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Child’s Play

May 22, 2013

If you ever visit the Powell Photography website, one thing will quickly become abundantly clear: I photograph a LOT of kids.

And I LOVE it. I love photographing adults too, of course, but children are un-self-conscious and uninhibited in a way that’s nearly impossible for grownups. If you don’t believe me, just try asking one of your adult friends to jump in a leaf pile in his Sunday best and see what reaction you get.

The challenge with photographing kids is that they’re not always up for having their pictures taken, and they don’t necessarily have the ability to communicate, “Not right now, thank you; I’m not in the mood. Perhaps we can do it this afternoon.” Any parent reading this knows exactly what happens when you try to force a kid to do something he’s dead-set against doing, and it ain’t pretty.

Also, photo sessions can be intimidating for kids. I mean, think about it: Here you are, four years old, most of your bingo balls still floating around in the draw-tank, so to speak, you’re dressed in your best clothes, which are not very comfortable and which your mother has threatened your life if you ruin, some grownup you don’t even know is pointing this scary mechanical object in your face and screaming “SMILE!!” and your dad is standing off to one side getting madder and madder because you don’t particularly want to stare down the barrel of this big ugly glass thing that looks disturbingly like something out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Really, is it any wonder kids melt down during your Christmas card shoot?

Photographing children is one of the few things that I can say with confidence that I’m really good at, and I’m about to share my big secrets with you.

Warning: These are easier said than done for most people.

1. Relax.
2. Keep your expectations low.
3. Think like a kid.

(Thinking like a kid is one of the other things I can say with confidence that I’m really good at. This is not always a fortunate thing.)

Seriously, though, where most parents and photographers run into trouble is expecting something a kid is just never going to do. The way I see it, you have two choices: You can either a) have a kid who sits up ramrod-straight and all prim and proper with his clothes smoothed neatly and his face turned just so in front of a backdrop in a studio and takes an absolutely perfect (but boring) portrait or b) you can have a kid who looks happy and like himself and STILL takes a beautiful photo. Very rarely, if ever, can you have both.

Thankfully, the vast majority of my clients would rather have the latter.

So what can YOU do in order to take better pictures of your kids?

1. Chill. Beautiful photos don’t always happen when your kid is doing precisely what you want her to do. Beautiful photos happen when you let your kid be herself. If that kid is eight years old, then yes, it’s reasonable to expect that she can sit on the sofa for a few seconds while you snap a few pictures. But that’s probably not going to happen with your preschooler. Sit on the floor with your camera and let your child PLAY. Let her have fun and be happy. Interact with her – talk, play, make silly faces, make funny noises. I promise, if you’re patient, you’ll get terrific results. If your child is older, then tell her what you want her to do, but keep it simple, and make it FAST.

2. This past February, we shot Valentine’s mini-sessions with a kissing booth my husband made. I think a grand total of two kids ended up sitting behind the kissing booth. Ah, well; lesson learned. But we ended up with a lot of precious portraits anyway. The point is, if you’ll let go of your expectations and look for the wonderful moments as they happen, you’ll both be a lot happier.

3. One of the things we did right with the Valentine’s minis was have a little stuffed frog for the kids to hold. Even the ones who were intimidated and a little scared about having their pictures taken relaxed when they held their froggy pal. Recognize that children don’t see things the way we do – strangers and cameras and new places can be disorienting at best and frightening at worst. Assure them that this whole thing is no big deal, we’re just having fun and nobody’s going to get a spanking, and it will go a long, long way toward calming them and making them a lot more willing to do what you want.

4. If you’re having professional portraits made, then sit back and let the photographer do her thing. Often, parents are embarrassed when their kids don’t want to cooperate. I’m about to say something that I want all you clients who are reading this to remember forever: I HAVE SEEN WORSE. No matter what your kid is doing, there is a kid who has done 10 times more. Unless she pulls out a switchblade and cuts me, it’s all going to be OK. And don’t worry, we’ll probably even get some good shots on the way to the ER. In all seriousness, children sense when their parents are upset, and that obviously doesn’t do anything to calm them OR you. Standing off to the side and saying “Johnny. JOHNNY. Sit down. SIT DOWN THIS MINUTE! Look at the camera! Look at her! She wants to take your picture. Do this for me. Do this one thing! Why can’t you just BEHAVE?! You’re not going to get a sucker if you don’t sit down and look at the camera. I’m calling your father,” doesn’t help and in fact can make things worse. Take a deep breath, step back and let me do the heavy lifting for you. Chances are good to excellent that Johnny and I will develop a rapport and I’ll get some shots that will make everybody happy.

