I have no photo to share today. I took plenty, but I'm a bit slow at getting started this morning. There's so much to do to play catch-up yet I'm a few pounds heavier and I'm moving a bit slower. Christmas was a lot of fun at our house. Santa was good to the kids and left some fun games. We've been rocking out with Rock Band and my daughters have been plugged into their new DSi and MP3 player. The boy has been having a ball with his many robot toys and I enjoyed moving into the High Definition age with my new flat screen. I'm excited to put some of my photos on DVD and really see how they pop on that screen. I also got some fun photo toys that I'm excited about trying out and I've had some inspiration for some more Beauty of Motherhood photos that I'm looking forward to setting up.
After the Christmas rush for family portraits, my calendar has finally got some breathing room in it. Give me a call if you're finally ready to show off that smile!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Missing: One butterfly
Two weeks ago this lovely caterpillar stowed away on one of our potted plants that we pulled in when the weather was getting cold. It promptly spun into a cocoon on the wooden blinds in the office before we could find it and put it safely outside. Once they attach themselves to something to transform it's best to leave them alone. So we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
This afternoon we found the cocoon empty. No butterfly in sight. We looked and we looked. How far could the butterfly have gotten? Could a cat have found it before us? Still no sign of the butterfly in our home. I expect we'll come across him eventually. There aren't that many places for a butterfly to hide.
In the meantime, the kids are out of school for two weeks and I look forward to a short vacation next week. I'm done with all my holiday photo sessions and I have none on the schedule until after the new year. The next two weeks I suspect I'll be shooting plenty nonetheless.
If I don't get a chance to get back on here and blog some more next week then let me just say have a very Merry Christmas. I've been truly blessed this past year on a personal and a professional level and I'm thankful to all those who have made that possible.
And wait.
And wait.
This afternoon we found the cocoon empty. No butterfly in sight. We looked and we looked. How far could the butterfly have gotten? Could a cat have found it before us? Still no sign of the butterfly in our home. I expect we'll come across him eventually. There aren't that many places for a butterfly to hide.
In the meantime, the kids are out of school for two weeks and I look forward to a short vacation next week. I'm done with all my holiday photo sessions and I have none on the schedule until after the new year. The next two weeks I suspect I'll be shooting plenty nonetheless.
If I don't get a chance to get back on here and blog some more next week then let me just say have a very Merry Christmas. I've been truly blessed this past year on a personal and a professional level and I'm thankful to all those who have made that possible.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Countdown to Christmas
Where did the time go. It seems I was just complaining last week that Thanksgiving was upon us and then I blink and find us halfway through December. These past few weeks have been a blur for us. With the loss of our dear kitty early in the month and the addition of a new trouble-maker, added to the already crazy busy season of photo sessions, shopping, school functions, and parties, it's amazing I've stayed sane.
In our little corner of the world we've had nasty drizzly and cold weather for many straight days. I was a little nervous about having to postpone my weekend sessions, but the sun broke through for a beautiful Sunday and I was able to shoot the family of one of my oldest friends from grade school. I'm sharing a photo of her daughter with you today. I love this one because it shows us not just how beautiful she is, but also how playful and active she is. She and her sister -- the future rodeo queen -- were perfect subjects and I was so honored to be a part of their day. The rest of the session involved horses and lots and lots of mud! I loved it!
In our little corner of the world we've had nasty drizzly and cold weather for many straight days. I was a little nervous about having to postpone my weekend sessions, but the sun broke through for a beautiful Sunday and I was able to shoot the family of one of my oldest friends from grade school. I'm sharing a photo of her daughter with you today. I love this one because it shows us not just how beautiful she is, but also how playful and active she is. She and her sister -- the future rodeo queen -- were perfect subjects and I was so honored to be a part of their day. The rest of the session involved horses and lots and lots of mud! I loved it!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
My Baby Girl is too Old for Santa's lap
I had a volunteer job the other morning taking Santa Photos for an elementary school. It was a nice change because these children act so sweet and innocent around Santa. They're on their best behavior, most of them want their photo taken with him and I got to hear all the funny gift requests these kids came up with --except for the few who whispered into Santa's ear their secret wishes. My own child, however, refused to sit on Santa's lap. My baby is growing up. She also confided in me that she didn't think he was the REAL Santa because she saw his beard separate from his face for a moment. Also her friend told her that it was actually her sister's kindergarten teacher's husband. Okay, well he had me fooled. But it's harder to pull the wool -- or should I say the beard -- over her eyes.
This weekend is full once again. My mom's 70th birthday party is today and I have a fun session involving a family and their horses tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, Christmas is sneaking up on us fast and I still haven't finished my shopping. I better get on the stick!
This weekend is full once again. My mom's 70th birthday party is today and I have a fun session involving a family and their horses tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, Christmas is sneaking up on us fast and I still haven't finished my shopping. I better get on the stick!
Monday, December 7, 2009
And then came kitty
The darkness that engulfed the house last week with the loss of our Holly was heavy. But the clouds are beginning to break and we have found distraction and comfort by welcoming a new little kitty into our home. The adoption process of this little gal was stressful and nauseating. You'd think we were adopting a human child with all the hoops we had to jump through. The screening process was very strict and the fees were very high. But after a long and grueling weekend, we have her!
I'm not really sure if her name is official yet. We have one child calling her Kody, one calling her Kitten, one calling her Frisky, I suggested Red Hot Kitty Pepper but usually slip up and call her Holly and Jayme calls her something that I won't repeat here. If she were to earn her name, she'd be called "Kitty get down from the Christmas Tree" or "No-no kitten, don't poop in Daddy's house plant." She has come in and made a mockery of every cat rule we have in the house. She's on the table, she's on the shelves with the fine knick knacks, she's at the top of the tree, she's plummeting from high places, bouncing off the sliding glass door and smacking at valuable china.
I suppose we'll get her trained soon enough -- or vice versa. The important thing is that she cuddles with the children and helps to ease their pain. Holly would have wanted that.
I'm not really sure if her name is official yet. We have one child calling her Kody, one calling her Kitten, one calling her Frisky, I suggested Red Hot Kitty Pepper but usually slip up and call her Holly and Jayme calls her something that I won't repeat here. If she were to earn her name, she'd be called "Kitty get down from the Christmas Tree" or "No-no kitten, don't poop in Daddy's house plant." She has come in and made a mockery of every cat rule we have in the house. She's on the table, she's on the shelves with the fine knick knacks, she's at the top of the tree, she's plummeting from high places, bouncing off the sliding glass door and smacking at valuable china.
I suppose we'll get her trained soon enough -- or vice versa. The important thing is that she cuddles with the children and helps to ease their pain. Holly would have wanted that.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Rest in Peace Sweet Holly
Today is a sad and traumatic day for me and my family. Holly -- our sweet Siamese was killed by the neighbor's dogs. We didn't even know she had slipped outside. She got into the yard next door and was attacked. I'm feeling horribly guilty. It was my job to protect her and I failed. She was a pleasant little surprise last Christmas -- the best Christmas gift my children ever got, or so they tell me. I can't believe she's gone. I hope the pain we're all in will pass soon and we can begin to appreciate the time we had with this little treasure.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Vampires of San Antonio
Vampires roam the old cemeteries of San Antonio. It's true. I've seen them. And contrary to myth, they do show up quite nicely on film -- or in my case digital files. Take a look. We set up at sunset at the oldest part of the city cemetery to capture these creatures. They even brought a beautiful baby with them and her mommy the make-up artist.
