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Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 3
We
would like to extend our appreciation to the sponsors of the GPPA. Our organization is stronger due to the longterm partnerships we’ve formed with each of these vendors. Please take a moment to thank each of these companies for their continued support of the GPPA. Without their commitment to you and this association, we would not be able to provide the educational opportunities we now do. Editors Kash & Sherry Johnson Features Sally McCreery Jackson Advertising Mylinda Knittle
The Georgia Focus is the official magazine of the Georgia Professional Photographer’s Association and is a free subscription. Published six times annually, on the first of every odd month, it is distributed by email blast to more than 5300 photographers in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. To be placed on our mailing list or for additional details about advertising in this publication, please contact Kash Johnson at kash@classicalphoto.com. Ideas or requests for future articles are also welcomed.
All inquiries should contact Kash or Sherry Johnson 41 Shadinger Road Carrollton, Georgia 30116 770.832.9090 Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 4
How to reach these sponsors: photobarn.com 800.241.4864 showcaseinc.com 800.886.1976 ccilab.com 800.239.5343 gwmoulding.com 800.292.1952 wildsorbet.com 866.735.9707
Inside t his issue 7
Letter from the Editor
9
8
Letter from GPPA President
The Road to Becoming Photographer of the Year
14
Looking for the Hidden Potential
16
43
47
Smart Objects in Photoshop
49
Print Competition, Anyone?
About the cover: Hibernation Lora Baxley, the 2009 GPPA Photobarn Photographer of the Year created this award winning image. Placing first in portraits of a child. This was just one of her six images in her ‘red ribbon’ case. Read more about Lora and her work beginning on page 9.
52
2009 Print Competition Winners
Newcomer leads the way
All because of GPPA
Image by Kash Johnson
Welcome
to the inaugural edition of the updated Georgia Focus magazine. As mentioned in our email announcement, this is a rebirth of the official magazine for the Georgia Professional Photographer’s Association. We’d love to provide you with a bit of history first and then fill you in on what can expect from us as we move forward.
First, the Georgia Focus has been a traditional, printed publication from it’s inception many years ago. We have been creating a three issue, 20-24 page, informational magazine strictly for the members of the GPPA for a number of years. Recently, we made the decision to move this magazine to an all digital format and expand it to include educational offerings for not only the current membership of the GPPA, but also those aspiring to improve their standing in the photographic community as well. In fact, this magazine is being published to over 5300 photographers, just like you, in and around the state of Georgia. You may be a member of the GPPA, a member of another nearby state organization or possibly not a member of any state organization, but we hope you find the information within these pages beneficial. Since this is the official publication of the Georgia PPA, you will find a good bit of Georgia specific information here. We’ll be sharing what we’ve been doing in our state, what events are coming up and handling normal association business. However, we hope that you’ll find some of the articles both inspirational and educational whether you’re in Georgia or not. If you see an event listed for our state that interests you, we would love to have you as our guest, no matter what your affiliation. The majority of our events are free to our membership, but most are available with a fee for out of state and in state, non member photographers. Whether any of us is a member of a certain state organization or not, we all share in the passion for this wonderful profession and we know all of us enjoy attending events that assist us in furthering our knowledge and skills in this regard. If you are in the state of Georgia and not a member of the GPPA, we would love to invite you to join our family. If you would like to place yourself on a path to improve your skills and abilities in this great profession, check out www.gppa.com for details on becoming a GPPA member. Now, if you’re not in the state of Georgia, there’s a good chance that your state already has a PPA affiliated organization. While you could become an out of state member of Georgia, we think that being involved in your own state organization has much more potential for you for the future. Notice, we didn’t just say “being a member” but rather we said “being involved”. The more involved you become on your state level, the more you will eventually get out of your membership. Here’s a list of the official websites for our neighboring states. They also hold regular educational events and are a great way for you to improve your skills. Tennessee, www.tnppa.com South Carolina, www.ppofsc.com Florida, www.fpponline.org and for both Mississippi and Alabama, www.ppma.net. Once again, we hope that the information you find within these pages is both educational and inspirational. If at any time, you find yourself with a thought, comment, criticism or even a suggestion of something you would like to see in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact us at kash@classicalphoto.com. We truly appreciate any and all feedback that you can provide us. We’ll be publishing this magazine at the first of every odd month of the year, six issues total and we hope to improve it with every new issue. Also, please take a moment and let the advertisers within these pages know that you appreciate their support. Each ad is hotlinked directly to their website. Just click the ad and away you go. Without their continued support, we would not be able to bring you this magazine or the educational events we provide you throughout the year. Sincerely, Kash and Sherry Johnson, Editors, Georgia Focus magazine