5. Be flexible. Every time I do a mini-session, I have a couple of kids who are straight-up TERRIFIED. They absolutely, positively do NOT want to do this, and the very THOUGHT of letting go of Mama and sitting in front of a backdrop fills them with abject, pants-wetting fear.

No problem!

Both of the following photos were taken with the kiddo sitting on someone’s lap.

See? In this case, it’s the end result that really matters, not the process.

6. Just go with it. Don’t take yourself or the situation too seriously. Sometimes, you gotta work with what you’ve got.

Because when it’s all over, no matter what happens, what you’ve got is beautiful.

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3

Baby Business

May 14, 2013

Someone asked me the other day if I have a “specialty,” and I wasn’t quite sure how to answer. But I suppose if you base a photographer’s “specialty” on what she photographs most often, mine would certainly be babies and children.

Thanks in part to the Portrait Parties I hold three or four times a year, I’ve gotten very adept at working with little kids. My philosophy is simple: I let children do what children do, and then I photograph them doing it. Sure, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get them to hold still and look at the camera, but a) those only work for so long, and b) regardless, I think the wee bebes are the most beautiful when they’re simply being themselves.

Newborns, on the other hand? Cheese and crackers! They’re a whole other ballgame!

I’ve reached the point in other types of photography where I no longer feel abject fear on the way to a shoot. I’m nervous, sure – in fact, I think those nerves are a good thing – but not terrified the way I used to be. But I’m still really anxious on the way to every single newborn shoot, because they’re so unpredictable. But that unpredictable nature is precisely what makes them so much fun to photograph. You can plan a newborn shoot for days and days, and depending on what mood that baby’s in when you arrive, you may have to throw all your carefully-laid plans out the window and start from scratch. And that can be difficult from a practical standpoint, but creatively, it’s exhilarating.

Unpredictability is the reason I schedule four hours for newborn shoots. Most of the time, they only take an hour or two, but other times, they take every single minute of four hours. And if I possibly can, I bring an assistant along. Many’s the time when I’ve thought to myself that even two pairs of hands aren’t nearly enough! Babies don’t do what I want them to do, or what my assistant wants them to do, or even what their mothers want them to do – they do what THEY want to do, and it’s my job to document it in the best way possible. Some babies are endlessly pliable – you can place them in any position on any surface and they’ll happily snooze away. Others want nothing to do with this “photo shoot” business and make their displeasure known to the entire neighborhood. But no matter what, babies are beautiful, and unfortunately for my husband, I leave every newborn shoot wanting 10 more babies.

Newborn photography is a HUGE subject – all you have to do is Google it to find that out for yourself. But one of the most common questions is “What gear do I need to shoot newborns?”

The short answer is you need a camera and a lens. That’s it. You don’t technically NEED any more than that. In fact, Henrietta Wildsmith, who took Harper’s newborn photos, brought nothing more than that to my house, and the results were breathtaking. But if you plan to photograph newborns on a regular basis, there are a few items that can make your life a little easier.

Here’s a copy of my Newborn Shoot Checklist, i.e., The Stuff I Make The Guy Load Into My Car the Night Before a Newborn Session.

Bean bag

This is the primary surface on which I photograph most newborns. Mine is an outdoor beanbag I purchased at T.J. Maxx for $25, and it has served me extremely well. I’ve never measured it, but I’d estimate that it’s probably 2.5-3′ square. It’s made of that indoor/outdoor material, so it’s water resistant (i.e., pee- and barf-resistant) and very durable. It’s not a super squishy beanbag, though – this one is firm but pliable, which is ideal. Beanbags that are too soft are hard to use for posing and can even create a suffocation risk. If you can’t find one you think will work, Dreamy Baby Props makes a great one for just this purpose.

Blankets and throws

I pick these up whenever I find one I like. Some of the ones I bring with me to shoots are ones from around my house. Obviously, throws and blankets are available practically everywhere and are usually pretty inexpensive.

Pillow(s)

Again, I just buy these as I find them.

Waterproof mattress pad(s)

Available anywhere baby supplies are sold. The ones I use are some that I received at my baby shower that we never needed for Harper’s crib. I layer them in between the blankets and throws so that a little whiz doesn’t wet the entire stack.

