Thursday, August 16, 2012

Cosmetic Surgery Before Portraits

© Spellbound Images by Wendy



Recently a client called to cancel their portrait shoot because they didn’t realize the side effects that come with reconstructive surgery.  All reconstructive surgery, even botox, has its complication, and clients should be aware of this when they schedule their portrait session.  Cosmetic surgery can cause some mild to severe side effects.

The side effects can be nausea, blood clots, bruising or simply redness and swelling.  At any rate it’s probably not a good idea to schedule your session for at least a week with botox, and even longer for any other type of cosmetic surgery.  Botox injections can leave redness and swelling, as well as headaches.  It can take at least 3 days for those side effects just to reduce.  Even a simple headache can cause undesirable portraits.


Although your photographer may be a wiz at Photoshop, the results of reconstructive surgery can make the job impossible at times, and it may cost more money in the long run.  Most photographers charge an hourly fee for any extreme retouching of photos.

So just a friendly reminder… if you are planning cosmetic surgery before a photo session, be sure to give yourself enough time to heal (as with any surgery), before scheduling your shoot.


Love, Laughs, and Photographs,
Wendy

Thursday, August 2, 2012

School Books Have Arrived!

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved



It’s been a great week!  Well… aside from one ugly mishap, which we won’t talk about.  I’ve spent time with creative friends, and good people!  Enjoyed conversations about future plans with like minds, over a little libation, and good music.

The big brown truck dropped off this semesters schoolbooks yesterday!  After opening my box of goodies I was pleasantly surprised that LightRoom 4 will be on the learning agenda this time!  I already use LightRoom 2.6 and can’t wait to get my hands on 4!  To be able to do all my editing in one simple program will be wonderful!  All special touches will still be done in Photoshop (not sure what version I’ll be using yet this year), but will be making a change from CS4. 

Along with that little surprise also came “Criticizing Photographs,”  “A Short Course in Digital Photography,” and of course the main book for the whole photography program at SPC... “Photography.”  I received another copy of the photography manual, which explains chemicals, darkroom etiquette, developing processes, etc. 

This is going to be my best semester ever!  My head is much clearer… no distractions in my life, and I have surrounded myself with people who encourage what I do… rather than those who think I should be spending my time on other things.

I will be spending the next 18 days reading, gathering more supplies, and organizing for the upcoming 4 months.  I will also be adding some better glass to my arsenal of lenses, and planning at least one four day trip during that time to some exciting location outside the state of Florida… definitely somewhere that will enhance my portfolio, and will also fill some frames!

Until next time…

Love, Laughs, and Photographs,
Wendy

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Trip Out West – Canceled!

© Spellbound Images by Wendy - All Rights Reserved



A turn of unfortunate events caused the cancellation of my trip out West.  We’re not going to dwell on it, or worry about it… I have the rest of my life to travel, and even have some things in the works as I write this blog. :)

On a good note I have set my sights on school, which starts 20 days from today!  It has been a long, and hot summer… and it’s far from over.  I have spent most of it with great family and good friends; enjoying their company with evenings on the beach, long walks, and even breakfast now and then.  I have also spent some time by myself, working towards a better me… physically and mentally.  Sometimes just being able to get things off your chest and out in the open makes a world of difference, and walking and exercise are both very therapeutic!



Almost $400.00 in schoolbooks have been ordered and should be on my doorstep within the next week.  I’ve enrolled in only 3 classes this semester… that doesn’t seem like much to most people, but anyone who has ever taken a photography class knows that there is way more involved than just class time.  Words from a wise professor, “Taking a photo class is like taking 2 classes, so plan on putting in long hours.”  So not only will I spend about 20 hours a week in lectures this semester, I will spend about 20 hours in the lab, and probably more than 20 hours out shooting (both digital and film… black & white, and color).  I’m thinking that will keep me pretty busy from August until December.  They don’t allow students to sleep in the lab, so I’ll still have to go home to rest now and then.



I’ve also been thinking about what my next step will be when I graduate with my Associates in Art… I would really like to go on and get my bachelors, but will have to find a school that offers that degree.  The closest school I’ve found would be Daytona.  Hmmm… still thinking.  Maybe another state altogether!



