Southern Exposure May 2010

ONLINE PUBLICATION OF SEPPA

MAY 2010

Janet Boschker

Beach Portraits and Children

Kevin Newsome Social Media

Suzette Allen

Easy Eye Enhancement

cover art “Sophia” Allen Griggs

from the editor Wow, we have a lot to share with you for May! This is the largest issue, to date, with our new digital format.

As always, our talented team of writers offers this month’s round of education. We have everything from learning how to stretch a canvas to making your eyes look good with enhancements.

We also get to take a look into the life of Dannie Daniel with his organic gardening. Another aspect you may want to read about it charity.

PPA Charities presents its Chicks Who Click conference.

Then, one of the most exciting features for May , is the presentation of winning images from the annual affiliated judging. We have twenty-eight of the most amazing pages to show you.

Each of the images is titled and has the image makers name. You will see which cateogory the image placed in as well as the Kodak, FUJI and Canon awards.

As you read through the magazine, you may have questions pertaining to the article, the image or SEPPA in general. Our new feature, Double Exposure, tells you how to have all those questions answered.

Take a moment and submit your questions. All answers will be in future issues.

I hope you enjoy!

Doug Peninger M. Photog., Cr., CPP, F. Ph. Editor SEPPA 1st Vice-President ncdoug01@triadbiz.rr.com

Learn 6

Cheri MacCallum

9

Kevin Newsome

Strectching a Canvas Social Media

10

Rick Gibbons

12

Victoria Kelly

19

SEPPA Print Competition

Organic Gardening with Dannie Daniel

50

54

Janet Boschker

66

Florida School East Coast School PPNC Eastern Guild Chicks Who Click

“Christine”

by Kevin Newsome

1 9 14 18 26 61 68

Janel Pahl

Part Two: Giving the Gift

Cover Artist

64

27 55 57 59

Winning Galleries

52

58

Attend

Mac vs. PC

Allen Griggs

Beach Portaits

Mary Fisk-Taylor

Hard Decisions in Hard Times

Suzette Allen

Easy Eye Enhancement

John Woodward The 3 Bears

Shop Showcase

Academy Productions Little Dreamers Designs Millers Pro Photo Imaging White House Custom Color CCI Lab

eb

bog

Board of Governors

Executive Board

Chairman of the Board Kevin Newsome kevin@newsomesstudio.com Mary Alice Ross maryaliceross@gmail.com

President 1st Vice-President

Doug Peninger ncdoug01@triadbiz.rr.com

Delaware

*** Peggy Parkinson

District of Columbia

Joe Tessmer

Florida

***Debbie Alcorn Terri Crownover

Secretary/Treasurer Anthony Rumley anthony@anthonyrumley.com

Georgia

Print Exhibition Chair Randy McNeilly randy@mcneillyphotography.com

Executive Director Thomas McCollum seppa@bellsouth.net

***LaRita Hulsey Sherri Noftsinger

Maryland

2nd Vice-President George Singleton george.singleton6@verizon.net

Southern Exposure Southern Exposure magazine is an online publication of SEPPA and is published monthly.

Mississippi/Alabama

***Darrell Ivy Gill Brady

Editor Doug Peninger NCDOUG01@triadbiz.rr.com 336-883-7104

North Carolina

***Sherry Whitt Janet Boschker

Ad Sales & Business Manager Thomas McCollum seppa@bellsouth.net 888-272=3711

South Carolina

***Wilber Jeffcoat Jimmy Wood

Deadlines Article & Ad Submission 5th of each month Proofs 20th of each month On-Line Publication 1st of each month SEPPA 2712 Marcia Drive Lawrenceville, GA 30044 888-272-3711 www.4seppa.com

4

***John Stein David Corry

Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed by Southern Exposure or any of its authors does not neccesarily reflect the positions of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association.

Tennessee

***Kendall Mathes Jan Wilson

Virginia

Robert Holman ***state presidents representative

As your state president and SEPPA representative changes, please inform Tom McCollum, so we may update our records.

SEPPA state links

Additional information of state events within the SEPPA District can be found using the state links below. Please view their websites by clicking on the web address and you will be re-directed.

DELAWARE

mississippi/alabama

www.delawarephotographers.com

www.ppma.net

District of Columbia www.ppsgw.org

Florida www.fpponline.org

north carolina www.ppofnc.com

south carolina www.ppofsc.com

georgia

tennessee

www.gppa.com

www.tnppa.com

Maryland

virginia

www.marylandppa.com

www.vppa.org

5

Cheri MacCallum

Stretching a Canvas In today’s world where so many of us are printing in house, I get asked a lot “what do I do after printing?” In this article we’re going to talk about canvases. Personally I stretch mine. Whether it’s a standard 5/8” bar or a wide gallery bar, I stretch the canvas the exactly the same way. I put the staples in the back. The only thing different is maybe a little extra room on the sides for the gallery wrap.

Materials - sturdy table - canvas print- lacquered and ready to go.

- pencil for marking - assembled stretcher frame - canvas stretching pliers - electric stapler.