Backdrop stand and clamps

You can spend as much or as little on a backdrop stand as you want. I recommend B&H and Amazon.

Reflector(s)

I prefer to shoot newborns in natural light, but since I always shoot at the client’s house, I don’t have a lot of control over the lighting situation, so reflectors are essential for bouncing light into any dark corners.

Light stand, speedlight, umbrella softbox, umbrella holder

If it’s just entirely too dark, I can use a speedlight and the softbox to create a pretty light source with no risk of blinding the baby with a flash.

Heating pad, space heater

For most of the year in Louisiana, the space heater really isn’t necessary, but the heating pad turned on low is very comfy and soothing for the baby, especially if s/he is in the buff, as most babies are for their newborn portraits. Regardless, I always ask the parents to turn the thermostat up so that the baby could be comfortable even without a heating pad or heater.

Step ladder

Sometimes I use this, sometimes I don’t, but it’s helpful for when I want to take a shot looking straight down at the baby.

Small stool

Saves me from having to kneel on the floor the entire time.

Extension cords

The best source of natural light in your client’s house may be nowhere near an outlet.

Extra shirt

One for me and one for my assistant. Few things are consistent between newborn sessions, but at least 95 percent of the time, I get peed on.

Hats, headbands, crown, baskets, buckets, alphabet blocks, chalkboard/chalk, etc.

Many times, the clients have props they’d like to use, but I always bring mine in case they don’t have anything or didn’t have time to find it and get it out. They do have a newborn, after all.

Clear pacifiers

Most parents would prefer their baby not have a pacifier in his photos, but if you have a baby who wails every time you take away his binky, then sometimes it’s easier to just let him have it. Clear pacifiers are a lot less noticeable, and you don’t have to worry about an orange paci clashing with the wee one’s pretty pink outfit. Of course, these are brand-new, still in the package and unused, and I leave them with the client at the end of the shoot. You have to sterilize them before use, but most new moms have either a sterilizer or those bags you use in the microwave. If not, you can always boil it for a few minutes.

Snacks and drinks

For me and my assistant. The parents of newborns have more than enough to do without having to feed the photographer.

(Photo by Henrietta Wildsmith)

Noise maker

I.e., Beebo, my trusty rubber-chicken dog toy. If you have a wakeful but unfussy baby, you can often get her to turn toward the sound of Beebo.

Phone charger

I have a white noise app on my phone that’s the electronic equivalent of Baby Valium, and the last thing I need when I finally get that baby calmed down and happy is my stupid phone going dead.

—-

So if you’re a photographer, what do you bring to newborn shoots? If you’re not a photographer or if you’re just starting out, what intimidates you the most about photographing newborns?

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3

Emily Post Is My Homegirl

May 6, 2013

Weddings are one of my very favorite events to shoot. They’ve got so much going for them from a creative standpoint – you’ve got two people dressed in their absolute most flattering best; everyone’s hair and makeup are perfect; the setting is gorgeous; there are dozens of beautiful, thoughtful little details; the vast majority of the time, everyone is happy and in a great mood; there’s tons of pure, raw emotion; it’s super high adrenaline; and at the end of the night, there’s cake! What more could you possibly want?!

Two of the sweetest people I know got married this weekend, one of whom happens to be a photographer. (He’s quite good, too! Check him out here.) Obviously, there were more than a few photographers in attendance as guests, in addition to the photographer they hired to shoot the wedding. And one of the things that impressed me the most is that they made it absolutely clear in the nicest possible way what their expectations were regarding guest photography. This is from their wedding website:

“We ask for no photography to be taken with a camera or a phone during the wedding. We have hired a photographer to do that so you can enjoy being in the moment with us! Please snap away at the reception!”

Honestly, I wish all couples would be that specific, no matter what their wishes are!

Recently, I had a friend ask me about something that took place at a wedding she attended. At the reception, she snagged the photographer and asked her to take a photo of my friend and her husband. She said the photographer seemed happy to oblige, but later, she thought better of it and asked my opinion. “Was that bad?” she asked. “I mean, is that rude, to ask the wedding photographer to take a specific picture, one that’s not of the bride and groom?”

In that particular situation, I think it was totally fine, but it started me thinking about how, in this day and age when everyone has cameras with them pretty much all the time, people aren’t sure what the rules of etiquette are at weddings and other formal events. Most of the time, they don’t mean to be rude or inconsiderate in any way, but they’re just not clear on which rules apply and when.

