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Parker, CO Photographer – To flash or not to flash?

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:00:21 +0000

This is a follow-up post to my “To reflect or not to reflect” post that I did last week. Last week, I chatted about shooting during the middle of the day, 12:30 PM, in harsh lighting conditions. We talked about using a reflector, which is probably one of the best and LEAST-EXPENSIVE investments you can make in your photography business. Now, lets move onto OFF-CAMERA LIGHTING. This will be a little more of an investment than a reflector, but the results can be pretty spectacular. In the images below, I used an Alien Bee 800, a Vagabond Portable Power Unit (the old-school one that is being discontinued) and an umbrella (not this exact one, but similar).

Whenever I am shooting with my off-camera flash set up, I kind of get a feel for where my settings should be by taking a few images of the sky. I want to obtain that really dark blue sky that will set the background for my image. I took a series of three pictures, in manual, and here is what I came up with:

Now, I know I wanted to be at 1/200th, because I wanted to cut out a lot of my ambient light, since it was SO bright outside. When using your flash, remember these two things: Aperture controls your flash and shutter controls your ambient. So, once I had a general idea of where I liked my settings, I set up my flash unit, as pictured below:

I am actually bouncing my flash BACK INTO my umbrella and then onto the subject. Next, I had Ryland stand in that general area that is circled above and these are my results:

As you can see, the flash eliminates a lot of harsh shadows that are caused by the sun and also lets a lot more light into your subjects eyes. If I were to add or do anything different to this shoot, I would have added a reflector, camera-left, and reflected a little more light onto the subject. But, with no one around to hold my reflector except for a few 3 year olds playing on the swings, I made do with what I had. :-) Would love to hear any feedback below!

Parker, CO Photographer – To reflect, or not to reflect…

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:46 +0000

Ah, the good ‘ole reflector. The very inexpensive, best thing money can buy reflector. OK, so you have a client who just MUST shoot at 12:30 PM OR you have a wedding when formal pictures will take place at 1:00 PM. You are just screaming in your head…”WHY MUST YOU TAKE PICTURES DURING THE HARSHEST SUNLIGHT OF THE DAY?!!”. Well, first, if it was a portrait client of mine, I would never be put into that situation. I will always schedule their session during “The Golden Hour“. However, weddings are a different story. Sometimes you just have to go with the punches.

The reflector that I use is called a “5 in 1 collapsible reflector“, which takes a little practice collapsing. :-)

So, I decided to take out my best 5-year old model and show you the difference between reflected and non-reflected images. All of the images below are SOOC (straight-out-of-camera, no editing done) and were taken at 12:30 PM on a bright and sunny day here in beautiful Denver, CO.

When looking at the images below, make sure to look at the eyes and shadows. Using the reflector simply eliminates big shadows under the eyes and helps the whites of the eyes “pop” a little more, saving me a TON of time in post-editing. Colors seem to be a bit more vibrant, too. The two comparisons below are using the SILVER side of the reflector.

The next two examples are using the GOLD side of the reflector, which helps warm up the image a bit. One thing I wanted to point out in these images was Ryland in the very last photo…when you are using your reflector, you can TOTALLY blind your subject by reflecting light back into their faces, so make sure you feather the light…either step back further (which I couldn’t do, since I was both shooting and holding) or don’t shine it directly at their faces, maybe shine it a little lower. This will eliminate them from squinting so much. In the last comparison, I really eliminated some hot-spots (look at the snow and his jacket), which also will help in post-processing.

The next step in shooting during harsh hours of the day is using your OFF CAMERA FLASH!!! You will LOVE the before and after shots of this test, which will be posted SOON!!! :-)

Littleton, CO Family Photographer…The Swickard Family

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:08:56 +0000

Ok, first of all, I realize I said I was taking a blogging break, but I have some pretty fabulous sessions that need to be shared before I officially sign off for awhile! :-)

Last night was a PERFECT evening for family pictures! I met up with Todd, Kelly, Jade and Wes at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield and was just blown away by the beautiful fall backdrops!!