Seriously this shoot was a blast. You may recognize this vampire vixen from some of my bridal galleries. Sara was my bride who was so willing to wear a wedding gown and dive into the Comal River with me last spring as well as my lovely fairy in my Fantasy gallery. She's a great sport and is always so willing to go along with crazy ideas I have about photo shoots "Hey Sara, want to be a *insert strange mythical creature here like vampires, fairies, etc*" She says yes and then we get together and have some fun. Shoots like this remind me why I got into this in the first place. Photography is fun. Photoshop is fun. And I'm blessed to be able to have a job that provides me with so much fun on a daily basis. To see my vampire gallery click here: http://www.lisaonlocation.com/Clients/Vampire-Shoot/10489602_T38Gt#727942365_io5UZ
Seriously this shoot was a blast. You may recognize this vampire vixen from some of my bridal galleries. Sara was my bride who was so willing to wear a wedding gown and dive into the Comal River with me last spring as well as my lovely fairy in my Fantasy gallery. She's a great sport and is always so willing to go along with crazy ideas I have about photo shoots "Hey Sara, want to be a *insert strange mythical creature here like vampires, fairies, etc*" She says yes and then we get together and have some fun. Shoots like this remind me why I got into this in the first place. Photography is fun. Photoshop is fun. And I'm blessed to be able to have a job that provides me with so much fun on a daily basis. To see my vampire gallery click here: http://www.lisaonlocation.com/Clients/Vampire-Shoot/10489602_T38Gt#727942365_io5UZ
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Baby's First Shiner
My baby boy got his first shiner on Thanksgiving Day. It was a freak accident. A cousin was picking up a tennis racket from the ground and my boy happened to be in the spot the racket swung up. He got a nasty gash that I'm afraid may leave a scar and of course the black and blue shiner. At first I freaked a little and took him to the emergency room. But after waiting a while in a crowded, gross, emergency room in a town far from home -- witnessing some nastiness and exposing ourselves to every airborne virus in existence -- we decided it probably wasn't bad enough to require the care of a doctor. We cleaned it out ourselves and applied liquid bandaid to seal it and close up the gash. Once he had a Tootsie Pop in his sticky little hand the boy was fine and enjoyed eating up all the attention.
I thought he looked like a little gangster in his hoodie and got the brainstorm to do a photo session with baby's first shiner. You know I always say that I can see the beauty in everything and that includes a nasty black eye, which most moms would try to cover with make-up and immediately postpone any picture taking because of. Not I. These are the moments we need to photograph the most. It's a little piece of his childhood.
So I drove around the back alleys of New Braunfels looking for a spot that looks rough enough for my photo session, but not so rough that I wouldn't want to get out of my car with my precious boy. I made the mistake of turning down a wrong alley and splashed through a puddle of rotted milk and sour cheese slime. The smell was putrid and it followed us all over town -- even after the photo shoot and a trip to the grocery store. We finally had to retreat to a car wash to rid our car of the stink before making our way home. My life is in adventure, what can I say.
I thought he looked like a little gangster in his hoodie and got the brainstorm to do a photo session with baby's first shiner. You know I always say that I can see the beauty in everything and that includes a nasty black eye, which most moms would try to cover with make-up and immediately postpone any picture taking because of. Not I. These are the moments we need to photograph the most. It's a little piece of his childhood.
So I drove around the back alleys of New Braunfels looking for a spot that looks rough enough for my photo session, but not so rough that I wouldn't want to get out of my car with my precious boy. I made the mistake of turning down a wrong alley and splashed through a puddle of rotted milk and sour cheese slime. The smell was putrid and it followed us all over town -- even after the photo shoot and a trip to the grocery store. We finally had to retreat to a car wash to rid our car of the stink before making our way home. My life is in adventure, what can I say.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Crazy busy holidays
So I was checking out my calendar the other day and I realized Thanksgiving is upon us. How did that happen?! I still have a Halloween pumpkin in my front yard (see blog below). I've barely had a moment to come up for air! My schedule for the next few weeks is full --but I may have a Saturday slot open in 3 weeks so e-mail or call me sooner rather than later!
My photography class is on hiatus until the spring semester. It was a busy 10 weeks but I think the students learned a lot and I hope I've released 40 or so competent photography hobbyists out on the world.
On another note, Happy Birthday to my oldest daughter today. She's 11 going on 16 -- in attitude and personality. I can't believe I've been a mom for this long.
The photo I've decided to share today is my favorite of the week from a session I did last weekend. Isn't she beautiful!
Oh and one last news item. That issue of New Beginnings that my little business is featured in is out today. The article is about my Beauty of Motherhood series and my passion for breastfeeding photography. Check out the series under Galleries on my page and check out the magazine here http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/724fa0ad#/724fa0ad/1.
My photography class is on hiatus until the spring semester. It was a busy 10 weeks but I think the students learned a lot and I hope I've released 40 or so competent photography hobbyists out on the world.
On another note, Happy Birthday to my oldest daughter today. She's 11 going on 16 -- in attitude and personality. I can't believe I've been a mom for this long.
The photo I've decided to share today is my favorite of the week from a session I did last weekend. Isn't she beautiful!
Oh and one last news item. That issue of New Beginnings that my little business is featured in is out today. The article is about my Beauty of Motherhood series and my passion for breastfeeding photography. Check out the series under Galleries on my page and check out the magazine here http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/724fa0ad#/724fa0ad/1.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The First Dance
Sometimes everything just falls into place. It wasn't hard finding some good photos from this wedding. It's hard to go wrong with such a handsome couple and when they don't have to be told "pretend like you like each other " (because that never gets old, Jayme) you end up with shots like this one. I think I may use this one at bridal shows because it just speaks to me.
Take a look at John and Tami's wedding album if you haven't already. It's been so much fun processing these images.
Take a look at John and Tami's wedding album if you haven't already. It's been so much fun processing these images.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Congratulations John and Tami
As I sit to write this blog my wrists are aching with the numbness I get from working too hard on the computer. But I can't stop! I'm just loving the photos I'm getting from this weekend's wedding. This particular wedding was a challenge for me because the groom is my brother in law. As a result I had my husband serving as a groomsman, my two daughters as a flower girl and a cross-bearer, my son as a ring bearer and I, of course, would be shooting the wedding. Most people thought I was crazy to attempt to shoot this but the thought of someone else shooting it made me nervous. I know these people very well, I know what they're like and what they want and I think we work really well together. Not to mention I'm giving them the best wedding gift I could possibly give them.
The weekend went off without a glitch. The drama of the week before that usually happens before any wedding was finally ironed out and everyone came together to get these two hitched in style.
It was so much fun John and Tami. Thanks for letting me do this for you. I can't wait for you to see what I got!
The weekend went off without a glitch. The drama of the week before that usually happens before any wedding was finally ironed out and everyone came together to get these two hitched in style.
It was so much fun John and Tami. Thanks for letting me do this for you. I can't wait for you to see what I got!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Pumpkin circle of life
So remember the pumpkin patch we went to a few weeks ago. We all selected a pumpkin and I even got to pick one out for the purpose of carving. The problem was that it started wilting almost immediately. By the time Halloween rolled around it was a sloppy mess and there would be no carving into a Jack-o-Lantern for this thing. I set it out in the front lawn to scare away Hooligans and low and behold what do I find -- the wilty mess of a pumpkin gave birth to little baby pumpkin plants. The moral of this story is that even ugly old pumpkins serve a purpose -- even if's not to be cut open and carved.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sleep is highly overrated
This past weekend I did what I do best. Jammed packed every hour with activity leaving little time for sleep. The weekend started with a Girl Scout sleepover, where I attempted to teach a room full of giggling 10-year-olds a little about the night sky to earn a badge. Needless to say, they managed to giggle at almost everything I said. Jayme was able to entertain them with a peak in his telescope and the badge was earned after all! I would like to be able to say we spent a restful night of slumber, but then it wouldn't be a sleepover if the girls actually slept. No sleep for me either.