- white linen or duct tape

There a several ways to get your stretcher frame. Many art supply stores carry the individual bars that you can assemble, but they generally carry only the standard sizes You can have a framer make them for you and there are also many online sources for this as well that cut custom bar lengths for you. If you buy the individual bars, just follow the instructions on assembly.

At this point, I have my stretcher frame ready to stretch my canvas. The first thing I do is to mark the back of the canvas where the corners are (image 01). I hold the canvas up to the light and mark with a pencil. Once I have marked all four corners, I lay my canvas face down on the table (image02).

Make sure your table is covered to protect the canvas from scratches while face down. I use an old beach towel. Next I lay the stretcher frame on the back of the canvas fitting the corners inside my pencil markings.(image 03). Now I’m ready for the staples.

pull up one side of the canvas with my fingers over the frame right in the middle and put my first staple (being careful to not move the frame off the mark) (image 04). I move around the table and do the same thing to the opposite side (image 05), again in the middle using the pliers this time to grab the canvas and hold for the rest of the staples. I pull till tight. Now I move to the other two sides and do the same thing. I have fourstaples in the canvas, one each in the middle of each side (image 06).

Now, for the fun part!

Next is adding more staples around the anchor staples in each side. I put one just left of my first staple about half way to the corner. Do NOT put one all the way left. This needs to stay free of staples so that later when I’m ready, I can fold back the corners to do the folds. (image 07). Next I put two staples to the right of the middle staple (image 08).

Then the same on the opposite side and then the two remaining sides (image 9). Remember not to put a staple close to the left corner on all sides. If the canvas is larger than 16x20 I recommend putting some more staples in between the staples that are already there for more support and coverage (image 10). I’ll be doing this a few posts.

(Image 11) Note there’s no staple in the area marked Remember this is so I can fold back the corner to do the folds.

I’m holding down the left side with my thumb and notice where I’m holding the right side.

Not quite to the end of the corner but almost. (image 12) I start moving the corner towards my thumb. A fold starts happening on it’s own. (image 13) I’ve folded the corner onto the seem of the bars. (image 14) I’m putting a staple in the middle of that fold. (image 15) You can see the fold and the staple. (images 16 and 17) I’m taking the piece left on the table and folding it over. (image 18) I’m using the pliers to pull as tight as I can to pull the corner tight. (image 19) I put two staples in the corner and also put one where I left it empty to start with.

Cheri MacCallum continues on page 8.

(image 20) The corner staples without my hands in the way.

When I have all the staples in I go back and hammer any staples that aren’t all the way sunk into the wood.

(image 21) Finished corner

When I have this part completed I prefer to finish off the cut edge of the canvas just to make it look nicer. I use linen or white duct tape for this. (image 22) Your canvas is now ready for framing or delivery.

*Cheri MacCallum is the owner of Art By Cheri where she specializes in the painting, fine art printing and finishing of commissioned portraits for professional photographers. Cheri is a regular speaker and workshop instructor on “Painting Portraits in a Digital World�.

Kevin Newsome

aFew Moments

with...

Are you sitting there about to have a Twitter attack?

Is your Facebook status more than thirty minutes old?

Major news networks and magazines all have editorial features.

SEPPA is lucky to have our very own Kevin Newsome.

Kevin is featured each month as he gives us his latest rant. Some things may hit home, some may be surprisingly poignant. When it’s all said and done, it’s just Kevin’s opinion and he thought he should share it. We, at Southern Exposure, hope you will enjoy this month’s installment of “A Few Moments With...”. This month, Social Media.

(Click on the title, Social Media, and you will be linked to the video.)

A warning, Kevin let’s loose in this one. Fasten your seat belts.

FOLKS folks

Rick Gibbtons

Take Root with

Organic Gardening Gardening Organic If you have been to a Professional Photographers of North Carolina convention, East Coast School or SEPPA convention in the past five years, you know the subject of this month’s feature.

Or at the very least, you will recognize him. Props and AV are his specialty. Dannie Daniel’s typical convention or school experience does not include late night socializing in the bar or dozing through platform programs. Early hours, long days and physical labor are no stranger to him. But then, his means of relaxation and stress reduction, the hobby that takes away the pressures of his daily grind involve early mornings, long days and physical labor.

Growing up living in a rural area with his grandparents taught him the early to bed, early to rise work ethic. During his teen years, Dannie spent a great deal of time under the tutelage of his grandfather in the family garden or orchard.

When given the opportunity to plant a row or two of something “fun”, he chose peanuts and popcorn. During harvest time, Dannie was often found in the kitchen helping his grandmother “can” the surplus for the off season. Teenage experience gave him a love for working the land and a good foundation. Research and years of practice have made him a recognized organic gardener in his community.

Organic gardening begins with knowledge of the soil and the proper plants for the season and geographic area. Dannie tests the soil regularly for ph, the acidity or alkalinity. Knowing what plants work in certain soil conditions are a major factor in the success of any gardener.

How to fertilize makes all the difference. Peas and beans don’t take much fertilizer. In fact, they will actually feed the soil in which they grow, so Dannie always rotates planting to take advantage by planting crops that need extra nutrition in the area where the peas and beans were last year. Detailed diagrams help him plan locations for current and future planting. Manure and compost are his other sources of fertilizer (a side benefit from assisting all those platform speakers). Cover crops like red clover, rye and wheat planted in late September help condition the soil during the off season.

