Where's Wendy

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Where's Wendy? Sand Key Beach!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful couple on Sand Key Beach in Clearwater! Frankly... this is the most beautiful wedding I've shot on Sand Key. Either beach officials have changed the rules on where events can be held on the beach, or the wedding planner fought for a better place to set up her weddings. I'm more inclined to think it was the wedding planner since even her deco was more professional and eye appealing than other weddings I've done in the same area.

Josh and Becky's wedding was set for the perfect time of day to capture not only the ceremony in great light but also the formal shots on the beach could be done at the precise time without waiting for the sun to come down lower in the sky. In fact we had to do a little bit of rush before we lost light completely. Doing sunset shots is normally a big waiting game... and once the sun gets to the correct level in the sky... it drops quite rapidly. However, that lovely golden glow is what makes beach portraits ideal... especially for weddings!

When you've surrounded yourself with beach weddings and portraits you know to check your sunrise and sunset times (make sure it's for your area), and schedule your sessions accordingly. When it comes to weddings you cant always chose what time the ceremony will be, so... the light is not always great and adjustments must be made. If the bride and groom want you to capture that kiss at sunset, and the ceremony ends way before sunset.... you may have to interrupt the reception to go get the shot they request. Normally couples have already chosen their time of day before they ever decide on their photographer, not even thinking about the photographs they are looking for. Obviously not the case here... This couple had well laid plans and knew what they were looking for. If you come across a couple who has chosen an early wedding but still wants sunset shots... maybe you can get them to adjust their time during your consultation. Hopefully all the wedding planners out there know what they are up against for a beach wedding and check their sunset schedule before deciding on a ceremony time, because it will change depending on the time of year.

So there you have it... Sand Key Beach in Clearwater, with the right planning, at the right time of day... Perfect!

Love, Laughs, and Photographs!
Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Another Belly! - Post Enhancements

When we do a maternity session we always make sure Mommy looks as lovely as she feels, or would like to feel. Being pregnant can sometimes take a lot out of you. Stretch marks, brown patches, swelling... are all part of carrying around your little bundle of joy! As I've said before... sometimes by the time Mommy comes to the studio she just cant wait to be holding baby in her arms instead of in her tummy!

I always make sure I remove any blemishes from the face and stretch marks from the belly area. I do try to leave moles and freckles that are natural. The only reason I wouldn't do one or the other is if it were requested by the client. I soften the face and belly with a nice gaussian blur to make her look smooth and dreamy. Sometimes I also make her clothes or wrap (especially white), blurred and dreamy also, making sure not to take away the edge sharpness. A little unsharp mask and I'm done!

So there you have it! A Quick and easy work flow for post processing Maternity portraits!

Love, Laughs, and Photographs!
Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Becoming Who You are!

As a very small child I loved pictures... to look at them, to feel them and to create my own. Back in the 70's, at age 11, I remember the Scott paper towel company had a contest of sorts. Save 300 UPC symbols and get a free Kodak 110 camera! Yay! Since I lived in Rochester, NY (Kodak country) that was the only camera I had ever heard of, and also lived in a large apartment complex that my father built, I had easy access to people who bought Scott paper towels! So there I was... going door to door asking everyone to save the UPC symbols from there paper towel rolls for me!... I got the Kodak 110 before the contest was up, and Oh how I loved that camera! I took pictures of everyone and everything...my family, my friends, cars, buildings, you name it! My next camera was a Polaroid... now that made things much easier. No developing costs (even though the film was a bit more expensive). Turn the photo over, count 15 seconds, and presto! Your photo was ready to view, share, and put in an album! At that time I never imagined that things would come to the digital age! Wow! What a break through! I went through a lot of camera's... from Kodak to Yashica, to Olympus. Years ago I think my X had a Minolta that I thought was pretty amazing too. So, my point here is... I love to take pictures, and it doesn't really matter what kind of camera I had, or you have. If you love to do something, you should Do It!