The next day we headed out to Columbus for a photo session -- a sample of which I have displayed here. These clients had a beautiful piece of property and no shortage of appealing backdrops. The next morning I managed to fit in another bridal session before heading off to the Renaissance Festival with the family.
I'd like to say we rode all the rides and played all the games, but, seriously, who can afford to do that? Is it my imagination or have the prices on all the rides and games increased drastically over the past few years? At $3 a ride, times 3 kids, I'd need to take out a second mortgage to get my kids on all the rides and games at that place. I believe the goal of that festival is no longer to entertain and educate the masses but rather to separate each individual from their money as quickly and efficiently as possible. Each child did manage to leave with a souvenir and ride a few of the shorter-than-one-would-believe, yet-massively-expensive rides.
Now preparation is under way for this weekend when my brother-in-law will finally marry my new friend, Tami and I can't wait to celebrate with them. I'll be their photographer of course and I'll be only too happy to post some pictures here for everyone to see next week.
The next day we headed out to Columbus for a photo session -- a sample of which I have displayed here. These clients had a beautiful piece of property and no shortage of appealing backdrops. The next morning I managed to fit in another bridal session before heading off to the Renaissance Festival with the family.
I'd like to say we rode all the rides and played all the games, but, seriously, who can afford to do that? Is it my imagination or have the prices on all the rides and games increased drastically over the past few years? At $3 a ride, times 3 kids, I'd need to take out a second mortgage to get my kids on all the rides and games at that place. I believe the goal of that festival is no longer to entertain and educate the masses but rather to separate each individual from their money as quickly and efficiently as possible. Each child did manage to leave with a souvenir and ride a few of the shorter-than-one-would-believe, yet-massively-expensive rides.
Now preparation is under way for this weekend when my brother-in-law will finally marry my new friend, Tami and I can't wait to celebrate with them. I'll be their photographer of course and I'll be only too happy to post some pictures here for everyone to see next week.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Post Halloween wrap-up
Halloween was 5 days ago and I'm just now starting to recover from the sugar rush. We had hundreds of trick-or-treaters converge on our home and this year we finally worked out the kinks in our candy distribution method so we were not left with pounds of candy and we didn't run out too early. The trick is to just buy enough candy to get you through the first hour. Then you can simply snag the undesirable candy from the trick-or-treat bags of your own children who returned by then and put them in the pot to give out. This leaves you with just the good stuff at the end of the night. I was left with a bag full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Twix bars, and Snickers -- no Almond Joys or Mounds -ugh- and no sticky suckers that have a way of ending up entwined in my carpet.
I thought I had it all under control until the next day when my children kept magically appearing with random pieces of candy that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Then I found the culprit. A hidden candy stash between the couch cushions. Those sneaky darlings!
I thought I had it all under control until the next day when my children kept magically appearing with random pieces of candy that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Then I found the culprit. A hidden candy stash between the couch cushions. Those sneaky darlings!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Yoga anyone?
My assignment this past weekend was to shoot the grand opening of Two Rivers Yoga in Gruene. They have a beautiful new studio and boutique with large windows and beautiful light. The earthy colors they chose for the decor made for some beautifully colored photographs. I can't wait to take my first yoga class in this place. Take a look at the photos if you get a chance!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Pumpkin Patch
We took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch the other day to make our annual pumpkin selection. As our brood has grown so have our pumpkin selections. Three kids means three pumpkins. My son chose this little one. He was easy to please. I'm thankful they didn't decide upon the 200 pound monster in the middle of the patch.
Halloween is just a week away and this month has flown by!
I started the second session of my photography class last week and there are even more people in this one than in the first. It's obvious there's a need for it in this community.
I had a rare weekend off this weekend and I took the time to enjoy it because the next month is packed full of sessions. If you haven't scheduled your Christmas portraits yet, you still have time! There are some openings in early December so call soon!
Halloween is just a week away and this month has flown by!
I started the second session of my photography class last week and there are even more people in this one than in the first. It's obvious there's a need for it in this community.
I had a rare weekend off this weekend and I took the time to enjoy it because the next month is packed full of sessions. If you haven't scheduled your Christmas portraits yet, you still have time! There are some openings in early December so call soon!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
How to shoot a weddding when you can't shoot the wedding.
So I shot a really great wedding this weekend. The bride was beautiful and nervous. Her voice cracked as she gave her vows, the groom looked sufficiently nervous and handsome at the same time. They had a beautiful Christian service with a non-traditional Apache sand ceremony as well. I would love to have gotten some shots of it with all the beauty of the emotions they shared. But, unfortunately, the minister said no. I've shot at weddings where the minister asks for no flash photography during the ceremony -- that's cool with me. I've been to weddings where the minister has asked to not move around during the ceremony -- that's cool too. But this was the first time I had the challenge of shooting a wedding where the minister asked for no photography at all during the ceremony. Not a click, not a peep from our cameras. Okay. So let's see. What do I do? Well, there's really not much I can do. Unfortunately, this was news to the bride as well. I've heard of this from other photographers but this was the first time I've had to deal with it.
The minister said it was okay to recreate the scenes after the fact and that she would hang around after wards for that (but she was out of there pretty quickly). And even if she had hung around, it just wasn't the same. The pressure was off, the moment was over. Staged shots after the fact just aren't the same. And even more, it's not the same for the bride and groom. When they look through their photo album, they won't see the candid, raw emotions of the moment they tied the knot. They won't see the tears stream down their faces as they said "I do." They see a performance -- a staged production where they pretend to mimic the expressions they held moments earlier.
I think I did a pretty good job of capturing the feeling of the day leading up to the big moment and the feeling of celebration after the deed was done. I hope it serves to remind them of the joyous ceremony.
I'll be working on these photos throughout the week and they can be found in my Jim and Shawna folder under the Clients section of my site. Enjoy viewing the ceremony that you can't see!
The minister said it was okay to recreate the scenes after the fact and that she would hang around after wards for that (but she was out of there pretty quickly). And even if she had hung around, it just wasn't the same. The pressure was off, the moment was over. Staged shots after the fact just aren't the same. And even more, it's not the same for the bride and groom. When they look through their photo album, they won't see the candid, raw emotions of the moment they tied the knot. They won't see the tears stream down their faces as they said "I do." They see a performance -- a staged production where they pretend to mimic the expressions they held moments earlier.
I think I did a pretty good job of capturing the feeling of the day leading up to the big moment and the feeling of celebration after the deed was done. I hope it serves to remind them of the joyous ceremony.
I'll be working on these photos throughout the week and they can be found in my Jim and Shawna folder under the Clients section of my site. Enjoy viewing the ceremony that you can't see!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy 50th Strutters!
This weekend I had the honor of serving as the official photographer for the Texas State Strutters 50th anniversary celebration and reunion. Can I just say that these ladies were a blast to work with. You're looking at some of the original line from the 1960 Strutters dance team. I loved it when these ladies broke out in a high kick routine on the track of Bobcat Stadium. They could kick higher than I can! I can only hope I'm able to move like that when I'm celebrating my 50-year college reunion! You ladies are beautiful! The day ended with a magnificent gala at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos. They celebrated with a dinner, a dance, a live band, an auction and a giant ice sculpture. Everything was gorgeous. The reunion committee did a great job putting this celebration on and I hope I was able to capture the excitement. Check out my Strutters gallery in the Client section of my site to see what I have.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
You say it's your birthday dadadadadada, It's my birthday too!