Turning the cover crop under in the spring and allowing it to decompose for a couple of weeks before planting, provides invaluable nutrition for crops.

Pest control is a big concern in any garden. Knowing what companion plants will discourage insects or animals is crucial to the organic gardener. Bet you didn’t know that planting rosemary and garlic among the vegetables will deter deer.

Baking powder, blood meal and cayenne pepper will make raccoons wish they had gone elsewhere. Lemon basil will keep mosquitoes away. That herb garden on your patio that makes great pesto can also keep you from swatting bugs at night.

Mint, chives and even black-eyed susans all have a place in Dannie’s garden, standing guard against intruders.

About now you are probably thinking that this is a good time of year to get started. Wrong. Spring and summer are the most time consuming, taking about 25-30 hours a week but organic gardening is practically a year-round job. January is the time to start seeds in the green house. In 6-8 weeks they are ready for planting outside, usually about mid-March. In about 60 more days, the plants yield their “fruit.” Tomato seedlings planted the first of February are moved outside in mid April for ripe and juicy tomatoes in mid June. But seedlings planted outside as late as August will yield until Christmas.

The year usually goes something like this: early spring is time for the root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beets and onions.

Mid to late spring means tomatoes, beans, peppers, watermelon, squash and corn. Cabbage and broccoli can be planted in early spring as well as fall for two harvests per year. Fall is the time for collard greens and turnips.

Dannie does have some blooming plants, but 90% of his efforts go into vegetables; enough that he never has to buy a vegetable from a market. Everything he eats is fresh, canned or frozen from his own land. He even grows produce that is not exactly common in most home gardens. Like 200 broccoli plants. Or asparagus, which is a perennial, comes back every year by itself. 100 cabbage plants is a typical staple.

The best kept secret out there for all us novices? The “earthbox.” Available at Southern States, Ace Hardware or earthbox.com, for about $50 you can have a self-contained growing area for a couple of tomato plants. The kit comes with organic fertilizer and lime if needed for really acvidic soil…you already have a test kit, right? All you need are the plants and potting soil….not the Miracle Grow kind…never use Miracle Grow with vegetables. The earthbox comes with a cover for a greenhouse effect and protection from critters and can hold up to three gallons of water. But don’t worry about over watering because there is an overflow pipe to prevent that. Just plant, water everyday and watch those two tomato plants produce 25 to 50 pounds of tomatoes during the growing season. Sounds like something even a photographer could do.

contact CONTACT You may contact Dannie Daniel at: useralex@2493@aol.com to contact Rick Gibbons with a nominee for features in your area rickg@triadbiz.rr.com or call 336-883-7104

Victoria Kelly

Making the Switch Tips for Smooth Computer Conversionv

If a computer platform switch is in your future, use this month’s article as a brief guide to assist you with a smooth transition. I’ve compiled a list of FAQs to set you on the path to enlightenment.

First and foremost...don’t consider making a platform switch during your busy season! (I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but we all have a tendency to go a bit wacky at inopportune times.)

I’ve decided to make the switch. What should I do first?

Regardless of whether you’re going PC to Mac or vice versa, you should make a list of ALL the software that you can’t live without. (Note the “can’t live without” part...it could mean a successful conversion. Or not.) On your list you should include the license codes (where applicable) for each piece of software.

Now, pay attention: let’s say you’re going from PC to Mac and you HAVE to have a Windows environment you can access easily. On the Mac side you have 3 choices: BootCamp, Parallels and VMWare Fusion. During my own research, I chose VMWare Fusion as the best fit for me.

(My RIP is Windows based and I’m space challenged so having a dedicated computer to run my printer just wasn’t an option.) And, by the way, you’ll need a copy of the operating system if you’re planning to run a Windows environment on your shiny new Mac. (This doesn’t apply if you’re going Mac to PC.) Really special note: If you run your accounting software on your computer, you might very well decide to make the switch at the end of the calendar year, especially if you’re running a payroll application.

I’m covered on the software...what about my files?

OK...I’ve got my software list. What’s next?

You’ll want to review EACH item in your software list to see if it’s available on both platforms. For instance, ProShow Gold is Windows based. If ProShow is a big part of your selling protocol, you’ll want to investigate software options on the Mac that can perform similar functions. When I converted from PC to Mac a few years ago, I chose Boinx FotoMagico to replace ProShow Gold.

You’ll also want to visit the website for each piece of software you need to convert to determine if it’s as simple as downloading a different platform installer or if there’s a new licensing fee to be paid.

If you’ll be going to an entirely new piece of software, i.e., ProShow to FotoMagico, be sure you factor in some learning time during your conversion.

I’m still running CS2...do I need to purchase Photoshop all over again?

Adobe will allow you to make a platform switch and here are the particulars: you must be on the current copy of the software for the platform you are leaving and you must also sign a waiver agreeing to destroy said copy in order to get the new discs. You might be asked to verify your serial numbers.

Again, when I made my switch, I had to confirm all of my serial numbers from the first RETAIL (i.e., paid full price for) version of Photoshop I purchased.

