She's the first of three newborn sessions I have immediately upcoming. Someone better find my husband some good birth control! (*wink*)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hold onto your ovaries...
Is she not beautiful? Four days old and perfect. *adorablebabysigh*
She's the first of three newborn sessions I have immediately upcoming. Someone better find my husband some good birth control! (*wink*)
She's the first of three newborn sessions I have immediately upcoming. Someone better find my husband some good birth control! (*wink*)
At the Goggleworks...
I'm so behind in updating the blog, but I just had to share these two beauties from my Valentine sessions...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Your answers to some FAQs...
It humbles me that I get inquiries from hobby and aspiring photographers who stumbled upon my website. My business is still new, there are hundreds and hundreds of amazing photographers out there who do such inspiring work, and I consider myself a beginner who is still doing a lot of learning (and will always be learning--I love that this is an art where I will never settle for complacency). Still, I feel bad that I can't always get around to answering all of these emails personally: A few have slipped through the cracks in my inbox during extremely busy times.
So since work is slower right now, I thought I'd take a moment to answer questions I get asked most frequently.
What camera and lens do you use?
I just upgraded to a Canon 5D, but the work that you see currently on my website was mostly done with a Canon 30D. I use different lenses in different situations (after all, that's the point of having different lenses), but I'd say a good all-purpose lens for professional portraiture is the 24-70 f/2.8L. A great starter camera (and one that produced fantastic results for me--especially for the low price tag--was the Rebel XT). Nothing in photography is cheap: If you're serious about photography, keep it simple in the beginning while you're learning. You can produce beautiful photographs with a good starter camera and a cheaper lens as you learn how to use your camera and begin to build your portfolio. The Rebel XT paired with the "fantastic plastic" 50 f/1.8 lens produced some wonderful photographs for me when I was just starting out.
Here's my little PSA on the subject of cameras and lenses: I think one of the biggest misconceptions in photography is that if you buy the camera and lens that a certain photographer has that you'll produce photographs just like that certain photographer. That's simply not true. The biggest step an aspiring photographer can take is to take her camera off of auto. I'll even take it a step further and say take it off of semi-auto modes, like Av and Tv. Cameras are not good decision makers--photographers are. There are places and times for auto, Av and Tv, but it's imperative to know how to properly expose a photograph and to understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed. Then, it's a constant learning experience to understand how to further adjust those settings based upon what you want to photograph and what you want your final result to be. And that doesn't even begin to touch on depth of field and light and a million other variables and how those affect your final outcome...
Did you go to school for photography?
No, I didn't. At some point, I would love to--maybe not to complete a degree--but at least take some classes in some areas that I feel I'm lacking. I'd love to learn how to develop film, for example.
In case you're wondering, I do have a degree in professional writing (with minors in literature and public relations). I wrote for a professional health magazine when I graduated college, and then worked in public relations prior to having my daughter. When she was born, I left my career to stay at home and raise her. I then dabbled in a little freelance graphic design, writing and editing on the side as my photography hobby kicked into full gear when she was born. I truly wanted to go to college for art, and I didn't. Writing was my reconciliation with the guise of it being a more employable "artistic" job under the presumption that all visual artists are starving or struggling. While I was in college, I took a film course thinking it would be fun to watch movies and then write about them. Little did I know that we would wind up discussing imagery, storytelling via imagery, and why directors chose to frame and compose their movies the way that they did. Later, I took a media studies course where we spent a great deal of time studying images in advertising. Both of these courses really sparked something in me, and at that time, I petitioned the college to allow me to add an art minor to my degree, but my request was denied. And at that point in my life, I was married and we were starting to think about starting a family, so even though I would have been very happy continuing to be a professional student (and sink myself further in debt), I decided to just graduate with the major and minors I had. I found while writing professionally, I was most enthusiastic about meeting with the art department to discuss photo sessions to go along with our stories or marketing materials. To me, however, my degree is not wasted. Ultimately, my aim in photography is to tell stories and to evoke emotion, which, ultimately, is the aim of a good writer.
So if you didn't go to school for photography, how did you learn?
Lots and lots and lots of practice, trial and error, and study of photographers that I admire. I've spent hours reading books and then applying what I've learned in real-life situations. I've got three semi-willing kids who have spent their lives in front of my lens both when I was shooting just for fun and documentation of their lives, and now professionally. Treats are not a commonplace occurence here, so it's amazing what they'll agree to do for a lollipop. :) I also pay an annual fee to be a part of a network of professional photographers who help me run my business and help keep me improving artistically.
