Botanical Prints Available

As a rule, the work I do for the studio is considered private because I am hired to cover an event or sitting for an individual.  However, this holiday season I am going to make an exception and offer select prints of some of my favorite botanical images taken over several visits to the New York Botanical Gardens. 

Brilliant Daisy

Lone Tea Rose

Emily's Garden

Tropical Blossom

Dew On Tea Roses

Terra Cotta Rose

 

Red Queen Roses

Each one is available on fine quality preservation paper with metallic finish to ensure the color remains true through years of display.  All items are printed to order and come prepared to frame or gift.  Free Shipping available on orders over $30.00.

Standard             8x10 Prints           $ 10.00
Standard             10x16 Prints         $ 15.00
Canvas Gallery    10x10 Prints         $ 55.00

The Torture Of Just ONE Good Shot

I  am the mother of a very precocious little monster.  At eighteen months, he has grown up with a camera constantly documenting his every adventure.  What I share here is a small fraction of the memories that fill albums and frames in my home; but they all come at a price.  Hours of practice and careful planning to devote the time to each shoot.

The shot above is one of two successful images from a period of twenty minutes on Saturday afternoon.  He was occupied with the cat stalking through the tall grass, a bird flying past, the dog waiting to cuddle with him, and finally a pile of doggie left-overs from when that same cuddly dog had to visit the bushes.  Which is why I wanted to point out that toddler photography requires the understanding that a single great image is all you may receive and it may not be the one you desire.

Every year in my early days working chain store studios and selling retail photography, this was the time of year that made me cringe.  Families and parents that otherwise felt photography was a waste of time and money would begin booking sittings while some ideal image of two toddlers sitting with model perfect smiles in a catalog perfect holiday scene danced in their heads.  I often watched new hires and veteran coworkers being insulted and abused for failing to make their children magically behave like perfect darlings.

What I will be doing now is sharing all those moments that could have made lovely photos that fell victim to the evil toddler photobomb! Yes, even professionals suffer from those moments.  In fact, with my son visiting my studio on a daily basis at times, I have a plethora of material to choose from for this entry.

The image to the left is also for Saturday, though taken at my home with studio lights up while attempting to take an updated headshot for his portfolio**.  As you can guess, he was having no part of Mommy and her camera being in his face.  This is a rather typical response from toddlers to anything which they no longer want.


The next image, on the right this time, was taken at a family gathering on Thanksgiving Day.  This is a common moment of poor cooperation through extreme sleepiness on the part of the child.  My son had refused to nap and was about two hours past his usual time for unconsciousness following his watching of Sesame Street.  I was already forming the idea of this blog entry and was pleased to get this "gem" for our examples because I cannot begin to count the number of parents with infants and toddlers that do not understand how vital it is that they consider feeding and napping times when booking with photographers.

As the manager of a few chain studios I often gave advice to parents as they booked about outfits, props, and the often ignored "how to time your booking".  The factors were simple, children who are over tired or just woke up from a nap will be puffy-eyed and grouchy.  Children who did not have their snack prior to sitting for the camera should not be expected to just wait because they will get focused on food over smiles.  Sleeping newborns should be allowed to nap and wake up on their own; babies tucked into a gift wrapped box can be the best holiday card you will ever find.  I stuck this information into the Brain-File of advice along with having your child partially dressed for their sitting as you arrive so that you can put on their shirt or dress and make sure it is free of stains.

The example here is from another day I was in the studio just to shoot my son's photos.  This was at the same session that involved his destruction of a birthday cake, though I intentionally planned to do that last.  At this point it was late June and I wanted to take photos of his beach outfit before allowing him to make an epic mess.  I had put the hat on his head, but he insisted on holding it, leading to a natural failure with this second image.  I fell victim to having an idea in my head that he would leave the hat on, and instead he fought it and eventually tossed the hat on the floor before we moved on to our next phase.

Toddlers making a mess or doing things you do not expect can also make for lovely moments.  Keep in mind that there is often a way to make something beautiful without having to retake or ask your photographer to create a false image through large amounts of image manipulation.  That photo of your little angel looking off into the distance and not making eye contact with the lens can be just perfect. The cozy little monster sleeping through his photos could make for a perfect "Sugarplums Danced in Their Heads" moment to share with family.  And that kid with the grin that shows every missing tooth... he is just perfect even when he's asking Santa for his two front teeth!

The Tiny Monster

Toddler photography.

There are moments I dread taking photos of my son.  There are also moments I enjoy it so very much...

Tomorrow will cover that in detail!