So today is my birthday. Usually a wonderful, joyous moment, when I was a kid. Today it seems like just another day. I'm a year older now. This also marks an important birthday for me. I am now 38. I remember when my mom turned 38. I remember the cake my dad baked for her and the big 38 drawn in icing on top of the cake. She wasn't very happy to see that and I couldn't understand why at the time. Today she looks at the photographs and says "I was so young then, I had no reason to be down." So when my darling husband lit up 38 candles that seemed to swallow up that little round cake and asked me to make a wish I had no problem with it. The wish -- why for another 38 years as glorious and happy as the first, of course!
Friday, October 2, 2009
To the Batcave!
Twenty million bats. I saw 20 MILLION bats! Wow, that's a big number. How long does it take 20 million bats to emerge from a cave? About 4 hours, I'm told. So in fact, I guess I didn't really see 20 million since I only witnessed about 45 minutes of the bat stream. But the numbers are high enough to impress. I was able to attend a private tour of the Bracken Bat Cave near Garden Ridge last night and attempt to capture the magnificent display of millions of bug-eating mammals waking from their slumber for their nocturnal hunt for food. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing, I'd never shot small, fast-moving objects in the dark of night before and I wasn't quite sure how to do it. My biggest problem was focus. Because of the low light, I had to use a wide aperture, which means my depth of field was small. Then I had to try to focus on an area of bats and hope that at least a few of them were sharp as I fired off my strobe into the sky. I took no fewer than 250 shots and managed to get a handful of reasonably focused bats. I hope to study up on it a bit more and return with more knowledge of capturing these illusive night predators.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Where-oh-where-did-my-spacebar-go?
So-I-set-up-the-laptop-this-morning-thinking-I-could-write-a-quick-little-blog-about-some-sophisticated-topic-like-High-Dynamic-Range-or-some-new-lighting-trick-I-picked-up-while-reading-the-other-night.--When-what-do-I-find-before-me?--Someone-has-broken-my-spacebar!--Must-have-been-the-boy.--His-recent-fascination-for-Nickjr.com-has-freed-up-much-of-my-time-to-do-things-I-need-to-get-done-without-constantly-entertaining-him,-but-the-downside-of-allowing-a-3-year-old-access-to-a-delicate-piece-of-computer-equipment-has-become-painfully-obvious.--So-this-morning-you'll-find-no-intelligent-discussion-of-my-latest-photo-session.--You'll-find-no-witty-commentary-on-my-class.--You'll-only-find-my-fumbled-attempt-at-typing-without-a-spacebar-and-read-about-my-frustration-as-20-plus-years-of-expert-typing-goes-out-the-window-as-my-sad-little-thumb-feebly-hits-that-impotent-spacebar-after-every-word.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
I have a new passion for teaching
When I first took on this teaching project, I must admit I was a little nervous. I've never done well in front of groups of people. I tend toward the shy side and have a naturally quiet voice. I took on the Community Education class because I saw the need for it and wanted to mingle with the public and share some of the exciting techniques I've learned in my own photography education. I had no idea I would have so much fun. The other night's class on composition was one of the most fun hours I've spent in a classroom ever -- as student or teacher. My students are so eager to learn and they have a real passion for photography. It's great to be able to share some of my own knowledge and see their eyes light up when they finally get a concept or learn some piece of useful information. I love it when they grab their pencils to jot down something I just said -- which of course forces me to mentally do a double check to make sure I said that right.
What's also surprising to me is the large turnout we had for this class. It seems to have topped out at 19 people -- pretty much to capacity. I must say I was expecting maybe 6 - 8 when I started. I was hoping for at least four. They had to move us to a bigger space than they originally had planned. Our little class is one of their biggest and NBISD is thrilled about that. They're already making plans for next semester -- that means they want me back!
What's also surprising to me is the large turnout we had for this class. It seems to have topped out at 19 people -- pretty much to capacity. I must say I was expecting maybe 6 - 8 when I started. I was hoping for at least four. They had to move us to a bigger space than they originally had planned. Our little class is one of their biggest and NBISD is thrilled about that. They're already making plans for next semester -- that means they want me back!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Lisa on Location joins PPA
I made a couple of big steps this week. Lisa on Location is now a member of the Professional Photographers of America and will shortly be a member of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. I have had some major photographic successes lately and I feel the time is right to join the ranks of the professionals.
I've also started gearing up for Christmas portraits. The time is right to start thinking about those Christmas card photos. I have some ideas that I can't wait to get into print.
My big restaurant project is wrapped up and Schobel's Restaurant in New Braunfels will soon open its doors. The walls of this place will feature a dozen or so of my photographs blown up in super size gallery wraps. I'm anxious to see how they look on the walls.
I've also started gearing up for Christmas portraits. The time is right to start thinking about those Christmas card photos. I have some ideas that I can't wait to get into print.
My big restaurant project is wrapped up and Schobel's Restaurant in New Braunfels will soon open its doors. The walls of this place will feature a dozen or so of my photographs blown up in super size gallery wraps. I'm anxious to see how they look on the walls.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Life After People
I've always been a bit fascinated with the concept of Life After People, even before the new History Channel show. I had the concept to do a series of photos like this to show the demise of human belongings and places. Abandoned buildings overgrown with vines, empty shells of automobiles and weathered and beaten belongings are great photo subjects. This is one of the images that will be appearing on the walls of that restaurant I told you about the other week. My work on this project is winding down and I'm looking forward to the grand opening.
I had a most excellent bridal shoot this past weekend in Fredericksburg that almost didn't happen. Months of dry weather and absolutely no rain had spoiled us for expecting clear skies for outdoor photo shoots but just as we pulled into Fredericksburg, the skies opened up and began a continuous downpour of wet stuff that lasted for more than an hour. The bride was not very happy and almost sent me home without a single shot. But we waited until later in the day and when we made it out to the venue, we found a clear sky and an almost dry ground. I normally share the shots I get from a photo session here the week afterward, but this time the bride asked me to hold off until after wedding. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding and this is one snoopy groom who may just sneak a peak at my site. You'll find none of that here Mister John! Just wait until the proper time!
I had a most excellent bridal shoot this past weekend in Fredericksburg that almost didn't happen. Months of dry weather and absolutely no rain had spoiled us for expecting clear skies for outdoor photo shoots but just as we pulled into Fredericksburg, the skies opened up and began a continuous downpour of wet stuff that lasted for more than an hour. The bride was not very happy and almost sent me home without a single shot. But we waited until later in the day and when we made it out to the venue, we found a clear sky and an almost dry ground. I normally share the shots I get from a photo session here the week afterward, but this time the bride asked me to hold off until after wedding. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding and this is one snoopy groom who may just sneak a peak at my site. You'll find none of that here Mister John! Just wait until the proper time!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Takin' Care of Business
School started last week and the house got really quiet for a change! It was great having some free time to take care of things and get a lot done. I had a couple of major deals that came through last week and I got to work on my lesson plans for the classes I'll start teaching in just two short weeks.
