I had my ISO very low so all I needed to do in this case was crank up the ISO from 200 to 600 or so and I would have been able to raise my shutter speed.

Now if you are shooting a moving subject (ie. children) your shutter speed needs to be in a whole different range. With a moving subject it's best to be around 160 or higher. Granted, most children aren't always moving so you could probably shoot around 100 or 120 and get a majority of crisp images (depending on the child of course). But if your subject is really moving you're going to want to be around 200 or higher.

SIDE NOTE: Keep in mind that if your subject is moving towards or away from you (rather than across your screen) you can run into focus issues that can also cause blur. That's where continuous focus can be helpful. Here's a good explanation of the different focus modes on Nikons. It is different for Canon users so if you shoot with a Canon you may want to run a google search on focus modes for Canon. The article I linked gives a great explanation of the modes, but you may want to search on youtube or google for how to change the setting on your particular camera.

A sharp image:

See how crisp and sharp this little guy's eyes are? His eyes were my focus point (as should always be the case when shooting people). You'll notice his little body and the blanket become blurry but that is because I am shooting with an aperture setting of 1.4 and am very close to my subject. I'm hoping you remember from our last lesson that that will give me a very shallow depth of field. (ie. his face is in sharp focus but things on a different plane become quite blurry).

Shutter speed is usually my most variable setting. It's the one that I usually change through a session as I need. However, I keep an eye on it. If it starts to creep down past 50 (higher if my subjects are really on the move) I increase my ISO enough that I can raise my shutter speed. I don't like cranking my ISO up too high when I'm doing a professional shoot BUT it is much better to have a grainy image than a blurry one, so sometimes you've got to do it. However, if you ever find yourself having to go above ISO 800 for a print that the family may want enlarged (or much above 1600 in any case) you should probably invest in a better lens that will allow you to open your aperture wider, getting more light and allowing you to lower your ISO and/or raise your shutter speed.

I hope all of that made sense. Our next lesson will be how to actually put it all together and actually shoot in manual mode! Comment here with any questions!

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Homework: I bet you've guessed it already! Head on over to youtube and find out how to change your shutter speed. You don't have to take any photos yet (although you're more than welcome to if you're feeling brave) but I do want you to practice changing all of the three settings we've gone over.

Learning to Shoot in Manual Mode- Lesson 2 (Aperture)

2011-12-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

Alright it's time to dive into the second aspect of shooting in manual: aperture. What you set your aperture to makes a huge difference in how your photo will look. I almost always determine what my aperture setting is going to be first before deciding any other settings.

Once again I am going to keep this as simple as I can so I can give you everything you need to know to shoot in manual mode without overloading you with every technical detail. Basically the aperture is a device in your camera that can be opened wider to let in more light or closed tighter to let in less light. Here's the thing that is a little confusing about aperture: the lower the number, the larger your aperture, which seems counter intuitive, but once you accept that fact it's not so bad. So an aperture setting of f1.4 means your aperture is open very wide (that's almost as wide as you can ever go) where as an aperture setting of f16 means your aperture is closed down pretty narrow. You may have noticed there's always an f in front of the aperture setting.

Keep in mind there are tons of choices between the two on my chart above. Here are some rules of thumb I use:

If I'm shooting one subject (or two subjects on the same plane) I often shoot wide open around f1.4. (Exceptions to that coming later in this post).

If I'm doing a family or group where subjects are going to be in two rows (on different planes) I usually shoot between f4 and f8 and I always focus on the front subject.

If I am shooting a large group with three rows or more I'll shoot at at least f12 or f13. It's always a good idea to take a picture and then zoom in and look at everyone's faces at 100% to make sure they are all in focus. If not, increase your aperture setting.

This photo is a good demonstration for keeping your subjects on the same plane. I was shooting wide open here at f1.4. My boys were actually sitting right next to each other so they were on the same plane when I was standing directly in front of them, but then two things happened.

First I moved to the side and you notice my oldest son became much closer to the camera than my younger. He also leaned forward at the moment which made it even worse. You can notice I was focused on my youngest son and that worked fine until I moved, putting them on different planes and also my son lunged forward, putting himself even closer to the camera.

Now you could close down your aperture a little more to compensate for this, but in this case, I was shooting in low light (a hotel room) so I needed the extra light of the wide open aperture. In that case I just needed to stay directly in front of them to keep them on the same plane and thus in focus.

How do you choose an aperture setting?

Your first question should be, am I shooting in low light? If the answer is yes, then some of your creative freedom is going to be taken from you as you may be forced to open your aperture up to get enough light, as I did with the photo above. When I'm shooting in low light I usually open my aperture all the way up.

If you have enough light (you are outside, right by a large window, have really really good lighting in your house, or have studio lighting) you have the freedom to choose your aperture based on what you would like your depth of field to be. (again, shallow depth of field that comes from wide open aperture = blurry background)

Wide open aperture of f1.4 = shallow depth of field/blurry background

Small aperture opening of f16 = deep depth of field/everything in the photo is in focus (the subject is still more in focus than the background but for the most part it looks in focus).

As I mentioned earlier I often like shooting with my aperture wide open. But there are exceptions to that and that's because there is one other thing besides aperture setting, that effects depth of field. Don't worry, it's nothing too complicated. Basically, the closer you are to your subject, the shallower your depth of field will be.

Both of these images were taken with an aperture setting of f1.4, I just moved farther away from the cake pops in the second photo. Notice how much more in focus the back cake pops are when I moved back a bit? In the first photo the depth of field is so shallow only one cake pop is in focus and the rest are pretty blurry.

Lenses

The lens that came with your camera body probably only lets you open your aperture as wide as around 3.5. Lenses that open really wide (letting you get creamy blurred out background as well as shoot in low light situations) cost a pretty penny, but can be worth it if you're serious about wanting to be able to shoot indoors without using that dreaded flash.

One of my favorite lenses is a Nikon 85 mm f1.4 (the aperture opens all the way up to 1.4). Another, much less expensive, favorite is a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (the aperture opens up to 2.8). Note that if a lens gives a range for it's aperture (for example a 18-105 mm f3.5-5.6) that means as you zoom in your aperture will not be able to open as wide. It can open to 3.5 at 18mm, but only to 5.6 at 105mm.

Homework

You guessed it, go to youtube and search for "how to change the aperture setting on (insert your camera model here)" Watch the video and practice changing the aperture up down and all around. While you're at it, go back and refresh your memory on changing your ISO too.

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Okay so you may have noticed that aperture is a bit more complicated than ISO. If you have any questions leave them here in the comments and I'll do a follow up Q&A post before I jump into shutter speed. If it's making sense to you then go celebrate because aperture is the most complicated of the three elements to grasp (in my opinion anyways).