Amy Matthews Photography

New blog

2012-01-18T17:44:00.002-05:00

First post is up on the new blog. That's where I'll be posting from here on out.

http://www.amymatthewsphotography.com/blog/?page/39855/blog

Pardon the dust

2012-01-17T21:05:00.007-05:00

Hello there everyone on the intrawebz. I've been busy working on the boutique so you'll have the convenience of paying online via paypal if you so choose. That's live - yipppeee!
Since I'll have 3 official "branches" for lack of a better term, you'll now see what's called a splash page when you visit my website's home address . Don't fear the extra clicks, I still refuse to use the ever slow loading and annoying full screen window flash sites. Okay they are really pretty, I personally love them, and I'm tempted. But my customers tell me don't do it and this girl listens to what her clients have to say. So no music and long waits, click away. It's self explanatory.....click portfolio portfolio (main website), click boutique you get the boutique , click blog you'll see the blog. Totally uncomplicated and easy- simplicity is a good thing.

So hang in there while I move everything from here, over there.

Once the blog is ready, I'll add that option to the splash page and come back here to let you know. Have a great week all!

Let me leave you with one thing to ponder. My facebook status from today- www.facebook.com/AmyMatthewsPhotography
My "important stuff" box in the safe has no cash, no bills, no expensive purses......it contains almost exclusively photos and pictures drawn by Kassi. Although I'm sidetracked a little (was looking for receipts in there) from taxes, this really puts a smile on my face. It makes what I do seem important again. Those pictures are so dear to my heart that they have a place in the safe- my leather purse and kindle fire do not. Something to think about.

The Riggans

2011-11-19T11:51:00.002-05:00

You ever have a kid in front of the lens that just makes your camera melt? This little chickadee is quite the ham! Had a great time kicking off "cool leaves season" (as I like to call it) with this family!

Smith-Neal Wedding - the details

2011-11-13T22:09:00.006-05:00

When we shot Meghan's bridal portraits back in August at the arboretum, I nearly flipped over her bouquet. It had sequins! I knew the wedding flowers would be something else. Check out the beautiful work of Terri Patton. She owns Lake Gaston Flower Shop in Gasburg, VA. This is who you want delivering flowers to the church on your big day. Find her here on facebook.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't sneak a few goodies at the candy bar Meghan and Bobby prepared for guests. Reese's are irresistible.

A firefighter's wedding wouldn't be complete without photos of these...

Thanks guys for stacking up those hats for me!

This beautiful cake was made by Shannon Warren from Roanoke Rapids, NC. I saw a camera cake on her facebook page and guess what- she can make them gluten free. Scott Matthews, paging the hubby- please call Simply Devine Cakes by Design before my birthday. I've gotta have one.

Flowers on the cake courtesy of Lake Gaston Flower Shop

You've seen a little peek at what was going on before the ceremony, now the details, next up we'll have a little closer look at Meghan's dress and the bridal party's attire. Maybe a few shots from the ceremony too.

Chasity and Patrick

2011-11-13T11:46:00.007-05:00

A hybrid shoot. Family and Engagement pictures! To top it off- more firefighters in front of the camera. How cool is that? Thanks to the crew at Longbridge Fire Dept out near Eaton's Ferry in Lake Gaston for allowing us to shoot there. The leaves were just starting to turn in a few spots outside, and we had some pretty cool firetrucks to work with inside. Really great spot, nice folks, cute kids. What more could I ask for?

These two were so easy to work with - up for anything open to my wacky ideas. That's always fun!

Love the colors in this. Purple and green, my favorite!

Tell little boys we might get dirty and they don't mind taking pictures one bit!

Metal texture from the fire truck, I'm in heaven!

I saved my favorite for last. I told them, hey you gotta look like "I'm bad". I laughed harder than they did when that came out of my mouth, sure Scott was rolling his eyes but I LOVE this shot. One of my top 5 favs from the whole year.

Thanks Patrick and Chasity for being so easy to work with! We might see more of them here on the blog this summer. :)

Smith-Neal Wedding pre-ceremony {Warrenton, NC wedding photographer}

2011-11-12T20:01:00.007-05:00

Seems like yesterday I was knocking on the door to the guy's dressing room asking "Can I come in"? Not only due to concerns of dressed or undressed.....this is a gang of Class A pranksters you don't want to barge in on. I was given fair warning. I wondered what they were up to but it turns out they were on their best behavior.

I hear there's wedding bells in the future for somebody in this room. My lips are sealed.

Norwood looks pretty serious here. Should we move him to the pulpit?

Den mother Chasity making a list and checking it twice.

When you're this darling what's the need for make-up?

The bride's sister and maid of honor helping her get dressed along with...

....the groom's mother. This photo is special to me- The groom is an only child (like myself) so it was particularly sweet that his mother was one who helped Meghan prepare to marry her only son. This image of her lacing up Meghan's dress is one I hope she will cherish. I found a minute to go say hello to Ms Mary Lou during the reception and tell her how sweet I thought Meghan was. Her face lit up. Her words were "I couldn't have picked a better match for Bobby". I know she's thrilled to finally have a daughter. I've known this family for many years and I promise you those words came straight from the heart.

The bride's cousin lending a hand with the dress. I won't post the photo of her running around in spanx publicly. Spanx for somebody this petite? Yes. They make 'em whether you need 'em or not.

Check out non-bridezilla over here. Calm and cool at all times. Running around helping everybody else get ready. She's one of a kind.

A nurse and a firefighter in front of the camera. People who risk their lives every day to save those of total strangers. I am one privileged photog.

Next time we'll see a few details and photos from the ceremony.

Jessica's Bridals {Southside VA}

2011-11-02T16:45:00.005-04:00

Bridal portraits from Berry Hill Resort in South Boston VA. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor now have a 40x26 framed canvas of the first one. I so wish you could see that in person. I have one from her bridal portraits very similar to that in 30x40 as my massive framed canvas sample. Just might take me a minute to load it in and out of the car to show you:)

Nurse Meghan! {Raleigh Bridal Portraits}

2011-11-02T11:42:00.009-04:00

Now that the wedding's over I can finally show you Meghan's bridal portraits. It was a hot day in August with a lot of walking the grounds at JC Raulston Arboretum. Meghan's calm and easy going- perfect personality for a nurse. Hope she's enjoying her new job today. I know her patients are enjoying her company!

Thanks Kiley for holding my light stand. And thanks to Meghan's entourage for making sure her dress didn't get dirty!

NCS 2012 Senior Pictures - Norlina, NC

2011-10-17T21:08:00.007-04:00

One thing is obvious when you pull up in the driveway. Family is of the utmost importance to these folks. Ms. B wanted pictures of family incorporated into her senior shoot. Sweet!

Special shout out to MaryLou Wright for taming that beast of a reflector....and doing a fabulous job with this senior's hair. Mine has never stayed tame no matter how much you fry it with the flat iron. Must make an appointment with her.

Besides the beach, farm land is my favorite place to shoot.

She didn't think her brother would be up for pictures but once he saw it wasn't absolute torture to be in front of the camera, we did get him to agree to a few. I forget how many happy meals and trips to adventure island were promised for this. Hopefully Ms. B's salary is higher than mine to make good on those promises!

We had to get a few with her jersey since she plays not one, not two but three sports.

Work it girl!

Thanks to Ms. B and her family for a fun evening in Warren County, and for the glass of tea!

Senior pictures from the beach

2011-10-16T16:36:00.012-04:00

We shot at Coquina Beach thanks to a tip from the amazingly talented Courtney Hathaway in Manteo. You see her photos and I'm fired. But I had to publicly thank her, it was the perfect spot.

This is my favorite of the night (if I have to pick just one) and it's going on their wall on a large canvas. I'm going to beg her mom to let me take a picture of it after they hang it :)

The sun was setting fast so I had Scott following us around with the flash on a light stand. Electronics, water, and wind typically don't mix but I'm just crazy enough to try it. And I love the results. Isn't she just gorgeous!

