Southern Exposure May 2011

Suzette Allen Easy Eye Enhancements Jamie Hayes April Showers Janet Boschker Working with Children Rick Gibbons Folks: Katie Jiminez

Cover Art “Ruby” by Michael Potthast

Chairman of the Board President

Kevin Newsome kevin@newsomesstudio.com Mary Alice Ross maryaliceross@gmail.com

1st Vice-President

Delaware

District of Columbia

***Bob Blanken Joe Tessmer

Doug Peninger ncdoug01@triadbiz.rr.com

2nd Vice-President

George Singleton george.singleton6@verizon.net

Florida

Secretary/Treasurer

Anthony Rumley anthony@anthonyrumley.com

Georgia

Print Exhibition Chair Randy McNeilly randy@mcneillyphotography.com

Executive Director Thomas McCollum seppa@comcast.net

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

Editor Doug Peninger NCDOUG01@triadbiz.rr.com 336-883-7104 Ad Sales & Business Manager Thomas McCollum seppa@comcast.net 888-272-3711 Article & Ad Submission 5th of each month On-Line Publication 1st of each month

***Don Engler Peggy Parkinson

***Dana Lunden Kaye Newsome

Maryland

***Sally Jackson Spencer Smith ***Vanessa Ard David Corry

Mississippi/Alabama

North Carolina

***Darrell Ivy Gil Brady ***Karen Goforth Janet Boschker

South Carolina

***Clark Berry Greg Martin

Tennessee

***Eddie Lambert Barbara White

Virginia

***Sharon Younce Robert Holman

SEPPA

2712 Marcia Drive Lawrenceville, GA 30044 888-272-3711 www.4seppa.com 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.

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West Virginia

***Brent Kepner Christie Kepner ***state president representative

Additional information of state events within the SEPPA Affiliate 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 www.delawarephotographers.com

District of Columbia www.ppsgw.org

Mississippi/Alabama www.ppma.net

North Carolina www.ppofnc.com

South Carolina

Florida

www.ppofsc.com

www.fpponline.org

Georgia

www.gppa.com

Maryland www.marylandppa.com

SEPPA is a regional affiliate of Professional Photographers of America and hosts an annual District Image Judging.

To learn more about PPA, click the PPA Logo.

Tennessee www.tnppa.com

Virginia

www.vppa.org

West Virginia www.ppwv.org

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REWIND!!!

The May 2011 issue of the Southern Exposure magazine is going to take you on a journey into our past. That’s right! We are revisiting articles from previous issues as we welcome our new member state, West Virginia. There are couple reasons for this journey.

One, West Viginia members will get a chance to visit some of the best articles we have had over the almost two years since our magazine went digital.

Two, I was curious to see which articles the writers would choose as their favorite. This also gave them a much needed break from the writing schedule. Without our incredible team of dedicated writers, we would not enjoy the great magazine we have each month. I thank them.

So, get out pens and paper and get ready to take copious amounts of notes. There is much to learn and study.

On another note, get ready for June!

That issue is well underway and it will be full of all new articles!

Get ready, get set, it’s time for a time-warp.

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The SEPPA Board of Governors, at the 2010 meeting in Franklin, TN, approved the all new SEPPA Degree Program.

The Southeastern Photographic Fellowship is now a reality!

You can earn your new SPF Degree in two categories.

The orange ribbon will be with a concentration in print credits.

The purple ribbon be with a concentration in service to the organzation.

Both options will be completed with education and or service credits.

You may also, achieve both Degrees separately for a purple and orange ribbon.

SEPPA will post the Credit Chart and submission forms at a later date.

Be sure to check back.

All events, beginning April 1, 2010 will be eligible to submit for credit.

Shop Inside Cover

6 7 8 19 40 40 41

Showcase Millers PhotoFlex Academy Productions White House Custom Color Michel Company Cheri MacCallum CCI Lab

Pages

the

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE MAY 2011

Learn 8 10 12

Attend 1 9 11 18 26 27 35

PPWV Florida School Mississippi/Alabama Convention The Lamarr School

Cheri MacCallum What to Paint Suzette Allen

Easy Eye Enhancements

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Victoria Kelly

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Cover Artist Michael Potthast

22 28 30

PhotoDuds

Mary Fisk-Taylor Wedding Marketing Partners

Janet Boschker

Working with Children

Rick Gibbons

Folks: Katie Jiminez

Chicks who Click

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Jamie Hayes

PPA Tour

36

Janel Pahl

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John Woodward

East Coast School

“Say What??”

by Ginger Moseley

Kevin Newsome Retouching

April Showers The Gift

Build from the Back

Kevin Newsome

Major news networks and magazines 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 homr, some may be surprisingly poingnant. 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 Moment’s With....” This month, RETOUCHING. (Click on the title, RETOUCHING, and you will be linked to the video.