We had so much fun wandering the grounds and being goofy! They have an AMAZING family and I had an absolute blast photographing them! I hope the images below show their fun, loving and outgoing family chemistry. Thanks guys for a fun evening, hope to see you again soon!!

So, I decided to give Jade a shot at being a photographer. I think she did a fabulous job! Way to go Jade!!

The ladies of Hot Body Nutrition

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:36:59 +0000

I first met Elizabeth from a CRAVE shoot I did last spring. She has an amazing energy about her and is super fun to photograph! She writes a popular food blog called WholeLivingBlog.com. She also runs an amazing nutrition program called the Hot Body Nutrition Challenge, which you may see a familiar face on when you click on the link (hint: me). It is a wellness program which teaches you to eat a healthy, low-glycemic diet. After following the plan, I am now successfully below my wedding weight. Yahhooo!!

Elizabeth contacted me to do some headshots for some of her superstar clients, who also have nutrition programs of their own. We met at Kellie Coughlin’s studio (who rents out her studio to fellow photogs in the Denver area) and had a great time taking some quick headshots of each of the ladies and even some fun group shots.

Enjoy the images of these fabulous ladies!

And, this is how they REALLY are:

Laguna Beach, CA Portrait Photographer…Carmen and Rutherford

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:29:41 +0000

Had a whirlwind past two weeks with trips to SoCal, Durango and Michigan. Excited to be sleeping in my own bed again.

Lots to blog, including this fabulous shoot in Laguna Beach, CA. I was actually born in Newport Beach, CA and have lots of family down in SoCal, so I always welcome shoots that bring me to the area.

First up is Carmen and Rutherford. You may recognize Carmen from a previous shoot when she was in Denver visiting. Carmen founded Live Well International and prides herself on making others happy and healthy. I will be the first to attest on how awesome this company is and how it can change your life and eating habits. I have lost approximately 20 lbs since May and am continuing to eat healthy. Her significant other, Rutherford, also is a successful businessman. He is a personal chef, wellness guru and a spiritual believer. He has got some exciting projects on the horizon, so follow his journey HERE!

I came into town to shoot some headshots for both their websites, take some images of some of her beautiful clients and also grab a few shots of Carmen and Rutherford together. Everyone was so full of energy, I had an absolute blast!

Denver, CO Event Photographer…The Children’s Museum Birthday Bash

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:20:33 +0000

This past Friday I was honored to be the photographer for the Children’s Museum Magical Madrid Birthday Bash fundraiser. This is their largest fundraising event of the year and it was spectacular!! Lots of awesome items at the silent auction, delish food from Occasions By Sandy, a super-fun live auction, Flamenco Dancers, and a rockin’ band, Funkiphino, that finished up the night.

I met a lot of the gals from The Children’s Museum who helped orchestrate this event…Lisa, Heather, Amy, Micki, Zoe, but I know there were LOTS and LOTS of amazing staff that put on this wonderful event! Great job everyone!!

Coach George Karl (head coach of the Denver Nuggets) and Kim Van Deraa:

Denver, CO Portrait Photographer…Dawn, Jenni and Lindsey

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Anytime a fellow photographer gets in touch with me asking me to take some updated headshots for their business, I am completely flattered! We had this shoot on the books about a month in advance, when Lindsey would be in town to participate in the shoot. I have to tell ya, between these three ladies, they have more websites that I can count, but I will do my best…

Dawn with Dawn Gioia Photography

Jenni with Jenni Maroney Photography

Lindsey with Lindsey Turner Photography

Dawn and Lindsey who also run Two Chicks Photography

Jenni and Dawn, creators of The White List

Did I get them all?? :-) Talk about FUN!! These ladies could not stop laughing, they were so much fun!! It was a beautiful evening outside, which made for some amazing light!!

Props to Rachael of Girls and Curls for doing hair and make-up for the shoot.