Before I launch into Kelly’s Rules of Wedding Etiquette, let me make something clear: These are the opinions of one wedding photographer, one who’s pretty laid-back most of the time. Other photographers may have more stringent rules, and still others may think my rules are too harsh. That said, I think these are pretty good guidelines for most situations. But no matter what I or any other photographer says, always, always, ALWAYS respect the wishes of the bride and groom!

Basically, my “rules” come down to this: 1) Be considerate. 2) If in doubt, don’t do it.

1. Flash photography is almost always a big, fat no-no. Here’s why:

A couple years ago, I was hired to take First Communion photos at a local church. When the time came for the kiddos to do their thing, I got up, camera in hand, and stood four or five feet away from the priest to his left.

Every single parent followed me.

Every.

Single.

One.

Phone cameras at the ready. Soon, there was a giant crowd surrounding the children.

That was…not good. But what was even worse was one dad who parked himself right next to me, his trusty DSLR set on Auto. In a dark church. So every picture he took engaged his on-camera flash, blasting white-hot light on everything within five feet of him.

I tried turning my flash all the way down, but then if I happened to shoot when he didn’t, the photos were too dark. If our flashes popped at the same time, the picture was blown out. I even asked him politely to move, and he flatly refused. In fact, he complained that I was blocking his shots. I was pregnant at the time, and we were in a church, so it’s not like I could put him in a sleeper hold or anything. Although I hereby admit that the thought did cross my (hormonal) mind.

Needless to say, my pictures were AWFUL. To this day, I cringe when I think about those photos.

This incident is why there is now a clause in my contract that reads, “Powell Photography is not responsible for compromised coverage due to causes beyond its control such as other people’s camera or flash…”

The long and short of it is the flash on your camera – even your phone camera – has the potential to ruin very important shots. If you absolutely must take a picture, please, please, PLEASE turn off your flash. Those families did not get the pictures they deserved because one guy was rude and selfish.

At a wedding I shot recently, a couple of guests took flash photos during the reception. That’s completely fine – just be sure to turn off your flash during key moments, like the bride and groom’s entrance, the first dance, the cake-cutting, etc.

Jessica pointed out that some people may not know how to turn off the flash on their cameras. If you don’t, ask the photographer! I can’t speak for every photographer, but I can tell you that if a wedding guest walked up to me and said something like, “I want to take some pictures from my seat, but I don’t know how to turn off my flash. Can you help me?” I would probably hug them…and then show them how to turn off their flash.

2. Unless you’re a member of the wedding party, it’s usually best not to ask the wedding photographer for any special shots before the ceremony.

The period of time before the ceremony is always crazy busy. Many times, I’m working from a shot list composed by the bride and groom, so I’m running around trying to get all the shots they want. If you want a picture of you, the bride and all your sorority sisters, I am MORE than happy to shoot that – at the reception!

3. During the ceremony, be in the moment with the happy couple.

They’ve hired someone to photograph that, and you can trust me when I say I will get the shot, even if that means I have to army-crawl up the aisle or hang half my body over the balcony railing while my second shooter holds my feet and wonders aloud if our insurance covers this. Many times, wedding photos are available for purchase by the guests as well as the bride and groom, so that shot you want can be all yours for just a couple bucks and no army-crawling on your part!

If the bride and groom say it’s alright and if you want to take a photo, please do it from your seat. Getting up to crouch in the aisle or holding your camera high above your head is distracting for the other guests, and I promise, the couple does NOT want you photo-bombing the shot of their first kiss.

(Yes, that actually happened once. A guy stood up from his seat in the middle of a pew, squeezed past six or seven guests and squatted in the middle of the aisle to take an iPhone picture, thus proudly displaying his plumber’s crack to everyone in row five on back. Thank God for second shooters, is all I have to say.)

4. After the ceremony, congratulate the bride and groom, hug and kiss them and tell them how happy you are for them! Keep it brief, though, because there are usually quite a few photos to take after the ceremony’s over, and everyone is understandably anxious to get to the party. And the faster I can assemble everyone and knock those photos out, the happier your just-married friends will be!

5. At the reception, snap, snap, snap to your heart’s content! Candid photos by the guests often end up capturing some of the bride and groom’s most treasured memories. Like I said before, though, mind your flash, and give the photographer a wide berth during key moments like the entrance, the first dance, the cake-cutting, the speeches and the sendoff.