Cheri MacCallum

I often get asked, “What type of images make good paintings?” The answer is the SAME things that make a great photographic portrait, will make a great painting. These are just a few helpful hints.

What type of portrait painting does your client want?

Do they want a whimsical and fun high key portrait or a dramatic and moody low key portrait? Try to find out before the session so you plan accordingly.

Simple Clothes Keeping it simple is best. Steer your clients away from clothing with patterns, prints, florals, stripes, plaids, etc. Patterns are busy and distracting (and a pain to paint). Another hint with the clothes is to keep the clothing color close to the key of the background. You want the subject to be the focus of the portrait, not the blue and orange stripes on Bobby’s shirt.

Good Posing Whether your style is traditional classic or more photojournalistic, always keep your subjects appearance in mind. Be mindful of body type and/or special needs, environment and the mood or feeling you want to portray.

Good Lighting The same general rules apply here for paintings as for a photographic portrait. Keep in mind the different types of lighting that can be used to shape and sculpt different face types and shapes. Keep any problems in mind to apply corrective lighting such as asymmetrical faces or one eye larger than the other, etc. Lighting goes a long way to create a mood and a message.

Lighting is part of the story and using a lighting technique inappropriately will cause visual tension and confuse the viewer. For example, you wouldn’t want to flat light a portrait where high drama is desired or by the same token, use a really high ratio on a soft, high key image.

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”.

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

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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)

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(6) Note: If there are sloppy or multiple cathlights, 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 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 at Midtones at 10% exposure (2) Be sure the Background copy is selected, 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窶配oom 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) (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.

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 last 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 moret

The 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!

Victoria Kelly

One of the best selling items I offer in my studio is the senior “hotshots” album with favorite images from their session. These books are sized 8x8, contain 10 sides and up to 20 images, mounted into a self-mount book from the “Elements” line at Finao.

My first efforts in creating these books were time-consuming and an ordeal to produce. I spent hours reviewing digital scrapping websites and building an impressive graphics library of brushes, papers, flourishes and the like. It didn’t take me long to realize that I had accumulated so much “stuff” that it was next to impossible to remember what papers could complement which brushes and into what folder had I put my favorite flourishes.

And, since my time is my money, I figured I’d better come up with a way to make a custom book for every senior in 45 minutes or less.

And then the cavalry appeared. I came across a great tool called PhotoDUDS from Beth Forester in West Virginia. As a master photographer with a large senior clientele, she has collaborated with a designer to come up with a fantabulous collection of graphics, brushes, templates and ideas.

My first PhotoDUDS purchase was the “Kork” collection. My criteria for deeming this product an A+ on the Victoria Kelly “what have you done for me lately” scale was whether or not I could create a 10-side senior book using ONLY the contents of the collection. It had to be visually stimulating, easy to use, and created in 45 minutes or less. (Now, mind you, this 45 minutes DOES NOT include the time I spend in retouching and readying the images for the book. Keep in mind that the book is an add on to a sale and the retouching time has already been allocated in the initial print order.)

Just as there are many different ways to accomplish a single task in Photoshop, there are many different ways to design a book. In a nutshell, here’s my process: My books are sized 8x8, so I create 5 empty documents sized at 16x8 with a guide set to vertical at 8 inches. As I create the documents, I name each one of them with where it will go in the book, i.e., “p0203, p0405” and so on. The first and last single pages are created as one double spread labeled “p0110”.

For this example I’m using 3 of Anna’s images and one of the newest PhotoDUDS collections, “Heraldry”. I open each image that will be used in the book and begin dropping them on the pages where I think I want them to be placed. This is just an exercise to get the images on the spreads and ready for the next step.

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

When I’ve accounted for all the images to be used in the book, I begin refining the placement and sizing the images on the pages. At this point, the theme of the book becomes clear (yep, you’ve caught me...I very rarely know what a book is going to look like when I start the design process. It’s how my creative mojo works.) and I’ve decided which PhotoDUDS collection I’m going to use for the embellishments: Kork, Bohemian, Memento or one of the other senior collections that are available.

