Shoe Fetish

Beautiful stems from a boudoir shoot in May.

I adore shoes.  It may be one of the few very feminine traits that I keep in my life.  I adore them but I hate shopping for them.  So I naturally accost other women and ask where they bought "those shoes".  Actually, I ask men that question too, but that is because I love men's boots.

I mention my shoe fetish because I am currently obsessed with wedding shoe photography.  I make sure that the shoes get love in boudoir images and I am looking forward to more fashionista brides giving me a chance to get great shots of sexy wedding shoes. Lately the style has gone back to something white or ivory to match their gown, but I adore the girl brave enough to pull a set of hot pink pumps from the shelves of bland white stems.

Raw image from a shoot in May, love that color!

I don't wear heels when out with my husband because we are nearly the same height. My daily kicks are simple ballet flats in black or brown based on what matches my outfit. They allow me to chase the toddler around, do my shopping, and not cut open my feet while walking along rocky roadways as I make my way to a location shoot. I wear an old pair of running shoes as I go to my mundane retail job, but even that is simple and black to match the required black and white dress code. 

 

Hidden in the back of my closet is a very different world. A row of sexy kitten heels in shiny black, pale pink, bedazzled silver, and gold-flecks on a cork base. I had a pair of sultry red until I ran them into the ground from going to the club in college, wearing them to work in fashion forward New York, and just generally loving them until they had to be put down.

Such a fan of her heels, this girl is not shy about height and she is already tall!

I post all this because I am working on ideas for shots with brides. I am also working on upcoming shoots with a few new models that will include shoes as central to my theme. And I post this because every once in a while I need to remind myself how being girly is just fine.

Productivity & Less Than That...

I was supposed to work my part time retail job today, but that did not happen.  Family sickness prevents Mommy from working outside the house, so I spent the day with a cuddly baby in my lap while making progress in other areas.  I made templates for albums for Boudoir sessions.  I love the new software I am using for these books, and it gives me time to play with them a bit.  Building the wedding album for my last wedding wa really the firsttest of a finished product, and it went so smooth that I think this will allow me to cut time and still keep a print budget in line.

My favorite part of today was getting to build my own album to use as a test prop for client meetings.  I am using images of the cuddly baby to do this album.  I might eventually use this as a default for cake smash albums as well, but that will come with my ability to order more display books as time passes.  Thankfully, I may just have the cutest test subject ever as the star of this book.

My first plan had been to use my own wedding photos, but since we have to postpone that again I will also need to postpone ordering an album.  Oh, yes, had I not mentioned the wedding postponement prior to now... we are forced to wait due to some unfortunate circumstances.  Eventually I will choose images and build a display wedding album, but that will wait for a bit.

Today was actually fairly good over all and so I leave you with some fun images of cake carnage! 

Crisp Red Apples

Some of the lovely red apples we picked last year.

I cannot begin to explain how much it has bothered me that my eyes are being light sensitive and giving me headaches when outside in really bright daylight.  I wanted to get photos of the baby playing out in the grass and perhaps going apple picking with my husband in the next few weeks.  Last year I managed to get a sitter for him so we could pick, but this year I think seeing him grab apples from the trees would be adorable.

Apples make great natural light subjects and I was able to get a rare photo of the elusive "husband not making a stupid face" last year.  I would love to think I could do the same this year, but that remains to be seen.  Perhaps they can be convinced to sit long enough for me to take a family photo of my two boys and be able to put it up here at the house.  I want something colorful and glowing to hang on the walls.  

The elusive husband.  This one is about to flee
from our camera as they are shy creatures.

Slow going this week on the final steps with this red wedding.  I took part time job at a favorite local store to help support the ever increasing diaper costs and it has eaten into the time I normally spend on editing.  The books are ready to send to the printer though and I am happy to say the bride did her final review and approved them this morning. 

That means no more wedding related orders until the end of this month.  I will have to find time to select great fall poses and work with the bride at my next booking so we can really take advantage of her date.  Leaves will be in full color at that point and we'll be able to really make much of the colors.