Plan ahead on this one. The fine folks at Adobe told me it would take about 2 weeks to process my request and get my new discs on their way to me. I had downloaded the trial version of Photoshop for my new platform, figuring that the new discs would be in my hands while I was still in the 30-day trial. In reality, it was closer to 6 weeks and I experienced a bit of nail-biting anxiety.

If you haven’t been keeping your drives neat and tidy, now is the time to get organized! Decide how you want to divide your files...do you want to keep current files on your new computer’s hard drive? an external drive? will you be implementing a RAID system? Be sure you map out where ALL of your data is going.

If you have a need for one of the small mobile drives that can go back and forth between platforms while you’re transitioning, be aware that the drive needs to formatted as FAT32 so that it can be read and WRITTEN TO by both PCs and Macs.

I’ve done my homework on software and hardware...NOW what?

Now you’re ready to do the actual install. You might want to think about doing this over a weekend without client activity. Decide when you’re going to shut down your old system and start your migration to the new platform. (This is a BIG DEAL if you’re converting accounting software. You’ll want to be sure your numbers match from the old system to the new one.)

Boot your new system and use the software list you made above to work through the software installs. Most of the popular tools we use today are Photoshop plugins so Photoshop will need to be installed first.

There are, of course, a few exceptions: Boinx FotoMagico, ProSelect, YouSelectIt, ProShow and tLumaPix are a few that come to mind. (I’m sure there are others.)

Once you have your software installed, you can migrate your data files.

Victoria Kelly continues on page 14.

contact CONTACT Victoria Kelly vkelly@victoriakellyphotography.com www.victoriakellyphotography.com

Let’s talk monitor calibration...how does that work?

This is easily the most temperamental piece of the conversion puzzle. Here’s my suggestion: take 1 file from a session, retouching it on your OLD computer as you normally do.

Send it to your lab and get an 8x10 print. Assuming that you’re pleased with the print you receive, that will be your benchmark print. Calibrate your new monitor. Take the same file, retouching as you normally would, based on the colors you see on the new monitor. Send it to your lab and get an 8x10 print. When you receive the second print, compare it to your benchmark. The fine tuning you need to do should be minimal. Of course, this could be moot if you’re taking your favorite monitor from the old system to the new one.

And, finally...keep your expectations realistic! The bulk of your conversion may be accomplished in just a weekend but it may very well take a week or so (or more!) until you feel like you have the new platform under your feet and you’re back up and running at full capacity.

“In hindsight, I wish I had done it sooner. It was SO easy to convert and other than the upgrade from Photoshop CS3 to CS4, it did not cost me anything additional. All of my other software licenses are now active and working seamlessly.

Super easy!”

“The purchase of my new computer forced me to organize my files and get set up like I wanted from the start. I’m loving life again!”

Victoria wishes to thank Carl Gandolfo, from Tampa, FL for patiently aswering many questions and letting her watch over his shoulder while converting from PC to Mac.

Jamie Hayes

Flash FLASH Using

Outdoors

Shutter Speed vs.

Aperture

Warmer temperatures, plants and yes pollen! Looks as if spring is well under way.

What a great time for creating a portrait outdoors with FLASH!

If you haven’t figured out by now I’m a big proponent of using flash in just about every portrait I create. There are pros and cons for using flash in conjunction with available light. Since I work without an assistant I have to use a lighting system that is easy to reproduce and doesn’t require a lot of brain power during the session allowing me to concentrate on the pose, background and expression. This month’s project is all about controlling the light with emphasis on background.

Our models are Kevin and Kelly ( brother and sister) and I photographed them when they were just babies and after their session they agreed to be my test models.

Now what happens if we change the aperture? The following images of Kevin will illustrate how not only the density of the background is changed, but significant change in the depth of field occurs as well.

This time I changed the aperture and therefore had to change the amount of flash as well.

Again I used one full f/stop increase to show you what happens. Not only have we changes the density of the background and shadow side of his face, but I have really changed the amount of sharpness to the background. Again as the artist you must choose which one you prefer.

I had to re-meter the flash each time, so this method is a little more interactive, with a little practice it will become second nature in no time.

I have used my trusty Profoto Acute 600B strobe for all images. To soften the main light and lower the contrast a little I have placed a Larson 17x17 Soff Box light modifier on the front of the flash.

Using flash outdoors will give you the confidence to be able to not only work in any lighting situation it will give you peace of mind to know that you will have full control over the contrast and amount of sharpness to not only the subject but

The first image of Kelly was created with only natural available light, notice how dark the eye sockets are and how bright the background is relative to the amount of illumination on her face. It’s true that we can “fix it” in Photoshop but lets say that you love, oh, I don’t know, Miami CSI and can’t leave the tube for the computer!

In the following images of Kelly, I have decreased the amount of sunlight in the background by increasing the shutter speed while leaving the aperture and ISO at the same settings.

Notice that the background gets darker with each full stop decrease of light on the background. This has also increased the amount of contrast to the shadow side of her face. This is one of the cons of using strobe so be careful about the placement of the main light as far as the light pattern is concerned.