The other day I had a photo session with another of my favorite brides to be. All I can say is WOW! Who knew there were so many great photo opportunities in small town Columbus, Texas. On the surface it seemed like a typical main street, USA. But we managed to turn a boring street corner into a backdrop and produce some fun and memorable images. I loaded a few of my favorites up in my Engagement/Anniversary gallery. Next weekend we'll be tackling Fredericksburg with wedding dress in tow. Check back later for those!
The other day I had a photo session with another of my favorite brides to be. All I can say is WOW! Who knew there were so many great photo opportunities in small town Columbus, Texas. On the surface it seemed like a typical main street, USA. But we managed to turn a boring street corner into a backdrop and produce some fun and memorable images. I loaded a few of my favorites up in my Engagement/Anniversary gallery. Next weekend we'll be tackling Fredericksburg with wedding dress in tow. Check back later for those!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Party Time!
I went to a super engagement party last weekend and had a blast with one of my favorite brides (probably because she's also my sweet cousin!).
You'll recognize this bride from my engagement gallery. She and her fiance were so great to work with. We just walked around downtown Austin and got really silly and tried a lot of new and different things for that session. I can't wait for this wedding -- beautiful bride, beautiful bridesmaids -- fun people. I'm so lucky to be their photographer. I'll be following them through the whole process, engagement, bridals, preparations, parties, this is what I love.
I'm also doing more work on that restaurant deal I told you about. It's going to be so exciting to walk into this place and see my work all over the walls! I'll let you know more about it -- including the name of the place -- when it's time for their grand opening!
I also just sold a piece to a high profile client so you should be seeing more of my work pasted all over town. It's an exciting time to be a photographer!
You'll recognize this bride from my engagement gallery. She and her fiance were so great to work with. We just walked around downtown Austin and got really silly and tried a lot of new and different things for that session. I can't wait for this wedding -- beautiful bride, beautiful bridesmaids -- fun people. I'm so lucky to be their photographer. I'll be following them through the whole process, engagement, bridals, preparations, parties, this is what I love.
I'm also doing more work on that restaurant deal I told you about. It's going to be so exciting to walk into this place and see my work all over the walls! I'll let you know more about it -- including the name of the place -- when it's time for their grand opening!
I also just sold a piece to a high profile client so you should be seeing more of my work pasted all over town. It's an exciting time to be a photographer!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Welcome to New Braunfels
I have the chance this weekend to land a big restaurant deal that could get me a lot of exposure and, therefore, a lot of business. I went out yesterday to try to shoot some of the scenes they may be interested in. I like this one taken from the Faust Street bridge near the the old Mission Valley Mill. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue and the clouds looked so puffy that I thought I'd make them the focus. I plan to shoot some more over the course of this weekend.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Bride on the Beach
I packed up the car and the family and hit the beach this weekend. I had a client who wanted her portraits taken on the beach in Galveston. The tricky part was finding a good location. I wanted it to appear as if this bride had the beach all to herself. I found a spot near a jetty that was off limits to swimmers for about 30 yards so it was a perfect spot. You'd never guess that this was a crowded city beach with thousands of tourists all along the shore. Take a look at the full session at http://www.lisaonlocation.com/gallery/9222751_6NBRs#P-1-16
The photo I decided to share on my blog is one I created by layering a classic Shakespeare love poem over the image. I like the romantic feeling I get with this portrait. I'm developing a real taste for bridal portraiture and am hoping to really expand in that area. I have another bridal session next month in beautiful Fredericksburg, TX. Check back in a few weeks to see what I get!
The photo I decided to share on my blog is one I created by layering a classic Shakespeare love poem over the image. I like the romantic feeling I get with this portrait. I'm developing a real taste for bridal portraiture and am hoping to really expand in that area. I have another bridal session next month in beautiful Fredericksburg, TX. Check back in a few weeks to see what I get!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer's Winding Down, Classes Starting Up
I got word this morning that my photography classes were approved by the New Braunfels Community Education. I'm really excited to be moving forward with this. The classes will be every Monday starting September 14. The first session will be 5 classes long and will cover the basics of photography -- exposure, lighting, composition, on-line photo sharing. The second session will begin October 19 and continue for another 5 weeks. That session will cover more in-depth photography basics involving SLRs. We'll learn about equipment, lenses, creative techniques and off camera lighting as well as touching on photo editing. Feel free to drop me an e-mail for more information.
With the beginning of planning for fall classes comes the end of summer. The Landa Park Dolphins are winding down their season and preparing for the end of the year banquet. Some of you may have noticed the Dolphins Gallery on my Clients page. I've been super busy working as the team photographer and have enjoyed the position immensely. I've met some really great people and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them even in the off season. The photo I chose to share today is one I took of my favorite swimmer -- my daughter. This was taken moments before her state-qualifying race at the regional swim meet. She's got on her game face and she's preparing her goggles. Great job sweetie and an awesome season was had by all the Dolphin swimmers.
With the beginning of planning for fall classes comes the end of summer. The Landa Park Dolphins are winding down their season and preparing for the end of the year banquet. Some of you may have noticed the Dolphins Gallery on my Clients page. I've been super busy working as the team photographer and have enjoyed the position immensely. I've met some really great people and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them even in the off season. The photo I chose to share today is one I took of my favorite swimmer -- my daughter. This was taken moments before her state-qualifying race at the regional swim meet. She's got on her game face and she's preparing her goggles. Great job sweetie and an awesome season was had by all the Dolphin swimmers.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Getting Silly with the Headshots
My latest client is also my co-owner and husband. He is a writer --and a quite talented one at that -- and is having an interview about him published this week. He needed a silly headshot to go along with the article so we got to work. This strays a little from the usual stiff and formal headshot but that's just the way we like it. There's nothing normal and run-of-the-mill about Lisa on Location! I love my job.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Old Friends are the Best Clients
I had a photo session the other day with one of my old high school friends. It was so great to see her again and it was a blast to have a photo session and try different poses and lighting techniques with someone with whom I spent so much of my teen years. We got some really great shots that we're both proud of. She's having a baby girl pretty soon and she's at that glowing pregnancy stage. I love the pregnancy photo sessions the best -- mom's happy, dad's a willing photo subject -- it's all so much fun.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Hurricane Ike leaves Galveston destroyed
As I mentioned in my last blog, we took a trip over to Galveston to check out what was left. I wanted to post a snapshot of the tree situation. Many of the streets of the island are lined with old oak trees. At this time last year this was a shady, enchanting street with charming old Victorian houses and lots and lots of oak trees. Now it's just a street with a bunch of dead trees. This scene is pretty much repeated all over the island. Some of the palm trees survived -- but not all.
There were a lot more surviving homes than I expected and I was happy to see so much new construction going on. But the number of for sale signs was outrageous and it was obvious that there were many business and homeowners giving up on the island and leaving.
I have a bridal photo session scheduled on the island in a couple of week and, fortunately, I found some nice beach areas to do the shoot. I'll post those when I get them!
There were a lot more surviving homes than I expected and I was happy to see so much new construction going on. But the number of for sale signs was outrageous and it was obvious that there were many business and homeowners giving up on the island and leaving.
I have a bridal photo session scheduled on the island in a couple of week and, fortunately, I found some nice beach areas to do the shoot. I'll post those when I get them!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Back to the grind
Every year I take off one week -- just one week -- to spend with my family doing the whole vacation thing. Last year we went on a cruise to the Caribbean and next year we're going to Disneyworld. So this year we decided to stay close to home -- because we're still broke after last year and to save our money for next year. We hit the local beaches of Rockport, Port Aransas and then swung by Galveston to check out what Hurricane Ike left for us. The answer to that former is not a lot of Oak Trees. I was most saddened by all the hundred year old oak trees that are now dead or dying. It's going to take a long time for the island to recover from that hurricane. I was happy to see that Murdoch's a.k.a. Mermaid's Pier was being rebuilt. I was saddened to see that all remains of the Balinese are gone forever.