The sun set on us pretty quickly so I had the privilege of shooting at sunset and sunrise with this senior!

If you know anything about me, you know I'm not a morning person. The light at sunrise was so perfect, I'm actually considering offering sunrise sessions.

We really lucked up with gorgeous skies that morning

One last shot before we headed off to Bodie Island lighthouse

If you read any of my posts on our trip to the Outer Banks, you already know about the mosquito plague of biblical proportions. We only got a handful of shots at Bodie Island lighthouse. It was seriously unbearable, and even the park ranger was wearing a mosquito net hat. But she kept on smiling, even after I sprayed her full of Deep Woods Off.

You can see more here on facebook.

Thanks to my recent seniors (another session will be on the blog soon) I think they're now my favorite to shoot. Couldn't have had more fun with this! We're going back the first week of May, I'll let you know the details after Christmas.

My favorite- the reception

2011-10-14T13:12:00.011-04:00

Last time we had a little peek at the ceremony and a few formal shots. Now for my favorite- the reception. This is the part I love; you get the best candid shots!

Cake by Audrey Dudley

end of the father-daughter dance

I now refer to the groom as Mr. GQ since he's always ready for the camera!

Father of the bride and his daughter (matron of honor) were tearing up the dance floor!

Flowers from Gregory Florist in South Boston

They had an awesome band, CatBaby!. Yes, this man is playing 2 saxophones!

Well look who caught the garter...The beautiful lady he's dancing with was the hair stylist of the day. She did such an awesome job!

We had less than 5 minutes before it started to rain again (no time to walk to the end of the path in front of the mansion, it was already sprinkling) but thank goodness we did grab a few outside that night. Berry Hill in South Boston is the perfect venue for weddings. The lovely couple....

Before and After

2011-10-13T17:15:00.005-04:00

Got another before and after for you. This one took less than 4 minutes, and when you're as gorgeous as this senior you really don't need much. I prefer not to sit in CS4 all day and night, so there's not many photoshop tricks going on around here.

She's a little underexposed and pink so here's what I did:

lightroom 3-
upped the exposure slider a little, removed all sharpening (I'd rather do it in photoshop), clicked on calibration profile for this particular lens and exported, open in CS4
photoshop-
use levels dropper and picked the brightest spot on her shorts to set the white point.
new layer- levels again, this time the black dropper on her shirt to set the black point - masked that off the face and skin a little so it wouldn't be too contrasty.
Flattened layers.
Levels helps a HUGE amount. If you get your whites white and blacks black then color casts and other color issues are much easier to deal with IMO. I can't live without my levels adjustment....
Ran TRA pro retouch at 13% on skin
Flatten layers.
Ran Florabella milk and honey action 14%. The gold reflector already gave her a little golden glow, but the yellow tint in that particular action (along with levels adjustment) helped tone down all the pink.
Crop
Sharpen
Took less than 4 mins.
Very basic editing. A little goes a long way!

About that 4 minutes......calculate that times about 800 and then we see why wedding pictures take so long to finish! And there's a lot more to it than that. Renaming files, loading to galleries, culling images, etc.....

Dudley family - OBX portraits 2011

2011-10-07T13:09:00.006-04:00

More Outer Banks beach portraits! We had the prettiest light at sunset....and it went away all too fast. Wish I'd had another hour!
Saying something like "hey, you've got 3 kids I know you can get closer than that" is probably not appropriate for normal sessions. But I know this family so they actually laughed. Be warned. If you schedule a family session, I will attempt to get photos of just you and your loved one too. I don't care about statistics, I still believe in forever. Maybe because I know I have that with Scott :)

Gorgeous kiddos!

A beautiful night in Nags Head, a beautiful family portrait if I do say so myself.

The Ceremony

2011-10-03T19:37:00.013-04:00

When all invited guests but 1 make it to your wedding during a hurricane, that says a lot! Who wouldn't miss a chance to attend a beautiful wedding at Berry Hill Resort even if you do have to drive through South Boston in terrible weather? As icky as it was outside that day, it was twice as beautiful inside! Here's a few shots I loved from the ceremony and formals.

The Richmond Symphony String Quartet played while we waited for the beautiful bride

Look at that grin when the bride walked in!

Dad walking his daughter (baby of the family) down the aisle

The rings

The kiss! Don't miss that handsome little ring bearer.

The happy couple

A few formals-
The handsome groom and his groomsmen

The bride and her matron of honor, her sister

The bride and her father

And yes, I'm still capable of shooting in color. The bride loves black and white and so do I, so I'm having a fabulous time with these!
Next time.....the reception!

We're back from OBX beach portraits

2011-10-02T08:27:00.007-04:00

I didn't want to leave the beach but I did want to leave the mosquitoes. Think I'm being dramatic? Check out this article for context. We went through 3 cans of deep woods OFF and I still have 40+ bites on my arms, 34 on one leg, and stopped counting on the other leg. Thought of posting a picture but trust me you don't want to see it. Starting bottle #2 of Benadryl this morning.

Despite the plague of mutant skeeters and the non stop rain the first few days we were there, it was beautiful. Sunrise Saturday totally made up for it. Haven't posted a before and after in a while so here you go....

Shot in RAW, auto white balance, ISO 400, 1/1600 SS, F4, D7000 with 35 1.8. I like to do most of my editing in lightroom but this one didn't need much. Screenshot so you can see I didn't monkey around with the settings. I sat there looking at the screen like...hey that's a cool picture, did I really take that?

Sometimes you just get lucky with beautiful light. And you have a husband who's sweet enough to hold a reflector just outside of the frame. And an amazing person in front of the camera. That's all it took.

Before on the left after on the right. In photoshop- I added a little contrast- 18%. Then a new saturation layer on the clouds- 20%. Then clicked levels and pulled in a little black for more contrast on her reflection in the water. That was at 12% and masked in only on the reflection. And I might go back and leave the reflection alone- haven't decided which way I like better yet. Sharpened. Tada.

So many photos I love from the beach sessions. Families and a Senior, I am one lucky girl!

The H family

2011-09-28T22:09:00.005-04:00

We started planning this in March. I had no clue if anyone would schedule a session, but it's something I really wanted to do so I took a chance and hoped it would all work out. Reservations on the house with Village Realty went smoothly, everyone in the family stayed healthy, and we even dodged a bullet with Hurricane Irene. But as soon as we arrived in the OBX on Saturday, the bottom fell out. It has rained every day, and was non stop Saturday and Sunday with weather channel calling for 6 inches in that time frame.
Sunday morning around 9am we finally caught a break. I had 45 minutes with just sprinkles here and there to photograph the Harris family. Soon as we walked off the beach it poured again. Just in time! The weather was awful but they kept on smiling! They were awesome! Cindy said even a bad day at the beach is better than a good day at home. Since we're from Warren county, I have to agree with her.

Love this in a 10x20 crop

I can't tell you how thankful I am that God has blessed me with such wonderful people to work with. I mean it when I say I have the best clients ever! Thank you so much for supporting me. For making the drive down here, those of you who made it, those of you who planned on making it and couldn't due to a chunk of HWY 12 missing, and those of you who will be here later this week.....thank you, thank you thank you. You make my heart happy!

Yesterday OBX and Manteo

2011-09-28T16:23:00.008-04:00

This should make it painfully obvious why I don't offer videography yet. Yesterday we visited the Elizabethan Gardens. It's filled with what I believe to be a mutant breed of mosquitoes. The only place with more vicious bugs than Warren County. But so gorgeous!

It rained, of course, within 2 minutes of paying to see the place.

Raining cats and dogs

2011-09-26T16:02:00.007-04:00

But just after that we caught a break for a few hours. Long enough to head to the beach.

Nice and deserted! Kassi claims the water wasn't cold.

Sandi wanted me to come back and add this picture with her beloved pink snuggie. Cell phone cameras do come in handy sometimes...

