All Systems Go

i'm currently out of town, so i've got to make this fast.  i just wanted to take a minute to announce the launch of my website!  the web address is www.pinkplaidphoto.com  visit it. bookmark it. love it.

thanks to my web presence, i can now offer prints that will be sent directly to you at an affordable price.  of course, i'll still be giving my clients a disc with all their pics and posting my faves here for friends and family to download for free, but if anyone wants to buy prints or products with the pics on them (ie: mug, mousepad, greeting cards, etc.) for a great price, it can all be done in one place.

i'm still in the process of moving over all the galleries, so bear with me, but it will all be up soon.  now, i'd better get back to my vacation.  we'll be heading up to yellowstone national park, so stay tuned for awesome landscape pics available to purchase soon.

A Senior Moment

meet marcus, a high school graduate from texas. 

i know i should have posted this a while ago, but better late than never, right?

 congrats to marcus on his graduation and good luck in college!

Tip #2

it's not the size of the lens that matters, it's the person behind the camera.  too many photographers get caught up in who has the biggest lens and the most equipment.  while having a high quality lens and a fancy camera body can certainly add a professional touch to your photos, it is possible to take a good picture with an ordinary, every-day point-and-shoot or whatever camera you might have lying around.  for example, here is a pic i took when i was in high school.  it is one of my all time faves and do you know what i used to shoot it? 

a $30 film camera from walmart with a roll of the cheapest b&w film i could buy.  more important than how much you spent on your gear is what you put in the viewfinder.  composition is everything!  after you've found your subject, line it up.  you've probably noticed that i (and most other photographers) don't usually center our subjects.  that's because sticking them right in the middle is boring.  by using the rule of thirds you can create an interesting pic without spending a fortune.  the rule of thirds is simple and here's an easy way of looking at it. 

this is a graph that, when you lay it over a photo, breaks it up into thirds, both horizontally and vertically.  notice the green dots.  the rule of thirds states that the object of attention should be placed at one of the intersecting points (the green dots).  this is a loose rule.  in my opinion, it's more important to section out your pic than to pin point your subject with the dots.  most DSLRs have this grid already there for you. you just have to figure out how to turn it on.  if you don't have a DSLR, don't worry.  it's pretty easy to eyeball it.

so, next time you snap a shot, try using/imagining this grid and adjusting the composition accordingly.  good luck and let me know how it works for you!!!

Sisters

have you ever seen a pair quite like this?  these sisters are adorable together. 

actually, they're adorable apart, as well. ;)

We Have a Winner!

sorry for this week's hiatus.  i've been editing some pics, registering for next semester's classes, and getting ready for my nephew's visit, but i didn't forget to draw a name for our print give-away.  without further ado, our winner is...

tricia!

congrats!  if you didn't win, don't get discouraged.  you could still be a winner in my next drawing.  or, you can take your destiny in your own hands and make yourself a winner by buying one/both of the prints.  $9.50 each (8x10).  email me at pinkplaidphoto@hotmail.com to purchase or get pricing for alternative sizes.  all purchases have free shipping!

My 1st Give-Away!!!

i know you're chomping at the bit for a chance to win something for free, so i won't delay any longer. ;)  i thought long and hard about which prints to offer first and i'm really happy about my selection.  this is for a set of 2 vintage style 8x10 prints that i took last summer on a trip to palmyra, new york.  they are two of my favorites and i even have one of them hanging in my home.  here's how this will work: starting today, you have until next friday to leave me a comment with your email address.  i'll have my handy assistant B (my darling husband) draw a name out of a hat, literally, and i'll announce the winner.  easy peasy!  good luck!  also, be sure to spread the word, because this is a trial run and without a good response, these give-away's may wind up being few and far between, which would be a shame, because i've got tons of great stuff besides just prints lined up for the give-away's.

 

5 Little Monkeys

have you ever seen such adorable, funny kids? 

miss K:

little T:

sweet O:

sassy E:

precious B:

the daddy & mama (johnny & jill):

aren't they such a beautiful family???  i can't wait to see what baby S looks like when he joins the family in a couple of months.

Tip #1

the word "photo" literally means "light", so, naturally, one of the most important factors in taking a great pic is having great lighting.  personally, i always prefer to use natural light (though i do use a lighting set on newborn and other indoor shoots, but, even then, i still try to mix it with natural light from the windows).  however, the sun can be your worst enemy or your best friend when using her as your only light source.  you just have to know how to work with her.  for instance, taking pics in the middle of the day can be a nightmare if you don't have an arsenal of tools to soften her direct shine, which most people don't.  if you fit into this category, here's one simple rule to live by when taking pics of people: take them during the "magic hour".  (oooh! sounds kind of other-worldly, doesn't it?)  anyway, yes, i'm a dork and made up a name for it (does anyone even use the term "dork" anymore?), but it just means the hour before sunset.  have you ever noticed how pics you take of people outside usually give them dark circles under their eyes and their skin looks pale?  that's because when the sun is high in the sky, it gives off really harsh light that creates shadows on faces.  that leaves you with two options for taking pics of people:

A: get up really early and use the softer light of the sunrise. 
B: party like a rock star the night before, sleep in really late, and use the warm glow of the sunset. 

B looks like a winner to me!!!  when i have an upcoming shoot, i look up what time sunset will be on that day and schedule it for two hours before the sun is actually gone for the night.  shoots never goes perfectly smoothly, so you need to allow yourself some extra time and the light two hours before is still pretty decent. 

i hope this helps you in your photo taking.  if you have any special requests for the tips/how-to's feel free to leave a comment or email me.  i love to hear back from everyone!

Kelly & LLL

talk about a photogenic pair, kelly and little lady L are so beautiful and sure know how to work the camera!  i blame it on good genetics. ;)

 thank you kelly and LLL!!!  

i love these girls!