A Journey in Photography: 2011

Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts

Friday, March 23, 2012

Photo Shoot 17: December 2011

I shot these photos of baby Katelyn in December; I think she is about two weeks old here. My thoughts on shooting a newborn: wow. Not only was I amazed at the beauty and wonder of a new life, but the love, peace, and contentment of new parents. I have been so privileged to be able to shoot this beautiful baby and family, twice now. Thank you Christina and John for this amazing opportunity.

Like every shoot, I learn so much--about light, about space, about fabrics and backgrounds. This shoot took place over the course of about 4 hours. It was tough because the baby needed to eat, rest, and cry in between shots. I learned to be patient and actually enjoyed having the extra time to be able to plan. I also enjoyed photographing all her little baby parts--feet, hands, ears, nose, mouth. I did look through some photos on the internet before the shoot to get some ideas--hence, the wedding rings on her toes (which I thought turned out pretty neat!). I also played a little bit with different fabric textures, which turned out great in the b&w shots, especially the dress I brought (which I used for the background in shots 2, 3, & 5).

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Behind the Scenes 8: More Photo Packaging from Cypress Albums

Wow! Cypress Albums has done it again. This prints box arrived yesterday for my latest portrait shoot. It's a 5x5 box, made to hold 150 prints, in Vintage Linen with satin ribbon and gold imprinting. The box folds out beautifully, revealing a dvd pocket in the inside cover. The box is kept closed with a hidden magnetic closure. The prints inside are from Bay Photo, proof prints, size 4x6 on 5x5 paper. (To see photos of more Cypress products on this blog, click here. To see another fabulous proofs box from a wedding I did, click here.)

I almost cried when I saw the final product with all the photos inside -- it's beautiful, classy, and pleasing to handle. With this order, I have decided that all of my senior portrait shoots in the future will include this packaging. I love Cypress Albums for their standard of quality and especially for making my work look so amazing! Hooray for Cypress!

A ribbon tab helps lift the stack of prints out of the box (there are about 130 here)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Photo Shoot 15: October 2011

Over the summer, my aunt asked me to shoot my cousin's graduation pictures. They had actually already been done in August, but the studio who did them didn't do so hot. I actually saw the results in person -- the photos were bland (by that I mean low-contrast, not a lot of variation in color and light) and some were actually blurry. I couldn't believe it. I actually realized at that moment that yes, I'm actually pretty good at this . . . I just couldn't believe a professional studio would turn out such sub-standard work.

So about two weeks ago, my aunt officially hired me to shoot Addie, my cousin, who is a senior this year. I'm still working on post-production, but here's just a glimpse of what I've been working on. This shoot made me not only appreciate and love my family to death, but it also taught me how different someone's face (especially a young person) can look when shot from different angles and in different light. I've also known this for some time, but what the subject is wearing as well as the background can also dramatically alter the tone of the pictures. I remember my own senior pictures years ago and how different outfits and different backgrounds would completely change the feel of a photo. When I finally got my prints (it was the "thing" then to exchange wallet-sized photos with a message on the back), different friends of mine chose different ones, based on what the photo brought out in my personality. I think these shots of Addie reflect all the various sides of her. In some of them I see the little girl I've known for so many years. But I also see a beautiful young woman who I'm proud to be related to! She is just gorgeous to me.

(Click once to enlarge)

* * * * *

Thank you so much Ashley!!! It’s exactly what I was hoping for. Addie’s personality and spirit shine in your work. You capture so much more than just a face on a piece of paper (or computer screen). You are truly talented. I am so happy. Thank you again.

Love, Annie

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Behind the Scenes 7: Photo Combining

A couple of weeks ago I shot my cousin's little family -- so cute. I'm still working on post-production & have been a little behind, but here's a little peek at what I've been doing.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Behind the Scenes 6: Retouching

The last few days I've been finishing up the students at my friend's school -- I love it because I've been able to get some practice shooting different skin colors, face shapes, and body types, as well as smoothing skin surfaces. Here are a couple before & afters I think turned out pretty good. (Photoshop + Lightroom software). (Click once to enlarge)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Behind the Scenes 4: Adobe Lightroom

Finally, I have Lightroom 3, the latest software in professional digital photography! I was using Photoshop Elements for a long time--then they sent me a promotion in the mail to buy Lightroom for only $99 (it's usually $299). What a buy! I have been incredibly busy with schoolwork lately, but my good friend Vivien asked me if I would photograph her 11th grade students for their poetry books. Over the weekend I loaded Friday's shoot into Lightroom and was surprised at how intuitive it really is. I love the "punch" feature and of course the vignetting, a style lots of photographers use for portraits.

Friday's shoot was exhausting but a lot of fun. I only photographed 37 students and still was exhausted! (This one was one of my favorites... it makes me want to shoot seniors!) I'm going back this Friday to shoot more. So at least, behind the scenes, I'm pushing on! (click once to enlarge)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Photo Shoot 12, January 2011

Katie & Luke
1.30.11

Last Sunday, I flew up to Sunol, California to shoot my first wedding as lead (and sole!) photographer at Elliston Vineyards. I'm glad I did it because I learned a lot -- about my equipment, about weddings, about time constraints, about needing help!

Lessons learned:

*First of all, I worked too many hours without a break. I was too tired by the end of the night (I worked from about 9:30am to 7pm!); there was definitely the possibility for human error to seep in towards the end of the day. It could've happened -- but it didn't, praise the heavens! But the truth is, I wanted to be with the bride from start to finish. When I shadowed Valyssa's photographers at her wedding (Photo Shoot 6), I sensed the need for a photographer to be with her all day; thus it was my personal goal to do so with Katie. But seriously. I'm not Wonder Woman! Lesson: Next time, get serious about hiring help. An assistant could have photographed everything that didn't involve people (reception hall, centerpieces, favors, programs, decorations, etc.) I actually wrote that in my notes from last time. I guess I thought I could handle it. . .