Before the wedding

2011-09-23T18:12:00.005-04:00

The bride and groom are back from honeymoon and she's seen the pictures. Now I finally get to show you more! Here's a few of my favorite photos from the bridal suite of Berry Hill .

Next time, ceremony.

2011 Christmas Cards

2011-09-16T19:56:00.003-04:00

Are here! Most are 5x5 or 5x7, come with envelopes and are completely customizable. We'll change the colors and add your preferred photos and text! I was so excited to see the Fedex guy bringing me samples today, had to come here and share them. Have a great weekend all!

Historic Stonewall Manor Wedding Rocky Mount NC

2011-09-14T15:14:00.004-04:00

So many pictures that never made their way here or to the website. Stonewall Manor in Rocky Mount is one gorgeous venue. Here's a few shots from a wedding there in November of 2010

August 27 wedding - a few favs

2011-09-13T23:11:00.007-04:00

Many, many more where this came from. As always, will share more after the bride and groom have seen everything.

Yeah, I took a picture of it. Wasn't the bride's drink, she's quite the health nut. Always fun to see the "must haves" of the dressing room.

I cannot get over how much history Berry Hill Resort is filled with. Loved it! When I take a few weeks off in January, I hope Scott and I can go back for a weekend getaway.

Gorgeous curls on Dr. Upton courtesy of the super sweet Clai Rudd

Richmond Symphony String Quartet

I am just dying to show you more. You have no idea.

My Inspiration

2011-09-13T20:52:00.005-04:00

If I posted about every photographer that inspires me, I'd never get my own work done. Here's a few I love and why. They all have different and distinctive styles, but there's just something about who they are and the images they produce.....

Jasmine Star - She has an uncanny ability to capture pure emotion in all its beauty. The personal story behind the photographer that is Jasmine Star is one I can relate to. She didn't have the confidence, finances, or gear that most start off with but she wouldn't give up. Look at her now. She's one of the top wedding photographers in the world, holds workshops to help other photographers, and is always sharing what she's learned without fear.

Blair Phillips - is in Landis, NC just outside of Charlotte. His gift for mixing contrasting situations (bride in field of junk) is something he must have been born with. He too, has an inspiring personal story of beating the odds. We're saving up to schedule family portraits at his studio- I won't be happy until I have a massive canvas of Blair's signature style on my wall.

Zack Arias built his career not on using massive amounts (in number and price) of fancy equipment, but just one light. I share in his against the grain zero debt (or as close as possible) policy. I'm shocked he's jumped ship to Canon, but really who cares. It's the picture that matters, not the equipment. I discovered Zack's transform video at a point when I was ready to throw in the towel and thought every picture I took was crap. Some days I still do but it pushed me to keep going. He's real, full of heart, and not afraid to tell you.

Check them out.

Lake Gaston Soccer Photos

2011-09-09T16:48:00.003-04:00

LGSA crew - I've missed you! Kassi is playing this season after a little break and we can't wait!

Pictures will be Oct 15th and Oct 22nd will be the make-up day. As usual, they'll be on the field in South Hill. Please have your children arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled game time on these days. Once the schedule is released I'll be able to send out more info. Call me at 252-204-6624 or email amymatthews AT embarqmail.com if you'd like for me to send you the forms early, or if you are a coach or parent who can help spread the word. Thank you

What I learned that first year- Part 2

2011-09-07T22:41:00.010-04:00

I don't need to write a post attempting to convince you as to why you should choose me over the big box stores for your family portraits. I know that now. My target market knows that, and so did my friends and family. As usual, I was the last one to believe it.

And here I'm not referring to studios run by professionals who have poured their entire lives (and livelihood) into doing what they love and producing beautiful timeless images for you. They might cringe even more than I when they see folks heading down to the store who views real people, real families, as loss leaders. They're so awesome, they might get a little irritated at the new kids on the block, like myself. And that's okay. I don't blame them one bit. Sometimes I don't like me either. As statistics go, only 5% of us new kids will still be around to bug them in 5 years. By the grace of God I'll be in that 5%.

When I finally decided to make this an official business at the beginning of last year, it used to drive me nuts. I would see all these people I knew still going to x-mart to have their children's pictures taken. Wrinkled sheets in the background with zero touch ups and the same props used over and over regardless of who you are and what you like all done as quickly as possible to round up the next loss leader through the door....was disturbing to me on so many levels. Almost as disturbing as a heavy white vignette (I don't like them, so I pretend I don't know how. Love me anyway?) Honestly, I took it to heart even though I knew in my brain it wasn't personal. Scott doesn't hear me complain about that anymore.

This cozy little place I've reached allows me to promote my services without fearing I'll ruin everything and never pick up a camera again. A minimal level of confidence has reached me. Teeny tiny. When people call for an appointment the thoughts still come. Oh gosh. I'm going to ruin them, I'm going to be a complete blabbering idiot (fulfilled, repeatedly), they'll hate me, they'll hate their pictures, I'll accidentally set the camera to jpeg, I'll forget the poses I had in mind, the car will fall apart on the way there...... and that's just the beginning of what the poor hubster has to hear being spoken out loud until I (or we) get everything packed and ready to go. Then I stop doubting myself, and tell him they're going to be the best pictures I've ever taken. As Zac Arias said in his transform video, we're not curing cancer. The only job that cures cancer is the job that cures cancer. If something goes wrong, it's not the end of the world.

I don't lose sleep anymore over why people choose the big box store. It is what it is. I understand better than most people that not everyone can afford to spend 4 figures on custom photography. Someone has to fill the gap and provide $5 sheets. That's all I could afford when Kassi was a newborn, and regardless of how horrible the pictures are, I'm thankful I have them. There are photographers out there whose work really makes me want to close up shop because they are just that awesome and I could never compete. I'm guessing you come to me because you trust me to do right by you and always give you 110% of my best, in everything. My goal is to never forget that, or, the terrible quality $5 sheets I had of Kassi as a newborn.

What to wear: Senior Girls

2011-09-05T22:37:00.004-04:00

I'm going out on a limb here with the feather earrings. At first I thought it was a little too much Ke$ha for me. The more I look at them, the more I think I'm gonna buy a pair. In pink or purple of course. And now I can't get "this place is bout to bloooowww uh uh uh oh oh oh blah blah blah" out of my head. Can a 33 29 year old get away with trendy? We shall see.

The hubster will have to help me with Senior Guys, so I'm not sure when I'll be posting that one. If it's not pink and purple and shiny, I pretty much stink at it.

What to wear: Beach Bums Edition

2011-09-05T21:56:00.005-04:00

It seems like classic clothes and neutral colors are the hardest to shop for this season. You know I love color, but I won't complain about white on the beach. Here you go.....
And I was in a hurry and quite obviously forgot to crop around the boy's shirt in one of these. Y'all don't care do you? Cut a girl some slack. I still have 700 photos to go through from last weekend's wedding. Which I will be blogging soon I hope. :)

Don't tell anybody, but I kinda like those hot pink flip flops. They match my hideous hot pink snuggie.

It's me again.

2011-09-01T01:49:00.002-04:00

Just had an hour long discussion with Scott. It's an identity crisis of sorts. I wondered if being myself could destroy me business wise. Should I be flat and technical and never let personality escape? Does it make me look unprofessional for sending clients little gifts or handing a bride my b-12 lozenges? Changing to asics by the end of the night and goofing off around them when it's just us in the room. Scott says no, it's why people hire you. I fear it's why they don't. Then I see this, going viral on facebook tonight.

I still don't know. But I do know how miserable I was for a while last year when I tried to be what I thought everyone wanted instead of doing what I do. Maybe this video was just what I needed. Only time will tell.

Sleep and then lots of work to get back to tomorrow. Later alligators.

Woof!

2011-08-26T15:57:00.004-04:00

Happy National Dog Day to all my fellow animal lovers. A message from Sandi:

"WOOF!"