Have A Plan B... and Plan C... and Plan D

Planning your wedding can seem like it requires an army.  Catering, venues, place cards, invitations, hiring vendors and contacting guests and party members is hard enough... so when the day comes, you don't want to be stressing about missing those great moments.  For that reason, I suggest that brides work with their groom and family to make a list of shots that you absolutely want to have taken on your big day.

Adesso Wedding Guest Book
Sadly, this company closed but some vendors may still have albums to sell.
My personal wedding guest book is from this company.

Make a portrait appointment or secure time prior to the ceremony for bridal headshots once make-up and hair have been finished.  Having that one image of the blushing bride as she awaits those steps down the aisle can mean the world to your family, both the new one being built with your other-half and the one letting go of their little girl.  The portraits can be taken at any time as and place; take this recent beauty as proof.

Taken in the dressing room just before her trip down the aisle, that
solid color backdrop is actually just a darkly painted wooden wall.

Do yourself a favor, go online and start an idea collection that you can share with your photographer.  Make a list of vital people to be sure to include in photos and email the list of names to your photographer, simply saying "oh, I need a picture with my Nana" will be less helpful when the photographer has not met your family and does not know Crazy Uncle Joe-Bob from Grandpa Mark.  Those wearing flowers or dressed in outfits that match the wedding colors will usually stand out, but letting them know who needs to be in a portrait will always speed things along.

Extended family photo of the groom's "brothers" and mother at a friend's wedding in 2008.
For those paying close attention; yes, that is my husband in that group on the left.

Plan the images of bride and groom you absolutely want to have.  Is there something you saw on a website while searching for dresses or looking at venues?  Maybe there was that photo of the bride wearing the groom's top hat, or the idea of a kiss framed against a glowing sunset on the beach... you will want to let your photographer know about those things so they can be sure to pose you for them.  Those moments are just as vital as telling them to make sure you see the center pieces that Great Aunt Louisa made all on her own time.  We want to know what is important to you!

Top of the wedding arch at the most recent wedding.

A tip of the groom's hat from our lovely bride.

Lovely tea rose from a wedding bouquet in 2010.

Lady In Red

The Beautiful Mrs. Abby Wilbur; her photo required no airbrushing.

Weddings are a wonderful part of life.  Expressing love and building a family is something everyone can understand, and when there is a new baby following along on the heels it is even better.

Kissing the baby bump!

On Saturday I had the amazing pleasure of being the photographer for my cousin Abby as she and her lovely man, Nick, joined their lives to make a new family.  Abby was a glowing bride, glowing because that is what mothers do best when they are happy.  Congratulations to you both, and I am so happy to share in your joy.

Abby is anything but traditional when it comes to her style, and the ruby red wedding dress was perfect for her. Nick was handsome in his white tux and top hat, just look at that glowing smile. Simple and beautiful touches made the whole day personal and perfect in the bright summer sun. They are such a fantastic couple with a great sense of humor.

Time to Do Some Fixing

You might have noticed my recent absence.  I am sorry for the radio silence, life has been a tad unkind to my business interests lately.  The studio has been closed while I focus on dealing with some issues that have seriously limited my ability make it a success.  I am limiting work to on location boudoir and weddings while my family and I work on making the best of a less than ideal situation.

Trying to think that things are looking up!

To try and keep this dream of mine from falling into oblivion, I will be forcing myself to do some serious work on the blog, website, and marketing through any channel I can find.  I ask that you all send positive energy while this revamp of business and life occurs so we can present you with the beautiful rebirth of a wonderful dream.

Finsh What You Started

I have spoken at length about doing limited post work on images to maintain the quality of the photo.  I have also spoken about making sure to share only what you love and what most fit's the client's desire.  While I believe in doing limited "fixing", there is something to be said for making sure the best quality of image is supplied.  I rarely give clients a truly unedited look into an session or shoot. 

Normally I will remove blurry, under-lit, or otherwise poor images and crop some when there is something out of place.  I believe in deleting without mercy when it comes to making the call on what should stay after a shoot with a model.  Their portfolio is what will get them work, and anything that is in the portfolio is a reflection of my thoughts and process.