Believe it or not, at this point the bulk of the design work is complete. I work with thumbnails of the spreads, open the backgrounds folder for whatever collection I’m using and begin dropping the backgrounds onto the bottom layer of the spread. Once I’m happy with the backgrounds, the embellishments to be used to enhance the images and the pages pretty much set themselves.

I customize every book with the senior’s name, year of graduation and high school. Each senior that comes into the studio is required to complete a “411” sheet that includes their name/nickname, school and other pertinent information. There are a bazillion ways to spell “lizzie” and you certainly don’t want to remake a book because of a spelling error!

Each PhotoDUDS collection makes it easy to be as simple or intricate in your layout as you would like.

The brushes, elements and papers are extremely well-designed and changing a color is as simple as making a hue/saturation adjustment. And, if you’re having trouble getting YOUR creative mojo to kick into gear, there’s a great idea gallery on the DUDS website you can browse for inspiration.

Many of the collections contain what I call “bonus” goodies---ready-made templates for gallery wraps, cards, 411 cards and stickers. The templates come to you in layers ready to be customized, and, in addition, the press-printed items have an extra layer with printing guidelines so that you don’t have to worry about cutting off an important part of your image.

So...if you’re looking to maximize your time in the process of delivering a stellar product, visit the PhotoDUDS website at www.photoduds.com and check out the collections. With all the time you’ll be saving you can sit back, relax and enjoy your favorite beverage while contemplating all that holiday shopping you need to be doing.

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The artist profile was written by Anita Whitaker of insidepolk.com.

As a little boy, his favorite thing to do was to spend time with his Dad, a bigger-than-life role model who happened to be a photographer. Backthen, Mike sometimes didn’t even have film in the camera he was using to “shoot” subjects alongside his father.

Little did they know that what originally started as just a way to spend time with his hero would help Mike Potthast determine the successful career path that he is on today.

Mike Potthast, the owner of Potthast Studios in Winter Haven is one of the most respected and talented photographers in the area. “I grew up in the photography business. A camera was always easy to get a hold of and my dad always welcomed my company on his shoots,” he said. “It gave me a chance to play the part of photographer and watch him work.”

After graduating from Winter Haven High, Mike attended Daytona State College’s School of Photography, one of the best of its kind in the country.

“When it came time for college, I bought him a new camera because you go to school with the best equipment,” William said. “His work came along beautifully there.” So beautifully that Mike finds himself today in big demand with a wide variety of clients and several different areas of photography. From studio portraits to commercial video to magazine covers to stock photography; Mike seems to be a natural at making images breathtaking, award winning and unforgettable.

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About the Art Ruby was for my own portfolio piece. I have a great relationship with a local stylist, Lynda Whitney, who has always challenged me to try new and different subjects. We have worked on several client shoots together but this was our first attempt and shooting something we could play with and had total control of where we it was going. We chose our model Toni Underwood from the very beginning because of her petite features and especially her crystal blues eyes. The contrast between the blue eyes and red surroundings provides for a unmistakeable focal point. Putting the pieces together took about a month. Make-up artist Elvin Velez did amazing work during the makeup session in the studio about an hour before the shoot and the shoot took about an hour also. It really helped to shoot and view tethered to the monitor and tweak the smallest details. We captured Ruby after about 30 frames. I am most proud of the fact that very little post production work was left after the shoot.

Its refreshing to see pure photography still able to win at competitions and not relying on digital manipulation and processing. I love digital capabilities available but think our craft as professional photographers should reflect in the skill of capturing the image correctly and impact-fully in the beginning.

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

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Mary Fisk-Taylor

Photographing for the Brides First...

Photographing for the Vendors Second

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tand are so happy when we can go out on a given date and create beautiful images for the bride and groom and their family and friends. I am most proud of our images but the fact that we still insist on delivering custom designed wedding albums and presentation portraits really sets us apart in this “shoot and burn” wedding world.

I am still flattered when a couple comes in and chooses me to capture their day, trusts me to deliver my eye’s work and designer albums to grace their homes forever.

One day they will sit with their children and grandchildren and look through my images and design. This still really makes me happy and I do feel blessed to be a part of this tradition. I know that our determination to deliver finished albums and portraits is not a popular decision amongst my competition and even many consumers today. However, I must stay true to my mission as a wedding and portrait artist and finished presentations is the only way I want to deliver my work.