The more you decrease the amount of light in the shadows, by decreasing the shutter speed, the more you will need to move the main light to the front plane of the face otherwise you may have to lighten the shadows to avoid altering the quality and structure of the shadow side of the face.

In each example I have increased the shutter speed a full stop.

Notice how this changed the density of the background. Which one is the best one? As the artist, it up to you.

contact CONTACT

Hayes & Fisk: The Art of Photography 804-740-9307 www.hayesandfisk.com jamie@hayesandfisk.com

SEPPA is proud to present the award winning images from the 2010 SEPPA Affiliated Print Competition.

All images were selected April 9 & 10, in Franklin, TN.

Congratulations!

Print Competition Print Competition

Children First Place

Distinguished

Groups First Place

Distinguished

Men

First Place

Distinguished

Women First Place

Distinguished

Brides First Place

Didtinguished

Social Event First Place

Distinguished

Pets & Animals First Place

Distinguished

Albums First Place

Distinguished

Illustrative First Place

Distinguished

General Commercial First Place

Distinguished

Kodak Gallery Awards Fine Art Wedding

Metallic

Illustative

Portrait

Fuji Portrait

Best of Show Wedding

Portrait

Illustrative Illustrative

t Canon Par Excellence The Canon Par Excellence Award is given to the maker who merits each print with a minimmun of 80 per print.

Each print in the case must merit. It is then judged with other similar cases and selected by the judges.

At theAtSEPPA the SEPPA judingjuding in April, in April, six cases six cases were were eligible. eligible.

This year, This year, the Canon the Canon Par Excellenc Par Excellenc Award Award is presented is presented to to Janet Boschker.

Janet Boschker

Janel Pahl It took me three months to put together a program. It seemed so very easy. It all just came together naturally. I received a phone call from a person in San Diego who had heard about my program. He talked with me for over half an hour. When our conversation was finished, he invited me to come to San Diego and speak to his group.

Giving the GiftTHE GIFT GIVING Part Two of

In a conversation with David Peters one-day, I found myself asking about the Master of Photography degree.

Having never graduated from college, I found myself wanting or needing to prove myself. He encouraged me to put a program together and go out on the speaking circuit because it was a great way to earn merits. Having nearly fainted when I gave my first speech in college, the thought of doing a program seemed a bit absurd. “What in the world would my program be about?!” I asked incredulously. David’s reply was, “Just show them your images, tell them how you do it.

But most importantly, speak from your heart.”

I believe that God opens doors for us and it is our responsibility to walk through them with confidence, knowing that we are supposed to be where we are.

God not only opened the door, he kicked me through.

Half an hour before I was to give my talk, I felt as if I were going to lose my dinner. “Just speak from my heart” I kept telling myself.

After five minutes of speaking I received an incredible calm.

I was actually enjoying myself. When the program was finished, people came down and said wonderful things to me. I was encouraged. My second program was an early bird at the California State convention. I didn’t sleep all night, so having to get up early was merciful.

How honored I was to actually make a difference in someone’s life. To be able to give back what I had learned and experienced myself was what I was supposed to be doing. It was as if my whole inner being was speaking to me telling me and reassuring me that this was a direction and purpose for my life.

T

Editors Note: Janel Pahl continues in June with the third section of her thesis: “The Ultimate Gift.”

Janel Pahl has graciously given permission to the editor to reproduce her thesis and images for Southern Exposure Magazine.

contact CONTACT

You may contact Janel Pahl at: janelpahl@aol.com or visit her website at www.janelpahl.com

After five minutes of speaking I received an incredible calm.

I was actually enjoying myself. When the program was finished, people came down and said wonderful things to me. I was encouraged. My second program was an early bird at the California State convention. I didn’t sleep all night, so having to get up early was merciful.

Allen Griggs Allen Griggs has been a professional photographer for 20 years. With his wife Jennifer, they have owned and operated their studio in Nashville. Their studio specializes in children’s portraits. Allen and Jennifer feel very blessed to have a career that is so rewarding. Passion is the motivating force that inspires them to create daily in everything they touch. Allen has won numerous awards and contributes competition to much of his success in their business.

I have photographed “Sophia� since she was a baby. This is a truly beauti ful child, full of life and beauty. I enjoy using window light in the studio. The natural glow just illuminates her little face. What a blessing to have created this art piece for her family to enjoy for many years. I photographed this with a Canon 5D Mark II , 30th at F4 using window light and a reflector. I am proud to say the image scored a 100 at the 2010 SEPPA judging held in Nashville, TN.

Note: Images chosen for the cover of Southern Exposure are first place or distinguished award winners from the annual affiliated judging

“Sophia”

Janet Boschker Working with

Children at the Beach

With summer just around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to talk about beach photography as many of us will be heading that way for fun and photography. I added beach photography to my repertoire about 12 years ago as an added option for my clients. We all know that not everyone is interested in family pictures at the beach, but many of my clients have beach homes, they love my work and are loyal to me, so why shouldn’t I offer that to them? I go the extra mile for them - and they appreciate it. Not that I do a large number of beach portraits, I do about a dozen more or less each summer, and the sales are worth it. The session fee is double the normal studio family session, and there is a minimum order that must be fulfilled.

