Senior Portraits of Beautiful Natalie (Last Set)

Senior Portraits of Beautiful Natalie (#2)

Only one more set to go! Check back for the last set later.

Again...this one here is a favorite of mine in this set.

The flower/branch texture added to the next three photos is actually a Photo Duds product by Beth Forester.
You can download this freebie plugin here.

I adore this black and white version.

Some texture on the plain black background gives this one a sophisticated look.

Women Photographers Rule!

When I was in Vegas for WPPI I met a few really fun and talented women and I want to share them with you! Women photographers are growing...I hear it's about 51% women & only 49% men nowadays when not too terribly long ago it was virtually ALL MEN. WHOA girls...that's a win-win for us!

Here are the wonderful women I met who happen to be great photographers too. Check out their work when you get the chance...it'll be well worth your time.

Natalie Norton was one of them. Her awesome blog also serves as her photography website. It's a great place to visit when you want to feel soothed and hopeful. Her blog is full of positive messages and genuine feelings. It's one of my favorite blog stops during the week. I would describe Natalie's style as being classic and fresh. Natalie lives in Hawaii if you ever need a great portrait & wedding photographer.

Natalie and I actually met on the internet a couple weeks before WPPI when I discovered her blog page on the web through my friend Jen's blogspot. Jen (yet another talented photographer in NJ) posted this blog with two of Natalie's articles in it. This was the the first article. And the second was this one. What a small world!

Emily Smith is another friend I met at WPPI. We hit it off from the start-had a lot in common with each other. Emily's "Keepsake Images" rock! I adore the variety of photos she takes and the edgy style of some of them. Emily happens to be the closest to me; she lives near Death Valley, Ca if you need her services.

Marjolaine of "See through me Photography" is a wonderful portrait photographer. Her work with little ones is what stands out to me. She is originally from Paris, but is currently doing her creative work in Washington. I love the flow of her dreamy website. Marjolaine's style is completely unique and so very elegant...love, love, love it!

It was great meeting all of you and having that wonderful dinner at almost midnight (remember how long it took us all to find an open place-YIKES) during WPPI! Keep in touch friends!

Senior Portraits of Beautiful Natalie

What a fun time we had! Thanks for being so easy to work with Natalie...you were wonderful!

(Click on images to enlarge)

This first one is a favorite of mine~The sweet smile and gorgeous blue eyes are captivating in this one~
A couple creative texture edits of the same photo~

Two more fun edits of a different expression~

























More to come-very soon!

Meet Miss Madison

Miss Madison is the most fun & spirited little girl I've ever met! I was able to photograph her and her two little sisters last week for the second time. The last time was right before the Christmas holiday when I did their family's photo session & custom Christmas cards. Come back to check out Ella & Brooklynn's (the little sisters) photos later this week.

Madison's eyes are just sensational! Don't ya think???

This was a tough decision for me, but I think this is my favorite shot from Madison's session.

And in black & white~

One of her puckering up~

Looking up~

The sweetest~

A classic~

Muted & subtle tones editing gives this one a "cool" vibe~

Looking good~

A textured & very high contrast portrait manipulation~

A Numbers Challenge Offered by Jane

Remember Jane's ABC Photography Challenge to herself? She has decided to do a numbers one and wants you to join her! If you're up for it...email her and let her know.

:) :) :)

50 Must-Take Wedding Photos

Came across this today and thought it was a great check list to keep in mind when shooting a wedding.

I would add these to the list:

Bride's Wardrobe-

-dress
-shoes
-purse
-veil
-engagement ring
-macro of brides jewelry

And Don't Forget These-

-bride with maid of honor
-groom with best man
-name of wedding & reception location
-dinner/buffet served
-guest book/engagement autograph photo
-cake knife & toasting glasses
-natural lighting at the event (use a tripod, no flash)
-DJ
-bartender
-wedding planner/host/coordinator/ushers
-each guest table

Have another idea not listed? Send me a comment to add it.

Happy Wedding Shooting!

By Tony Benn

"Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure."
-Tony Benn

Been Enjoying This, But Today It's Officially Over!

Had to share Jane's idea with you. How clever was it of her to do an "ABC Photography Challenge"? She got to "Z" today and it's the cutest! Love it!!! Check it out and take the ABC Photography Challenge yourself if you dare...and remember to share it with me if you do.

Aren't Saturday's the best?! :)

For All You History Buffs

Clickiddiedoo if you choose. A cool time line here and some more interesting details such as the world's first photo here!

10 Tips on Taking Great Pictures

These are according to Kodak...and they are so basic it's almost painful, but you may get a kick out of the refresher. Ha!

Happy Friday! :)

Wedding Collage

A wedding collage page I designed from the last wedding in March. Enjoy!

My Little Lad

All natural light coming in from a window. No flash. Used a reflector and in camera softening.

Add in the classic "over the shoulder pose" and you have my little lad doing what he does-for me!

:)

The Question I'm Asked Daily

Why did you pick a Nikon and not a Canon? Everyday...without fail. Why? I spent months and months researching and asking others what their preference was and why. It didn't help. If Nikon had an edge on one thing, Canon had it on another. For me...it came down to how the camera felt and functioned in my hands. That simple. When I buy my next camera I will go feel them out and choose the same way. I have already had a chance to shoot with the wonderful new Nikon D3 and know I'd be happy with it right from the start...but, I will give Canon a fair shot when shopping. The D3 at the moment can't be beat...with the base sensitivity ISO reaching 6400! Can we say...shoot in darkness with no grain! Yeah!

Seriously...if you're like me and a little uninterested in getting overly technical, but want to know the main differences in these two camera brands take a look at this comparision which is easy to read and follow. Once you think you know all there is to know...go hold the camera, shoot with it and decide for yourself which feels best to you and which functions best in your hands. I say rent it or borrow it first, then buy!

What Can We Learn From a Dog?

I was babysitting a cutie pie named Shawn the other day for my friend and Shawn napped almost the entire time I was there...the only company I had was Mr. Dexter here. Don't let this photo of him relaxing fool ya...he was as rambunctious as they come! He happened to take a liking to me which made me feel pretty darn good.

I spent a bit of today at the dog park with my very own Zelda Bell (the fun-loving doberman I just can't get enough of-you'll see her soon I'm sure) and it made me think of how important dogs are to humans and how their actions, however simple, could applied to human kind. This is an article I read once that lends a little bit of advice on what we can learn from the dogs in our lives.

Things We Can Learn From A Dog

"Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
Allow the experience of fresh air &
the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps & stretch before rising.
Run, romp & play daily.
Eat with gusto & enthusiasm.
Be Loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent,
sit close by & nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on attention & let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water & lay under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around & wag your entire body.
No matter how often you're scolded,
don't buy into the guilt thing & pout...
run right back & make friends.
Bond with your pack.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk."

Author Unknown

My Friend Jen Weaver

I had to take today to say a little something about my dear friend-Jen Weaver of Jen Weaver Photography. If you're in the New Jersey area and are looking for a "heart & soul giving" photographer-she is who I recommend you should go with. I'm being honest here. She puts everything she has into everything she does and the results are always FANTASTIC. Not only does she do a great job at being the best photographer she can be, she is truly a giving and thoughtful friend too! Just take a quick look at her blog and you'll see how many tips & tricks she provides for other artists so they can go to one place and get the goodies instead of spending hours and hours researching in hopes of finding what they're looking for. Her newest blog on "Creative Common Textures" is just an example of how helpful this great woman is! Thanks for those textures Jen!

Jen always finds time to leave me an encouraging comment or email about my latest work and I am so very grateful for the gift of her genuine spirit in my life. Way to go JEN WEAVER!

This One Gives Me Chills! (Follow Up)

The eerie edit...pretty close to what I envisioned.

Mistakes

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
Scott Adams

This One Gives Me Chills!

"Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings-always darker, emptier and simpler."

Fredrich Nietzsche


This photograph of my son instantly hit me as thought provoking. I like the dark and the light side of it. The way the shadows hit his face, but still show the form of their origin. The "mood" of the photograph is what makes it all the more interesting to me. The intensity of the stare combined with the obvious young age of the subject...bringing the heaviness of a man to a little boy's world. I don't know-this photos gives me chills. There is another edit in my mind's eye in the works that is sure to bring the rest of you chills as well. We'll see if I can make my thoughts become reality...but lets save that for later.

“An optimist is a person who sees only the lights in the picture, whereas a pessimist sees only the shadows. An idealist, however, is one who sees the light and the shadows, but in addition sees something else: the possibility of changing the picture, of making the lights prevail over the shadows.”

Unknown Author

It's the truth

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again."

Henri Cartier-Bresson