Each year I try to discover ways to share my message and concept of wedding photography with the brides and grooms that come by to visit my studios. What I realized a few years ago is that it is equally important to share and educate our philosophy with the other high-end wedding vendors in my market area. If all of the wedding vendors are sharing and educating the bride on the importance of full visual coverage and finished, printed products then it will become a theme in weddings not just the photography studios mission. The way that I started working and educating the vendors was by going into their studios, stores and boutiques and capturing light commercial images for them, creating press printed advertising and books for them and brand new fresh marketing pieces. This takes a little more work on my end but believe me it has paid off!! We are already above our wedding bookings from last year and are now turning brides away for certain dates.

The sunny side of this decision comes to us in so many ways, the sheer gratitude and often tears of joy when the albums are designed or picked up, the referrals from our brides to newly engaged friends and family members and the mommies to be that usually start calling after a year or so and asking us to start capturing the next phase of their family’s journey. Becoming the visual historians for our bridesare is thesome best compliment of all.breakThe following statistics and

downs of the average wedding budget across I must confess that there is a downside. Our studio has the country. These facts and figures are a redefinitely experienced a drop in wedding bookings sult of the survey conducted by theknot.com:

because I cannot compete with the lower priced studios that are delivering DVDs and/or proof boxes. I really need my artwork to leave the studio finished and for this Average Wedding I have to sacrifice some wedding Statistics bookings. We have experienced a definite drop in the number of wedding we photograph each year. Wttte have gone from about Wedding Dress Spend: 35 weddings a year to $1,099 22 weddings a year. However, the weddings that we do photograph we do so with confiPercentage of Destination Weddings: 24% dence Bride’s Age: 29and a shared vision with the clients.

Groom’s Age: 31 Number of Guests: 141 Average Wedding Spend (on a per guest basis): $194 Number of Bridesmaids: 4 Number of Groomsmen: 4 Length of Engagement: 14 months Most Popular Engagement Month: December (16%) Most Popular Wedding Month: June (15%) Most Popular Wedding Color: White/Ivory (43%)

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

There are two crucial steps to making this vendor marketing really successful and they both take some extra time and money but it is well worth it in the long run. I would rather budget these types of advertising costs into my marketing budget and cut back a little on a wedding guide ad or bridal show space. Or, even better, find other local vendors that would be willing to partner with you on the printing of any albums or press printed marketing materials. You may be pleasantly surprised how many businesses would be willing to pay for advertising in a wedding book at the local wedding coordinator’s shop or share in booth rental at a bridal show. We are all local businesses and unless they are your direct competition you may find lots of willing partners that would love to work with you on advertising pieces, etc.

My initial goal is to capture images that truly represent my vendors and give them a ton of variety. I can do this in two different ways. Obviously when I work a wedding I make sure that I know each and every vendor for the event. So, I can go in and create different and fresh images for the reception facility, the wedding coordinator, the cake baker, the caterer, the florist, the gown boutique or designer, the invitation and paper company, etc. After I have created the images for the bride and groom I always steal away for a few minutes here and there and try to create more dynamic images that I think that vendors have not seen a hundred times before and that they would love to use on their marketing pieces, websites and sample albums.

I categorize the images after each wedding and make sure that I have a folder for each vendor. I then go in and create a DVD for each vendor with their images on it, now each image does have my copyright stamp on it and it is small enough to place on their website, email or create an Animoto slideshow. I also use my top few images and create a designer 4.5x5 press printed card from WHCC for each vendor. The cards have my name, website and phone number on them along with the vendors information on the back. These cards are reasonable and easy to make and I know that the other vendors hand them out during consultations and bridal shows. I do this from each wedding. After a few weddings have come through production and I have enough variety for each select vendor I will then create a business card or marketing piece that is specific to that vendor, for example business cards, cake tasting worksheets, appointment cards, etc. These are always a HUGE hit!! My vendors are not photographers and when I can create cool and different marketing pieces for them they are both relieved and grateful to me for doing the work and giving them beautiful marketing cards and pieces. Once or twice a year I will also design and deliver a finished wedding album that is a great representation of their product or venue. I choose to use the WHCC press printed books because they are economical and offer the most variety with a speedy turn around time.