Any age is a good age, but I avoid 14-24 months at the beach because that age is difficult to engage in a game, they don’t follow directions and they generally are accustomed to being in full control of their world. I need just a bit more cooperation than that at the beach. Another problem: some kids just don’t like the sand! Nothing is worse than planning a beach session, getting there and having the kid freak out over the way sand feels on their feet or being frightened of the ocean. Not good.

I always like to scout the location I want to work and have a plan before the family arrives – I have chosen the location relative to elements I want to include in the photograph – sea oats, water, boardwalks. Find out what elements are most important to the client and go from there. Some people might want to concentrate on the dunes and sea oats (keep in mind sea oats are not “blooming” in early summer) and others may be more interested in the water. Whatever you do, save the water for the end of the session as the kids will probably get wet.

The horizon line is an issue when you are photographing near the water, at least for those of us that are under 5”5”. I find that the problem is solved for me by choosing a low angle and placing the heads above the horizon. I suppose I could carry a ladder around, but I just don’t want to work that hard!

Be aware of the beautiful lines in the sand that are created by the changing tide and use them as leading lines – it can change a simple shot of children walking away into a wonderful artsy portrait. Don’t be afraid to shoot into the sun as it comes up over the horizon – another cool shot that the parents don’t know how to get, but fall in love with – after all, it’s their child running with the water splashing up around them!

They could never convince the family to get up, dressed and out on the beach at sunrise, but they’ll pay you to do it! Have fun and let the kids play – after you have done the “safe shots” that you know will please your client.

Remember the winning combination that gives you variety in your session: closeup, 3 quarter and full length shots. Think of the compositional elements that add depth to your portraits: foreground, middleground and background . The beach is a perfectly designed outdoor studio – go out and have fun with it!

Preparation is key for a session at the beach. Here are some tips I use to prepare clients for the beach experience.

Expect a breeze – we are at the beach! Choose a hairstyle with that in mind – use a barrette or small bow to keep a child’s hair out of the face – moms with long hair, tie it back or up if you don’t like the idea of hair blowing.

Avoid outfits with large collars that are likely to blow.

Adult males long pants!

Women – avoid short skirts as we may be seated on the beach for some poses.

If it’s not raining – we are shooting! The weather changes by the moment at the beach, and the prettiest skies are before or after a storm – clouds are our friends at the beach.

As to clothing, keep the pallete of the beach in mind – pastels are best, avoid clothes with high contrast patterns or colorvs.

I know this is not in keeping with today’s bright colors and bold patterns, but this is a professional portrait with a large investment; you want it to be easy on the eyes over the long term. I am not a huge fan of everyone in white and khaki, but that seems to be easiest to pull off for large families and looks good. Vary the styles of shirts and textures and it will create a pleasing look and not take attention away from expressions.

I only shoot early morning (sunrise) or early evening (sunset).

This is the best time on the beach, when the sun is low in the sky. I only schedule children under 5 at sunrise, as they are usually over tired in the evening and don’t do as well. It is worth getting up for sunrise – a magical time on the beach and so much less crowded. There is a pristine quality to the beach as it is almost undisturbed. An added plus – you are done for the day at 7:30 am and have the rest of the day to enjoy!

contact CONTACT

Janet Boschker www.northlightphotography.com jbnlight@aol.com

Mary Fisk-Taylor

Hard Decision in Hard Times I know that many of us are feeling the crunch these days, and I don’t mean the kind that I should be doing in the gym!

The economic climate has been a little dismal and we feel it in our homes, at the gas station, grocery stores, bank accounts and our businesses. It has been tough and it has definitely made me take a step back and revisit my spending habits.

I have become a fashionista in this recession and now relish in the bargains that I can find for my family, home and myself.

Using air miles, shopping at discount stores, stay-cationing v. vacationing. These are some of the small tricks that I have personally used to try to keep dollars in the bank and heads above water.

However, as I examined our businesses and thought about cutting corners I really struggled. Where could I be smarter with dollars? I did not want to cut back too much on our marketing plan, if anything I probably needed to pump it up.

So that did not seem like a reasonable idea. I did not want to neglect my store, mall, studio and location samples and not replace them periodically and keep them fresh and interesting to potential clients.

I certainly did not want to deliver cheaper products to my clients; they deserve the best and finest that we have always produced. The best canvas prints, gallery wraps, frames and albums. Excellent artwork and superior packaging that my clients deserve and appreciate. I would certainly not sacrifice customer care! Sending gifts and thank you notes and special surprises when they picked up their orders. These are the things that made us so successful to begin with.

So what could I do?

I could not trim the budget on the client end. In other words, I was not prepared to sacrifice quality, customer service or product delivery to compensate in business decline. So, the question still stands, how can we make up for the 10, 20 or 30% decrease in sessions or sales that many of us are experiencing?

Not one to be beaten by anything, I decided to make some really hard decisions. Some of them were pretty easy and even though they required a little more work on our part, it ultimately made an impact. For example, this year when we opened our gardens we bought and spread all of the mulch ourselves! Yuck! But we saved a lot of money plus we found a Boy Scout Troop that needed service hours and had them come over one Saturday to help out and plant everything.