Just a side note: A tremendous thank-you to Antonio, my good friend from Whittier College, who just happened to be a guest at the wedding, and who filled in (yet again!) as the last-minute extemporaneous photographer's assistant, usher, party-favor manager and coordinator (lavender-throwing), and the best all-purpose people director in the world! Another huge kiss! (Right: Antonio luring flower girl, Violet)

*I had actually planned on taking an hour or so for lunch because I knew I would need the break, but I lost track of time at the salon (where we spent the morning); I ended up only having about 15 minutes in between salon and hotel because Katie was already ahead of me. Lesson: Plan out the day & take personal breaks. Tell the bride I intend to plan for that so in case there's a moment "I miss," I won't be to blame because it was planned from the beginning. (Of course I thought about taking a break at the salon. But I didn't want to miss anything!)

*Even though I was dutifully prepared, once we arrived at the venue, things were very stressful. Not only did we have less time than I had anticipated, but it was raining -- all challenges for a first-timer. So I began prioritizing. (And suddenly I became the director of things. That was an amazing feeling!) I knew the "first look" was a priority (I didn't know this term before last weekend: it's the industry term for when the bride & groom first see each other), as was the wedding party -- so that's where I began. With the ceremony time closing in (4pm), I had to tie it up, and I still had a list of items I needed to get through with the bride and groom! Lesson: Be more strict about following the pre-planned schedule. Ask the bride & groom to be sure to be at the venue (or appointed place) no later than 15 minutes after the originally appointed time. Other than being on time for the ceremony, I now believe this is the next most important appointment to keep on a wedding day! (Fortunately, we got lucky with the weather -- the rain eased up around 3:30 and there were enough cloud breaks to continue the photos and ceremony as planned!)

Beautiful things:

*I was more than prepared battery-wise. I brought 4 Canon batteries, fully charged, my new battery grip and 50 extra AAs just in case. I only used two of the Canon batteries, which I have discovered are very well made and last quite a long time. I could've used a flash pack so my flash would reboot faster but, finances aside, my Speedlite did a great job.

*I typed up all my notes and thought about them forwards and backwards for months beforehand, and I retyped them the night before. And they actually served me well on the day of. A little unwieldy to carry maybe, but they worked!

*Pre-planning is key: the day before (during the rehearsal), I decided where all the pictures would take place beforehand. It worked out great!

*Once at the venue, I was fast and efficient with the time frame I had. No one became over tired or grouchy.

*I remained with the bride. All day. And I loved every moment of it.

Post-production is still on-going, but here are just a few of my favorites so far. (I will post again when my packaging arrives! Exciting!) Until then, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this and especially to thank you for your enduring support and love. I don't know that I could've done it without you. (Sorry -- I know "you" is a floating pronoun and somewhat impersonal, but all of my antecedents know who they are. . . I love you!)

(Click once to enlarge)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Behind the Scenes 1: Photo Packaging from Cypress Albums

Greetings, loyal fans! I have been spending a lot of time lately on thinking about, researching, and ordering photo packaging and branding. Here's the scoop!

Determined to find the most quality photo presentation products on the market, I finally found a company called Cypress (cypressalbums.com). Thankfully they are located in Glendale, so I was able to drive over there one weekend last fall to check out their stuff in person.

I tend to have champagne taste, so I wanted to make sure these keepsake products were as good as they looked online. They were better.

The company doesn't have a separate store, but merely a showroom to the side of their workshop (which is, from another paper-lover's point of view, VERY cool to see in person!) dedicated to the display of several samples of their fine work. I was totally enamored. I fell in love with just about everything. (No one actually saw me come in at first; I was glad for this because I wanted all the time in the world to be able to browse and enjoy myself on my own!) Considering my current business needs, I particularly fell in love with their dvd folios and proof boxes.

When I read about the proprietor of Cypress, I learned that she was an artist herself, and when, as a bride, she couldn't find the type of quality and style in an album she was looking for, she "learned the ancient art of bookmaking" and started her own company. Her products are exquisite and 100% handmade. They carry albums, boxes, and folios of all kinds. What's also neat is they will work with photographers individually to come up with custom designs (they sell to professional photographers only!). Most of their products are custom anyway because they're handmade with a customer's choice of silk fabric and ribbon. Exciting!

I finally took the plunge for my most recent order. When perusing Cypress's blog, I found photos of this dvd folio: (click once to enlarge)

I thought the colors were basic and lovely, so I went for it (black silk, cranberry ribbon). Notice how the name of the photographer peeks out from the right side of the folio. (Yvette Roman Photography)

I don't have a cd printer, so I did some research and found other photographers who had used a company called Discmakers. I ordered 3 blank printed dvds; 4 came. The order also took approximately 3 weeks. I was not happy about this. And to top it off, the quality of the on-disc printing was sub-standard; my logo and the printing of the client's name at the bottom were pixelated (however, you won't be able to tell from these photos). I guess I will have to keep experimenting with quality disc printing.

Pixelation problems aside, I feel very satisfied about the way my first order turned out. And my client was even more thrilled. She received something beautiful and special that she can display in her home and treasure for years to come. The presentation of the dvd inside the folio made the entire experience even more meaningful.

I also had Cypress emboss my studio name on the back (not pictured) and ordered some stickers from Zazzle (average quality; I think I'll end up just making my own). Cypress wraps the folio in parchment; I added my sticker and voila! A beautiful order completed.

For your (and my) pleasure, I also found several other examples of Cypress specialties at various other photographers' websites. Here are a few of my favorites . . .

Custom proof box with 3 small window openings on the cover (looks like 5x7s?)