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 7
Hello
photographers near and far! The holiday season is approaching and I feel I am writing the “New Year” message. It feels like 2010 has begun already for the GPPA. New dates for school and convention, the Focus going on line with six issues a year, and plans for the new area meetings, are just the beginning for the GPPA in 2010. For those who missed the convention at Jekyll Island, the all new 2010 school and convention dates were announced at the general membership meeting. Our 2010 convention will be April 23rd - April 27th at the Hilton Garden Inn on the river in Albany, Ga. A great line up of speakers will be there to share their success and techniques for a great learning experience. The April convention line-up includes: • Jennifer Turner with her program on maternity and newborn portraits •Mike Fulton of Tri Coast photography with his new program on TTL outdoor flash techniques for the senior and wedding photographer •Bry Cox , showing his outstanding wedding techniques and creativity •Louis Tonsmiere with lighting and posing, and studio promotions •and Judy Jordan, “It’s a Wrap” showing us how to wrap and drape our clients for maternity and other special images. Now for the other new date...... Georgia School will August 22nd- August 27th ...Plan for this fun late summer week in the North Georgia mountains at North Georgia Technical School. Speakers slated for school include: •Louis Tonsmiere on lighting, posing, and studio operations •Suzette Allen with intermediate to advanced Photoshop •Jason Smith on beginning Photoshop skills •Mike Fulton, Cody Clinton, and Suzy from Tri Coast on the new techniques in lighting and posing, •Randy Mc Neilly with creating fine portraiture and a surprise class yet to be announced. Remember the time after class you can spend with others to share and learn is often just as valuable as the time spent in the classroom. My first year at the school, I was such a sponge! In class I sat between two wonderful men who were so kind to the “newbie” in the class. If my question was not asked during the class (I was too shy to ask myself) they would answer and explain even more at the break or lunch. In the evenings, I learned an unbelievable amount from students in the other classes. I came home so excited about all I learned and the new friends I made. Every year, I look forward to spending time with those friends, meeting new ones and learning from them all. What a bonus! Looking at this year’s line up, I don’t know how I am going to choose just one class. I know, I will choose one and send my associate photographer to another. That way, we will benefit from at least two of these great classes. As the dues renewal notices arrive, remember the new convention is almost here. You will get to hear some of the best on the speaking circuit and have a good time at the parties in April. Come be a part of the “GPPA family” reunion! I hope to see you all thereLaRita Hulsey PPA Cert., GFD, GSD GPPA President
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 8
The Road to Becoming Photographer of the Year.. It’s Not Just About the Image by Sally McCreery Jackson
N
ot quite twenty years ago, Lora Baxley attended her first GPPA awards banquet. Her future husband, Kirk, was in charge of photographing all the award-winners that year, and he talked Lora into coming along as a combination date/assistant. Lora was enthralled with the incredible images she saw that night and more than a little in awe of the accomplished photographers who created them – so much so that her hands actually shook as she reloaded film-backs for Kirk, spilling out the film with a dozen or two of those award-winners onto the carpet at their feet. Even then, Lora knew that one day she wanted to be standing with those accomplished photographers, and she was inspired to go home and create something beautiful herself. She didn’t expect to win right away. In fact, like a lot of first-timers, she just hoped her print would score a 76 so it would be good enough to hang in the exhibit. Her portrait of a client’s little girl scored a big 77, and Lora was thrilled . . . even though space limitations meant that she wouldn’t get to see her print on display after all. It was a mixed bag. Several years later, however, when Lora entered another portrait of that same little girl, there was a First Place ribbon hanging on her print when all was said and done, and there was a Fuji Masterpiece Award with her name on it. Lora had found her voice and was using it to express her love of children through her love of photography. She was actually a voice performance major back in her college days. Photography entered her life when she took a job at Fitz-Symms of Augusta, Georgia, retouching portraits for that landmark children’s portrait
studio. “I never had formal photography education at all, but I had the best training ever from working with two Masters of Photography, Robert Symms and Kirk Baxley,” Lora says. She remembers being thrown into the fire, so to speak, when someone had to cover two days worth of camera room appointments while Kirk was laid low with a detached retina. Always “the baby hog,” Lora-the-voice-major had become Lora-the-children’sportrait-photographer-extraordinaire and now uses her voice to sing babies to sleep in her own camera room. Lullaby-calmed infants show up slumbering in most of Lora’s work, their sweet expressions and natural positions juxtaposed against meticulously thought-out lighting and the most unusual of props. The images have huge impact in competition, but perhaps most striking is the fact that almost all of Lora’s competition images come straight out of her everyday paid sessions. She constantly strives to exceed expectations, and every time she goes into the camera room, she goes in with the intention of coming out with a competition-worthy image. “I want to wow them,” she says. “I have no room for mediocre.” It comes as no surprise, then, that Lora considers herself something of a control freak when it comes to the six prints she finally does select to put in her print case each year. Although she’s glad to have input from Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 9