11x14 storyboard freebie {Franklinton Photographer}

2011-08-16T23:40:00.006-04:00

Another storyboard freebie for you. PSD format, change the colors and tweak to your liking. Photos not included of course. Hope you can use it!

Download here

Confession of a flash junky

2011-08-12T16:38:00.010-04:00

I used to hate it. Then I learned it (and still need to learn more, as always!). Here's the real reason why I love using flash, even though it requires a lot of stuff to drag around and an assistant. Ever hear me complain about not liking photoshop? It's the truth.....
MCP's guest writer says it much more eloquently than I can.
The more you can do to get things right in camera (including manipulating a less than perfect lighting scenario you're stuck working with sometimes via flash, reflectors) the less you have to rely on heavy amounts of editing. Photoshop is powerful, but it still can't save a poorly exposed shot taken in bad lighting or with that dreaded pop up flash.

For toddlers it's still near impossible for me to use flash outside - you just can't keep all that energy bottled up into one perfect area. So with the little ones I'm a stickler for location and timing to take advantage of the best natural light available. Older kids and adults, I'm most likely going to be using a flash or 2 in some of your shots from here on out. I love the look and it makes life easier after the fact. (Read the article linked to above) A plus for the clients- you get more than just one "look". Different lighting = totally different photos in just 1 session. Win win situation in my book!

Wednesday I took my favorite photos to date. I mean I absolutely love them and just squealed when they were loading into lightroom. I can't show you because they're bridal portraits and the wedding isn't until Oct 8th (Congrats Meghan and Bobby!) but come the middle of October, look out. I will be posting Meghan's gorgeousness all over the place. She's such a sweetheart, I can't wait for the wedding!

LR3 preset freebie, Kassi's black and white {Warren County Photographer}

2011-07-29T17:35:00.006-04:00

Another freebie for you lightroom lovers. This one works great on RAW files with a lot of blue and green. Download HERE Sharpened and did a quick curves adjustment in photoshop, the rest was lightroom.

16x20 storyboard freebie {Warrenton Photographer}

2011-07-29T17:02:00.006-04:00

PSD format, can be resized and color changed of course. Hope you can use it! Download here

15 days old {NC baby photographer}

2011-07-13T20:43:00.007-04:00

Today was a hot one here in eastern North Carolina! But nothing could stop me from taking these pictures-even rolling around in the grass and sweating in the shade at noon. Meet Avery. She's sweet, sleeps well already, and has the neatest little expressions. This girl's got sass. Watch out dad! Or should I say watch out boys; her dad's a fire fighter so I guess the gear might scare them away sufficiently. I think she'll look fabulous on a 24x16 canvas in the parent's living room. Here's a quick sneak peek.

Deadline for 2010 orders {Eastern NC photographer}

2011-07-11T14:03:00.004-04:00

If anyone would like to order prints from 2010 please let me know by Thursday. I'll be purging them from the hard drive throughout the week. In other news, I cannot wait to photograph a newborn this week! Her pictures are going to be gorgeous simply because she is.

Beach Bums {beach family portraits NC OBX}

2011-07-10T18:29:00.002-04:00

Howdy beach bums! Promised I'd keep you updated so here we go. Looks like we have 4 spots left Monday-Thursday Sept 26-29. If you're on the fence, go ahead and get it scheduled. We even have a back-up plan for rain. Beautiful pier and gazebo on the sound where we're staying. I can't wait!

The L Family (part 1) {Lake Gaston family photographer}

2011-07-09T12:55:00.005-04:00

I couldn't ask for a better group of folks to work with. We were out in the heat and humidity at Lake Gaston on July 4th and ended up with a minimum of 40 photos for their gallery, not including black and white (which I'm about 65% finished with). I cannot say enough good about how hospitable and sweet they were. On the way there I said a little prayer that I'd be able to capture images they'd cherish for a lifetime. If I can succeed at that for every one of my clients, then I've met my goal and the rest will fall in place. I hope they'll love their photos and I'll be loading their gallery tonight.

Have a great weekend all!

Winner Winner Winner! {Southside VA photographer}

2011-07-02T14:15:00.005-04:00

Thanks for coming out to see me today at the festival in Wise. We'll be hibernating in the air condition until I have to leave for tomorrow's session.

Winners of the itunes gift cards are: Candace Powell and Laura Jessup
Winner of a photo session and 11x14 print ($125 value) : Heather Greenway
Winner of a session valued at $300: Emily Newell

We'll do this every time we have a vendor booth in the area. So be sure to come out and enter to win. Thanks again guys!

What to wear: Mom and Daughter {Kerr Lake Photographer}

2011-07-02T00:00:00.008-04:00

What to wear: Mom and Daughter. This happens to be my daughter's favorite outfit in her closet, right down to the necklace. She loves Justice. I like Justice better when they have a sale. Find all of the items below at Rue 21 and Justice in Triangle Town Center.

Don't forget to come see me tomorrow at the Wise Independence Day Festival.

What to wear: Family {Roanoke Rapids Photographer}

2011-06-30T00:28:00.005-04:00

What should I wear? What makes you feel beautiful? Don't you love it when people answer a question with a question.
Try mixing it up a little and see what you think. Have gorgeous red hair like my friend Kiley? Wear a loud shade of blue, it'll be perfect with all the greenery behind you. I'll do another one of these soon for my beach bums gang.

LR3 preset freebie, and a session valued at $300!

2011-06-28T11:23:00.003-04:00

Working on photos from the auction, I found myself using the same black and white conversion on almost all of them. This preset works best for RAW files in Lightroom 3. Hasn't been tested in earlier versions but should be fine. Tweak to your liking of course. Watch the slideshow in the previous blog post to see a preview. Enjoy!
Download "Auction" here
Instructions for how to install presets can be found here.

Last but not least....
Everybody come out and see me at the Wise Independence Day Festival Saturday. Enter to win itunes gift cards, session worth $300, and more! Send your friends to my facebook page and spread the word!

Father's Day with the Littleman Foundation

2011-06-27T20:37:00.004-04:00

Father's day weekend I had the privilege of spending a little time with the folks behind the Littleman Foundation . Blaine and Joanne lost their 1st child, Joseph, to a rare condition just a few short months after he was born. Their story will have any parent in tears wondering how they can help. I can't say enough good about this group, what they stand for, what they do, and who they are. To learn more, visit their website or head over to the facebook page.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Family {Granville County Photographer}

2011-06-16T00:20:00.006-04:00

I'm happy to say I married into a rather large family. Last weekend we celebrated the 65th birthday and retirement party held in honor of my husband's aunt. When they get the whole family together, they do it right. Catering, DJ, partying and laughs well into the night. We heard the story of how he lost Betty Jean for 6 weeks when they were dating, and told her when he won her back he was going to marry her. Here they are, obviously married and still in love. I hope when I'm 65 I can finally drag Scott out onto a dance floor!

Please excuse the lack of technical excellence here in the photos. The party was at an old fire dept in Granville County with no lights on and ceilings higher than I can guestimate. Perfect exposure or not, I think it's the story of the people in these photos that really counts.

Piano Recital {Baskerville VA photographer}

2011-05-23T08:09:00.004-04:00

My friend teaches piano and weekend before last we had the privilege of attending her recital in Norlina. All of the kids (and adults) did such a wonderful job. I've always been amazed by anyone who can play musical instruments. I'm more amazed at how she juggles it all with 3 kids. This one's personal to me as she happens to also be my daughter's best friend. They've been two peas in a pod since before they were old enough to spell the word play. I didn't get to choose the lighting and only had a minute to grab a quick shot, but I couldn't resist posting it here. Congratulations A and A, you put on a wonderful show. We love you dearly and can't say how thankful we are to have you in our lives!

Fog and Overcast- thankfully!