So, when we arrived on site, we met a man who explained to us that there are huge garter snakes roaming the ground. He said they should be in the barn by now, but to just watch out…seriously?? AHHHH!! So, I have to apologize to Jenni, but I told her there was a snake behind her and this was her reaction:

Hope you like the images ladies!!

Denver, CO Portrait Photographer…The sisters strike a pose

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:13:10 +0000

OK, when Katie and I were in Monterey, we did a little shopping and bought some new hats (BTW, Katie is my younger sister). We thought it would be fun to dink around with our cameras and take some new hat shots. Well, Katie got all cute and I was stuck with a fun hat, a sweatshirt and a scarf (don’t judge me). :-)

Here are the results of our little mini-shoot. Have a GREAT weekend!!

OK, maybe not the best angle in the world, but I wanted to show off those bright blue eyes (no editing done to the eyes what-so-ever).

OK, OK, here are a couple of me…can you tell we are sisters?

Denver, CO Portrait Photographer…Carmen

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:00:44 +0000

Last week I got the pleasure of photographing Ms. Carmen for some new headshots for her business. She is based out of SoCal and founded Live Well International, which is a wellness, training and leadership development company. Check out their website here: LIVE WELL INTERNATIONAL.

Carmen was a natural in front of the camera, I had an absolute blast photographing her! I even made her do a few Zumba moves at the end, which made for some fun shots!

Want to hunt down Live Well on Facebook? Here is their biz page: Live Well Facebook Page

Hamilton, NJ Family Photographer…The Arthur Family

admin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:17:38 +0000

My good college friends, Ben and Lisa Arthur were so gracious enough to let me crash at their house a few nights the least I could do was do some family pictures for them. We drove out to a small town called Chesterfield where we had an AMAZING farm as our backdrop. Although the weather prevented us from shooting a little longer, I still think we were able to get some beautiful shots of the kiddos (and mom and dad, too)! Making an appearance from top to bottom is Cole, Teagun and Katie.

Thanks again for having me at your home, it was so great to see you all!!

Parker, CO Family Photographer…Easton’s hiding spot

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:04:04 +0000

Not sure if I would quite call this a hiding spot…the other day I hear this quiet voice calling “mommy, help”, “mommy, help”. I turn around and see Easton behind our leather chair. Here is the deal, he can climb over the top and slide down behind the chair, but cannot figure out how to escape. He has done this on more than one occasion, but this time was a perfect time to capture some images without him running away from me. As you can see from the images below, he was a little frustrated at me taking pictures when all he wanted to do was GET OUT!! :-)

Managed to get one smiling picture…

Denver, CO Business Photographer…Josie

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:04:15 +0000

Josie was a referral through a previous client and she is one of the most beautiful and kind-hearted people I know. She seemed so serene and graceful in front of the camera, I could photographed her for days! Josie owns a Acupuncture business, Immortal Palace, which is located near 38th and Tennyson in Denver, CO. She is highly talented and very skilled at what she does, so if you are in need of an acupunturist, she is your gal!

We shot these a few days ago when the weather as about 60 degrees…Josie reminds me of a Ralph Lauren model and I hope I get to photographer her again soon!! :-) Enjoy!

Studio Work + Pull-Backs

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:34:42 +0000

Last week I headed to the studio for some studio practice. I have always wanted to try an avant-garde look, so I asked Ms. Lindsay Schneider, owner of Makeup Madame to use her creativeness and go “all out” on the make-up. I would LOVE to get into fashion photography, so I want to make sure to master my lighting. We used the studios at North Denver Photographers to create the images below.

Thanks to Victoria and Miranda for being our lovely models for the evening!!

Here is a pull-back shot of the images we shot with a black background.

And, here is a pull-back shot when we were working on the Cyc Wall.