Kirk as she makes her annual last minute scramble to pull favorites from her recent sessions, she obsesses over every detail from artwork to presentation all by herself. She even used to do her own matting and printing, but these days she’s happy to delegate that to “her favorite lab ever, CCI.” True to form, her high-scoring images, which come from her everyday work, are printed by the same lab which works with her every day. When her clients hear of her achievements, they get the added reassurance of knowing that this is the kind of work they can realistically expect to receive from her themselves. Lora places a high value on this authenticity. She truly loves her lifework and considers herself lucky to be able to spend her days following her calling. “It’s not just about the images, you know. What matters so much to me is the experience my guests have while I’m photographing them and the relationships and emotional connections we develop over the years as we watch these children grow up in our studio.” The Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 10
highlights of Lora’s days are the moments when she is allowed to “be a blessing” to one of her client guests – to reassure a new mother, to draw out an overly shy child, to console a grieving family. Bereavement Portraiture is one of the most exquisitely touching gifts that Lora gives to her clients when the need arises. One of her favorite photographs that she ever made, one that still makes her cry today, is a portrait of a grandmother holding her newly born, newly deceased grandchild. Lora knew that this one portrait session would sum up the entire time that these two would have together. How could she give them less than her very best work and her truest care? More recently, Lora was thrilled not to be making the same type of family portrait. Having been called shortly before the baby’s birth and informed of the grave likelihood that the child would be stillborn, Lora waited for the call to join the family in the hospital. Weeks went by before she got the call, but miracle of miracles, she was told that baby Lily was not only surviving but thriving! Lora was so overjoyed by the turn of events that she gave the family a “celebration session” to commemorate the beginning of a little life instead of the ending for which they had all prepared. Lora actively looks for a variety of ways that she can give back through her photography. On a recent church mission trip to Honduras, Lora spent a week doing volunteer work at a home for girls, but when her week was over she found that her work there followed her home. The portraits that she captured in that third-world country have given life and breath to previously nameless, faceless statistics as Lora shares her documentation of the situation she encountered in Honduras and the dire need that remains there. Lora has found a good fit with Fitz-Symms studio in this area as well, where charitable promotions are recurring events. Portrait session fees have often gone to charities such as Project Smile and Food For The Poor, and every
Christmas Fitz-Symms gives photographic services in exchange for toys donated to the Children’s Heart Program that has had a relationship with the Baxley family for years. Service is a personal expectation for Lora, a natural response of gratitude for all the help she’s been given along her road to becoming 2009’s Photographer Of The Year. She “worked her tail off ” for the GPPA this past year, serving on the Board of Directors, chairing the Mentor, History & Convention Decorations committees, and working behind the scenes in the Print Exhibit Committee. She also received service merits for her continuing education by attending both the SEPPA and PPA conventions this past winter. It was at PPA’s Imaging USA that Augusta’s queen of baby photography had the thrill of finally coming face to face with one of her heroes, the all-time world queen of baby photography, Anne Geddes. Lora is quick to tell you, though, that her heroes are all around her: her peers who inspire her, her husband who has helped her find herself in the world of photography, and the venerable teachers that she admires so much, most especially Barbara White of Tennessee and Georgia’s own Robert Symms. Lora will also tell you that the very best about being the Photographer Of The Year is the validation she feels from her work scoring so well in front of this group of her colleagues and the stamp of approval on her efforts for her clients. For anyone who’s counting, her competition tally this year includes: six out of six prints scoring 80 or above, one Distinguished Award, two First Place Awards, two Judges Choice Awards and the Dick Dickerson Award for the photographer showing the most improvement in ompetition. Lora has landed solidly among the ranks of those award-winning hotographers whose work got her all shaken up so many years ago. She takes it all in stride, though, just like when she ran her first marathon, saying, “If I can do it, anybody can!” It’s easy to see her passion for every aspect of her calling. Combine her print merits with her service merits, and it’s easy to see why Lora Baxley was the run-away favorite for this year’s Photographer Of The Year.