2011-05-14T14:43:00.004-04:00

Y'all know I cannot stand shooting in bright light. Can't tell you how happy I was that it was foggy and cloudy today for sports pictures in South Hill. Such a blessing when having to do photos at 9 and 11am. I lucked up! Here's 1 of today's teams.

Tuesday I might do a little tutorial of some sorts again. For some of you my pictures might look a little bright or even cool on the computer screen. I'm more concerned with the finished product, the actual print, than I am getting it exact for monitors- and if I did both it would require double editing time. More on that Tuesday.

Little update on our internet situation- Today is Day 16. Technician #3 came out and moved us to a new port, whatever that means. Hopefully it fixes the problem. So far so good.

The J's family photos {Henderson, NC}

2011-05-14T07:59:00.002-04:00

Many years ago when Kassi was a baby we lived right beside this family in Henderson. I don't know how they stood it as I know they heard the baby crying all day and all night. I'm gonna have to do something special for them! It's been about 8 years and they haven't changed a bit, still just as cute as ever. We met at one of my favorite spots in Wake Forest for pictures and laughed about 75% of the time. Awesome to still see sparks in a couple that's been married 10 years. If the kids hadn't been there they might have convinced me they'd just started dating. So sweet!

Computer is back- hopefully internet is too

2011-05-13T16:44:00.006-04:00

Friday and a few hours Saturday of last week, we thought all issues were cleared up with the internet. Not so as we found by Saturday night we were back to a speed of 0.08. I dropped the laptop off with a local business whom I trust- with 25 years experience- for a 2nd opinion. He found no viruses, malware, etc.... just as I suspected and have been telling them for over 2 weeks now. There were a couple errors in the registry and that was it. I sat in this person's office and watched this computer fly on the internet before I left.

I've now spent my own money to give Century Link extra proof that the problem is not with this computer. I haven't been home 5 minutes from picking it up and I am late for something else, so I have to run. I'll get caught up on emails and orders tonight should the internet cooperate.

As of the last 2 minutes, things are fine. I'm hoping it will stay that way. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Just wanted to give a quick update.

Soccer pictures

2011-05-11T11:11:00.005-04:00

Here's a few more photos from LGSA. I'm waiting on UPS to deliver a huge batch of them to the house today so I can get these out to you. Please note- their feet are not cut off in the "real" printed photos but these blog boards don't always give me enough room to quickly post them exactly as I would like to. I'm guessing you already knew that.

More soccer in South Hill

2011-05-10T16:06:00.003-04:00

We're almost finished with LGSA's soccer photos. Just a few more team shots and individuals and the season will be ending soon. Any photos that were taken by May 1st should be here in time for me to deliver them to the field this Saturday morning.

Consumer Escrow has quite a few familiar faces on their team. Thanks for being such a great bunch of kids and parents to work with!

Prom Pictures { JF Webb Oxford, NC }

2011-05-10T15:52:00.006-04:00

Weekend before last was very busy. Photos in South Hill, Henderson, and Wake Forest all in a 24 hour time frame; loved every second of it! I had the privilege of photographing Amber and Tyler before they headed off to Oxford for JF Webb's prom. We met in Henderson with both families and had a blast. Amber and Tyler you are such a cute couple, thanks for picking me to take your pictures! You've already seen 2 on the facebook page but I couldn't resist posting a few more.

8 days

2011-05-06T12:39:00.002-04:00

Today is day 8 of internet issues at my house. Century Link cannot figure it out. On day 7 after 2 of their "geek squad" people had full access to the computer, they finally admit what I told them 8 days ago- there is no virus, malware, etc... on this computer causing the problem.
I'm a little behind on orders and loading galleries. 3-6 hours a day on the phone with Century Link and an internet speed of 0.08 makes it quite difficult to do my job normally. Kudos to me for not chewing them out yet. Another tech is coming out Saturday afternoon (this will be trip 3 in little over a week) so cross your fingers for me!
I'm writing to you from Denny's. Real classy, not sure why I felt the need to tell you that. Best way to contact me for now is via phone. Have a good weekend everyone!

Sports pictures in South Hill

2011-04-27T22:59:00.008-04:00

Had another great night taking soccer photos for Lake Gaston Soccer Association over in South Hill. They have some seriously dedicated coaches over there. Coach Martin was willing to all but break dance on his head last week to get a few of his little guys to agree to take photos. Then there's Coach Glynn, who I am partial to because he carried my light stand across the soccer field and didn't tell anyone I still spell his last name with one "n" in emails. Up for your viewing pleasure tonight are a few from Coach Glynn's (see that, two N's this time) energetic bunch. Only a man that carries my heavy artillery around can talk me into shooting with a horribly bright sky behind us- thank the good Lord for a few clouds rolling in and out and 1/320th flash sync on the d7000.

Yes, we did a "normal" team photo too. But I like this one better.

More soccer pictures

2011-04-17T16:40:00.003-04:00

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I just got back from a 31 party and I love the stuff so much I'll be doing a catalog show soon. Glad I brought cash only- would have gotten in major trouble otherwise!

Y'all know I love the outtakes right? Had to throw that one in of the team. Another great group of kids and parents from CCB. More later this week.

Murphy's Law

2011-04-15T11:08:00.008-04:00

I really don't want to sound like a pessimistic person (really I'm not!) but I've learned while toting around this camera that Murphy's Law can and does take over on occasion. I've learned in life that you can only truly count on a very few people. It happens to the best of us. Things will eventually go terribly wrong and at the worst possible moment....like this week with me.

Person 1 who planned on assisting me with a current job calls a few hours before time to leave and is unable to go. I don't have enough time to find or buy the item I need that I was relying on this person to bring along. No sweat. I'll find a way to make do. Life happens.
Person 2 - I think we have this item. Great! It's nowhere to be found.
Person 3- Yeah, I should be able to. Day of- no I don't think I'll make it better find someone else.
Person 4- Sure babe I'll take off work today. (husband, receives actual paychecks, carries the ever skyrocketing insurance and retirement and 401k plans) Thank you Lord, I've got 1 day covered. At the point I've given up on finding that extra item I wanted around because there is just not enough time in my schedule for me to go get it (wish I had known a week ago and it would have been taken care of) and nobody else can bring it (yeah, I've got 10 mins left to write this). Hubby can't take off any more week days right now.
Person 5- (sitter #1) Something's come up I can't keep her (night before)
Person 6- (sitter #2) Fine, I'll keep her but you'll have to drive 30 mins out of your way. Cuts precious time from a hectic schedule but at least it'll work out.
Person 7- A Godsend. Shows up at the last minute and I don't know how she managed to pull it off, but she's there just like she always is when I need her. Dragging kids and puppies along because she's a woman of her word. She makes a promise to me, she will do everything in her power to keep it and I love her so much for that. I didn't even want to bug her with this and there she stands.

Equipment misbehaves. Kid pushes button on my new camera and gets it stuck in auto mode. I had no clue which button, just that little hands are fast! Breathe Amy. Send person #7 to go get back up camera from trunk and worry about re-setting everything later. Camera 2- awesome, ready to roll! Uh-oh. OCF won't fire with back-up camera. Triggers are set to same channel but something's off here. Flying soccer balls didn't hit it (thank you Jesus). Kids shaking light stand or pushing buttons could have thrown something off. I don't know, but they're just kids and that's what kids do. Whatever. I don't have time to figure it out, people are waiting. I'm near shaking and in panic mode right now because I'm working on 3 hours sleep and all of the above has gone wrong up to this point. Plan C kicks in. Take sb900 off the light stand and give up on plans A and B. I despise on camera direct flash worse than the taste of beets and the smell of rotten eggs. Do the dreaded evil deed of putting the flash back on camera (outside without ceiling to bounce it from) and get the job done. Sigh. When everyone is gone, person 7 helps drag my bags and gives me her signature smack in the face chill out fool/pep talk that I needed. Raw honesty + love is something that not many people can pull off effectively. This is why I call her a Godsend, she simply is.