Goodyear, AZ Family Photographer…Kristie and Katie

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:54:44 +0000

First, wanted to make a quick announcement on who won the PPC Convention Pass…drumrolllllllllll…Katy DeJong!! CONGRATS, I will be in touch on how to claim your pass. For EVERYONE who entered, I have a little something for you, too. I will be in touch via email soon!! Now onto the post…

When I was in Phoenix a couple weekends ago, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing one of my college friends (GO WAZZU!), Kristie, and her daughter, Katie. We met at the crack of dawn up in the Goodyear area in order to take advantage of the morning sunlight. These two made me smile the entire time! Katie loves her sports and she even showed me some of her picture-taking skills, which I will note below. Here are some fun shots we got:

So, Katie was such an awesome photography helper, I thought that she should take the reigns for awhile. So, I asked her to take a pic of me and Kristie. She did a great job, thanks Katie!!

We finished up the shoot by heading back to their house to have a little breakfast and play-time. We also got to pick the winner for the Phoenix International Raceway billboard. NO JOKE, we jumped on Facebook, picked a fan image and it INSTANTLY was uploaded to the digital billboard all over Phoenix, SO RAD!!

Parker, CO Children’s Photographer…HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:26:19 +0000

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE!!

Parker, CO Children’s Photographer…Easton’s Two-Year Old Pictures (part 2)

admin — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:42:00 +0000

On Sunday, Easton turned 2-years-old! YEAH!!! :-) We had some crazy-warm weather here in Denver last week (nearly 70 degrees), so we took advantage of the beautiful weather and took some formal bday pics of Easton.

Two year old’s don’t have a very long attention span, so we shot for about 20 minutes and played a few games to keep him entertained. In the first image we were singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EASTON!!

We also did a quick Valentine’s Day photo for the kiddos V-day cards! Here is Ryland and Easton with their matching Mickey shirts!

Happy Birthday to Easton!! (Part 1)

admin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:04:08 +0000

It was about 65 and sunny in Denver today, so it was a PERFECT day to take Easton’s 2-year old pictures (he will turn two on Sunday)! We shot for about 30 minutes and got some super fun images!! I haven’t had time to edit all of them, but had to put one up for the weekend crowd. More to come soon!!

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!

Denver, CO Professional Headshots…Milena Consulting

admin — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:14:26 +0000

OK, so you may be wondering, “how can she still be putting content on her blog, in December, when she lives in Denver, CO!” Well, maybe you aren’t thinking that, but I am!! It has been crazy warm here. Seems like it has been between 50-70 degrees over the past three weeks with the occasional dip into the 30′s. I have 2 more shoots this week and I am just blown away by this weather. Anyhow, I digress…

I met up with the stunning Milena about a week or so ago for some headshots for her business and for her CRAVE spread, which will be published in a couple months. Milena owns Milena Image Consulting here in Denver, which teaches people how to build a wardrobe that fits your body, budget and lifestyle. If any of you need some extra help, go check out her website, she is fantastic and so much fun to work with!! I wish you all the best, Milena!!

On with the pictures…

Denver, CO Professional Headshots…T.J.

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:16:33 +0000

I first chatted with T.J. via email a couple weeks ago and knew right off the bat that he was going to be so much fun to photograph! T.J. is a motivational speaker who travels the country speaking to college students about leadership.

T.J. needed to update his business pictures, so we met on cold (and a little snowy) day in downtown Denver and took some fun pictures! We even broke out the off-camera flash for something a little different.

If you want to book T.J. for an event, please visit his website at www.tjsullivan.com.

It was a pleasure working with you, T.J.!!

Denver, CO Lifestyle Photographer…Sara and Jerry

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:01:14 +0000

A couple weeks ago I got an email from Sara, who was looking to do a Lifestyle/Christmas Card session. I was super lucky to get Sara on the books, due to a previous clients scheduling conflict. I am so glad I was able to photograph Sara and Jerry. They are an absolute pleasure to work with, willing to do anything my crazy mind could think of! Love that!! They brought along their two dogs, who were quite the posers! :-) Oh yeah, and the prop you might have seen on Facebook (Cobra Replica), yup, that was built by Jerry’s two hands!! Took about 8 months to complete, AMAZING!!

On with the pics!!!