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)

Photo Shoot 7, April 2010

In April, my cousin Lindsay asked me to do a shoot of her for a Food Network competition she was entering. It was the first time I had picked up my camera in about 6 months which is still really shocking to me... my biggest excuse is my full-time job, which requires loads of energy. After some reflection, and especially witnessing Lindsay's determination to do what she loves, I can't wait to gain my good energy back to be able to do what I love.

I think the picture to the left is the picture she submitted with her application early this month. I dolled it up a bit by boosting the color and increasing the contrast. Here's what I learned from the shoot.

*Teaching school has helped me become a more efficient time manager. Before we began, I told her that I only wanted to spend about an hour on the entire shoot. With a time limit set and keeping in mind the client's tendency to grow weary after the first hour, I felt I was more efficient--I got great results in only a short period of time.

*When we were leaving the house, I advised Lindsay to bring about 4-6 different top possibilities, including a few with collars. This worked out great. I learned how the smallest changes in hairstyle, top, and background can radically change the mood of a photo.

Here are just a few of my favorites. Of course, everyone has theirs, but since this is my blog, I'm allowed to be partial! I had some fun with the iPhoto editing machine, adding color here, blurring edges there, and even cropping to see how zooming in would change the overall look. I hope you enjoy these. (Click on photo once to enlarge.)

Photo Shoot 1 & 2, March 2009

Here are the first photos from my new birthday present, the Canon 50D. The camera itself is so complicated and I'm still learning. So far I have been pretty happy with the results, although sometimes I myself don't understand how I got them! (I still don't understand how a digital camera can manufacture an ISO when there's no film...)

Today was shoot #2 with my friend Sarah. I have learned after doing two shoots with her within the same month that already I am getting bored with my classic "headshot" style -- although that is what I know and am good at. So far I have been happy that I haven't lost my touch and that my desire to create beautiful images of people is still alive and well. But shooting like that can only go so far in terms of starting up a business in order to make real money. Time to move forward.

So here's to my journey in photography... it is my hope that in the very near future, I will have a full-fledged business of my own. I want to thank Heather & Lindsay who have encouraged me to start this blog (seriously -- the accountability is a serious motivator!), and the rest of my family for contributing toward the new camera. I can't wait to photograph you!