Knowing how to thoroughly use Photoshop is also integral to the processing of my images. I pair Photoshop with the use of a Wacom tablet to digitally "paint" my images. It takes me about 8 hours to process a session because I spend quite a lot of time on each image and carefully evaluating it and trying different techniques on it. I also spend a long time working on my b&w conversions, which I probably should stop doing because I probably only sell about 5% of my images in b&w since my clients always seem to prefer my color images. Believe it or not, my b&w images are not just color images with the color removed: Doing that in Photoshop just creates a lifeless and dull and very gray image. My b&w images actually have color in them--it's just about achieving a pleasing, seemingly colorless balance.
I want a part-time job. Is doing what you do a good choice?
There are obviously quicker and more efficient photographers out there. I spend about 60 hours a week on my business--and that's only with an average of 10 sessions per month. This year, it's my goal to become more efficient so I can spend more time with my family and my friends--and get back to the gym! :)
So since work is slower right now, I thought I'd take a moment to answer questions I get asked most frequently.
What camera and lens do you use?
I just upgraded to a Canon 5D, but the work that you see currently on my website was mostly done with a Canon 30D. I use different lenses in different situations (after all, that's the point of having different lenses), but I'd say a good all-purpose lens for professional portraiture is the 24-70 f/2.8L. A great starter camera (and one that produced fantastic results for me--especially for the low price tag--was the Rebel XT). Nothing in photography is cheap: If you're serious about photography, keep it simple in the beginning while you're learning. You can produce beautiful photographs with a good starter camera and a cheaper lens as you learn how to use your camera and begin to build your portfolio. The Rebel XT paired with the "fantastic plastic" 50 f/1.8 lens produced some wonderful photographs for me when I was just starting out.
Here's my little PSA on the subject of cameras and lenses: I think one of the biggest misconceptions in photography is that if you buy the camera and lens that a certain photographer has that you'll produce photographs just like that certain photographer. That's simply not true. The biggest step an aspiring photographer can take is to take her camera off of auto. I'll even take it a step further and say take it off of semi-auto modes, like Av and Tv. Cameras are not good decision makers--photographers are. There are places and times for auto, Av and Tv, but it's imperative to know how to properly expose a photograph and to understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed. Then, it's a constant learning experience to understand how to further adjust those settings based upon what you want to photograph and what you want your final result to be. And that doesn't even begin to touch on depth of field and light and a million other variables and how those affect your final outcome...
Did you go to school for photography?
No, I didn't. At some point, I would love to--maybe not to complete a degree--but at least take some classes in some areas that I feel I'm lacking. I'd love to learn how to develop film, for example.
In case you're wondering, I do have a degree in professional writing (with minors in literature and public relations). I wrote for a professional health magazine when I graduated college, and then worked in public relations prior to having my daughter. When she was born, I left my career to stay at home and raise her. I then dabbled in a little freelance graphic design, writing and editing on the side as my photography hobby kicked into full gear when she was born. I truly wanted to go to college for art, and I didn't. Writing was my reconciliation with the guise of it being a more employable "artistic" job under the presumption that all visual artists are starving or struggling. While I was in college, I took a film course thinking it would be fun to watch movies and then write about them. Little did I know that we would wind up discussing imagery, storytelling via imagery, and why directors chose to frame and compose their movies the way that they did. Later, I took a media studies course where we spent a great deal of time studying images in advertising. Both of these courses really sparked something in me, and at that time, I petitioned the college to allow me to add an art minor to my degree, but my request was denied. And at that point in my life, I was married and we were starting to think about starting a family, so even though I would have been very happy continuing to be a professional student (and sink myself further in debt), I decided to just graduate with the major and minors I had. I found while writing professionally, I was most enthusiastic about meeting with the art department to discuss photo sessions to go along with our stories or marketing materials. To me, however, my degree is not wasted. Ultimately, my aim in photography is to tell stories and to evoke emotion, which, ultimately, is the aim of a good writer.
So if you didn't go to school for photography, how did you learn?
Lots and lots and lots of practice, trial and error, and study of photographers that I admire. I've spent hours reading books and then applying what I've learned in real-life situations. I've got three semi-willing kids who have spent their lives in front of my lens both when I was shooting just for fun and documentation of their lives, and now professionally. Treats are not a commonplace occurence here, so it's amazing what they'll agree to do for a lollipop. :) I also pay an annual fee to be a part of a network of professional photographers who help me run my business and help keep me improving artistically.