This is a perfect before and after of images done with a lovely model just last month.  She sat with me after the shoot and we selected out favorites while removing those that did not make the grade. Out of 73 images shot, we had just 23 that made the final selection to see what would be done in editing.  From those 23, 17 made a final debut on the CD emailed to her for adding to the portfolio she worked to compile, and I believe five are currently on display.

I wanted to talk about this because of the recent release of images or the American Olympic Team.  These were taken at an event with a limited amount of time to work with each subject, but I feel that much more could be achieved if simple technique and a little editing was applied.  This is the article from Solstice Visuals that I first viewed when a fellow photographer posted it on a forum for industry professionals and hobbyists.

Outrage Over The Photographs Of The United States Olympic Team

 This "outrage" from the photography industry came from the awkward posing, off putting cropping, poor backdrop choice, and just blogging choices made in posing and details.  When viewing the first collection I believed perhaps this was taken by a student or amateur photographer and displayed without time for editing.  At this time, I believe that there was inexperience and a lack of post work.  There are signs of a dirty lens, poor alignment, poor lighting, and very little care for the backdrop that could have been solved by just pulling down more of the paper roll after ripping became evident.

For comparison I wanted to include this second link, with images from the same person (image #6) other photographers taken at the very same event.  While obviously not all fit the same aesthetic, a huge difference is visible in the lighting quality and time taken to create a finished product.  Even the final image, one that is in a very unfinished format, shows some real promise as a "behind the scenes" moment.

Olympic Portraits, Part I: American Athletes

From this second group I see images that have been polished and finished without an overload of retouching  to remove the quality of the image.  I try to keep a similar quality, but understand the desire to prove that post work is not always needed.  What needs to be focused on is keeping images pleasing and avoiding sloppy work.

Photography as an Art

Hiking purgatory chasm in 2007 while at JWU - taken with my pocket camera by a friend.

I remember being a teen, well some of it.  I remember thinking my parents knew nothing about the world, and that I was always going to be as cool as I was in high school.  And then I grew a brain and moved on.  I was told I could not march with my class at graduation because I had taken too many alternative courses for home schooling and did not meet the number of requirements for a diploma from the high school that had once told my parents I had no hope of ever going to college.

Macro Photography of college landscaping post rainstorm - my "artistic" period in 2005/06.

Three months later I started college and held a 4.0 GPA and a part time job in a huge city.  I relaxed by taking photos with a little P&S (point and shoot) at the school stable.  I excelled in business classes and learned skills that make running the studio much easier, but never really thought much about photography beyond taking some fun images.  I remember thinking that the exhibits in the art school across the street where a joke at times - I still have no idea how a toilet seat with a sledge hammer wedged in it is supposed to make me "feel" something or than confused.

I take my photography seriously only in how it is something that can always be improved upon.  I don't claim it needs to be an expression of the world, just that it should capture something worth a second look.  I certainly don't feel the need to go ruining perfectly good toilets just to make a pretty picture.  

I say this because I think there are some pieces of "art" that are not always worth sharing.  I don't think it is fair to go charging a person hundreds of dollars for images of their family taken with a pocket camera that you claim makes you a professional.  I also feel that there is something to be said for trying to hone your craft before going to charge.  I may not used the most advanced camera out on the market, but I do use advanced lens attachments and take the time to practice with them before using them on paid shoots.

Macro Photography from the New York Botanical Gardens in 2010.
This was taken as part of the test images for my back-up camera.

I enjoy taking photography of the natural world to relax.  On occasion I even sell prints of the rare shots that I am comfortable sharing with others.  I take portraits seriously though.  If I am paying a model, or being paid to make something that a client will hang on their wall, it had better look like it was worth the money they are paying for my time and services. 

I write this today as part of a a warm up to my next post concerning the photography of the American Olympic team that has been covered on Reddit and other major sites.  I will post an analysis that I have been working on later, but this is partially based on those images, and partially on a comment from a friend on her social media about how it seems becoming a "photographer" is the new thing to do.