My friend Andrea did something cool for her wedding last month – she created a special hashtag, #andreapatrickwedding, for the guests to use for their Instagram photos. Here, she tells us how she did it:

“I basically searched through the various hashtags that we were thinking of using to see if anyone had posted using that hashtag. Once we found one that we liked and nobody had used, I did a “test” post to Instagram and then basically marked that hashtag as ours. I also made sure to remind my social media users of our hashtag with a few reminder posts. I then ordered a framed sign to display at the front entrance.”

“I have saved the hashtagged photos and will print them once I print all the other pictures (and when we receive our professional pictures).”

Neat, huh?

6. After the cake is cut, if you want a special photo, ask away! Between the cake-cutting and the couple’s farewell, there’s often a bit of a lull. The couple is talking to guests, people aren’t dancing as much, all the major components of the reception have concluded and at that point, my second shooter and I are walking around taking what I refer to as “party pics,” i.e., candids of the guests. If you’ve got a funny, creative shot in mind, grab me – I’d love to shoot it! This is the perfect time to have fun and get a little crazy.

7. After the wedding, share the photos on Facebook, make one of them your profile picture or cover photo – whatever! Good publicity is the photographer’s best friend. Just please respect the photographer’s work and give credit where credit is due.

Often when photographers post photos on Facebook or another social media forum, they’ll say something like “Please respect copyright and do not edit, alter or crop in any way. Feel free to tag yourselves, use as profile photos, etc., but leave watermark visible.” If that’s the case, follow the rules, of course.

Personally, I don’t get too het up if someone crops out my watermark (but I can totally understand why other photographers do), as long as they say something in the caption like “Photo by Powell Photography.” Bonus points if you also put www.powellphoto.net, by the way!

However, I have had people alter my photos my turning them black and white or putting some Instagram-ish sort of filter on them, and y’all, I’m gonna be brutally honest right now and say that irks the crap out of me. This is at least in my top three pet peeves. It may actually be Number One. Please do not do that. Please. Not to me or anybody else. That is INCREDIBLY rude. Photographers spend a very long time editing photos in a certain way, and even though you may not mean a bit of harm, for you to alter it is BEYOND disrespectful. If the couple who hired me ask for a certain shot in black and white or whatever, I am happy to oblige, but never alter a photographer’s (even an amateur photographer’s, for that matter) work without his or her express permission.

8. If you have a good experience, tell your friends! You know that old saying about how if a customer has a bad experience, he’ll tell an average of seven people, but if he has a good experience, he’ll only tell one? Well, that’s as true for photography as it is for any other business.

Right now, photography is a very competitive market, and the market is highly over-saturated. Even the best photographers can have a hard time standing out from the crowd, and many of us get business mostly through word-of-mouth. So if you encounter a photographer who’s talented and gives great service, tell EVERYBODY! Your friend, your friend’s friend or your cousin’s boyfriend’s boss’s dog-sitter might be getting married (or have a newborn, or need maternity photos, or want family portraits), and many times, a positive comment from an acquaintance is all it takes to make that person say “Huh. I hadn’t considered him before, but I’ll check out his website.” Spread the love!

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If you’re a photographer, what are some of your etiquette “rules”? And if you’re not, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen a guest do at a wedding?

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7

Flattery is the sincerest form of…wait, I think I messed that up.

April 30, 2013

I hate every photo of me ever taken. OK, that’s not entirely true – I do love my wedding photos – but it’s fair to say that I am extremely critical of photos of myself. I think most people are, to a greater or lesser degree, and unflattering angles certainly don’t help matters.

Unflattering angles…such as this one.

Not exactly the Mona Lisa.

OY.

Objects May Appear Larger Than They Actually Are…or exactly as large as they actually are, which happens to be the problem in this case.

Photos can accentuate flaws simply by virtue of the fact that they’re two-dimensional and not three-dimensional, which is, of course, the way we actually see things. We also see people in motion, and motion has the inarguable benefit of making any lumps, bumps and boo-boos less noticeable.

The good news is there are ways around this problem, and for this, you don’t even need the magic of Photoshop. What we’re talking about today are camera angles and posing.

Or vogue-ing. How far you want to take the posing is your prerogative. I’m not here to judge. Personally, I think the world could use a little more vogue-ing on a day-to-day basis.

