Snapshop Peeps

I take pictures...

I take pictures a lot...

I take a lot of pictures...

They aren't all perfect...I don't have a secret formula or equation that I plug into my brain or camera and it automatically spits out the exact picture I'm envisioning...

Along with knowing your equipiment and having some basic rules for composition, I think there are some other "helpful tips" that come into play when you are really working for quality imagery...

In this little installment of {Teach It Tuesday} I want to share with you 6 changes that you can make in order to strengthen a photo...

Here is the first photo:

1. SHOOTING ANGLE: My goal was to capture the essence of this little girl...So I got her all comfy on the bridge and we were chatting and laughing and I'm sure I had something I was trying to balance on my head and it kept falling off to make her giggle... I was above her, but I wasn't honing in on what was most important...there wasn't depth to the image...so I started to inch forward...

2. APERTURE: for the first image, I had my aperture fairly wide, but at my distance and what I was putting in the background, it wasn't really making a difference. I either needed to correct my angle so that more background would blur OR I had to come even closer...I chose the latter...

3. FILL THE FRAME: I decided to get even closer to her so that the background became a complete blur...this helps with depth of field, it also allows me to zoom in on the personality points that I'm trying to capture.

4. WAITING: this is the hard part...she wasn't looking at me and she was almost being shy...that isn't WHO she is...I'm just a stranger and she had to warm up to me...and so I waited and talked some more and laughed and helped her feel comfortable...

5. LIGHT: When the sun is getting low, and I"m right on top of my subject, lighting can sometimes be an issue...I had to determine which way the remaining light was falling (directional light) and I sort of "circled" her so that once she finally looked up, I was able to capture that laugh, which light on her face, bokeh and personality just pouring out of her!

6. PROCESSING: This is where I take the time to correct the things that I didn't have time to adjust whilst working with under 4 year olds! White Balance is sometimes one of those issues. I also take time to pop my images with adjustment layers in photoshop such as levels, contrast, and curves.

Here is the final image after changes:

A couple weeks ago I was asked to speak at the Middle School Photography Club.

You all know that I still have a heart for teaching...I love it! I don't love all the political and yucky stuff about it (and who likes ANY of the yucky stuff about any job?...but, I could do without paper grading, tests and parent conferences)

Anyway...I was thrilled to once again get the opportunity to teach to these kiddos, as I've done every year since my eldest started MS.

This time, I wanted to incorporate a project for them...one that would force them to look at things from a different perspective.

I found some information regarding Triptych Photography. For those that are unfamiliar with it, it's basically a group of 3 pictures!

The pictures are of the same subject, but can be different angles, depths or even just slight variances to the subject. The possibilities are endless.

I enjoy these types of projects every once in awhile...and I find that I am drawn to those types of frames in my own home....the ones with 3 openings for pictures...

Most of the time people use those frames for different children...

But, what if we had an entire frame for each child instead...and those 3 images told a story, described the "character" of that child instead? Wouldn't that be such a conversation piece and something your children would love seeing?

Here are some links to some examples of Triptych photography...some are subtle and some are way out there...

Triptych Explanation
Triptych Inspiration

I'd LOVE to see YOUR tries at this...be sure to post on our Snapshop Grads Facebook Page...if we get some fun shares, perhaps we could do a contest!!

The attractive part of this exercise is the "storytelling" elements...It's confined to just 3 images...it's not overwhelming like a scrapbooking page or an entire album to post on social media. It's just looking at a moment, an event and choosing 3 things to focus & draw out...

Are you willing to try?

I don’t like criticism. I’m just being honest. I tend to be a perfectionist and I want it to be perfect NOWI It can be difficult to accept the fact that growth and criticism can be a good thing…to help us grow, change, develop and become!

This is also true with regards to photography. Learning to diagnose and critique our own work, is part of the learning process.

Part of diagnosing an image is being able to objectively determine the good and bad parts…

I “say” objectively, but we also have to consider “ART”…which is subjective as well. And at least for me, it’s personal! Therefore, I have to sort of separate myself from the “feeling” of it and look at the “technical”

Here are a few guidelines that you can run through in order to “diagnose” your own images:

1. SETTINGS:

Exposure: does the image look too bright or too dark? Is it evenly/properly exposed?

Focus: is the subject in focus? Is there too much blur from an action?

Color: is the white balance correct? Are skin tones natural?

Depth of Field: does the image have substance? Does the depth add or take away?

(this image is OVER exposed...I viewed it in camera and recognized that I needed to change somethign immediately if I was going to retain the details)

(this image has major white balance issues...see that "green" skin...I needed to compensate for that IN camera, while in the moment...having to work fast and change my settings so as to NOT lose the moment)

2. LIGHTING:

Do you have shadows or dark places? Is the light distracting or does it add to the image?

