Photo Shoot 11, December 2010

Just after Christmas, a friend of mine from school hired me to photograph her family before her husband left for D.C. Their little boy is beautiful, and as a group, they were really playful together which really helped me get some great shots.

We started at Friendship Park in San Pedro, then drove over to the Trump Golf Club (there is also public access, which I didn't know before they took me there) for the golden light of the evening sun.

This shoot turned out to be one of my favorites of all time. It was a real challenge trying to capture the beauty of the scenery while also shooting in the direct sun and getting the right angle and expressions! But I got some real gems. Here are a few of my favorites.

(Click once to enlarge)

Photo Shoot 10, October 2010

Last Friday, I drove down to Lindsay's to photo my favorite little boys, Lex & Matteo. I was totally enamored -- and fell in love all over again (I tend to do that with children!). They are very well behaved and have creative and playful personalities (though Matteo does tend to be the more serious one) and thanks to Lindsay, Ann, & Aaron, who helped keep them entertained, I was able to get some pretty dreamy shots that I was very happy with!

I had trouble towards the end of the shoot because we were losing the light quickly; it was already a gloomy day and we started the shoot at about 3:30. Many shots were turning out slightly blurry. Next time I will experiment with the ISO so the camera will capture the image a little faster (several photos I rendered unusable because of the blurry factor -- too bad, in many cases).

At one point, we got the boys to pick flowers and bring them over to me -- Lindsay grabbed my camera for some adorable shots of the boys putting flowers behind my ears. It was a moment I'll never forget! Thank you, Lindsay!

Shoot specifics:
*high-speed shutter (6 frames/sec.)
*cloud cover (no sun); late afternoon
*aperture priority

Lessons learned:
*It's all about the eyes! Get to their level and focus on the eyes.
*Use the help of the family to keep them entertained! It really works!
*Do not attempt to pose little ones. In general they will get upset and not want to stay.
*Keep them in a good mood! Once crying begins, they remain irritated for the rest of the shoot. Keep them happy!
*Children are best photographed when they're in their own environment or one where they feel most comfortable. Keep this in mind.

With Matteo -- what a darling boy!

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(click once to enlarge any photo you like)

~  Lex  ~

 

~  Matteo  ~

Photo Shoot 9, August 2010

In August, I called up my friend Kristy to photograph her baby girl. Her initials are J.A.M., so actually, we call her "Jammers" for short, though her name is actually Jordyn Ava. Our session took a little less than 2 hours; we started in the morning and ended about noon.

Jam was challenging to say the least; she would go from totally happy one moment to totally upset the next! But I learned a lot -- I think that was my favorite part. And after this shoot, I got really excited about shooting children again.

For next time:

*Shoot in the sun! Get more confident & just do it!

*Sometimes the locations I have in mind don't always work out like I think they're going to. I think the best shots ended up taking place in the front yard while we were waiting to go to the park. I had this gazebo at a nearby park all picked out and it ended up being difficult light-wise. Even the duck pond was difficult. Note to self: make more time to shoot at home.

*Invite the parents to get in the shot! It would have been easy to get some nice shots with Kristy and Jam together. Be sure to advise parents beforehand (ie before leaving the house) so appropriate clothing and make-up can be chosen.

*Bring feather boa or feather duster or anything that will keep baby busy! (I'll have to research that for next time...)

*Like the headshots I've taken before, it amazes me how a quick clothing change and background can significantly alter the mood and look of a photo. Make sure to bring along 4-6 outfits minimum and shoot at 3 locations minimum.

*I've been thinking a lot about "backyards" and how to use ours to my advantage-- instead of all the driving around, I've thought about trying to create a studio in our backyard. I already have some props... but I'd be interested in acquiring some other ones too... an antique couch or chair would be cool... an old door or collection of window panes... a wagon wheel... a collection of planter pots... and then I would have to store them somewhere. We have a garage... 

In the front yard & the rocking chair -- classic.

Baby cheeks.

Sunny baby.

Pretty in pink.

Angry & happy by the lime tree.

And with her favorite friend.

Photo Shoot 8, August 2010

Last weekend, my sister Heather hosted the greatest dinner party I've ever been to. It took place in her Colorado backyard; as an artist herself, her vision was a "Babette's Feast", "Chocolat", and "Big Night" dream a la Martha Stewart -- a spectacularly planned feast that was finally realized in this 7-course spread of deliciousness! There was even a wine service in between each course! I began taking pictures right when the preparation began on the day before. My vision was to emanate Martha Stewart Magazine a little bit, with the idea of putting together a collage of some of the best images at the end. This won't be a collage, exactly, but at least you can get a bit of an idea as to the event. It was interesting shooting food rather than people for a change. I learned quite a bit, and artistically, I actually had a lot of fun. Be sure to visit Heather's blog at www.artbyhlm.blogspot.com to see more photos of the food and the menu. These are my favorite images from the night. (click once to enlarge)