How creative!

I also made the very hard decision to raise our prices by 15% across the board. This felt very risky and scary and everything that entails. However, it really helped bridge the gap.

The funny thing that so many of us know is that we get way more worked up about what we THINK our clients are going to say, notice or object to than they actually do. Am I right?

I will tell you that not one client has even noticed this small increase, but it has helped tremendously on my end. A 15% increase in prices has kept us on track to meeting our monthly goals, and nobody has even noticed but me!

creative

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I also became much more creative in marketing and partnering with associations, local charities and companies. This has been an easy and successful opportunity for all of us. I am a small local business and when I approach other small and local businesses or charities they are very excited to create a joint marketing campaign to assist each other and our businesses.

For example, one local charity was really suffering during the holidays and was desperate to secure Christmas gifts for the many, many families that they support. I told them that we would host Santa weekends at our Midlothian studio if they helped work the event and advertise it to their contributors. It was a HUGE success. I prepared sample facebook posts, email blasts, short Twitter blurbs and printed inexpensive cards for them to hand out. The bottom line is we had almost 100 families come through our studio during the holidays verses the 45 or 50 that we usually have. All they had to do is bring an unwrapped gift for a family and they could visit with Santa.

Of course, we sold designer Santa packages.

Work with Local Boutique Stores Another option is to work even closer with local boutique stores, bridal, children, etc. I am currently working with almost a dozen different stores and we are constantly creating promotions and specials that we can work together on.

For example we just had a casting call or model search for a local children’s clothing store to launch some of their new lines and summer clothes. It was an awesome promotion and we definitely got the phone to ring. The clothing store and our studio sent email invites to our target clients (those that had children in the proper age group) letting them know that we were looking for models for store samples, studio samples, marketing pieces, websites and viral marketing. They received a complimentary session at our studio and if they chose to buy the clothing they received a 20% discount. If they chose to purchase portraits from the session they received a 20% discount as well. It was a great way to meet new clients, reconnect with existing ones and keep our studio busy during a slow time of year.v

So is this recession affecting our lives, bank accounts, families and businesses?

Yes! However, if we choose to be smarter and work a little harder, be more creative and excited then I truly think that we can find success. I am not one to sit around and dwell on things that I cannot control, like the weather, aging and politics! As great as I think that I am I have no control over rain or the national debt. But I know that I will not let those things beat me. I am certainly smarter than that.

Market like there is

no Tomorrow

So if it rains, photograph with umbrellas. Retouching will solve my age issues and when the economy is on a down turn, raise your prices vand market like there is no tomorrow!

contact CONTACT

Mary Fisk Taylor mary@hayesandfisk.com 1-804-740-9307 Twitter @maryfisktaylor facebook - maryfisktaylor

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Suzette Allen

Enhancement EyeEye Enhancement Efficient

A vital finishing touch to excellent portraiture is the fine art of eye enhancement. A bit of excellent artwork can breathe life, expression and impact into a portrait. There are many tools and methods for enhancing and beautifying the eyes, but few of them are efficient enough to be practical for the day-to-day workflow and our “bread and butter” work. This article is focused on describing a method that is efficient and practical enough to do on every image you sell, even if you are a high-volume photographer.

(Fig 01) Studio portraits can be improved, but environmental portraits especially benefit from the eye enhancement when the natural light source is not direct or focused enough to illuminate the eye effectively.

This is a simple method that I use on every portrait image I produce in my studio. I have four levels of enhancement; Levels One and Two, which are to brighten the whites of the eyes and the catch lights, are used on every portrait image. While Levels Three and Four, enhancing the iris and lashes, are reserved for close up images, any portrait over a 3x5 that has a head size large enough to show the eyes, and certainly, any wall portrait. On some wall portraits, I may take the time to delete the existing eye lights and paint in catch lights, but only when needed.

To prepare the file for retouching, duplicate the Background layer and make a snapshot on the history palette by clicking the camera icon next to the trashcan. Put the history marker next to it by clicking in the small box to the left of the snapshot 1. (Fig 02) For more detailed description on the “Retouch Setup”, see article on www.shootsmarter.com : http://www.shootsmarter.com/infocenter/sa001.html

Level One: Brighten and whiten the whites of the eyes: (1) Use the lasso tool with a 2-pixel feather to outline the corner of an eye.

(2) Hold shift to add to the selection as you circle the other corner of the eye and both ends of the opposite eye. (Fig 03) (3) Add an adjustment layer of curves: Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves (4) Lift the center of the bar upward slightly to lighten (Fig 04) (5) If they are slightly red, reselect the eyes by CTRL/CMD+click on the thumbnail of the mask on the curves layer.

(6) Then make a new adjustment layer of Hue/Saturation.

Choose the reds in the dropdown menu and slide the saturation slider to the left to reduce red. Be careful not to make it too grey.

(Fig 05)

Level Two: Brighten the Catchlights: (1) Select the Background Copy layer to make it active.