3. COMPOSITION

Is it interesting? Are there distracting elements? Does it follow a rule?

(can you see my "problem" with composition here? where is his head? And why am I so far away? the swing set is a distraction...I have to change my position & location in order to get the image I wanted)

4. STORY:

How do I FEEL about the image? Does it capture an emotion? Is there a story element that is displayed in the image? Is there a connection, relationship or personality that speaks to the viewer?

(using depth of field can speak volumes to a viewer...there are 2 "stories" going on in this image...and I used the "blur" technique IN camera to tell them simultaneously!)

So, what do you do with your diagnosis?

First off, if you are doing a quick run down of these guidelines while you are in the midst of shooting, you can take stock right then and there…

For example, if you see that the settings are off, that there are distractions with regards to clarify or lighting…you can shift your body, change position and play with your camera settings.

However, if you are looking at your images on the computer screen after your shoot, you can take note of certain things…

If you find that your exposure was “off”, but you were metering, you might learn/determine that your camera needs to meter a bar or two to the left or right in the future.

If you find the white balance is off, you can choose to correct those types of challenges in photoshop or you can utilize the white balance options IN your camera.

If you discover that your “frame up” in camera wasn’t exactly what you had hoped, you can crop it down when you print.

There are lots of things to think about when using your camera...it can be overwhelming, but I promise, that as you practice, as you become more and more familiar with the workings of the camera, along with starting to figure out your style & niche', it becomes more like 2nd nature and something truly worthwhile & fun!!!

So, why do I edit in black and white and not include the color in my galleries in some instances?

This has to do with some philosophy, some "seeing life through the lens" and definitely some "editing".

If you've come to a Click It Class (or be watching because I'm working on recording videos to hopefully offer soon for purchase) you'll know how to make that "perfect" black and white edit...

but WHY?

do you do it just to match a living room color scheme...or perhaps because the colors in the photos don't match anything else?

or is there another reason? a deeper reason, when you use photography to tell the "story of your life" like I attempt to do?

I strive for vibrant, vivid, colorful, happy, and bright photos...because I photograph families...which children...and lord knows there is lots of HAPPY and COLORFUL when we start talking KIDS!

But, I recently asked my Snapshop Grads to help describe my photography in 3 words...though many had to do with the 2 dimensional image with regards to "art" and the "Look" of it...there were numerous suggestions pointing to emotion, meaning and relationship caught...

There is definitely something to, seeing "life through the lens"...and definitely an art and an eye needed to compose the image in a way that frames it to showcase the moment in it's best light...

but an extra "magic" happens in the post-processing...

Here are a few things that I run through while I'm determining my finishing touches for my gallery images...

1. Does the back or foreground cause any distraction away from the "meaning, moment or happy" of this image?

2. Is there a strong emotion being conveyed that would become more powerful if I removed the color?

3. Are there imperfections that attract your eye in color that otherwise wouldn't be an issue if changed to black and white?

Let me see if I can explain with some examples:

With this one, #1 reason was my biggest for changing this to black and white. See that house in the background? and the bright grass...it's not "bad" persay in color, but I wanted the focus to be on their faces...to "hear" the giggle in the youngest's little mouth...

With this one...we all have our imperfections that irritate us...I think it's most difficult for a photographer to convince subjects that they are beautiful...everyone sees their own imperfections...and unless an incredible editing overhaul happens that ends up changing the "moment" you are left feeling like the focus in on the faults... In this case, this little ginger headed girl and her gorgeous mom were giggling and laughing on a humid day...and so hair was all over the place...I could have sat down and edited each strand...but the REAL of this moment was the hug, the embrace, the smiles...

By changing to black and white, the focus is off the imperfections, even if they are still there...but then comes the realization that even WITH imperfections, we are beautiful!

lastly, this image demonstrates my reason #2: These images were taken within seconds of each other...I love matching/coordinating clothes for families and smiles at the camera are wonderful...but by taking away the color, I was able to catch a strong connection that otherwise wouldn't have been so evident or poignant...

All in all, there aren't any fast held-to rules for editing in black and white...and photography IS an ART...and therefore, it's subject to the likes and dislikes of the people viewing the end products...Our job as storytellers and photographers is to "write" the narrative in the most memorable, emotion-provoking, REAL and raw way that we can...so that it's not just a "pretty picture" hanging on the wall, but a narrative about a life worthy of showcasing!

It's another "teach it Tuesday" post...and since I've recently stumbled upon the ability to screen cast and coupled that with my love of photoshop, I thought I'd give another taste of photoshop for those of you that are still on the fence about the Adobe Photoshop Elements program.