The photo to the right that I decided to share today was taken on the pier at the Rockport City Beach. The park is a nice place to take children because of the gentle surf and the many many yards of shallow, ankle deep waves before you get to the deeper water. There are also countless playscapes to amuse the little ones all day -- my toddler took it as a personal challenge to conquer each one.
The photo to the right that I decided to share today was taken on the pier at the Rockport City Beach. The park is a nice place to take children because of the gentle surf and the many many yards of shallow, ankle deep waves before you get to the deeper water. There are also countless playscapes to amuse the little ones all day -- my toddler took it as a personal challenge to conquer each one.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
M'Liss Stevens
I had hoped to write a fluffy blog this week about our vacation to the Texas coast and post a few photographs of beaches and sunsets. But my vacation was not the carefree adventure I'd hoped. I lost a friend the other day and the world lost a good person. M'Liss Stevens, one of my Girl Scout co-leaders for my daughter's troop passed away after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only recently diagnosed and had just begun her battle. She leaves behind a husband and two children -- one of them my daughter's age. We shared some interesting conversations while sharing duty at numerous Girl Scout cookie booths and a county fair booth as well as countless swim meets where her daughter and mine compete on the same team. I can only imagine the pain those children are feeling. It hurts to know such sweet kids are suffering. Today I will say good-bye to M'Liss, but she will not be forgotten.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Hot Hot Hot
It's hot here in Texas. It's really really hot. One of the wonderful things about being a location photographer is the ability to go out and shoot in natural settings using natural props and lighting. That's also one of the drawbacks. In summer it gets hot here in Texas and even at sunset the temperature is at least 95 and this weekend, it was well over a hundred. I had an engagement session near Houston this weekend and got some really fun shots of the happy couple in the country -- and on and off of a John Deer tractor. We waited as late as we could for the sun to get low but the sweat was pouring off all of us during this session. We had paper towels handy to dab to foreheads every few shots and clean off the sweat. It was a lot of fun and this couple -- who also happens to be my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law were great about it. Congratulations y'all! I can't wait for the wedding!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
In Honor of Father's Day
A belated Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Today I wanted to share one of my favorite daddy shots. Isn't it great the way little baby girls can wrap big macho men around their little fingers with absolutely no effort at all! This shot is from a session I had with one of my favorite clients. They're always so willing to let me try new and different poses and techniques out on them. I'm wondering if I should open a new gallery in honor of dads to complement my "Beauty of Motherhood" gallery. I'm starting to collect quite a handful of dad-related pictures and I need a place to display them. That may be in the near future for my site.
Flower Girls are the Cutest Things!
I played second shooter at a wedding last weekend and I couldn't help but be drawn to the flower girl of course. Flower girls and ring bearers always steal the show! There's just something about cute little kids all dressed up in itchy formal wear and trying to stand still in front of a church full of people. It makes for priceless photos! Congrats to the happy couple and thank you for letting me in on the fun.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Rest in peace sweet bunny
Rose will be missed. Our sweet bunny has passed away. This morning she was fine. We played with her. She nibbled food out of our hands and hopped around the bed. This afternoon she developed a nasty case of diarrhea and was gone within a few hours. So fast. I'm not sure what exactly caused it. After Googling bunny deaths and bunny diarrhea I have figured that it's either because she was weened too soon from her mommy or she ate too many fruits and veggies and not enough of her bunny food. Maybe it was a combination of all of the above. She was so little. That's why my daughter chose her -- she always loves the littlest ones. We are all devastated and feel horribly guilty that we may have done something wrong. Rest in peace sweet Rose Bunny.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Simple Beauty
I have a thing for trees. I love them. Especially when they are interesting and old. You have to wonder about some of these trees that have been around for hundreds of years. If they could talk, what would they tell us? There's one in the park here in New Braunfels that is so massive it needs stone pillars to hold us some of its branches. It has a fence around it to protect people from getting crushed if some of it's enormous branches were to break off. It has to be several centuries old. That's not the one I have pictured here, this is another interesting tree. It's pretty old too, and I'm fascinated in the twists and turns its branches and its roots take. I've been spending a lot of time at the park lately going on walks and taking photos of whatever catches my eye. I'll share some of them with my blog when I get one that makes me really happy like this one.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Classes anyone?
After much soul-searching and discussion, I have decided to begin offering photography classes this fall. I'll be applying with Community Education this week and if they're okay with it, I'll offer an intro to basic photography class through them. I've heard it at least a dozen times from friends, acquaintances, people I meet on the streets here in New Braunfels, that they wish they had a class they could take to make them a better photographer. On one hand, I feel a little awkward teaching, being that I still feel like I'm learning so much myself. But, in my opinion, when a photographer stops learning, she stops growing. We are all always learning something new every day and I hope that I will never say "there's nothing left to learn." So yes, I will continue attending seminars and workshops to learn more and more and now I can turn around and teach those skills I pick up to others. I'll be the student and the teacher! I've started putting together my syllabus and I'm open to suggestions. What do you think I should include in the course?
The photo you're looking at above is another of my breastfeeding series. Isn't he cute! He kept turning his head to look at me and in the process performed all sorts of gymnastics tricks. This is one of my favorites!
The photo you're looking at above is another of my breastfeeding series. Isn't he cute! He kept turning his head to look at me and in the process performed all sorts of gymnastics tricks. This is one of my favorites!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Action photography
I wasn't sure what I would do with these shots of a bride jumping into a swimming pool. I love the one of her with her arms extended as she left the ground but I also loved the one of her running start -- the anticipation of a leap into the pool. Then I thought what better way to really show the excitement of the leap than to put the whole thing together. It's not perfect -- I didn't have a tripod with me and I wasn't really planning to do this until after the fact -- but it was fun and gave me some practice in combining photos to get an interesting action shot. I did this once before with a teenager jumping off a bridge in a park (a small bridge) and that one can be found in my Senior Portraits gallery. This one will go in my Trash the Dress gallery.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Breastfeeding in Style
Remember weeks ago when I blogged about my nursing moms series and how I wanted to spice it up a bit. I did it! What do you think? Lindsey was great and her little boy -- possibly one of the cutest babies ever -- was so willing to go along with whatever we wanted to try. We must have pulled him off and changed his position at least a dozen times and he just went with the flow and even came up with some unique poses of his own (go look at my newborn gallery to see for yourself). This was a great session and I can't wait for the next breastfeeding duo!
Monday, June 8, 2009
My continuing education
I attended a bridal and wedding workshop this weekend put on by Belle's Photography out of New York. I went in with the intent of experimenting and learning new techniques for producing stunning bridal and wedding photos. I like the unusual images -- the ones where the bride is doing something out of the ordinary. Case in point -- my bride tubing the Comal that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. I'm all about the trash the dress poses, but I do want to practice taking unusual and exciting poses without trashing a dress. This picture is just the first that I managed to edit and put up on my site. I'll be working on more as the week goes on. What do you think? Does it catch your eye?
I'd also like to comment about my daughter's first swim meet of the summer. She did so well! I'm so proud of her. I added photos from that meet to my Dolphins gallery on the Clients page. I'll be putting photos from her swim events up all summer.