(2) Using the Dodge tool, set the options for Highlights at 25% exposure (3) Brush lightly over the existing catchlights until it is sufficiently brightened. This may take 1-5 passes. (Fig 06) (4) Be sure to zoom out and view the whole face to ensure you have not over-brightened. It is very easy to do! If so, use the history brush set at 15% to back off the effect to a realistic sparkle. (if you did the retouch setup this will work perfectly) Note: if there are sloppy or multiple catchlights, I will often clone them out to simplify the catchlights to one strong light. The catchlight should be on the side of the eye toward the direction of light.

If needed, I will make a sharper speck much brighter with a diminished glow on the rest. The hot center is made with a tiny brush at 100% white. (Fig 07) (5) In this case, the shadowed eye had a harsh light that was much smaller, so I cloned the other catchlight over at 30% opacity so it would match, but left it a bit darker as it should be on the shadow side. (Fig 08)

6) Note: If there are sloppy or multiple catchlights, I will often clone them out to simplify the catchlights into one strong light. The catchlight should be on the side of the eye toward the directoionof the light If needed, I will make a sharpen speck much brighter with a dimished glow on the rest. The hot center is made with a tiny brush at 100% white. See Fig 08a, 08B.

Level Three: Lighten and Enhance the reflection in the Iris (halfmoon) (1) Using the Dodge tool, set the options for Midtones at 10% exposure (2) Be sure the Background copy is selected in the layers palette, and paint a soft swipe over the iris directly across the eye from the catchlight position. Swipe over it a couple of times to add light to the eye and brighten the iris. (Fig 09) (3) Be careful not to overdo again—zoom out and check the whole face view and tone down with the history brush if needed.

(4) If color needs to be intensified, use the Sponge tool (hidden under the dodge tool) and set it for Saturate at 25% flow. Paint over the iris to conservatively brighten the color, taking care not to create an unrealistic look. Hazel eyes are especially difficult and will often go orange.

(Fig 10)v (5) If additional color is desired, make a blank layer, and paint tiny colored flecks on the iris with a soft brush at 100% opacity. Then put the mode of the layer into Soft Light to give it a transparent blend.

Turn down the opacity of that layer if needed.

Light added to eyes by adding “half-moon”

crescent 180 degrees across from catchlight

Sponge tool used to saturate eye

color

Level Four: Enhance and thicken the lashes: (1) Using the Burn Tool, set the options for about a 4 pixel brush, Midtones and 20% Exposure. For the brush properties, be sure Shape Dynamics>Size Jitter is set Fade at 100 so the lash tapers off to nothing! (just like a real lash!) and the Other Dynamics> Exposure Jitter is set to Fade at 500. Be sure to check Smoothing too.

(Fig 11a, 11b) By the way, this technique is only possible with a tablet. A mouse will not give soft tapering lash lines.

(2) Draw tiny lashes out from the eye’s edge in a natural arc, overlapping to get density and definition. This brush is very conservative and tough to overdo. It may take 3-4 strokes in one spot to create a new lash.

Enhance and darken the eye edges (eyeliner): (3) Using the Burn Tool, set the options for a 20 pixel, soft edged brush. In the brush palette, set the brush properties: Other Dynamics: Exposure Jitter to Pen Pressure. This will allow it to fade off softly with a light touch. (Fig 12) (4) Lightly brush over the lash line to deepen. This may also be used to deepen the edges of the iris to add even more depth and drama.

he key thing to make this a quick and painless process so it is practical to do on every file--even for high volume photographers--is the use of Actions and Tool Presets. I have an action for the Retouch Setup (F-12) and tool presets for each tool I use on the face:

Clone “Retouch Face” Lasso “2px feather” Dodge “Catchlights, Dodge “Halfmoon” Burn “Eye Lashes” Burn “Eyeliner” Once you have a system down and presets made, you will be fast and efficient enough to breeze through eye enhancement with ease!

John Woodward

So, what exactly is the

3 Bears?

It is a way to extend the tonal and dynamic range of an image.

The finished result would be impossible as an initial capture.

In effect, the raw capture is “malleable” while still in its red, green and blue components. This allows you to shift it and capture highlight and shadow information which will not be recoverable once you process the file into a TIF or JPEG. This is also why you cannot automate the process. You need your eyes to decide which highlights and shadows are important to you. Once you learn the technique, you need to teach yourself to pre-visualize what the real potential of a given scene is.

In the case of this example, a white flower. You can see the original capture which was processed by Adobe Bridge into bears 1, 2 and 3. When stacking the bears in layers in Photoshop, layer the best exposure over the “light” bear. Using layer masking, bring whatever highlights you need into the image. Flatten those layers to produce “bear 4”. Then layer it on top of bear 3, the darkest version. Layer masking will allow you to recover whatever shadows you need. Flatten those two layers, adjust brightness, contrast and color and the end result is the final bear, not too light, not too dark…just right.

The final image is then imported into the template which has personalized branding in the form of double lines and signature. Within my workbook, you will see several examples of this technique. Some of the sunrise and full light photos have exposure ranges of more than seven stops. NO media or film can capture that range. With the 3 bears, you can regain that information and illustrate it.

NO media or film can capture that range. With the 3 bears, you can regain that information and illustrate it.

contact CONTACT You may contact John Woodward at: woodward2@aol.com or become his friend on Facebook