I have still been doing my thing in Clearwater… environmental portraits for seniors, (some on the beach, some in peoples homes, and even a senior in the park), and as always, I capture the sunset whenever the opportunity arises.  I’ve still not found anything quite as beautiful as a Clearwater sunset, and there are some new places with great perspectives on the beach!  I’ve spent some time at Bare Back Ranch and captured my daughter and her horse... also therapeutic. I’ve done some volunteer work for the Sage in Clearwater (marketing photo’s and an 80’s dance party).  So yea… blatant plug here for the Sage.  Check it out!



It’s been a long and busy weekend so I’m thinking more coffee is needed!

Happy Shooting Everyone!
Love, Laughs, and Photographs,
Wendy

  


Friday, June 15, 2012

Heading West!


I’ve really dropped the ball on blogging… sometimes life just gets in the way.  I know that seems like a lame excuse but between school, work, and my personal life things have just been a bit hectic.  School and my personal life seems to have taken precedence over everything else.  If you read my blog, I hope you also check out my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spellbound-Images-by-Wendy/  … because that seems to be the only thing I’ve had time for lately, and even that was lacking, up until recently.  So I will attempt to catch you up to speed on school, a bit about my personal life, and a few photographic experiences I’ve had over the past several months.



I ended my last semester with grades that were really satisfying.  Although A’s are always my goal, B’s across the board are nothing to snivel at in my book.  What most people/new students don’t understand is that a photography class is like taking two classes, and in actuality seemed more like three to me.  When you calculate class time, shoot time, and process time (in the lab)… well, lets just say, that’s a lot of time!  My design class was great fun up until the end when it was crunch time.  You have to understand that crunch time means crunch time in all your classes, and since I took four classes last semester, it was crunch - times four.  I thoroughly enjoyed my US History class too… learned a bit about our country, how things happened, and why.  If I could go to school forever, I would take another history class for sure.  World Religions was very time consuming as it required a lot of reading, but I enjoyed learning about religions from the beginning of time up to the present, and why, and how things changed.  So check this out… next semester I’m taking three photography classes!  Yep… already told my professors that I will be bringing a cot to the lab and just staying there for four months.  Of course I cant really do that, but I’m thinking maybe a mattress in the back of my van might work.  :)  Intermediate Photography, Color Photography, and Digital Photography should keep me hopping for a while, sooo I’m thinking the blog will also be lacking during that time, as well as any social life I might have during the fall semester!



Between photo projects for school, and the ones that actually helped support me, I’m pretty sure I had at least one camera on hand most of the time… but it was probably more like two or three cameras at any given time.  My projects for school included a depiction of words, a sequence theme, and my final project, which I had to come up with myself and write a proposal to the professor, turned out to be my best critique.  I chose abused women as my theme, which I thought would be way easier than it really was.  Most abused woman don’t want to be photographed, and if they are… they prefer not to show their face.  As far as the professor was concerned this made it even more unique than if they had let me photograph their expressions.  Outside of school projects I shot families on Clearwater beach, and in their homes.  Did a lighting project for Chase Bank in Palm Harbor, and helped out Brandi Morris Photography with a wedding in Tampa. 



Kids, especially teenagers will also keep you going, there is always somewhere they want to go, something they need to buy, and god forbid they get bored!  Then you have to come up with creative ways to keep them occupied until they are worn out and want to go to sleep.  :)  My daughter is doing well in school, and my son will be going back to school in the Fall.  When the kids are busy I spend time with friends on Clearwater Beach at the Palm Pavilion, or hanging out with special friends for coffee and tons of conversation.  A couple of friends have kept me afloat the past few months and I’m very thankful to have them.



On a final note… I have taken the summer off from my studies, the kids are settled with what they are doing for the next couple of months, and I am going to do some traveling!  Yep… finally getting to take that trip out West that has been in my plans forever!  I’ve never been past San Antonio Texas, and no further North, aside from the East coast.  I know the East coast like the back of my hand, and have traveled it many, many times, but I have never been West.  I feel like an explorer from the 1800’s!  We are going to try to hit Graceland (because I’m an Elvis freak from way back), and then head to Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and finally to California.  I will be making a stop at the four corners, and want to photograph Las Vegas at night.  I will be visiting Los Angeles and Hollywood!  There are a kazillion places I’m going to stop and photograph… but too many to list.  I’m so freakin’ excited about this trip I can’t wait to get on the road!  When I return I will have a lot of photographs to share with you… I will try to blog on the road every day.  So book mark this blog and stay tuned!  It’s definitely going to be go, go, go, for at least a month!



I hope everyone has a great summer!!



Love, Laughs, and Photographs,

Wendy