Farm Favorites

When it comes to personal portraits, there is nothing quite so lovely as choosing a setting where you can take advantage of light and space for easy poses.  I suggest this for high school and college seniors looking for individualized images.  Better than bringing along props and outfits, this can allow your calm and joy to come through more than any staged image in a studio. 

Farm and country photography is a prime example of that type of image.  I adore farm photography.  I spent most of my life on a farm and horses were a huge part of what kept my focus and sanity through the difficult times in college.  This shoot from early July was a wonderful chance to embrace the unique charm of natural light in the afternoon sun.

My subject here is a fellow horse fanatic and this made the day very enjoyable as we spent time chatting on our walk over to the pasture.  We took advantage of the natural beauty of the horses and made some beautiful, simple moments.

Only A Day Away

It Figures

Photographer Credit  :  Akelis Studios Photography
Model Credit  :  Black Lizzie

Tonight will be a lesson in working with a fabulous curvy figure for bridal and classic boudoir!

I am not a size four.  Actually, since becoming pregnant with my son, I have gained weight and topped out at an uncomfortable size 16 shortly before giving birth.  I am back down to a slightly more tolerable weight and becoming comfortable with the permanent changes around my stomach and hips.  This leads me to some insecurities in my clothing choice and understanding when talking with boudoir clients about heir own bodies.

Tonight I want to discuss how boudoir can be even more wonderful when you have truly womanly curves to play with as you pose.  Hips should have a sway and legs ending in heels do much to make that happen.  But if you are a tall woman looking for the classic "poses on the bed" style of boudoir, there are great ways to primp and pose.  Remember to inform your photographer of what areas you are uncomfortable showing and work with them to plan how to show the parts you adore.

Most of all, make sure you choose bold colors.  Lingerie colors are a fantastic way to complement a figure or hide something you want to avoid.  Blues and purples dial up the most amazing view because they draw focus and accentuate the eyes of the subject in their own way.

And finally, I suggest that the most beautiful thing you can wear is your confidence.  I rarely take implied nude or true nudes when shooting. The fact that not all clients are confident being so exposed is something that makes very good sense.  Respecting their wishes means finding a ton of fun poses and ways to express seduction and beauty without ever having to remove a single stitch of silk or lace.  But for those brave enough to bare it all... remember that coy and confident women each have a charm all their own.

Beyond what you wear, how you pose can be the best line of defense against having nothing you like out of a boudoir session.  Each photographer will have their own unique shooting and editing style, but some will even have a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to posing for your shape. My model for this set of examples has a wonderful pear-shape and uses it to her advantage.

One hint I do have for everyone nervous about people seeing "too much" is to remember that when a photographer lines up, you have the right to ask if everything is covered properly.  It seems basic, but taking just a moment to ask can make sure you like the look and reduce their work in post production.  This goes for busty women worried about a little too much hanging out when they tilt forward AND for the girls worried about anything unsightly peeking out from under a skirt.

If your photographer "shoots from above" they can complement wider pear and hourglass shapes with the right tilt.  This leads to the eye naturally flowing from the face to the cleavage, but can also put fun angles to use.  I refer here to the image above with our model in the sapphire selection; take a good look at how her legs and hands are placed.  If you bring the palm placement closer to the knee and shrug the shoulders up and forward, this pinches the chest to add cleavage.  If you bring the camera down and to one side, this becomes a great pose to complement an apple shape by focusing on eyes and lips over a coy shoulder shrug.  As it is currently posed, there is something inviting yet almost masculine about it, giving a fierce tone and showing off the bold choice of wrist accent.

Suggestion number two is one I keep as a pose for every client because of how it relaxes the face and neck.  I am talking here about the pose to the left, with legs up straight against a wall or crossed and knees bent on the bed, hanging the hair and top of head off of the bed or pose platform.  We naturally focus here on eyes, but by standing upright the photographer can play up curvy hips and stems.  I have this pose in several forms, but chose to change it here to show off shoes which match the eyes and add a touch of the "something blue" for our wedding theme.  Remember to narrow your profile by bringing arms in and bending elbows and wrists slightly.  Keep lips in a soft pout and give the camera eye contact to keep your viewer interested.

Finally, I refer here to the image at the very top.  Face it, a perfect way to make any album lovely is to keep it simple.  I could zoom in here and crop down to a headshot without the beauty of the model being lost.  She is not nude here, but the lack of lingerie is implied (hence the term)by the positioning of a prop.  This pose can also be done without the implied nude element if shapely details of clothing design are used.
 

Just A Little Longer...

Health issues have kept me out for a while.  I promise a blog and new goodies soon.  Until then , please enjoy this: