Engagement Photos

Engagement portraits are fun photos that are timeless, they do not need to look like they were done for a church directory.  Even if we are not photographing your wedding, we would still like the opportunity to create something special for you.

Passport & CCW Photos

did you know that we do passport and ccw photos?  not only do we do them but they are done right and while you wait.  like your diver's license photo?  most people don't, while we can't do touch ups on passport or ccw photos we can make you look a whole lot better than the big box stores.

what would you rather look at for the next 10 years, a cheap mug shot or a portrait?

Digital 101 Lesson 6

Flash on Camera
have you ever taken a picture with a flash and only get half of the photo turn out?  usually it's the half that is useless.  this occurs when the camera's shutter speed is set faster than its sync speed.  every camera has a certain shutter speed that is the fastest one available before it captures the shutter in the image while using flash.  this called the sync speed.  new cameras will not let you go past this with a flash is mounted in the hot shoe but older cameras aren't quite as smart.

did you know that the distance between the camera's lens and the flash will also effect the possibility of the subject having "red eye"?  the best distance is between 12-14 inches apart.  this might mean that the flash has to be attached to the camera with a "sync" cord.  this will allow the camera to be mounted on a bracket handle and also the flash but higher.  some brackets allow for the camera to be rotated from horizontal to vertical with the flash remains above the lens while others have the flash flip over the camera for vertical shots.

a big selling point for flashes is how fast it recycles.  you fire the flash, it hums and then the ready light comes on.  this recycle time is as believable as miles per gallon on a car ad.  the ready light on some units come up at about 75%.  if you were to take two shots of the same subject, the second could be a little under exposed if you make the exposure as soon as the ready light pops up.  here's a little known secret that even most pros don't know; rechargeable batteries with recycle a flash faster than fresh alkaloids.  they have less internal resistance.

Down the Bunny Trail

don't miss out on this limited opportunity.  from March 22 thru April 3 the studio will be photographing children with live bunnies.  also... we're going to offer very affordable prices and... we are donating some of the proceeds to Kindervelt #72 which benefits Children's Hospital.  call early because this event os going to sell out.

i'm ready for spring

spring can't come soon enough.  i'm ready to get outdoors and create some images.  i love my camera room but honestly i am getting cabin fever. here's a black & white from last year. although i love b&w's, can't wait for a blue sky and some green grass.

got ring? i do weddings...

now is the time to book your 2010 wedding before all the good things are gone.  i would like to include my studio in that category.  since i personally do all of our weddings and there are only 52 weeks in the year, my schedule fills up fast.  the guys that do the big bridal shows sub-contract their weddings to part time stingers.  wouldn't you rather deal with the person whose name is on the sign?  there are a lot of people who think they are pretty good with a camera but a wedding is no place for someone without expertise, spare equipment and good people skills.  great images are hand crafted works and the lowest bidder may not be a very good place to save money.  when the flowers, cake and the music is over, the images are all that left.

Digital 101 Lesson 5

Color Harmony
did you know that are influenced by color everyday.  each color suggests something different to us.  let's take for example a shopping trip to pick up some steaks for a cook out.  have you ever thought about why the meat case is always lined with green astroturf?  to give the "down on the farm"  look, not really.  actually astroturf comes in different colors.  but... anything that is next to green appears more red.  since fresh meat is pink to red then the green background makes it more appealing to the consumer, whereas that same t-bone could be displayed on purple astroturf and no one would buy it because it appeared yellow.

fast food places know that hot colors (red, orange & yellow) project.  they make you anxious, you supersize yourself, eat fast and leave thus turning the table over for the next patron.  if they served drinks, they would want you to relax and have one or two.  this is no place for hot colors so then the choice would be pastels or earth tones.

okay let's apply this to our photography.  let's say that we are going to make a group portrait.  there are going to be four people in it.  three show in either green or blue and the fourth in red (they didn't get the memo on how to dress).  as i said above, hot colors project.  cool colors on the other hand recede.  if you lined them up in a straight line, the viewer's eye go straight to the red top.  if you grouped them with the red top in the center front for color balance, the red would pop and the others would become a background.  the solution is to place one cool color in front, two behind on the sides and finally the red directly behind.  this would cut the amount of red in the image and what little is left would optically pull the others in cool colors forward.

all of this said, people prefer warm fuzzy things to cool prickly ones.  try to arrange subjects in the same type, either all warm or all cool.

blue is the universal like me color.  nice color to wear for a job interview or to make a bank loan.  too much contrast in dress could make one appear a lot stiffer than they are.  extreme case, you can make a tuff guy look like mr. nice by putting a sweater on him. honestly this done several years ago to a news anchor because his ratings were falling.

i once spoke at a grade school where the class room was painted orange.  afterwards i asked the teacher if she had more problems with the children that room than others.  the answer was yes but she didn't know why.  think about it, how would your day start off if your bathroom was a bright orange.  you wouldn't need caffeine.  if your walls were light and the ceiling was painted black, you have back pain.

in photography, look beyond the elements of the composition and see what the colors are doing.