Job is done and photos are looking just fine. Now what I planned for, not what I had in mind and I hope the parents didn't notice my near melt down. Hey guys, you're the best and part of me hopes you're not reading this! :) I got it done when all else fails. That reminds me I have what it takes to stay in the game and I shouldn't start doubting myself (I am so good at that). What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger.

Now. Do you really trust somebody advertising a $300 wedding with the disc on your wedding day? I can tell you from experience that $300 won't even cover the cost to rent proper back-up equipment and if you're working for that price, you're probably not carrying around a 2nd copy of everything you need to do the job. Point and shoots with a 10x optical zoom are not "back-up". What is this $300 Craig's List photographer going to do when all else fails on your wedding day? What recourse do you have if this person is not even listed as a business or paying taxes? Take my story above and consider whether you're saving money with the $300 photographer or throwing it out the windows. Or perhaps you just got lucky and you've found an heiress who likes photography and doesn't need the money to stay afloat. That's my secret dream.

Quick public service announcement: I'll be blunt here. If you're paying someone to photograph you, they should know the basics of exposure and how to set it in camera, pay their taxes and dues and not run around using the "spray and pray" method- shoot auto hold down button hope a few are in focus. Do we all get an incorrect exposure or something out of focus on occasion? Absolutely. But it's a very few and most of the time we know it before we even look at the back of the camera screen. It never sees the light of day and you won't miss it because we made sure we got the shots you expected before leaving. And if Lord forbid we didn't get the shots- we'll do everything in our power to make it right. Because our reputation and our livelihood depend on it. I was a spray and pray chick at one point....long before I dared think of getting a business license, setting up tax ID's, or claiming to be a "photographer". I respect the term so much that I still have trouble calling myself that - it's reserved for the people whose work I slobber over. Everyone starts somewhere and I certainly haven't forgotten that. There's something called portfolio building and this is when you're just starting out. You can't charge much yet and likely haven't finished all the appropriate paper work. That's cool, I've been there and I'm not knocking it.
Do I know everything? I know enough to know that I'm no Jeremy Cowart and I have a lot left to learn and I'll be the first to tell you that. But it took me 5 years to get here so at this point I do have a firm grasp on the basics. That is....until I get in another one of my funks, get disgusted with my work and immerse myself in learning something new. If I ever get to the point where I think I don't need another seminar, a tough critique, or anyone else's input then that is when it will be time for me to throw in the towel. That is the day when I will have stopped growing and I hope I will never see that day.
Let's hope Murphy's Law doesn't take over again today. But if it does, I'm ready to beat it down with my light stands. Even if i will be standing there alone (again). I'll make it; because my life and how it plays out is up to God almighty, not me. I hope that doesn't offend any readers, but that's how I roll and that's how it's gotta be. God has blessed me beyond measure in the most important things- the ones you cannot see, and I won't pretend that I wouldn't be here today without Him. I can sleep at night knowing that whatever happens, He knew about it first and He allowed it. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose. So bring it on Murphy's law. It's all good in the end.

Soccer Pictures - 1st team

2011-04-12T20:47:00.005-04:00

Prepare your eyes for an overdose of cute. These little guys had their own poses and brought their A-game. Who can argue with that? I kind of like the grass on the socks, gives them that hardcore soccer player look. don't worry parents I'll photoshop most of the grass out before it goes to print

Without further ado

The Details {Rocky Mount NC wedding photographer}

2011-04-12T10:53:00.005-04:00

There's still photos from November of last year I never uploaded. Wish I could hire a full time blogger because obviously that's not my strong point. Anywho, I love finding the little details to shoot at weddings. Especially when there's an ECU pirate on the cake!

Are those shoes hot or what? You should see the bride. She's even more gorgeous than all the little details were.

Beach Bums! {Outer Banks Beach Photographer}

2011-03-25T00:36:00.012-04:00

***as of 4/18: 24th-25th is booked. Now we have the 26-30th and one spot at sunrise on Oct 1st. Will keep you updated in this post****

Raise your hand if you love the beach.
Super geeked out over this one folks! I mentioned this before it was set in stone and already have 2 spots taken, 2 more pending. So here's the official announcement.....you ready? I am! Click on the ad for larger view

Adios and Vaya Caminos! The countdown to Nags Head starts now! Spread the word!

Photos for me! {Myrtle Beach Photography}

2011-03-17T12:58:00.007-04:00

So I have this weird obsession with photos taken at night. Ordered a few more from our beach trip. Now to find the right frames and hang them under our family portrait (or put up a shelf, haven't decided yet). I ordered these on matboard, metallic paper in 6x9. They'll be in a row under our family portrait, which I believe was 12x24.

If they look vaguely familiar, they were taken at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach.

Have a good weekend all!

Stacey + Jason {Lake Gaston Photographer}

2011-02-27T19:30:00.004-05:00

I swear you could feel the sparks half a mile away with these two. What can I add to that? Wait, I can add to it....a super cute little boy with balloons. I am one blessed photographer!

Meghan + Bobby {Creedmoor Engagement Photographer}

2011-02-26T21:36:00.006-05:00

I seriously adore Meghan. She's beautiful, witty, and makes you feel like you've know her for years from the first hello. Her fiance' I actually have known for many years; we both grew up in this small town. Bobby spends his days putting out fires and Meghan will graduate from nursing school soon. It was a privilege to have them in front of the lens.

Bobby said this ain't no arts and crafts fair. But his love for Megan trumped that manly instinct and he picked up the chalk anyway. You'll see the finished product on their save the date cards.

Wonder what these two are up to? Hmmmm....

Bobby, thanks for letting me pick on you. Meghan didn't need any coaching, she's a natural in front of the camera. So pretty!

Big huge thank you to the guys at the fire department for bringing out the truck. Extra thumbs up for holding the reflector. You've got a rock star photographer in the making there boys! My dear friend Kiley, thanks for saving my rear and finding sidewalk chalk at the last minute. Wish you could have stayed longer.

Can't wait to see these two walk down the aisle. Bobby's finally getting married!

The brighter it is the more you need flash. Yep.

2011-02-21T20:42:00.011-05:00

Out on assignment one day, I asked a person please don't use flash and told her they could grab a few shots with their cell phones after I was finished. The response was- I don't need flash in the middle of the day with all this sun. She thought I was from another planet even suggesting such a thing.

That's exactly when you do need it. If there's any way possible on God's green earth, I avoid shooting in mid-day sun. I despise it that much. But sometimes you have no choice and so you work with what you have. When the sun's high in the sky it's hard not to squint so you can't turn people directly towards the light. You're also going to have the dreaded raccoon eyes. A little fill flash from a speedlight can really help to fill those harsh shadows. If you're not comfortable with taking it off camera, swivel your flash a little and use a diffuser of some sort. You'll get better results than just pointing it directly in your client's face.

I've grown to love my little Nikon speedlight. I do still love working with natural light whenever possible, but you only have a short amount of time to catch the golden hour. My flash gives me options. See the difference below-

With flash: f6.3 160th ISO200 flash set to 1/4th power and batteries about to die.

Without flash: F4, 160th, ISO 500
Here I had to turn her away from the light to avoid squinting. Even at 5:30 some people's eyes are just sensitive (mine are too). This is the result with only natural light- no catchlights in the eyes and a blown out sky. All kinds of messy exposure.

Our lovely model here is my daughter's friend. I caught them outside playing after school and offered to pay in the form of Hershey kisses. It was a win-win situation for all. Flash is too close, to the right of my model (about shoulder high) with 43" silver umbrella. To the left is 42" reflector, both on light stands. Using the lens I really don't enjoy- my 55-200. I like to make things difficult.

These 9 year olds have a life and can't sit around all day waiting for me to fiddle with the position of my lights and reflector. The first shot has a bit more light on the face than I would've liked. If my models hadn't been so demanding (or I'd had more candy) I would have had time to move it a bit farther away and turn the light differently to see a few shadows there. It's kinda flat. It's not perfect. But I'm off the clock, hubby cooked on the grill, and I think this will do fine for the point I'm making here.