M
aybe I’m just contrary. If nine out of ten people are going to do something one way, more than likely I’m going to be the one to try to do it the opposite way. This probably accounts in part for why I started walking around the backs of all the flowers entered in the regional daylily show in Savannah a few months ago. Every bloom entered in the competition was beautiful, flawless and amazingly distinctive. I took lots of photographs of all the lilies that appealed to me, since I had a few hours to kill waiting for the judging to conclude so I could see how my one lone entry had scored. The thing about photographing lilies in a show is that you’re not allowed to touch them. If the light isn’t falling on them from the direction you’d like, you can’t move the lily or the light – all you can do is move the camera. Once I started prowling around chasing the light, I found my camera pointed at lilies not only from the front but from the edge, from the back, from above and from below. My eyes were opened to fascinating aspects I had never even thought about looking at. Instead of seeing “flowers,” I started focusing on their components of color and texture, line, form and translucence. It became much more interesting. My graphic design professors in college all seemed to teach a common lesson, no matter what the course was: the point that they drove home again and again was that the first, most obvious solution to any given assignment was rarely the best or the most creative or the most interesting solution. Many times a professor would give an assignment, and all the students would present their best work for the class critique. After giving constructive criticism, it wasn’t uncommon for the professor to say, “Good work. Now how could you do it differently? Go bring me twenty more approaches to
this same problem.” The students would all protest, absolutely sure that we had already produced unbeatable work, but what could we do other than go back to the drawing board? Most of us usually had a few extra ideas that had been discarded before turning in our original “masterpieces,” so those would do for filler in the twenty new design pieces. A few more new ideas weren’t usually too hard to come up with, either. But then, when we had to generate those last five or ten new concepts . . . where were they to come from? That’s when people started getting frustrated and desperate and pretty ridiculous . . . and really creative. There was never a time that any student’s first “perfect” solution was even half as good as any of those last five or ten solutions that they came up with long after they were sure there was no other way of looking at things. This was a lesson I’ve always remembered and even had occasion to challenge students with, myself. When I taught Creative Photography at Armstrong Atlantic State University, the last assignment of my curriculum was always “One Thing Twenty Ways.” My students were given a roll of film and charged to make every frame count. They had to pick a subject and think about how to make twenty distinctly different views of that same subject – all compositionally sound – by moving only the camera. Trees and trolley cars and staircases and pianos all yielded wonders previously left unnoticed. More often than not, the
last ten shots on the roll were better than the first ten; the last five were so much more interesting than the first fifteen; and the last shot was almost always the money shot, the one that was truly inspired. What if all those students had stopped after their initial attempt to express an idea? What if they had simply said, “Good work” and never heard the follow-up question, “Now how could I do it differently?” Every so often I make myself take the “Twenty Ways” challenge in my camera room with one of my live subjects (not usually a twoyear-old!) Everyone knows that a wellposed subject looks good from a variety of angles. The next time you think about it, try looking for all twenty. Don’t just stop after you’ve gotten a nice fulllength and a close up. Walk around till you see them rim-lighted; climb up on a ladder and shoot from above; catch their profile through a veil of hair; zoom in to just their hands or their eyes; look at them from the back. I hadn’t thought of it till just now, but one of my competition prints this year actually shows a little girl square from the back. All her prissy little perfection was more than evident in the long strawberry-blonde curls cascading down her back and her tiny, round toes neatly peeking out from under her poufy silk dress, which was tied at the waist with a big, fat, perfect pink bow. She’s an adorable little girl when you see her face, but she’s a more captivating little girl when you don’t. Even her mother loved the shot and went so far as to book another session for the little girl’s sister to be photographed the same way, so that she could hang matching images (of their backs!) on the wall in her home. Who’d have thunk it?
So, back to that daylily show. As long as I have a captive audience here, I’ll go ahead and tell you that my one little lily that I entered actually won first place in its category. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather, since this was my first time ever entering the competition! But that was nothing compared to the way I felt when one of those images that I shot that day, an image of the buds concealed on the underside of a bloom, went on to score an 85 in this year’s GPPA print competition, winning me my firstever print award and a Kodak Gallery Award as well. Boy, am I glad that my mom suggested that I might have some competition-worthy lilies in my garden this year! And I am really happy that I thought to take a camera along to the daylily show that day. And, more than anything, I’m so thankful that I was forced to learn that lesson a long time ago, to keep looking for more interesting solutions, to always listen for the voice that says, “Good work. Now how could you do it differently?” Sally McCreery Jackson has owned and operated Carpe Diem Studio in Savannah, GA for eighteen years and specializes in classic portraiture of children. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography and Graphic Design from the University of Georgia. She currently serves on the GPPA Executive Board of Directors, and is a PPA Certified Professional Photographer. In the twenty minutes a month that she isn’t working, she weeds her daylilies.