My next plan of action is to arrange a lunch meeting or coffee break with the owner of the business and/or the marketing director. I will usually schedule this around the same time that I am delivering some new marketing pieces, DVDs of images, albums, etc. That way I can walk in with cool gifts for them and it starts the meeting off on a really positive note. I am always scouting out their location looking for opportunities to display our portraits and albums and many times will ask or mention that we would be happy to donate artwork for the walls. For example at a local very high-end bridal dress boutique I talked to the owners about us coming in and photographing details and highlights of their designer gowns, shows and headpieces. They were thrilled because it saved them the money and effort to buy from the designers and each piece was very specific to their store. It was a great success! Another suggestion I always make is to let us come in one morning and create fun headshots of each sales associate and employee. This way we can create different marketing pieces and thank you notes that include their headshots and store images. The owners and marketing directors love this because it sets them apart from any other shop in town. I also give them the headshots and images for use on their websites. All of them have my logo on it so it’s free advertising for my studios.

So, with all of these ideas taking place, images being taken, marketing pieces being designed, products being delivered, etc., etc., I am hopefully setting myself apart in the market place as the “vendor’s choice” for photography. This is testimonial and referral that I cannot buy, because it it has to happen organically.

I believe that by focusing my energy on these other wedding vendors and their needs and their marketing pieces I am able to grow my wedding business through goodwill and great referrals. It does take a little extra work and organization but it is well worth it. And, I know that it will pay off with extra weddings in 2010!

The following are some statistics and breakdowns of the average wedding budget across the country. These facts and figures are a result of the survey conducted by theknot.com:

Average Wedding Statistics

Wedding Dress Spend: $1,099 Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24% Bride’s Age: 29 Groom’s Age: 31 Number of Guests: 141 Average Wedding Spend (on a per guest basis): $194 Number of Bridesmaids: 4 Number of Groomsmen: 4 Length of Engagement: 14 months Most Popular Engagement Month: December (16%) Most Popular Wedding Month: June (15%) Most Popular Wedding Color: White/Ivory (43%)

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

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Janet Boschker

Continuing our discussion on photographing babies, let’s just keep one thing in mind – the baby is in control! Just because babies are little, don’t underestimate their power in the session. Most little babies are pretty happy as long as things are going their way – if tummies are full, bottoms are dry and they are rested you are on your way. That is, until they get bored with you or become overstimulated. How to deal with this? Have a backup plan! If the child begins to fuss, stop the session and give them a break. This can happen at any time, so be sensitive and don’t force the issue. They are all different, some like to be cuddled, some don’t. So if I am trying for a close shot of mom & child and the child is protesting, I stop, regroup and move on to something else. Here is how I have structured my approach with babies up to about 6 months old.

This is an easy way to get to know the baby while he feels secure in the mom’s arms. She faces away from the camera and positions the child so that he is peeking over her shoulder. I explain that she is a prop , not to interact and let me get to know her child. The camera is on a tripod, and I speak softly to the baby to get some sweet expressions – also snapping away if he looks around at the light or down for variety. Part 2 of this routine is to have the mom turn in profile, talk and snuggle for a different look. Part 3 is to have her turn her body toward the camera and give me that “cheek to cheek” while looking directly into the camera.

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My version of a bassinet is really an old office chair I picked up on the side of the road that had nice lines to work with. I picked up a floor pillow at Pier One for about $25.00 and a white quilt at a garage sale for $1.00 (to soften the hard lines of the throw-away chair). Now I could customize the look of the “bassinet” with pillows and fabrics! I found what works best for me are queen size matelisse bedspreads – they double as floor cloths and you can pick them up on sale in January for under $100.

I have collected swirly patterns for girls, more geometric patterns for boys, and have recently added vintage chenille just for fun.

w

See lthe November 2009 article for an easy alternative to the baby nest!

Not all little people enjoy tummy time, so be aware and move on if they become fussy. This is hard work for them, so be ready with the camera and work quickly. If they struggle to hold their head up, abandon the idea to avoid a meltdown!

All these ideas are starting points – every child will vary according to his or her development. The key to success with tiny people is to be flexible and sensitive to their needs. I find that if I tie my baby plan to the physical development of the child, I have much better success depicting the landmarks of the first year – interaction with others, sitting/ crawling/pulling up, and standing/walking.

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

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Rick Gibbons

Legend holds that Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI of France, was so removed from the needs of the masses and ignorant of the poverty so widespread before the French revolution that she made a flippant comment when told that her subjects were without even the bare essentials like bread, and so decreed the perfect solution: “Let them eat cake!”

No doubt everyday life at Versailles was a little disconnected from the rest of the country. In fact, you might say Marie was so poorly in tune with the common folk of 1793 that she lost her head.

Fast-forward to Martinez, Georgia, a suburb of Augusta, and a metropolitan area of about 300,000. Our modern day cake queen, Katie Jiminez, happily echos the sentiments of Marie Antoinette when she says: “Let them eat cream cheese pound cake!”, her signature product and most requested flavor. She sometimes mixes it up with a strawberry or chocolate swirl or the occasional red velvet cake, but she usually stays true to what she does best. Just like in the wedding photography world, brides want the spontaneous and trendy while moms want the traditional. And just like the majority of SEPPA portrait and wedding photographers who can spot a Hanson Fong bridal portrait from a mile away, anyone in the Augusta area familiar with wedding cakes, knows a Katie Jiminez cake right away.

Katie is pictured here, with her husband Kevin.

Katie baked her first cakes in high school for friends and family, experimenting with flavors and designs.

Not until she met her husband Kevin and he began photographing weddings did it occur to her at one of the first receptions: “I can do that!” The whole thing snowballed with three cakes the first year, nine the next, 15 the next year, then 25, 53, and 75 the following years. Word of mouth advertising was all she relied upon at first, but a few bridal shows and magazine print ads later, she is now turning down commissions for cakes she just doesn’t have time to do. If it’s a style that someone in her area is known for, Katie will refer that client to them, knowing that to be successful and happy, you have to know which business to graciously decline. Kinda’ like the time she was asked to do a female torso for a party.

Katie usually sticks to the timeless, traditional, and classic designs. But she also watches the trends and ably duplicates some of her favorite designs seen on TV shows like Food Network’s Ace of Cakes.

The largest cake to date was seven tiers, but the tallest was about 10 feet, requiring her to stand in a chair to assemble the last layers. The most unique might have been the hand-carved ’67 Mustang groom’s cake, but most of the really unusual designs require so much time that the average client shies away from the cost. Cake pricing is based on size and complexity with the range somewhere between $3 to $7 per slice. For cream cheese pound cake art, that’s a bargain at any price.

Even Marie would agree.

You may contact Katie Jiminez at: ktjiminez@aol.com or call 706-854-8885 to contact Rick Gibbons with a nominee for features in your area rickg@triadbiz.rr.com or call 336-883-7104

Well here we are in the rainy month, as if the snow hasn’t been bad enough!

This month’s image is a great example of additive light, using strobe outdoors in bad lighting situations.

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

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We create lots of portraits of siblings that need to match the first child’s portrait. Having to create the exact same lighting as a portrait you created several years earlier is no easy task! Creating the same lighting on a rainy day verses a sunny day is even more challenging, but not impossible for the photographer with the proper lighting skills. Understanding both additive (the use of strobe added to the subject) and subtractive (the use of diffusion panels or scrims to subtract light from the subject) lighting techniques will equip you with all the tools that you need to work in ANY difficult lighting condition.

Thus we have our challenge for this month!

I created the first portrait for Jackie’s oldest daughter on a sunny day in the morning (Original Portrait). I knew that I would be creating a complementary portrait for each of her children at the same age, in the same dress and they would be displayed in Jackie’s home in the same room. This is usually an easy task for me because I have used the same additive style of lighting for 16 years, deliberately! If I don’t change the style of lighting for an outdoor portrait ( we will go into great depth on this lighting technique next moth!) I will be able to remember how I created any portrait anytime, right?!!

Fast forward to child number two on a misty, rainy morning who is about to pop out of the back of the dress that her sister fit into perfectly. (Available Light Only Photo) At this point most photographers would have just rescheduled the session, not me!!! Using a few strobes and one warming gel I have to “ make it work.” That’s what being “professional” is all about, using your knowledge to work in any situation, right?!!!

First I must use the same main light that I used before.

The same soft box and same strobe must be used to match the contrast and shape of the subject’s face as close as possible. (Photo 2) (Photo3) Next I placed a 3x4 soft box behind and slightly to the left of the subject at 1 ½ stops brighter than the main light to create the highlight on the back wall of the gazebo and to give separation to the subject, matching the original light created by the natural sun light in the original portrait. I had to try different angles and zoom settings on the Profoto strobe to achieve the same look as in the original image.