Knowing how to thoroughly use Photoshop is also integral to the processing of my images. I pair Photoshop with the use of a Wacom tablet to digitally "paint" my images. It takes me about 8 hours to process a session because I spend quite a lot of time on each image and carefully evaluating it and trying different techniques on it. I also spend a long time working on my b&w conversions, which I probably should stop doing because I probably only sell about 5% of my images in b&w since my clients always seem to prefer my color images. Believe it or not, my b&w images are not just color images with the color removed: Doing that in Photoshop just creates a lifeless and dull and very gray image. My b&w images actually have color in them--it's just about achieving a pleasing, seemingly colorless balance.
I want a part-time job. Is doing what you do a good choice?
There are obviously quicker and more efficient photographers out there. I spend about 60 hours a week on my business--and that's only with an average of 10 sessions per month. This year, it's my goal to become more efficient so I can spend more time with my family and my friends--and get back to the gym! :)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
New website and ordering system launched!
Maybe it's because I wasn't born in Berks County that I love change. :)
I really liked my old website, but I was always a bit disappointed that the pictures didn't display larger. Plus, I was just in a serious need of updating my work--I think it had been sometime in the early fall--maybe even summer--that I had last updated my portfolio sections.
Along with that, I've officially launched "The Boutique." Those of you who have done sessions with me up until now know how cumbersome my ordering system was: You looked at proofs; I directed you to my product blog to look at samples of frames or collages or jewelry had you not seen them in person during our session; perhaps I worked up wall displays for you by request or you looked at ideas online; you then filled out order sheets and dropped them in the mail to me; I then sent you an invoice; and then you sent me a check in the mail. While it worked, I must say it wasn't the most efficient system. The Boutique is a one-stop place for viewing proofs, ordering, seeing product samples, viewing wall displays and ordering prints to fill them, and submitting your payment. (Now if only it would do my laundry for me!)
By the way, just like before, the proofs in The Boutique are password-protected for my clients' privacy and protection, so unless you have a current gallery, there's no need to register. Perhaps once I clear my plate of other pending business I'll throw a sample gallery in there so that you can see how it operates.
Feel free to drop by the new site and let me know if there's any bugs that need to be worked out. I hope you enjoy it! Lots of new faces and new pictures--I only wish I could include all of you! :)
I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Enjoy!
Click here to see new website
I really liked my old website, but I was always a bit disappointed that the pictures didn't display larger. Plus, I was just in a serious need of updating my work--I think it had been sometime in the early fall--maybe even summer--that I had last updated my portfolio sections.
Along with that, I've officially launched "The Boutique." Those of you who have done sessions with me up until now know how cumbersome my ordering system was: You looked at proofs; I directed you to my product blog to look at samples of frames or collages or jewelry had you not seen them in person during our session; perhaps I worked up wall displays for you by request or you looked at ideas online; you then filled out order sheets and dropped them in the mail to me; I then sent you an invoice; and then you sent me a check in the mail. While it worked, I must say it wasn't the most efficient system. The Boutique is a one-stop place for viewing proofs, ordering, seeing product samples, viewing wall displays and ordering prints to fill them, and submitting your payment. (Now if only it would do my laundry for me!)
By the way, just like before, the proofs in The Boutique are password-protected for my clients' privacy and protection, so unless you have a current gallery, there's no need to register. Perhaps once I clear my plate of other pending business I'll throw a sample gallery in there so that you can see how it operates.
Feel free to drop by the new site and let me know if there's any bugs that need to be worked out. I hope you enjoy it! Lots of new faces and new pictures--I only wish I could include all of you! :)
I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Enjoy!
Click here to see new website
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A Dozen Poses - Limited Edition Studio Sessions
Did she say "studio?"
I did! Nah, I'm not giving up my outside and on-location work, but the kind folks over at the GoggleWorks have been so awesome to let me make use of their amazing facilities when I've been in a pinch. Plus, it's a great place to take the kids for the day (and an even cooler place for them to discover art!)
So what exactly is a studio session?
Well, I'm going to be doing these mostly with lights (*gasp!*) and some cool red, gray or white background paper (*no!*) but still working hard to capture your kids character on camera. I'll also be making use of the GoggleWorks' architecture: cool distressed wood floors, beautiful brick and lots of light.
What's included?
I did! Nah, I'm not giving up my outside and on-location work, but the kind folks over at the GoggleWorks have been so awesome to let me make use of their amazing facilities when I've been in a pinch. Plus, it's a great place to take the kids for the day (and an even cooler place for them to discover art!)