I'd also like to comment about my daughter's first swim meet of the summer. She did so well! I'm so proud of her. I added photos from that meet to my Dolphins gallery on the Clients page. I'll be putting photos from her swim events up all summer.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Some babies are just too cute to not photograph
I was planning a session with this sweet little baby the other day when I realized I did not have my strobe. I have limited equipment at this time -- basically I have slaves that I use to light my flashes that are dependent upon my strobe to flash to tell them when to flash. Without my strobe, I can't use my fill lights. Darling Jayme took the strobe with him and I was left to fend for myself. But it didn't turn into a disaster because -- low and behold -- I love natural lighting and a large percentage of my photographs were taken using natural light alone. So I didn't get the images I had in mind when I started out this photo session, but I did get a lot of really great shots using only the light from the window. Go find Bella in the Newborn Gallery of my website and tell me what you think. If you'll look closely at her eyes, you can see the window reflecting in the catchlights. And on one of them -- I won't tell you which, you can see our Siamese, Holly, who jumped in the window at just the right time. What could be better than a silhouetted kitten in the catchlight of a baby's eye?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
New member of the family
We added yet another member to our already large family. Rose the bunny has joined us. My daughter has been saving her allowance for a while now to get a new bunny. We had a loss about a year ago when Princess the bunny went to that rabbit hole in the sky. Rose is so very cute and irresistible and she's the friendliest little bunny I've ever seen. The kids hold her and cuddle her nonstop and she doesn't seem to mind at all. The kitten, Holly, who joined the family at Christmas, is most interested in this new addition. She hangs out next to the cage waiting for the perfect moment to stick her little paw through the bars. Remember the story I blogged about a few weeks ago when we had a near death experience with the finch in my daughter's room? Keep your fingers crossed that this fierce hunter of finches, butterflies, and bunnies keeps her paws to herself.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Olympics 2020 here we come!
My daughter got a taste of the gold yesterday. She attended a swim clinic with her swim team and learned some winning strategies from Josh Davis -- 1996 Olympic gold medal winning swimmer. I'm so proud of her determination and her desire to improve her skills in the pool.
I've added a gallery just for her teammates and their families in my client section. If you're interested in seeing some of the clinic and some of the team's practices, take a look.
I've added a gallery just for her teammates and their families in my client section. If you're interested in seeing some of the clinic and some of the team's practices, take a look.
Monday, June 1, 2009
13 years and still counting
Thirteen years ago today I married my husband and partner, Jayme. We wanted to do something special, which is always a challenge with us and our busy lives and busy children. Yesterday Jayme's mom came into town to spend the day with the kids so we could slip out. We drove around New Braunfels looking for interesting things to take pictures of and also scouting out more locations to bring clients to for sessions. We found a few places that we think will make for some cool portrait settings! Then we had lunch and went browsing at Target. That's right, wild fun for the old married folks! It isn't everyday, however, that we can goof off on our own without three little monkeys grabbing everything they see and running up and down the aisles.
We're also reminded at this time of the year about our horrible photography experience at our own wedding. We didn't know anyone in town at that time so -- lacking a source for good recommendations -- we hired the first photographer who came along for our wedding. He was from an established studio that had been there forever so we assumed he'd do fine. Bad assumption. Not only did we get awful images from our hired photographer (who did NOT want to be there and rushed us through the whole reception with a heavy hand and sarcastic attitude), but it seems luck was against us in that whole department. My mother-in-law took tons of pictures, but it seems her camera malfunctioned that day and ruined them all. Another relative took some, but said they were lost by the lab, another relative took some but managed to cut the head off of everyone. I'm reminded of the repurcussions of hiring bad photographers for big events every time I want to show off my own wedding. I have vowed to never let that happen to one of my clients.
We're also reminded at this time of the year about our horrible photography experience at our own wedding. We didn't know anyone in town at that time so -- lacking a source for good recommendations -- we hired the first photographer who came along for our wedding. He was from an established studio that had been there forever so we assumed he'd do fine. Bad assumption. Not only did we get awful images from our hired photographer (who did NOT want to be there and rushed us through the whole reception with a heavy hand and sarcastic attitude), but it seems luck was against us in that whole department. My mother-in-law took tons of pictures, but it seems her camera malfunctioned that day and ruined them all. Another relative took some, but said they were lost by the lab, another relative took some but managed to cut the head off of everyone. I'm reminded of the repurcussions of hiring bad photographers for big events every time I want to show off my own wedding. I have vowed to never let that happen to one of my clients.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Shameless self promotion time
Well my goal for this summer is to build my photography business through word of mouth. I hope that by this fall I can be busy enough with my photography to see a steady stream of revenue, which I will then turn around and put back into the business by making major equipment purchases and advertising. I took a huge step on that road by joining a stock photography program. I really hope it turns into a success for me. My specialty has always been people, but most of the stock photography I hope to sell will be places, architecture and animals. I'm hoping it will give me that little steady stream of income that will allow me to do more of the things I love to do -- like people!
Word of mouth can't work, however, without your help! If you like what you see on my site, tell others. If you don't like it, well, I hope you'll keep that part to yourself ;-)
Today I also wanted to share a photo I took at the missions that's part of an experiment -- because I really like to share some things that I learn! I've been fascinated lately with HDR photography. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, which is a method of combining several photographs in various stages of exposure to get a final print that has high definition in the shadow areas as well as high definition in the highlighted areas. It can be done by combining three of the exact same photos together through various photo editing programs. I have made the attempt several times through Adobe Bridge's create HDR function but haven't been happy. So I tried to fake it with this photo of the Mission San Jose. I opened it in RAW three times and each time I adjusted the exposure by one full stop. I then opened each saved image and added it as a layer to one final image. I erased the areas of each layer that I didn't want to show through and left only those sections of each layer that had the detail and the colors I liked. It's not perfect -- actually it's far from perfect -- but I think I'm on the right track. I'll be trying more of this technique in the future and I hope to share more of what I create here as I get better at it.
Along that line
Word of mouth can't work, however, without your help! If you like what you see on my site, tell others. If you don't like it, well, I hope you'll keep that part to yourself ;-)
Today I also wanted to share a photo I took at the missions that's part of an experiment -- because I really like to share some things that I learn! I've been fascinated lately with HDR photography. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, which is a method of combining several photographs in various stages of exposure to get a final print that has high definition in the shadow areas as well as high definition in the highlighted areas. It can be done by combining three of the exact same photos together through various photo editing programs. I have made the attempt several times through Adobe Bridge's create HDR function but haven't been happy. So I tried to fake it with this photo of the Mission San Jose. I opened it in RAW three times and each time I adjusted the exposure by one full stop. I then opened each saved image and added it as a layer to one final image. I erased the areas of each layer that I didn't want to show through and left only those sections of each layer that had the detail and the colors I liked. It's not perfect -- actually it's far from perfect -- but I think I'm on the right track. I'll be trying more of this technique in the future and I hope to share more of what I create here as I get better at it.
Along that line
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Our annual Missions trip
Every year we like to take a trip to the San Antonio missions. It's one of our favorite places to take pictures and the kids love to pretend they live in the little houses. We chose the wrong day of the weekend, however. It had been pleasant and kind of cool Saturday and Sunday but that was replaced by blistering heat on Monday -- Memorial Day. We had to cut our excursion short because the kids just got too hot and tired really fast.
I did get some nice shots of the kids and Jayme had a good time playing with his infrared lens again. We also spent some time checking out graveyards in San Antonio. That sounds morbid, I know, but I'm planning a photo shoot with a model that requires a creepy cemetery. I found some sufficiently creepy areas of the city's public cemeteries.