I have never gone to school for photography, yet my experience has been quite the education! Before digital I went through lots of film and the cost of developing/printing. There was no Photoshop or Lightroom... if you messed up... you ate it, unless of course you paid someone to do the touch up work for you during developing (which is an art in itself). Practice and hard work are all part of perfecting what you love to do. Always reading, and trying new things is what makes us good at what we do. Now that's not to say that some things are new to everyone but if it's new to you... give it a shot... it cant hurt. If it doesn't suit your style or is not something you think you will ever need or have to incorporate into what you do... try it any way... you never know when a learning process may come in handy. May not be today, may not be tomorrow, but some day down the road you may say... hey! I'm glad I absorbed that bit of information! I love to learn new things... I will never stop learning! In fact if I ever come to a point where I don't want to learn any more... I may as well be dead! I watch everything I can watch on photography, I read everything I can read about photography, I implement any ideas that I have or that other people have just to see how they work!

Now... you may think someone my age is too old to learn, or to go back to school... but I'm going to do just that. I will be attending college in the fall, and working on an AS in photographic technology. I'm so psyched about the whole adventure I can hardly stand it! I cant wait to learn new things and take them out and use them. I cant wait to be able to logically speak about what I love to do, and share it with the rest of the world! Heck! I cant wait to have some like minded people to share thoughts with and bounce things off of in hopes of more knowledge!

So here's my point with all of this... do what you love... learn what you love... don't let anyone stand in your way... and become the person you want to be!!

Always chasing the light,
Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Expecting Sessions

There are so many names for Maternity Sessions, including but not limited to Expecting Session, Belly Sessions, Madonna Sessions and Pregnancy Sessions. Here's a little insight on what to remember when photographing a pregnant woman.

First of all remember that most expecting sessions are done during the 6th to 8th month of pregnancy, and mom isn't feeling all that wonderful. She's normally carrying around 30 extra pounds or so, her ankles are swollen, she's uncomfortable, and can be dehydrated most of the time. That's not to say she isn't excited about her new bundle of joy... she's just at that point where she cant wait for baby to get here! Not to mention she is ready to get back to her normal self (if there is a normal self after bearing children).

I try to make mommy as comfortable as I can, with as little getting up and down as possible. I try to start my expecting sessions with mommy standing. We do as many standing poses as we can, and I always ask mom if there is anything she has seen that she would like to try. If it's a standing pose we try to do it at this time. After we've exhausted the standing poses (and usually mommy) we do the seated or laying down poses which gets mom off her feet. Sometimes I do high key and low key portraits of my expecting women, but most often I just do low key. Low key is normally done on a black backdrop. This is important as we all know black is very slenderizing. Dramatic lighting helps shadow part of the face and body which enhances mommy and makes her look her very best. I also use a wrap (whether black or white depending on the backdrop) so the upper body is wrapped, and then the lower body is wrapped, exposing the mid section. After all these portraits are all about the baby belly!

I make my pregnancy sessions as quick as possible, generally 45 minutes to an hour. I make sure I have bottled water on hand and also play soft music. If I decide to change backdrops that gives mommy a chance to relax in the middle of the session. If daddy is involved... all the better for helping mommy get up and down. If not, I always make sure I lend a hand when she has to get up, sit down, or lay down.

I always use props that are geared towards mother and child. If we know what mommy is expecting we use ribbon (pink or blue). If we know what babies name will be we use blocks to spell out their name. If we don't have a name yet we use blocks to spell out Baby, Baby Boy, or Baby Girl. We often use flowers, because flowers depict the feminine, which represents women and femininity.

When editing a maternity session I only try to soften a bit, and remove blemishes. Some images are made into classic black and whites, and sometimes a border is added, but that's about it. Natural and beautiful... just like mommy!

Love, Laughs & Photographs,

Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Friday, April 16, 2010

New Borns - Expect the Unexpected

Every parent wants and loves photo's of their newborn baby! Babies are so sweet and precious, and no one ever wants to forget how unbelievably adorable their baby was as soon as he or she is born.

Last week I photographed Baby Riley. He was one of the most tender, calm, pleasant babies I have ever photographed. I was referred to Riley's parents from a previous client, and I love that! It's like building your own special family... your own photo family! ;)

Now here's the cool thing about Riley... he and his parents live on a boat! Oh... I had so many great ideas for this session! However, when I arrived, I realized this wasn't exactly the boat I had envisioned. It was rather small... ok... it was really small... with lots of baby stuff! Thankfully I was prepared for anything, and brought along an assistant... cause I gotta tell ya, there wasn't even room for a light stand!