So what exactly is a studio session?
Well, I'm going to be doing these mostly with lights (*gasp!*) and some cool red, gray or white background paper (*no!*) but still working hard to capture your kids character on camera. I'll also be making use of the GoggleWorks' architecture: cool distressed wood floors, beautiful brick and lots of light.
What's included?
a half hour mini session
presentation of a dozen proofs
five desk prints (8x10 and smaller)
and your choice of:
a ten-page 3x3 leather mini album, adorable and perfectly sized for your purse!
presentation of a dozen proofs
five desk prints (8x10 and smaller)
and your choice of:
a ten-page 3x3 leather mini album, adorable and perfectly sized for your purse!
a digital keychain loaded with your session images, sure to be a perfect gift for Dad on Valentine's Day
or two dozen 4x5½ press-printed Valentines in a linen or pearl finish, sure to make an impression at school or capture the hearts of all they're sent to (templates are posted below)
or two dozen 4x5½ press-printed Valentines in a linen or pearl finish, sure to make an impression at school or capture the hearts of all they're sent to (templates are posted below)
Just a quick note: Due to reduced time, these sessions are for babies/kids/teens only, and up to three children in an immediate family. Please let me know when scheduling if you have more than three kids. There may be an additional fee to accomodate extra children.
These are limited edition sessions with a limited number of openings. Appointments are required.
xox,
Jen
These are limited edition sessions with a limited number of openings. Appointments are required.
xox,
Jen
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sometimes I wonder what my clients think...
A baby! Well, not really one yet in her arms, but in her belly. The really neat thing about this session is that I took pictures of her kids back in the spring when she told me she had just found out that she was expecting. I'll be back in a few more weeks to take pictures of the baby when she arrives--it will be really neat to sort of have "been there" since the since the start.
So maternity sessions are always weird for me in that when the first inquiry comes in, there's kind of no easy way to say, "Hey, are you willing to get naked?" I always say it's a total shame that maternity sessions can't be conducted after a bottle of wine, but the truth of the matter is, photographing maternity is all about the body and the belly and the mom-to-be and the dad-to-be's (and soon-to-be big brother and sister's!) connection to their unborn baby, and I truly like to tastefully and discreetly do most maternity sessions with as little on as the client's comfortable baring. It's pretty funny though--I often think about my poor client's end of the session and just have to chuckle at how ridiculous it all must seem. But hey, in the end, the finished product is all that matters, right?
So on my way home, I pull into my neighborhood and run into my neighbor, to whom I owe a family portrait, which we were planning to do when the weather got warmer. Since it was so mild out today, I asked her if she wanted to try to do it today, and she enthusiastically agreed (her husband, not so enthusiastically. ;) So I told them that I'd be back in a few minutes, as soon as I cleared out my car so that I could fit in the trunk a setee that I wanted to put in the middle of the road somewhere, to which they didn't even bat an eyelash--as though hauling around a sofa in the back of one's SUV and plopping it in the middle of the road is an everday occurence. I'm glad they not only were willing to go along with my ideas, but that they were strong enough to help. :)
So maternity sessions are always weird for me in that when the first inquiry comes in, there's kind of no easy way to say, "Hey, are you willing to get naked?" I always say it's a total shame that maternity sessions can't be conducted after a bottle of wine, but the truth of the matter is, photographing maternity is all about the body and the belly and the mom-to-be and the dad-to-be's (and soon-to-be big brother and sister's!) connection to their unborn baby, and I truly like to tastefully and discreetly do most maternity sessions with as little on as the client's comfortable baring. It's pretty funny though--I often think about my poor client's end of the session and just have to chuckle at how ridiculous it all must seem. But hey, in the end, the finished product is all that matters, right?
So on my way home, I pull into my neighborhood and run into my neighbor, to whom I owe a family portrait, which we were planning to do when the weather got warmer. Since it was so mild out today, I asked her if she wanted to try to do it today, and she enthusiastically agreed (her husband, not so enthusiastically. ;) So I told them that I'd be back in a few minutes, as soon as I cleared out my car so that I could fit in the trunk a setee that I wanted to put in the middle of the road somewhere, to which they didn't even bat an eyelash--as though hauling around a sofa in the back of one's SUV and plopping it in the middle of the road is an everday occurence. I'm glad they not only were willing to go along with my ideas, but that they were strong enough to help. :)
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Miss me?