Print Compet it ion 2009
GPPA’s annual convention was held on Jekyll Island at the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Take a look at this year’s award winning images and make plans to enter YOUR work next time. Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 16
Portraits of a Man First Place Jason Smith
They call me Mellow Yellow
Distinguished Ronnie Owings Datin’ in the Dodge Distinguished Kash Johnson Cracked Up Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 17
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 18
Portraits of a Woman First Place Sherri Noftsinger
The Golden Girls
Image also received: Garrett and Lane’s People’s Choice Award Fugi Masterpiece Award
Distinguished Ronnie Owings Waiting for You Distinguished Sherri Noftsinger Sunday Crown Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 19
Portraits of a Teen First Place Sundra Paul The Trumpeter
Image also received: Best of Show: Portrait
Distinguished Harry Joiner Jazzin’ it Up Distinguished Melanie Burney Turner and Pooch Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 20
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 21
Portraits of a Child First Place Lora Baxley Hibernate
Distinguished LaRita Hulsey Sand Dance Distinguished Molly Purvines Pettiskirt and Petals Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 22
Portrait of a Group First Place Lora Baxley Sunset Silhouette
Distinguished Ronnie Owings Brotherly Bond Distinguished Sundra Paul A New Life Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 23
Portraits of Pets and Animals First Place Roger Graw
Full Stripes Also winner of Elliott’s First Timer Award
Distinguished Ronnie Owings Watchful Eyes Distinguished Roger Graw The Landing Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 24
Commercial
Distinguished Steve Bracci Grovetown Auditorium Jason Smith An Invitation to Comfort
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 25
Art: Creative and Abstract First Place Cherri MacCullum Dance of the Dogwood Blossom
Distinguished Cherri MacCallum Magnolia in Decline Distinguished Sally Jackson Hidden Potential Image also awarded Kodak Gallery Award in Metallic
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 26
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 27
Art: Fine Art Portraiture First Place Sally Jackson
Alabaster and Rouge
Distinguished Lora Baxley Nestled Distinguished Kash Johnson Solitary Siren Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 28
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 29
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 30
Art: Fine Art Scenic First Place Cherri MacCullum Foggy Morning in Friday Harbour
Image also received: Best of Show Photographic Art Gallery Award Portrait/Landscape
Distinguished Roger Graw Fading Away Distinguished Steve Bracci Bay City Nights Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 31
Electronic Image-Unclassified First Place Jason Smith Cryptic Calling
Distinguished Thomas Warner Charmed Distinguished Thomas Warner Mobile Home
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 32
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 34
Wedding Portraits First Place Branch Carter
Chasing the Light
Distinguished Branch Carter Simple Elegance Distinguished Scott Evans Deep South Ride
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 35
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 36
Wedding Candids First Place Jason Smith
Aqua Dance
Image also received Best of Show Weddings Gallery Award Weddings
Distinguished Kevin Jiminez Hey Baby Wanna Make An Orange Crush? Distinguished Kevin Jiminez Prelude
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 37
Album: Single Maker First Place Molly Purvines
Hamilton’s First Year Also First time album award winner
Distinguished Kevin Jiminez Amana and Trevor Album also received Masterpiece Award in Weddings
Distinguished Branch Carter Lesli and Landon Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 38
Album: Multi-maker First Place Tim and Michelle Brown
Two Becoming One
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 39
North Georgia Technical College Student Winners
First Place Tim McMichen Butterfly Second Place Cindy Frezon Botanical Universe Third Place Steven Clack Trumpet
Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 40
image 1
image 2
Side note: When applying a drop shadow or inner shadow, you can set the shadow position by moving your cursor directly over your image and dragging the shadow where you want. If you would like sharp corners on you stroke, change the position to “inside” in the Stroke dialog box.
We’re all lazy! You may not be, but I certainly am. I hate doing anything twice (well, almost anything). What’s this got to do with Photoshop you ask? Templates, that’s what. By creating templates, we can use the same designs over and over without having to recreate the design each time. This works for all sorts of projects, for example, sports templates, cards, or album pages. Now, with the proper use of smart objects, you can work even “smarter”. What is a smart object? A smart object is a file embedded within your Photoshop document that allows you to transform it repeatedly without degradation of the image. You can also replace the image with one click of the mouse. But, more on that later. Let’s make a smart object template. Open any image. Unlock the background layer by either double-clicking the layer and choosing “OK” to change the locked background to a regular layer, or simply drag the lock on the background layer to the trash can at the bottom of the layers palette. Now we make this image a smart object by right-clicking on the layer and choosing “convert to smart object” from the contextual menu. You will notice a small icon at the bottom right of the thumbnail in the layers palette (image 1). Next, duplicate this layer by either dragging the layer to the new layer icon at the bottom of the layers palette or simply use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Jon Mac or Cntrl/J on PC. With the duplicate layer selected, choose edit/free transform (Cmd/Ton Mac or Cntrl/T on PC). Holding down the Cmd and Option key (Cntrl and Alt on PC) drag one of the corner handles toward the center of the image . Holding down this combination of keys, not only Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 43
image 3
image 4
image 5
constrains the proportions of your transformation, but centers it as well. Add a drop shadow and stoke to the upper layer to help it stand out. The last step is to apply an effect to the lower layer. Any effect will do, in this case I added the artistic filter Rough Pastels. A Gaussian blur works nicely too. Save as a layered file and you have a template (image 2). A look at the layers palette (image 3) shows what we have created. Now for the fun part. The template can be opened later and applied to another client. Smart objects can be replaced with another image easily. In the layers palette, right click on the bottom smart object layer and choose “replace contents”. Browse to another image and select it. The contents of both of your layers are replaced with the new image (image 4). Neat huh? Next, let’s create a wedding template. Open an image, unlock the background, convert it to a smart object and duplicate the layer. This time, we’ll reduce the size of the duplicate layer (free transform) and move it to the bottom left. Add effects such as drop shadow and stroke. Ghost back the bottom smart object by lowering its transparency to about 20%. Add the couple’s names across the top. In this case, I used a script font named Bickham Script Pro. Next, we’ll add a ghosted box for the body text. Create a new blank layer and using the rectangular marquee tool, draw a box and fill it with white. Add an inner shadow layer effect and drop the fill of this layer to about 50%. Using the text tool, add your body type over the box with a font of your choice (image 5). See the image 6 layers configuration (image
6). Save this file as a layered file in your templates folder and you have a wedding template that you can use again and again. Right click on the bottom smart object and choose “replace contents”, browse to a new image and viola’, you have new images replacing the old. Just change the text and you are good to go (image 7). You get the point. Create templates in multiple sizes and save them as layered tiff or psd files and you never have to redesign them again. If you have never used smart objects, try them, you’ll like them. Starting in Photoshop CS4, smart objects support smart filters. That is, when you run a filter on a smart object, you can go back later and change the settings of the filter to suit the new image. After you use the template, flatten all layers and choose “save as” to create a new document so that you do not overwrite your template.
image 7
As always, if you have any questions about this article, or any Photoshop questions in general, feel free to call me at Capitol Color Imaging (1-800-239-5343) or drop me an email at phils@totalimage.com.
Side note: with certain Open Type fonts, you can add “swashes”, also known as glyphs. These are embellishments that create a more ornate version of the letter. Using the text tool, highlight the letter, then using the character palette, click in the upper right corner of the palette and choose open type/swash (image 8). This will convert the normal letter to a much more elaborate one (image 9).
image 9 image 8
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Print competition can be an intimidating process to many photographers. Both newbies and old timers alike have been mystified by the process for years and years. While some photographers take to this process like a fish to water, others seem to always be dipping their toe in, hoping the water is just right before diving on in. Well, this years Elliott’s First Timer definitely dove in head first and came out swimmingly well. Roger Graw of R. Graw Photography in St. Mary’s, Georgia joined the GPPA just three weeks prior to our 2009 convention on Jekyll Island. Even though he was a brand new member, he took the time to research the print competition, gather information from the print committee chair and throw together a six print case in three short weeks. Considering his late arrival into this process, he was still able to garner a 83.5 average
for his six prints and land a high score of 91, plus three separate 85s. Many of us who have been entering for years have yet to hit such high numbers and here Roger captures this in his first attempt. Roger has been in business on his own for two years now. He joined the GPPA for the educational aspects and to avoid reinventing the wheel in his business. While he enjoys weddings, his true passion is in nature and wildlife photography, which is very evident in the award winning images from is case. Amazingly, Roger has never entered print competition anywhere before and is enjoying the big wave of excitement he’s experienced since the 2009 convention. “It’s been a big confidence booster for me. I’ve tried to balance my photography between what brings in the money and what brings me the most joy. It’s been great to get recognition for both.” Roger commented that
convention was a great experience for him...outside of the fact that he took home such a coveted award. “I really enjoyed seeing the hands on approach presented during the classes. While I shoot mostly onlocation and outdoors, the live lighting demonstrations and the opportunity to speak directly to the other pros was great. On top of that, the business and marketing aspect of the convention was very worthwhile. I left Jekyll Island pumped up about both my art and my business.” Roger has provided all of us a great example of what it means to just dive right in. He has hit the ground running and made the most of his short experience in his state association. Be sure that you take the time to be involved and get the most out of your membership in the GPPA or any state association. You’ll be happy you did.
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When I was asked to do an article on print competition I was a little worried as there is no real recipe for a merit image except for a few guidelines which I’ll outline a little later below. I then decided that the best thing for me to do is just to share my thoughts on the process. I’ve been asked if I “shoot for competition” and the answer is no. I photograph what I love. If I see something that turns my head or I think is interesting, out comes the camera. With that being said, I do however give myself assignments occasionally, but they are more for trying new things, learning and keeping the creativity flowing rather than thinking “this will be a good competition image”. Print competition for me is the journey, not the destination. Yes, I know that phrase is way overused but it’s true. The most important part of print competition is all the education gained in the process. Print competition will make you better, period. I know it’s hard to believe sometimes, but the “rules” of print competition were not invented by your state, regional or national associations and judges just to make your life miserable. All the elements that make up good art have been around and used for centuries. It all has to do with the human brain and how we process visual information. I saw a post recently on a photographic forum about the poster’s view of print competition. I love it and I will quote it here (with permission of course.
Most judges don’t “trash” or decimate prints, but this quote says a lot about the learning process and how we feel when we hear the judges say things we really don’t want to hear, but need to hear to get better. The quote speaks to the fact that print competition should be a constant learning tool, pushing ourselves and raising the bar for ourselves with each competition. We need to be able to take criticism to learn and grow. If a judge
offers a criticism, don’t be offended and don’t be so emotionally attached to your image that you can’t listen to advice. I suggest going to see a state, regional or national print competition to see what it’s all about.