Flash off camera vs. completely natural light. Which one looks better?

What I learned my first year in business....part 1

2011-02-21T11:05:00.006-05:00

My first year in business taught me quite a few things. If you're thinking of buying a nice camera and making a lot of money, better think again. You'll need a few years to learn the basics and then you'll never stop learning more. A little about my experience.....

1. I can't work for cheap.
People don't realize (nor do I expect them to) the costs of running a legitimate licensed photography business, even without a brick and mortar studio. Let me give you an example of what it takes.

Say I work with a group, take in $900 from this hypothetical job. Sound good? Wrong.

Let's take state and federal taxes off the top (unless you want the IRS banging down your door, I highly recommend it). We're down to a generous estimate of $695.

Subtract $200 in gas money for traveling 4-5 times a week for 1 month (another estimate that's probably too low, but you get the picture) and we're at $495.

Subtract $300 in lab costs and that leaves us with $195.

Now, let's talk about hours worked.
For 13 sports teams you spent a minimum of 18 hours in travel time.
Another 12 hours on the phone scheduling and emailing .
24 hours preparing files for print, editing, renaming, then matching your order forms to those prints to make sure you have all 100+ kid's names and faces going to the right parent and sorted by team and coach. Remember, once your memory card is loaded you better know each face that pops up in the correct order you photographed them or you have no way to match the order forms to the child. Miss one step and you'll spend hours emailing thumbnail sized pictures to coaches asking "who is this".

You've just worked 54 hours for $195. Wait! The cell phone and website was $85 (another VERY generous estimate), fee to professional organization was $28 (really ti's more) and since the whole month was devoted to this group and no other sessions, I need to pay those bills with profits from them.

I now have $82 left, or $1.51 per hour. $900 off the top isn't looking so pretty anymore now is it?

There are causes and organizations to which I'd be honored to donate my time and energy to for free. However I will no longer be working for cheap because people simply do not value cheap. This is not some under the table cash on the side scheme for me....it is what I pour my heart into and what I will do as a legitimate business, Lord willing, for the rest of my years. It takes time away from my family and I need to make sure being away from my daughter and husband is worth it. That to me, is not cheap. I'm blessed my husband's job allows him to take care of the insurance and carry 401k. I'm nowhere near the ability to do that. Yet.

2. Custom photography is a luxury item and not everyone appreciates it....as difficult as that is for me to accept. I'm fully aware that you can run down to the local x-mart and get "sheets" for less than you'd pay to eat fast food. With that price tag, you also get sub-standard paper and ink, very few options, and limited customer service. You most certainly will get what you pay for. Anyone can be trained to push a button in a stagnant environment with the same props and the same lighting. Not everyone will wait an hour for a baby to stop crying or take a genuine interest in the people in front of the camera. Can they remember your name when you walk out the door? Do they ask your likes and dislikes, what your vision is for your cherished family photos, or spend any amount of time getting to know you? If you are happy with the one size fits all approach to photography then none of the above should bother you. If you want something unique to your family that you'll display on the wall to cherish for years, then you'll need to hire someone who has the technical knowledge and the heart to deliver it. Fast food vs. your own personal chef.

3. Ignore the naysayers and don't trust everyone.
I swore I'd never do weddings and here I am loving them. It certainly didn't start out that way. After my 2nd inquiry (that I turned down) I called an individual whom is much older than me, I respected, and has been in business for many years for whatever tidbits of advice the person was willing to give. This individual asked me why they didn't call a professional, all but laughed in my face and then spent the next few minutes discussing some vacation taken. I sat and listened, said thank you for your advice, and held the tears until the call was over. I hung up the phone ready to quit and never pick up my camera again. I didn't touch my beloved Nikon for 3 weeks. I spent the time talking with loved ones, other people in business, and doing some serious soul searching. Shortly before that incident I'd had another encounter with a much older photographer who happened to be at the same place as I for a similar job. I went home that day shocked that this highly respected person would behave in the way that he/she did, moving my equipment and making some snide remark about oh I'm not in your way am I? Perhaps I took it the wrong way, but I don't see how else you can take something like that. I realized that this is a cut throat business. I was about to grow thicker skin or tuck my tail and pout all the way home. As you can see, I'm still here. Amazing what mustering up the will to prove the naysayers wrong can do for you.

4. I can't be all things to all people..... Certain "gigs" do not allow me the time nor profit that I need in order to provide the service that I am known for so please do not be upset if I am unable to say yes to certain requests. It's a good thing.

Boys! {NC Beach Photographer}

2011-01-17T17:33:00.005-05:00

We went on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach back in June. As luck would have it, an old friend and her best friend were there around the same time. So we got together with the kids for a little session on the beach. It was a challenge, so thank goodness I had beautiful subjects! Sand was flying everywhere and it was close to 100 degrees even in the afternoon. But look how cute these little guys are....

Baby A! 9 months {North Carolina Child Photographer}

2011-01-11T22:21:00.004-05:00

This little dude is special to me. I've been photographing him since he was a newborn. Check him out at 9 months old- from Oct 2010.

Why are my pictures blurry?

2011-01-11T18:32:00.015-05:00

Camera shake, slow shutter speeds, and a moving subject are all sources of blurry photos. What can you do about it? If you own a DSLR, stop letting the camera decide what settings to use- get that thing out of auto and learn to shoot manual. Show him who's boss. We'll talk manual mode another day.

-Camera shake is exactly what it sounds like. Shaky hands? If you can't get your shutter speed high enough to compensate then break out the tripod.

-Low shutter speeds will cause blur. Most of the time you'll see this with dim lighting and no flash. Your camera is leaving the shutter open longer in attempt to gather more light, so it's very sensitive to any movement. Always shoot with a shutter speed higher than the length of your lens. Or, move to an area with better lighting and get out the tripod again.

-Your kids won't be still because grandma fed them junk food and brought them home that way as payback for all the gray hairs you gave her growing up. Back to the subject. Tripods won't help in that situation. Nothing you can do here unless you are shooting with a fast shutter speed. It's gonna take at least 1/250th to freeze motion- I prefer 1/500th. This applies to your kid's soccer game equally well. Again, you have to be the boss of the camera. Spending all that money on a DSLR and leaving it on auto isn't going to give you what you were looking for when you wrote the check. The "your camera takes good pictures" article comes to mind. Please read it.

Sometimes blur is intentional and fun. I took this at night in December of 2009 with my older camera. And I like it.

2011 New Products {NC custom boutique photographer}

2011-01-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

Here's a few new products I'll be offering this year. Contact me for more info and pricing.

Baby L and Baby J! {North Carolina Newborn Photographer}

2011-01-07T21:07:00.003-05:00

First up we have baby L. I believe he was about 5 weeks old in these- February 2010. I'm a bit behind on blogging photos. You think? I'm so excited to be seeing him again for his 1 year photo shoot the end of this month!

This is baby J from April of last year. He has an older brother that's just as cute as he is. That's for another post :)

Tuesday Tips- Back it up! {Henrico NC photographer}

2011-01-03T21:29:00.007-05:00

We all need some system of saving our important files should you become victim of the dreaded computer crash. At the very least I'd suggest purchasing an external hard drive. $100 spent on prevention is much more economical than data recovery which can run into the thousands. Here's my process:
-Files are uploaded from memory cards and the raw image data is copied over to external hard drive #1
-Backblaze runs whenever the computer is on and automatically backs up all new files. It's my favorite.
-Once your images are edited I copy them to discs and both external hard drives.
-DVD's are stored in a fireproof safe; sold by my dad. If no one is going to be home, the laptop and externals go in the safe too.

So I have 3 forms of back up here (externals, DVD's, safe) and one source at a different location should disaster strike. Something for everyone to consider. Back up those files!