I'll let you know when that shoot comes up. I should get some interesting stuff from that one.
I did get some nice shots of the kids and Jayme had a good time playing with his infrared lens again. We also spent some time checking out graveyards in San Antonio. That sounds morbid, I know, but I'm planning a photo shoot with a model that requires a creepy cemetery. I found some sufficiently creepy areas of the city's public cemeteries.
I'll let you know when that shoot comes up. I should get some interesting stuff from that one.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Flashback to the world of dial up
Something's wrong with my high speed internet access. I can tell something is wrong because my service suddenly slowed down to a crawl. Remember way back in the days of pre-high speed when you would click on a link and then get up from the computer to use the bathroom or get a drink and come back just in time for that link to finally be loaded. If you saw another link you wanted to see you'd have to repeat the scenario -- click, wait, wait, wait. Those days are back the past couple of days. AT&T says the line is clear so the problem must be here in my house. The help desk has a couple of ideas so we'll have to try those out today and see if we can find the problem. Until then I can't upload any pictures or do much work on my site. It's too tedious.
Today I have offered to help a friend of ours who is an excellent glamour photographer in San Antonio. The photographs he produces are on par with some of the greatest fashion and glamour photographers in the country, in my opinion, and he's offered to let me help him with a shoot this morning to get a peak inside his studio to see how he does it. I'm excited about it.
I'm also looking forward to the long holiday weekend. I don't have any sessions scheduled so I intend to hang out with the family.
Today I have offered to help a friend of ours who is an excellent glamour photographer in San Antonio. The photographs he produces are on par with some of the greatest fashion and glamour photographers in the country, in my opinion, and he's offered to let me help him with a shoot this morning to get a peak inside his studio to see how he does it. I'm excited about it.
I'm also looking forward to the long holiday weekend. I don't have any sessions scheduled so I intend to hang out with the family.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Belated Mother's Day show off
I was really swamped with photo sessions last weekend so I didn't get a chance to share with you the project I worked on before Mother's Day. This is one of several photos along this same theme. I found overalls at a thrift store and splashed them with paint. Then my little subjects dressed up in them, played with a paint brush and then had a little fun with the paints themselves. I got each child to give me a handprint and then I combined the photos with the print and voila. The kids had fun, I had fun, the moms loved them. Everybody wins!
Friday, May 15, 2009
My new hobby!
I've been having some fun with these pictures I took of Sarah the other day. Sarah is my bride in the inner tube if you'll remember. She was so easy going that she agreed to go along with me while I did some experimenting. I asked her to act like a fairy, which she did beautifully. Then I started playing with Photoshop. It took several practice pictures before I finally found my groove. This is the latest and I think it's my best. Sarah decided she had so much fun that she wants to do it again. We'll be coordinating again for a future fairy shoot and I have tons of ideas. I'm excited about offering this to my clients. I think a lot of people will love it.
New pregnancy shots
This is one of several I put up last night from a shoot I had last weekend. This beautiful lady is 8 months pregnant. In this shot I tried to bring the focus of your attention to her belly by leaving most of her in the dark. I don't know if it works or not, we'll just see what others think.
I have another busy weekend planned but only one photo session. The rest of the weekend will be taken up with various family activities. Once again, the hours will be packed.
I have another busy weekend planned but only one photo session. The rest of the weekend will be taken up with various family activities. Once again, the hours will be packed.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
More engagement shots
I wanted to post another of my cousin's engagement shots and talk a little bit about it. It's a selective color shot of the happy couple near a sidewalk cafe. I was trying to think of a way to make the couple stand out. I used several different techniques in some of the other shots including the slow shutter speed while the couple stood perfectly still. Take a look two blogs down to see that example. There are other techniques I used in other shots including, wide aperture to blur the background and another where I actually did some "burning" of the happy couple to make them brighter than their surroundings. But this picture really pops I think. It's a technique that some photographers consider cheesy and overdone, but you know, it works! What do you think?
I had a rare day off today so I got to work with some more Trash the Dress photos I needed to process and I finally put up that special gallery for just those types of pictures. I was able to pull them out of the Bridal gallery and feature them on their own.
I had a rare day off today so I got to work with some more Trash the Dress photos I needed to process and I finally put up that special gallery for just those types of pictures. I was able to pull them out of the Bridal gallery and feature them on their own.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Trash that dress!
I've been trying to find a willing bride to throw into the Comal river for a while now and then Sarah came along. She was great! This was one of the most fun photo shoots I've done and I think it shows. We had to make it to Hinman Island Park early in the morning to beat the swarm of tubers that were sure to hit. This park is packed on a Saturday in mid May and it's unbearable during the summer months. We were lucky to have this section of the river to ourselves. I'm adding these shots to the Bridal section of my page and I'm considering making a whole new gallery with just "Trash the Dress" shots. I seem to have a ton of those and they keep on coming in.
Monday, May 11, 2009
I thought weekends were for taking it easy!
This past weekend was so packed with activity I didn't have a chance to stop moving long enough to do any computer work at all. I sat down this morning with a backlog from 3 photo sessions plus enough family snapshots to fill an album.
First off, the photo I'm sharing with you today is one taken from my cousin's engagement session Saturday night. She was so good about letting me try different and experimental things. This is one I'm really happy with. I wanted to demonstrate this couple's love by showing them standing still and into each other while the world around them is bustling with activity. I used a really slow shutter speed and had my cousin and her fiance stand perfectly still. The tricky part was getting people to pass by us at their normal pace. Everyone wanted to stand back and be polite by not getting into the picture. They couldn't understand why I would WANT them to walk into the frame.
I have hours and hours of processing time ahead of me still. I hope to give my cousin at least 100 pictures to choose from and I took hundreds of shots.
Another session I had Saturday was tons of fun. We threw a bride into an inner tube and had her float the Comal river a little ways. I love what I've seen so far from that session and can't wait to process some of those shots and get them up.
Last of all, yesterday was Mother's Day as I'm sure you'll remember. After a very late night Saturday getting in from Austin (for my cousin's session) I was looking forward to sleeping late. That was thwarted by my darling daughter who decided to bring me breakfast in bed at the crack of dawn. It was their school assignment to prepare a menu for mom and then surprise her in bed. I wonder how many other second graders in my neighborhood got the same lovely surprise!
First off, the photo I'm sharing with you today is one taken from my cousin's engagement session Saturday night. She was so good about letting me try different and experimental things. This is one I'm really happy with. I wanted to demonstrate this couple's love by showing them standing still and into each other while the world around them is bustling with activity. I used a really slow shutter speed and had my cousin and her fiance stand perfectly still. The tricky part was getting people to pass by us at their normal pace. Everyone wanted to stand back and be polite by not getting into the picture. They couldn't understand why I would WANT them to walk into the frame.
I have hours and hours of processing time ahead of me still. I hope to give my cousin at least 100 pictures to choose from and I took hundreds of shots.
Another session I had Saturday was tons of fun. We threw a bride into an inner tube and had her float the Comal river a little ways. I love what I've seen so far from that session and can't wait to process some of those shots and get them up.
Last of all, yesterday was Mother's Day as I'm sure you'll remember. After a very late night Saturday getting in from Austin (for my cousin's session) I was looking forward to sleeping late. That was thwarted by my darling daughter who decided to bring me breakfast in bed at the crack of dawn. It was their school assignment to prepare a menu for mom and then surprise her in bed. I wonder how many other second graders in my neighborhood got the same lovely surprise!
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