One of the many reasons I love photographing children is that they look good from almost any angle. If a baby has a double chin, chipmunk cheeks or a big, diapered badonkadonk, it’s cute. But just try to convince an adult woman that a little armpit pudge is no big deal!

I also photograph pregnant women, and while most moms are proud of that big, round belly, they’re understandably less fond of the swollen ankles, puffy faces and hip spread that often accompany pregnancy in the late second and third trimesters. So in their cases, skillful posing becomes even more important.

Here are some basic principles that can help you take more flattering portraits. Like I always say, though, there are few hard-and-fast rules where photography is concerned, so always do what you think will flatter your subject, what will help you realize your artistic vision and what makes your model comfortable.

1. To make a person appear taller, photograph her from slightly below eye level.

Cheryl here is a good example. She’s tiny – even shorter than I am, and I’m only 5’4″. So in order to keep her from looking like the Viking Queen of Munchkinland, I photographed her from about (her) chest level.

Here’s a portrait of Lisa using the same strategy.

If you want to make someone appear as tall as possible, you can go even lower, but proceed with caution – photographing someone from too low an angle can be really unflattering, so you may have to take a few test shots from different heights to see which ones you like. On the other hand, the further away the subject is from the camera, the less it matters. In short, experiment!

2. To make your subject appear slimmer, photograph him from above.

For example, look at the difference between this:

and this:

They’re both good photos, but having The Guy look up at me (rather than straight on) better defines his jawline, which slims his face overall.

3. You can also have her angle her body away from the camera.

You’ve seen this trick a thousand times in celebrity red-carpet photos and fashion magazines. Because it WORKS, and every starlet and model in the universe knows it! I use it all the time in maternity portraits.

Gorgeous, right? If I looked that good pregnant, I’d gladly have 20 more babies.

—-

So tell me about your WORST portrait ever. I think it’s pretty safe to say this is the most unflattering photo of me in existence. My mother took one look at the proof and promptly ordered 20 or so prints. I.e., these things are floating all over the United States, just waiting for me to get famous via reality television.

THANKS, OLAN MILLS. You’re a gem.

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10

Photoshop World 2013: Orlando

April 23, 2013

Four years ago, Jessica and I attended Photoshop World in Boston, and it was one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve ever had. My dad, a conference veteran, discouraged me from going – in his experience, conferences in general have but one aim: to sell you a bunch of stuff you don’t need and probably can’t afford. But while there are plenty of opportunities at Photoshop World to buy – you can shop in the expo until your credit card melts – it’s really about education, and that’s the reason I decided this year to attend Photoshop World Orlando. Jessica’s attending a different conference this year and couldn’t go, so I met up with my dear friends Jennifer and Swell Nathan, proprietors of Avidchick Productions in Riverview, FL (in the Tampa area).

Jennifer!

And Swell Nathan!

Having a small business that only just began its third year, my education and training dollars are precious, and given my previous experience, I was pretty sure Photoshop World would give me the most bang for my buck. Fortunately, it did not disappoint and even exceeded my expectations!

With a name like “Photoshop World,” it seems like the conference would focus exclusively on learning to use Photoshop and on the extreme manipulation of images, but actually, that’s not the case. It really centers on photography and Photoshop as a way to take a good image and make it great. But as any instructor there will tell you, even the magic of Photoshop can’t save a bad image (if you took a poll, I’m pretty sure “Get it in the camera” would be by far the most often-used phrase), so the focus (so to speak) is on taking a good image FIRST. And that’s where all the photography classes come in.

Last time, as a beginning Photoshop user, I took mostly classes from the “General Photoshop” track. This time, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on Photoshop in general, so most of my classes were in the “Lighting” track. Until now, I’ve been almost exclusively a natural-light photographer. I had one flash, and I used it only when I absolutely had no other choice. But the kiss of death as a photographer, particularly in the current market, is to be a one-trick pony, and I knew that employing off-camera lighting would allow me not only to have greater freedom as far as locations are concerned, but also to capture some more dramatic images, like the ones Swell Nathan takes. (We’re exact opposites, actually – he started out using off-camera lighting, and now he’s mastering available light.)