Cute kiddos! {Warrenton, NC Child Photographer}

2011-01-03T20:47:00.004-05:00

As you know I prefer to do most of my work outside with natural light, especially with kids. Winter rarely allows for that, so here's what we do when it's cold out. Have a reasonably sized open space in your home? Great. I'll bring the flashes and set up shop. Here's a few examples

Nicholas Wedding {North Carolina Wedding Photographer}

2011-01-03T14:25:00.005-05:00

What an awesome day! I had the privilege of shooting my first wedding on October 30, 2010 for Meagan and Michael. The weather was perfect, the church was glorious, and I couldn't ask for a better family to work with. Here's a few of my favorites from her bridals and the wedding.

Hello 2011! {NC custom family photography}

2011-01-03T13:28:00.009-05:00

Where did 2010 go?

I'll be back from hiatus and ready to book clients after January 15th. Feel free to contact me and I'll get you scheduled ASAP. In the meantime I'll be sharing some recent sessions here on the blog.
December was quite an adventure at my house. We witnessed the first white Christmas in the area since 1947, saw an eclipse, and enjoyed our time with loved ones. Our family had a wonderful Christmas and I hope all of you did as well.

1981

2010-11-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

That's the year Karen and I became friends. At 3 years old I had no idea how important this family would be throughout my life. It's 2010 and quite a few in-laws and grandkids have been added to the mix (photo). The 80's are long gone, but some things haven't changed. The Sipe house is still full of laughs and everyone who enters is greeted with a warm welcome as if they've lived there forever. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for all the time I spent there growing up, and the days like today when we all come back to visit. In many ways it's the house that built me. I don't call them my 2nd family for nothing :)

Hope all of you are enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and loved ones as much as I am!

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! Huge thank you to the brave men and women and their families who have sacrificed so much to keep us free.
I don't have anything crazy to say today, sorry. The switch to photobiz will be tomorrow. I'm hoping for a quick and rather painless transition.

Tuesday Tips- backgrounds

2010-07-27T21:44:00.003-04:00

Hello world. Tonight I'm clickin' it old school. I brought back some pretty bad pictures from the archives to show you something. All were taken early 2008 with a Nikon d40 set to auto or aperture priority mode. Hiss boo to auto, but that's another topic.

Exhibit A- Yep, there's my kid on her bike 2.5 years ago. But what else do you see? Can your eyes stay still or do you instantly feel the need to go looking from one side to the other? To the left we have some green box thing and a house, neither of which are part of my subject.
Exhibit B- She'd be a lot more interesting if that Dora backpack, random junk, and big green chair weren't in the picture. I had no concept of the word "subject" in photography at this point. Wooden desks and Mrs. Kelly's un-air-conditioned-teenage boy smelling-inferno of an English class were all that came to mind at this point when the word subject was mentioned.
Exhibit C Does this one have a different feel than the other two?

In the last photo you know who the subject is and she isn't cluttered by beastly green chairs or cartoon covered backpacks. Your eyes don't have to get all dazed and confused from scanning one end of the photo to the next. Which one would you choose to print?

There are times when a cluttered background can make your subject stand out just as well as a clean one. Typically they are telling a story and have been created by the photographer with purpose in mind. This is difficult to pull off effectively.

Watch your backgrounds (and foregrounds) for better photos. Look all over the frame before you press the shutter. Sometimes all you need to do is move something out of the way, or move your own feet over a little to change the perspective.

Tuesday Tips- for the client

2010-07-13T11:20:00.002-04:00

I still haven't finisihed editing a current session so I haven't had time to type out a big old post of tips. Gotta put my clients first and with that in mind........
http://amyrophotography.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-good-photographer/

Lightroom Presets Freebie

2010-07-02T01:56:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend. Remember why we celebrate it. Just a little something for my fellow lightroom lovers. Click the image for details and download them here

Protecting your camera at the beach

2010-06-29T09:53:00.003-04:00

You're going on vacation and the camera is like a child that never leaves your side. I get that. Here's what I did and the most important thing is last.

Body Armor- Is it a waste of money? Technically no. It's a little bulky and took a day or so to get used to flipping the wheels and pushing buttons with it on. Most of the sand was on the surface of the armor and when I removed it I found only a couple tiny grains on the parts that were not covered. Did I get lucky that it worked so well for me? Perhaps. The parts left exposed are what you really don't want getting wet, so don't count on this as a waterproof contraption. It's not. Will I be using it again? Probably not.

Lens Filters- Many people told me I needed to keep some sort of protective filter on my lens at all times so last year I finally gave in and tried them. I could tell a difference in image quality so after a couple different brands they all went in the trash. I linked you up to Hoya because it's the first one I didn't hate. DO NOT go cheap on the filters or you will regret it. Promise. Hoya, B+W, Nikon. If you can find it in Wal-Mart then you don't want it. With filters you get what you pay for. Try Southeast Camera in Raleigh or order online. Will I be using mine again? Probably not.

Ziploc Bags are your best friend. Here I went out on the balcony at sunrise with all the junk I had bought to protect my camera at the beach. Ready for a day of snapping away. I nearly cried when I got out there and discovered that tricky little thing called condensation. I sat for over an hour and finally remembered seeing a photo of Joe McNally in some ocean with plastic bags over his gear. From then on, when I wasn't using the camera it was sealed in a ziploc bag to prevent condensation. And it worked. So don't go dragging that DSLR into a temperature 20 degrees hotter than your hotel room and expect it to perform miracles. Embrace the ziploc bag and save yourself some heartache. Don't know how that works with camera phones and point and shoots, but I'm pretty sure it can't hurt.

Ultimately, the other stuff was optional.

We're back from the beach {north carolina child photographer}

2010-06-28T13:31:00.000-04:00

We had a great time at the beach but part of me is glad to be back home and back to work. Dad called me on Thursday to say the air had stopped working at our house, so you can imagine how hot it was in here when we got home Friday night. The 4 of us (can't leave the dog out) have been huddled around this little window unit waiting for the repair guy to come tomorrow morning. It's not too fun, but when I think about people in 3rd world countries living in heat like this daily, I can't complain.
I filled up 4 memory cards while we were there and learned a few things about beach photography. I'll share that part tomorrow, as I plan to start a regular posting for Tuesday tips. Here's a few quick shots from our trip.

Build a Bear Workshop is a yearly tradition.

Kassi was so excited to find this store at Broadway at the Beach. She loves Zhu Zhu Pets

I love the 20x10 gallery standouts. This one's going on my wall.

See you all tomorrow for the first edition of Tuesday tips.

I met the Dodgers! [NC sports photographer]

2010-06-05T01:35:00.001-04:00

You heard me right. I met all 12 of those little guys tonight in Henderson, NC. Parents, you’ve done a great job. I don’t think I’ve ever run into a quieter bunch of boys that age! They were an adorable little group to work with. Whoever wrote your emails down on the order forms should be receiving a message from me soon. I’ve set up a password protected gallery for you on my website so you can log in and see a little sneak peek of your photos. It’s also perfect for relatives out of town who may like to place an order. If you ordered trader cards, I’ll need to touch base with you to make sure I have the correct info before I send your orders for processing. Call if you need anything, and have a great weekend!

Laura and David's e-session {NC engagement photographer}

2010-05-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

Can't get much sweeter than these two; they're made for each other. It was truly a privilege to photograph this couple. Congratulations on your engagement! Here's a sneak peek for you

What to Wear {Vance County child family photographer}

2010-03-27T23:37:00.001-04:00

First, a big thanks to Kelsey Anderson who put this picture together. One of the questions people ask the most is "What should I wear?". If you're not comfortable in it, leave it at home. It's hard to smile when your feet are on fire from wearing those cute heels. If you can rock 'em, by all means do so. If you're anything like me, they rarely leave the closet ;) I'll try to share these more often. Have a great weekend everyone!