A shoot today! Yay! Actually, two shoots today (and one tomorrow) so lots of new faces to look at around here. Plus, Santa brought yours truly a new camera plus some new yummy glass, which is awesome, but man, it sure is taking forever and a day for two sessions to upload to my computer! So I'll just bring you the excerpts from the memory cards that have uploaded thus far... (oh, and there's a little bit of news after the pictures. :)
I know I say it everytime, but I love 6 month old babies! Love them! Especially ones with amazing eyes. We caught him right when his eyes are changing from blue to brown, and I got lost in those beauties as I was photographing him. His brother hit a soft spot with me since he's a Thomas fan. I've got a almost-five year old obsessed with Thomas (so yes, I do know almost all of the trains, but discovered today that I really don't know the song that well); and my baby, well, he's not saying "Mama" yet, but he does say "Thomas." (I'm serious. I wish it weren't true, but it is. *sigh*) So let's just say that any boy who loves Thomas is a boy after my own heart since I've got two crazily obsessed Thomas fans of my own. :)
My second session was with my "Beauty in a Bow" from the summer. Can you believe how much she's grown? Even though I've gone through three babyhoods with my own kids, I'm still shocked by how much a little person can change over the span of a few months! Even though she's bigger, she's totally kept her piggy appetite and her drop-dead adorableness. These were taken just at the end of the session, and they were moments where, as a photographer, I just
stop.
hold breath.
click.
pray.
please stay where you are. please. please let my exposure be perfect. please let everyone be in focus. please.
whew. :)
And this one--total patience. Eventually, she had to grow tired of the pile of dirt she was sitting in and look up at me, right?
*****
Just a few news items tacked on at the end here, if you're still reading!
I'm getting ready to launch a new website and online ordering system, which I am really looking forward to. I got a chance to work on it during my holiday vacation and am ironing out a few bugs, etc. but I should be ready to go with it by the end of the month, if not sooner. Therefore, I just recently contacted all of my clients with outstanding orders to let you know that I'd like to get your order processed before the change takes place. If you're one of them, I look forward to hearing from you soon!
As a result of working on the new sites plus my new brochures for '08, and taking some very much needed time off during the holidays, I'm just now getting around to December proofing. I should have your galleries to you in the next week or two. As always, I apologize for the delay, but I really did just need to take a step away from the computer and Photoshop for two weeks--and maybe see if I could coax Isaac into saying "Mama." :)
Happy New Year everyone! I hope '08 is great!
I know I say it everytime, but I love 6 month old babies! Love them! Especially ones with amazing eyes. We caught him right when his eyes are changing from blue to brown, and I got lost in those beauties as I was photographing him. His brother hit a soft spot with me since he's a Thomas fan. I've got a almost-five year old obsessed with Thomas (so yes, I do know almost all of the trains, but discovered today that I really don't know the song that well); and my baby, well, he's not saying "Mama" yet, but he does say "Thomas." (I'm serious. I wish it weren't true, but it is. *sigh*) So let's just say that any boy who loves Thomas is a boy after my own heart since I've got two crazily obsessed Thomas fans of my own. :)
My second session was with my "Beauty in a Bow" from the summer. Can you believe how much she's grown? Even though I've gone through three babyhoods with my own kids, I'm still shocked by how much a little person can change over the span of a few months! Even though she's bigger, she's totally kept her piggy appetite and her drop-dead adorableness. These were taken just at the end of the session, and they were moments where, as a photographer, I just
stop.
hold breath.
click.
pray.
please stay where you are. please. please let my exposure be perfect. please let everyone be in focus. please.
whew. :)
And this one--total patience. Eventually, she had to grow tired of the pile of dirt she was sitting in and look up at me, right?
*****
Just a few news items tacked on at the end here, if you're still reading!
I'm getting ready to launch a new website and online ordering system, which I am really looking forward to. I got a chance to work on it during my holiday vacation and am ironing out a few bugs, etc. but I should be ready to go with it by the end of the month, if not sooner. Therefore, I just recently contacted all of my clients with outstanding orders to let you know that I'd like to get your order processed before the change takes place. If you're one of them, I look forward to hearing from you soon!
As a result of working on the new sites plus my new brochures for '08, and taking some very much needed time off during the holidays, I'm just now getting around to December proofing. I should have your galleries to you in the next week or two. As always, I apologize for the delay, but I really did just need to take a step away from the computer and Photoshop for two weeks--and maybe see if I could coax Isaac into saying "Mama." :)
Happy New Year everyone! I hope '08 is great!
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