The February 2016 Snapshop class was this past Saturday and it's probably my all time favorite thing to do...I love spending quality time with people, in a comfortable environment, teaching and helping people learn how to understand the functions and capabilities of their cameras. Ultimately, we are always shooting to get the best image straight out of camera! (SOOC)

However, in the learning process, or even in the advanced stages, LIFE happens and we need to "tweak" a few things here and there!

Click It classes are designed to help begin that process. Here is an example of the things we cover in the beginner workshop of photoshop elements:

Understanding the workspace (set up and tools)
Understanding the way photoshop functions (layers, destructive & non-destructive editing)
Global Editing (things you apply to an entire photo: exposure, contrast, color)
Saving your photos (PSD files and jpeg files)
Bonus: your choice of one retouching/finishing tool (sharpening, black&white/color, vinette)

These basics allow you to take a photo from start to finish and give it that all over pop!

Depending on where you are in the process of understanding photo editing, during one on one Click It mentoring sessions OR in a Click It Up (part 2) you might be ready for even more...to enhance in specific areas of your photo and take your portraits to the next level...this would include learning how to:

Utilize an in depth understanding of Layer Masking/Clipping Masks
Remove background distractions
Fix blinking eyes or turned heads
Change to a beautiful black & white (w/or w/o matte finish) and add color too
Add a vinette to your final image
Use Actions to achieve a unique look and save time
BONUS: add text and/or create you own card

In this "preview", I will demonstrate one of the many techniques that are possible in photoshop elements to achieve a "vinette" for your finished photos. It is helpful to understand the basic functions of photoshop in order to get this result as this is a technique that is taught in the Click It UP workshop. However, I hope it will give you a feel of the program and perhaps get you excited to try a one on one with me!!!

See HERE for details.

(remember to click on the HD setting to see it without the blur)

This is my first trial at screen recording...(there are some definite microphone issues that I need to address)

Would love your feedback in the comments...

Everyone sees "life" through their own unique set of "glasses"...the same is true for a photographer. Each one sees "life through the lens" in their own way too. However, in order to produce what one sees in their mind's eye, I think we often travel through different phases of our understanding and then our performance of that knowledge.

I spent many years in phase 1...I struggled to find someone to help me get to the next level...to push me into the next stage so that I could begin to produce images that I dreamed about...

However, once I finally grasped those "phase 1" concepts, and I spent the time honing in on those pieces, I felt confident to move onto more and more...

I wonder where you fit???

PRE Phase: This isn't really a phase persay, it just happens to be where most people are...People like to take pictures...pictures of themselves (selfies)...pictures to post on instagram...pictures to make someone smile...You use an iphone, a point & shoot or whatever you have handy...

for some, this phase gets old and you yearn for more...

Phase 1: The Falling in Love with Photography Phase

This is where you start taking photography more seriously...You get a "big girl/boy" camera and maybe even a new lens. Here are the things that you begin to work through in this phase:
- Understanding Aperture, Shutterspeed, ISO and how they work together
- Manual Mode & Metering Light
- Depth of Field and how that affects aperture & your images
- Composition Basics
- Finding Light and it's color (white balance)
- Determining & nailing Focus

It's in this stage that a Snapshop is super handy!!! This is where I teach you how to do all those things listed above...

between phase 1 and phase 2 comes a lot of PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Phase 2: The Telling the Story Phase

This is the phase where you are comfortable in manual mode. The buttons and photography lingo isn't scary anymore and it no longer sounds like gibberish. Understanding HOW to get your camera set up to take a picture is like 2nd nature, so you are able to relax and really "see" in your surroundings...and then determine how you will capture the moment in a fresh, new & unique way to "tell YOUR story"
Here are the things you focus on in this phase:
- Toggling your focal points
- Back Button Focus
- Bouncing Flash
- Utilizing Natural Light (indoor and outdoor)
- Play with Dramatic Lighting (low, backlighting, etc)
- Introducing further equipment (if you haven't already obtained a prime lens)
- photo editing
- Connecting with the "story"

between phase 2 and phase 3 comes a lot of PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Phase 3: The Letting Loose Phase

This is the stage where you start to find your own voice & style...you let go of the comparison and determine how YOU SEE the moments and you document them accordingly.
Here are some things that you MAY do in this phase:
- shoot in full sun or ANY light
- start your own business
- explore other types of photography such as landscape or portrait or sports
- more developed composition (golden triangle, golden spiral, etc)
- dramatic editing
- shooting film
.........the list can go on and on.....

Photography is a never ending learning process...Once you think you've got it figured out, you discover how much more you want to learn...If you are beginning phase 1 and want to get a good grasp of concepts so that you can gain confidence and continue on, be sure to contact me about attending the upcoming Snapshop!!!

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