“Get better. Try new things. Enter print competition and get your work trashed and decimated in a public forum, take notes and enter again. Bring to a boil, don’t reduce to a simmer, burn the pot and grab a bigger one.”
The 12 Elements of a Merit Image is what the judges use to score our prints and I’ve added my thoughts on each.
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) IMPACT - Impact is the initial response when the print comes around on the turn table. This is the “wow” factor. Does the print cause your heart to skip a beat, does it invoke an immediate emotional response? Your print title is also part of the initial impact. Does it make sense? Does it help tell the story or could it be confusing? A good title can go a long way in helping your score, but by the same token a bad one, or one that doesn’t make sense, could hurt your score.
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) CREATIVITY – Is your image, subject or treatment unique? Is it different than anything the judges have seen before? Does your print have a new twist or a different view? Creativity is going beyond traditional ideas, coming up with new ideas and new interpretations.
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) STYLE – Style is kind of a signature. It is a way of expressing your thoughts in print in the way you use the 12 elements. There are always artists that we can recognize their work because we know their style. While we shouldn’t copy someone’s style exactly, we can be inspired and borrow style elements form different artists, creating a hybrid of styles, make them our own.
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) COMPOSITION - Composition is the arrangement of elements within the image. Our use of composition by where we place the elements in the image will create feeling, motion and rhythm. Composition is a powerful thing. We can use it to create a feeling of peace or tension just by moving our subject, camera or crop around. For example, say we have a portrait of a high school senior cropped for a traditional portrait. The result is a pleasing comfortable portrait. Take that same senior, tilt the image and place subject way off to the edge and crop a little into the head and our traditional comfortable portrait just became edgy and filled with tension.
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) PRESENTATION – Presentation is how your present your image to the judges. It can include cropping, the use of backgrounds (under matts), borders and special effects applied to the image. Make sure if you use backgrounds or borders that it compliments the image and doesn’t distract from it. When if comes to special effects such as Lucis or other digital filters, make sure it is appropriate for the image. For example, a harsh, grungy, contrasty texture overlay probably won’t work well with a soft portrait of a newborn. Just because we have all these cool filters to use, doesn’t always mean we should.
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) COLOR BALANCE – Color balance is the use of color in your image. Is there harmony between the colors? Do the colors work with the subject or do they overpower and compete for your attention? Using colors within the same half of the color wheel (adjacent colors) will create harmony and a comfortable feeling, while colors opposite the color wheel from each other (complimentary colors) create excitement and drama.
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) CENTER OF INTEREST – The use of certain elements such as composition, presentation, and lighting can draw the viewer’s eye and keep it on your intended center of interest. The use of things like leading lines and arrangements of elements should take the viewer on a journey around your image, but with the attention ultimately resting back on the center of interest. The center of interest should be clear.
the lights. Gloss or luster finishes are better for print competition. They let the color and tonal values come through unhindered.
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elements.
) TECHNIQUE – Technique is the use of a skill or skills to achieve the final print. To me, it’s pretty much a combination of all the
) STORY TELLING – Your image should tell a story. It can be obvious or a thought provoking abstract. Here again your title can play a big part in the telling of your story.
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) LIGHTING – Lighting goes a long way to create a mood and message, therefore the lighting we choose to use should be appropriate for the subject and the story we want to tell. Lighting is part of the story and using a lighting technique inappropriately will cause visual tension and confuse the viewer. Fore example, you wouldn’t want to use a more flat light where high drama is desired or by the same token, use a really high ratio when we want to convey a soft feeling.
So…If you don’t already enter print competition, I encourage you to do so. I want to thank Robert Symms for encouraging me years ago to enter my first competition back in the days before digital and I retouched negatives and prints with brushes, dyes and airbrushes. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without that encouragement and the learning process along the way. Cheri MacCallum PPA Master Artist, PPA Craftsman, PPA Master Electronic Craftsman
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) SUBJECT MATTER – Does the subject matter make sense? Does the subject fit into its surroundings? For example, a very traditionally posed Grandma typically would not work in a grungy back street alley setting, but a biker guy with tattoos and a leather jacket would.