(Photo 4) (Photo 5) Now for the hair light. I used the zoom reflector on my Profoto 600R covered with a warm Amber Rosco gel over the front of the reflector to add warmth and detail to the back of the girl’s hair and the plants and flowers in the gazebo. Profoto strobes allow for more precision “focusing” of any light modifier attached to the front, even Soft boxes! Using a smaller more contrasty light again closely matches the sun light in the original portrait.

(Photo 6 & 7)

Photo 8 shows the overall view with the accent light just outside of the frame to the right. Photo 9 shows the relative position of the 3x4 soft box and the hair light strobe.

I used NIK White Neutralizer, Skylight and Viveza 2 to enhance the images and create the warmth that the sun provided in the original portrait. I couldn’t live without NIK Filters, just buy them ALL OF THEM!!!!!

Having a repeatable additive lighting system for outdoor portraiture will allow you the comfort of knowing that whatever mother nature throws at you. you can handle. You can’t do that with a reflector!

“Your hole needs to be dug just a little bit bigger honey” Ruth explained. With her trowel, she expertly dug a hole just the right size for the bulb.

“Now we put the bone meal into the hole so the bulb has food to eat while it waits to grow. It’s like making a little nest for it.” Janel plunged her hand into the white powder and delighted in the contrast of the whiteness against the black dirt. Carefully she placed the bulb into the nest and covered it with dirt. The wait was much too long. Janel was impatient and wanted the flower to bloom immediately. Ruth gently spoke, “You’re just going to have to wait. The bulb needs to rest and absorb all of the good things from the earth. That way it will be the most beautiful flower it can possibly be.”

With God’s ultimate wisdom and love, two souls were chosen to be given to each other. The mother, Ruth, was given a girl child, Janel, in 1951. God instilled in Ruth all of the gifts that He wanted shared with Janel and in return, He put into Janel’s heart such love for her mother that these gifts easily penetrated her being. Ruth would teach her child about the earth and all of its beauty. She would gently show her of love, sacrifice and ultimately the greatest gift of all and that was the giving of her gifts to others.

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A gift in an artist’s sense, is a thing that we cannot receive or buy on our own. It is bestowed upon us.

Inspiration could also be recognized as a gift. As an artist works, an idea pops into her head. Until that point, the artist does not feel exhilarated nor does the work seem authentic. An excitement fills her chest; the inspiration is not words, but a feeling of an image inside of her. At that point this gratuitous element has appeared, so that along with any true creation comes the sense that “I” the artist, did not make this work. “Not I, not I, but the wind that blows through me,” says D.H. Lawrence. The gift to create art through photography can elude many, myself included, and it isn’t until we are ready as individuals, do we receive that inspiring wind that blows through us.

Photography, or vivid impressions, is rarely shared by only one person, unless they are of course only in one’s mind. It is a gift given to the photographer, as well as the image created as a gift for others to enjoy. The journey to becoming a photographer has many ups and downs and only with good and bad, can the artist truly become stylized. In my journey, my first years of photography were only of receiving the gift. It has only been through much learning, experimenting and perseverance that I have come to know that the greater gift is in the giving.

My first experience with a camera was in my early twenties when my sister gave me a 35-mm Minolta.

I remember a day when out in the mountains, with my camera, I came upon a rather dark quiet pond.

It was in the fall and a bright yellow aspen leaf had fallen and caught itself on a twig jutting out of the water. Only its tip gently touched the dark water.

I snapped the picture, not knowing anything of F-stops and apertures. The print that came back was pure magic to me. Never had I seen a more beautiful image. I am only sorry that today I do not still have the photograph.

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

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John Woodward

One of the basic concepts in photography is the idea of creating depth and dimension. The “difficulty� has to do with the finished product. In recording a three dimensional subject and then reproducing it in two dimensions, the photographer is hard-pressed to recreate the feeling of depth without layers.

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In product photography layers help define and frame the product. Use layers to create compositional values. Control of focus is essential. In scenic photography the layers create an immediate feeling of depth. In all cases you should work from the back to the front so you can avoid confusing backgrounds, compose correctly and give the viewer the ability to walk into the scene. Combining layers and “sculpting with light” will assure depth and dimension.

The two “Ls” are lighting and layers. Whether you are in the studio or in the field, you need to build your scene from the back to the front. In the studio that means concentrating on the background color and the positioning of the hairlight.

You will then position your subject and determine whether you need more layers either behind or in front of your subject to obtain the feeling of depth. Giving the hands something to do is very important because it helps tell the story.

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