So my class schedule was thus:
–Camera Raw Basics (I’ve been using Camera Raw for a while now, but I wanted to make sure I was using “best practices.”)
–Hot Shoe Flash: The Next Step (how to light a shoot using up to three speedlights)
–Making Your Lighting Exciting
–Guerilla Lighting for the Modern Wedding & Portrait Photographer (The basic message? “Hey, you, wedding photographer. Yeah, you. All that crap you’re lugging around? You don’t need even HALF of that.” Essentially, how to light pretty much anything and everything using four speedlights, a reflector/diffuser and a roll of gaff tape. No, I’m not kidding. And yeah, it was pretty kickass. It was taught by Jason Groupp, who’s the new director of WPPI.)
–Styling Ideas That Don’t Cost an Arm & Leg (a.k.a., How to Create Haute Couture Out of Garbage Bags, Bubble Wrap and Tissue Paper)
–Great Portraits: More Than Just Good Lighting! (a.k.a., Let’s Not Get Carried Away With the Speedlights, Mmkay)
–Creating Your Own Custom Photo Books With Lightroom 4
–Light, Gesture & Color: Part I (with the inimitable Jay Maisel. My favorite class of the entire conference.)
–Light, Gesture & Color: Part II (I was supposed to go to a class called “How to Light Anyone,” but when Jay Maisel’s talking, Kelly ain’t leaving.)
–The Art of Dodging & Burning (more Photoshop)
–Preparing for Disaster: Proven Backup Strategies (a.k.a., Facing Your Recurring Nightmares Head-On)

Between classes, I went to the expo and drooled all over everything, bought over-priced cups of coffee and shot EVERYTHING, as per Mr. Maisel’s advice. See?

Orange County Convention Center

TREES! Of the palm variety.

One of the instructors said the most important question a photographer can ask herself on a daily basis is “what happens if?”

What happens if…I put my camera on the floor and press the shutter button?

Floor.

You get a picture of the floor. And a couple of handrails. Also some windows…that you have to Photoshop Exit signs out of.

Well, now we know.

Here, Leezard Leezard...

I was convinced this lizard was going to pounce on me and try to gnaw my nose off with his wee lizard teeth. Clearly, I dodged a bullet there.

At the expo, Adobe had some backdrops set up with lights and a couple of ridiculously attractive models. One dipstick photographer was trying to shoot them with a wide-angle lens and whining to a bunch of others about how “YOU’RE IN MY SHOT!!!1!”

I was like, “Dude, you’re using a wide-angle lens. THE WHOLE WORLD IS IN YOUR SHOT.”

PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Amelia Earhart.

Amelia.

Amelia.

Seriously, how cute is she?! A terrific model with a great attitude. I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me.

He’s like Tom Cruise, but without all the weirdness!

On the second night, Nathan, Jennifer and I set up shop in the parking lot of the hotel and had a shoot with Cheryl and her amazing (and entirely handmade) Viking costume.

Warrior Princess.

Dreaming of Valhalla.

Her super sweet husband Jason accompanied her, and they were both just so patient and kind. It was truly a pleasure working with both of them.

Cheryl was a trooper!

Honestly, I could write page after page about what a fantastic time I had and how much I learned, but I missed The Guy and Harper so bad that by Friday afternoon, I was a wreck. When I rounded the corner out of the terminal at Shreveport Regional Airport, there to greet me was the sweetest sight I’ve ever seen:

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the best photo I took all week.

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5

Party Time

April 15, 2013

One of the many services Powell Photography offers is birthday parties. No, I will not dress up as a clown or a Disney princess (not usually, anyway, and certainly not without promises of cake, lots and lots of cake), and generally speaking, I will not allow children, including my own, to ride upon my back. I do, however, photograph them. Parties, that is. Also the children, of course. And there’s not much I like better than photographing other adults who have been coerced into dressing in costume (see Martha Claire, below).

When friends inquire about my weekend plans and I tell them I’m photographing a birthday party, they’re often kind of like, “A birthday party? Seriously? Why would anyone hire a professional photographer for a kid’s birthday party?” But once I explain the benefits, they usually say, “You know, that’s not a bad idea. Are you free in June?”

This is actually something I do quite a bit, and before anyone asks, I will go ahead and tell you that I had Harper’s first birthday party professionally photographed, and it was one of the best decisions I could have possibly made. This photo alone made the whole thing worth it:

(Above photo by the incomparable Henrietta Wildsmith)

When I was a kid, my mom picked up invitations at the grocery store, bought a cake (also at the grocery store), blew up a few balloons, hung some streamers and called it a day. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED all of my parties, but modern moms see birthday parties as an opportunity to get creative – I know I do. They make the invitations on their computers, bake the cakes themselves, find friends or family members who are willing to provide entertainment and festoon their backyards with gorgeous decorations. It’s a lot of work, absolutely, but I’ve yet to see a mom who wasn’t having the time of her life doing all that stuff. And it stands to reason that they want it documented.

