This weekend I was able to photograph nine day old Oliver.
He was such a little sweetie. Once he was asleep he was out and ready to pose.
My children have been very busy with the nifty-knitter making me hats to use in my photography.
Oliver had perfect skin. No rashes or blemishes like many newborns have.
Sweet dreams, Oliver!
It's not too late to get those holiday photos and Christmas card pictures!
From now until November 30th I am running a Fall Special.
The package includes:
50% off sitting fee, 3 8x10's and 5 5x7's, plus one digital file (photo of your choice) to be used on Christmas card.
for $195!
(a $350 value)
Perfect for giving to grandparents.
(free 8x10 and print credits do not apply to this special).
Blog reader Kristine asked a great question. Do I use Photoshop on my photos or are the ones put on my blog SOOC (straight out of camera)? Every photo you see on this blog and my family blog are processed in Photoshop for one simple reason: I shoot in RAW and cannot upload them until they are converted to jpeg. In addition, if I don't resize the photos they take 10-15 minutes to upload. I obviously don't have time for that. So, the short answer is, every photo you see is at least converted to jpeg, and resized and sharpened for the web.
But what she was really asking was, what do my photos look SOOC? So here's the answer.
Here is a photo I took of my four year old son Tucker. This photo has just been resized and sharpened for web, no other adjustments have been made. I loved how small he looked in the photo (compared to the big, wide ocean) and how he was framed in with the dock. I decided to process this photo and use it on my blog and in his scrapbook. Here is the result:
So what did I do? The first thing I did was crop it, so I was utilizing the rule of thirds more effectively, and your eye could focus on his being framed in by the dock. Makes for a much more interesting photo, don't you think? Then I used the sponge tool to bring out the color already present in the photo. I used the burn tool on the water to bring out the detail. Finally, I sharpened and resized for the web. How long did that process take? Probably 2-3 minutes.
And because I know you will ask, I use Photoshop CS3.
Click here for a post on my family blog about how I turned a photo shot in my carport into a beautiful portrait that hangs on my living room wall.
I've been dragging my children out for photos before the weather turns too cool.
This is six year old Jubilee.
Such a great model. And such a beautiful girl.
I met this dapper fellow seven years ago today. He was four week old bundle of joy. He slipped into my heart and became my son instantly. The judge made it official eight months later.
Such a fun age.
Adalia was full of ideas and overjoyed to pose for me.
Too bad all my models aren't this cooperative.
ETA: Just fixed the link to the article below!
Tilly (11) has had her Canon Rebel xti for about six weeks now. She has played with it (completely in auto) and become familiar with using it. Since school has started up, I am now teaching her how to shoot in manuel. {Note: when I say manuel, I mean manual settings, not manual focus. The majority of pro photographers still use auto-focus...the camera is simply faster than the human eye...}
Tilly loves photography, and has a desire to take better photos. In fact, outside earlier this week, Tilly kept asking, "why do your photos look better than mine?" and the answer was simple: I was shooting manual - therefore controlling the image. Tilly was shooting in auto and letting camera choose for her.
I should probably have an outline, a plan. Some semi-organized way to teach her (and you) about taking better photos....keep in mind though, I have never taken a photography class- so I don't even know what the "normal" order of teaching things is. I am simply working with Tilly to improve her knowledge...and sharing that information with you.
Yesterday for school, I had Tilly read this article. I put my 50mm 1.8 lens on her camera, and had her set it at AE (aperture priority- this allows the photographer to choose the aperture- but the camera sets the shutter speed and ISO). I asked Tilly, "what does aperture mean?" and her answer was "it controls how much light goes into the camera". Not bad...aperture also controls depth of field (how much of the photo is in focus). If you are new to all of this, go ahead and click on the links to learn more.
I showed Tilly how to adjust her aperture and told her to set it at 3.2. Then I sent her outside to take photos of the same object. One from close up, and one from a distance.
But she was shocked to her next photo:
If you haven't already, read the link on depth of field. It explains how depth of field is like a triangle...it's not just about setting the aperture on your camera, it's also about the distance from you subject, your subject's distance from the background, and sometimes the angle at which your shooting.
I am such a hands-on learner, that it's the only way I can teach Tilly. I wanted her to experience the difference herself, rather than have me try to explain it.
Next I told Tilly to go outside (still in aperture priority set at 3.2) and take a picture of a person. Here's what she came in with:
Next I asked her to back up and take a full body photo (same settings) and she came back with this:
And that was lesson #1 for Tilly. I hope you learned a few things along with Tilly. If you have a DSLR and shoot in full auto, switch it over to aperture priority and give it a whirl...Tilly is already thrilled with the new look of her photos, and this was just her first "lesson".
I spent Saturday morning photography little Ari. Ari is his parents fifth son!
dropped off the planet, or broken my camera. In fact, I've been busy with my camera.
Taking photos for advertisements, like this:
And photos for my church, like this:
No to mention busy with the new homeschooling year. I hope to start a series on Photography 101, so stay tuned for updates.