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) PRINT QUALITY – How does your image look when printed? Do you have good density with good details in the highlights and shadows? If you are using a lab, make sure they know your print is for competition. When under the lights for judging, prints printed normally will be too light and washed out. If you print yourself, a trick I use is to take a test print outside in the sun. If it looks good there, not too light or washed out, you’ve got it. Avoid matte finishes. Matte finishes are flat because the ingredients in the lacquer or laminate disperse the reflections of light bouncing off of the print. Prints with vibrant colors and rich blacks finished with a matte finish go flat under Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 51
If you were to visit the residential studio of awardwinning portrait artist Susan Bryg, take a look at the busy schedule that averages 14-18 appointments a week, and then take a peak inside the well equipped camera room, you might have a hard time believing that White Flower Photography’s first portrait session took place only three years ago. Some may call it luck, but Susan would call it anything but luck. Admittedly, it has taken a lot of hard work, focus, and determination to achieve the position in the northwest Atlanta community that White Flower Photography enjoys. And Susan would be quick to point out that her growth and success are a direct result of her association with her state professional photographers’ association, GPPA. Even though she opened White Flower Photography as a wedding business just three years ago, she quickly became aware of how much more that there was to learn and how much more could be had in her new business. She would tell you that if it were not for the education and area seminars that have been provided by GPPA, there would be just three words to describe White Flower Photography today: OUT OF BUSINESS! And like all of us, Susan has utilized many resources to obtain her professional education and to grow in her craft, but she always first acknowledges that ‘It all began with GPPA.’ In the early days of her membership, while she was still shooting weddings, Bryg attended an area seminar where Valerie Markle, a past president of GPPA and a master photographic craftsman, spoke about the success that her baby plan brought to her studio. That one Georgia Focus • November 2009 • 52
seminar alone made all the difference for the studio that now has a thriving and very successful baby program. That year, Judy Jordan befriended her at a Christmas party and invited Susan to her studio and offered help and advice. Like a sponge, Bryg began to go to just about every event and educational opportunity she could find and learn as much as she possibly could from anyone that would offer her any help or support. From Louis Tonsmeire and Art Anderson, she learned about studio lighting in the introductory class at Georgia School. Lori Gragg gave an awesome seminar at the Richards studio about how to apply ‘makeup’ and other retouching techniques in Adobe Photoshop. John Waldron and Jason Smith have offered cool Photoshop techniques, many of which were ‘over her head’ initially, but the learning continued. Susan attended an area meeting with judges Eric Richards, Cheri McCollum, and Valerie Markle who served to coach members on the components of a successful print for competition. Susan began to learn about print competition, what components are to be included for a print to merit, and she actually received critique on submitted images by these judges. The ones that had possibility were then reworked with the suggestions and then submitted. To Bryg’s surprise, both of her submitted prints merited. Because of the great education that she obtained from Art and Louis, Susan decided to transition from weddings to a portrait studio in 2006. Her first studio session was shot in August of that year. A wonderful coincidence occurred at about that time when Valerie Markle contacted Bryg through her GPPA membership about her upcoming retirement. Valerie was selling all of her props and other studio accessories at pennies on the dollar. Bryg recalls that she bought about a third of Markle Studio at that time.
As she continued to attend conventions, Georgia School, and other events, Bryg began to develop friendships and pick up tips from other GPPA members. She learned about other speakers and other educational resources such as the Pro4um. She started flying all over the country to attend other seminars and to continue her passionate pursuit for education. She became a part of a mentoring program that Judy Jordan set up. A key component of this mentoring program included a small group of photographers that meets on a regular basis to teach each other what they have learned in the course of their own businesses. Lighting, posing, marketing, a maternity program and Photoshop techniques have all been topics on the agenda meetings. And, because these small group meetings have often included GPPA members from all over the state, some of the gatherings have also included overnight parties which, of course, means a lot of laughing and fun along with the learning. In her travels, Bryg often runs into other Georgia photographers that aren’t members of GPPA. Since she is so grateful for that organization for what it has done for her, she usually finds a way to include her excitement for GPPA in her conversation. She often hears other photographers express that they don’t feel like they need GPPA because they are already members of PPA, for example. Bryg is quick to point out that the two organizations have very different functions and that they are each a vital component for professional photographic success. While you may get a monthly magazine and numerous other member benefits with PPA, Bryg is quick to point out that you would never get the level of education and close association with other professional photographers that is readily available at GPPA. That is why Bryg
always encourages other photographers to become a member of each organization. Bryg advises photographers that are just getting started in the business as well as those that are seasoned to attend as many functions as they possibly can and to try to develop relationships with other photographers that are like minded. ‘Invite them to your place of business and offer to share something of value for them. In turn, you will probably be able to gain from that association through learning what has worked for them and what hasn’t. ‘ GPPA has so much to offer. There are so many fantastic photographic artists and craftsmen who are genuinely good people with a passion for sharing and giving. As we plan ahead and prepare for the upcoming year, Bryg believes that it is an excellent time for a photographer at any skill level to determine that he/she will increase involvement in his/ her state professional photographer’s association. Our individual and corporate business strengths come from each of us deciding that we will endeavor to learn all that we can and, in turn, to give back to an organization that has been there for us and for our professional growth. We simply need to avail ourselves of all that it has to offer. Together Everyone Achieves More is an acronym for what true team work entails. It is a motto that Bryg lives by. Perhaps you too can become a part of that team and increase your membership involvement in the new year. It would probably be a great thing for your business’ bottom line as well! Susan S. Bryg, photographic artist
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