That was certainly the case with Jessica. I photographed her daughter Sarah’s second birthday party this weekend, and Jessica went all out with an Alice in Wonderland theme. She is really conscientious about feeding her daughter (and everyone else, for that matter) healthy, chemical-, dye- and preservative-free food, so in addition to crafting the precious decorations, she also decided to put her energy into making all the food from scratch. And as a mom whose child attended the party, it was really nice to feel confident that all the food served that day, while not necessarily healthy (cake, anyone?), was all-natural and completely safe. Did I mention that Jessica is pregnant? Oh yes. Mama has WAY more energy than I ever did. But at the same time, energy is a finite resource for a pregnant woman, and taking all the photographs would’ve been one more chore for her to have to manage. So she decided to hire a photographer.

Plus, she wanted to be present. She wanted to be able to concentrate on Sarah, her family, her friends and the other children, and she didn’t want to watch her daughter blow out her birthday candles or open her gifts through a viewfinder.

On top of all that, birthday parties have two other advantages: You get professional photographs of your child, and, if you want them, you also get some casual family portraits. Think about it – there aren’t very many other annual events besides maybe Christmas Day when most of your family is in the same place at the same time.

So now I’m asking you – what was your favorite birthday party as a kid?

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6

How Much Wedding Coverage Do I REALLY Need?

April 10, 2013

That question is at LEAST in the top three of my most frequently-asked questions. And unless you have a more or less unlimited wedding budget, it’s one worth carefully considering.

The short answer? As much as you can afford. I find that most couples have put a lot of thought into how much they can afford to spend on their wedding, and depending on how important photography is to them, they have a pretty good idea of how much they can afford to pay for it. And to most people, photographs are very important – after all, the day will pass, the cake will get eaten and the flowers will fade, but photographs last forever. I’m fortunate enough to have a photograph from my great-great grandmother’s wedding, horse and buggy and all. At that time, photographs were a high luxury, but I like to think it would make her feel pretty good to know that four generations later, that photograph is among my most prized possessions.

The long answer involves deciding exactly what you want photographed and how you want your wedding day, particularly the time before the ceremony, to go. Here’s a rough breakdown of how I photograph a “typical” wedding:

Getting Ready: Budget at least 30 minutes for the women and 30 minutes for the men, for a total of an hour. If I’m using a second shooter, which I do for one of my wedding packages, then the men and women can be photographed concurrently.

The first look/portraits of the bride and groom separately and together: At least one hour. Of course, some couples (I’d say about half, in my personal experience) choose not to see each other before the ceremony, but many still want to hold hands around a corner and talk, pray or read letters to each other.

Family portraits before the ceremony: Whether or not the bride and groom choose to see each other before the ceremony, I tell them to budget at least an hour for this (30 minutes for the bride and her family and 30 minutes for the groom and his family).

Attendant photos (i.e., the bride with her bridesmaids and the groom with his groomsmen): One hour (30 minutes each).

The ceremony: 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your faith and/or what’s involved in your ceremony (readers, singers, etc.).

Family and attendant photos after the ceremony (with the bride, groom, their families and their attendants): Some people choose to take these before the ceremony, of course, but in any case, budget at least 30 minutes for this.

Reception: Obviously, this depends on the size and scope of your reception. For a small reception held at the ceremony site with just cake, punch and snacks, an hour or two is usually sufficient. If you’re having a large affair with a seated dinner and a band or a DJ, you’ll probably want at least 3-4 hours of coverage. Keep in mind that evening receptions where alcohol is served generally go much longer than daytime receptions. Also, be sure to allow for the amount of time it takes for your photographer to pack up her/his gear and travel from the ceremony site to the reception location.

The couple’s send-off: If you want your photographer to capture your farewell from the reception, then, of course, she or he will need to stay throughout the reception.

For the average wedding (if there is such a thing – they’re all completely unique!), 8 hours of coverage is usually a good number. If you think you need more, most photographers either have larger packages or will allow the couple to pay for additional coverage to whatever package they’re purchasing. A few even have “unlimited” packages – but always ask, just in case!

Those of you who are already married, how much photography coverage did you have for your wedding? Was it too little, too much or just right?

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