Riley's daddy moved some things so we could work in one small corner of the cabin. I used my baby poser (bean bag chair), and the natural light coming in from the hatch to illuminate Mr. Riley. Natural light for a natural baby. We went to the outside front of the boat and did some shots with towels and ribbon... through all of the moving, and propping, and posing, baby Riley was just as peaceful as could be. We used hats, hands, blocks, and stuffed animals. We shot front, back, and sides. We got a smile, a one eyed peek, and oh yea... we got pee'd on! Yet still he remained incredibly calm and cute through it all. We got some great shots that his family will Cherish forever.

So here are my thoughts...

This is a baby who will never need a rocking chair, as he is constantly being rocked by the ocean. His lullaby will be the natural sounds of the waves and the birds. He will grow big and healthy because he will always have the warmth of the sun, and his night light will be the moon and the stars. He will have more knowledge than most children because he will travel to beautiful places, and he will be at peace with himself and his universe.

Yours in Photography,

Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Summer Sunset Sessions!

The weather is beautiful again!! It's time for our Summer Sunset Sessions on Clearwater Beach! We love this time of year... not to cold, not to hot, nice tropical breezes and a lot of vacationers! This time of year brings clients from everywhere. With all those spring breakers I get calls coming in all the time because they want their pictures to show what a wonderful vacation they had on the beach!

Last week it was a wonderful family from Texas... this week it's a High School Senior... and soon it's a family of 30, from all over the place! I gotta tell ya... If I'm not in the studio, my favorite place to shoot portraits is on the beach! With beautiful backdrops, a relaxed setting, and an enjoyable atmosphere, nobody can go wrong with beach portraits.

I usually start with the group shots in the dunes, then move to the waters edge for a few more group shots. We don't want little ones to get wet and sandy before it's time! Once we have the whole group done (depending on the head count), we move to individuals, or smaller groups, using a variety of poses. After that... the fun begins! Now we can get our feet wet and frolic in the waves! The little ones love this... as well as some of the grown-ups! After several candid shots of everyone, I usually ask the adults if there is anything they have seen that they would like to try (they usually always have something in mind). When it's all said and done we end our session with my all time favorite "The Jumping Shot!" Everyone loves it!!

Beach portraits are normally scheduled in the evening when the light is prettiest. If not evening, then early morning although light in the morning in much cooler (hues are blue) where evening brings nice warm light (golden). I'm not much of a morning person... that's not to say I don't rise early, but it takes me awhile to get moving in the a.m. As the day moves on... so do I!

So remember this... beach portraits are beautiful, relaxing, and fun. Evening or morning light is best. And children of all ages have a wonderful experience!

Until next time...

Love, Laughs, and Photographs,

Wendy

All images capture with the Olympus E500 on Lexar digital media.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Bellies and Babies

Whew! It's been a busy couple of weeks around here! After listening to Sandy Puc (a very cool, together, informative photographer), I've decided to work on more Maternity/Expecting Sessions, and more New Born Baby Sessions! A few weeks ago I put out an ad looking for models... Pregnant woman and babies under 12 weeks old. I am offering a free package to my models that consists of 2-8x10's, 2-5x7's, and 8-wallets. A week after I put up my ad in different places on the web, I started receiving phone calls and getting information from friends and family about anyone they knew that was pregnant, or had a new born. Great content for my upcoming portfolio, photo book, and web advertising!

Last week I shot a beautiful young pregnant woman (and her husband). She is 8 months along, and wanted her photo's done quickly before her baby was born. The session went fairly quick, as I was all set with backdrop, lighting, etc. before they arrived. It took about 45 minutes total. I tried to do all the standing shots at once, and then all the seated shots at once, so the up and down was minimal for my model.

This week I have a newborn scheduled (along with my normal family beach portraits). I cant wait to put my content together and start working on my Baby Program, which will consist of a New Born session, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year sessions that are nicely priced. At the end of the year I will be putting together a nice large print collage (story board) of the child's first year. I will also offer a photo book that the parents can eventually give to their child when he or she is older. If I happen to do the mothers expecting photo's they will also be incorporated into the book. :)

Kind of a neat way to capture the memories and the growth of baby for their first year! Hopefully it wont stop there! Parents love to have their children's portraits done at least once a year as they grow older! It would be lovely to photograph a child from birth up to High School Senior, Wedding, and so on!

What a great way to start the second quarter of the New Year!

Love, Laughs, and Photographs!

Wendy

All images captured with the Olympus E500, on Lexar digital media.