Nov 14 Catching up Again

So here I am again playing catch up.  I decided this time to share a photo taken at the end of Oct. caught this guy hanging out in the tree in my front yard.  He even hung out long enough for me to go inside get my camera come back out and take a few shots before he shot up the tree and out of site.  Lucky me.  I have done some sessions but they have been sports pics not real creative but fun.  Have some more sessions coming up so definitely will be sharing from them soon.  I sit here reflecting on where my business has come from and where it is going I can't help but be extremely thankful to those that have been my clients and those who have told others about me.  There is definitely a greater power involved in this as I could have never seen this coming.  I feel blessed that I can share my skills and make others happy.  Til next time, take care.

Today's Photo Tip: Short and sweet with the Holidays fast approaching make sure you have a full memory card and lots of battery's and take tons of photos you will be thankful later you did. Young ones grow up, old ones leave us but photos last forever.

Oct 27 Fall Family Session

Well another successful session under my belt.  What a fantastic family to work with which makes my job of making them look good so much easier.  I am definitely loving the amount of work I am getting as it keeps me keen on my photography skills and gives me a much needed break from the reality of the ER.  I just hope I don't run out of people to photograph.  I have found a great little model out of this session definitely a keeper as she is a natural in front of the camera and extremely photogenic.  You will be seeing her more as I will be doing some promotional sessions with her for the business.  I have a few more sessions set up for the end of Oct and into Nov. a wedding to attend in Dec. and hopefully a wedding to photograph in Jan.  Even my husband is surprised at how well I have been doing even in tough economical times.  But, I stay humble and just look at this as a gift and know that I may be doing well now I may slow down.  Still I hope that I don't as I am having the most fun sharing what I see with my clients.  Today's photo is of the family session from Oct 18 definitely a fun session.

Today's Photo Tip: Ok so we have now talked about ISO, F-stops, and shutter speed but those are not the only keys to great photos there is also composition.  That is today's lesson but remember knowing the basics is half the battle knowing when to bend or break the rules is the other.  That I cannot teach it is something that you must learn by experimenting and playing around.

Photography: The Rules of Composition

           Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole.  In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures.  The following guidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use them with every picture you take or there wouldn't be any creativity in your work.  Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picture spots and opportunities.

           Before you just step up and take a picture you should consider what you want your viewers to look at and how you should display main points of interest.  You should ask yourself, what is the main subject?  What angle should the light be hitting in my picture?  Is there anything that could accentuate the main subject?  Where should the main subject be in the frame?  These are all important things you should consider, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow the rules exactly.

           The Rule of Thirds has been used for centuries and is probably the most important of all the composition techniques.  The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture.  By locating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give the subject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture.  This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject, the intersections can still work even if there's a subject on more than one.  The divisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example, help you determine how much horizon you want.  Most famous photographs or paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some way.

           Simplicity is the method of keeping the information in a photograph relatively simple.  If your main subject is close, then your background should be very simple to avoid distractions.  You should try to keep everything not important much less interesting than what's important in the frame.  Especially avoid lines or objects that lead the eye away from the subject.

           Framing is the tactic of using natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject.  It could be anything such as bushes, trees, a window, or even a doorway like in the picture at the top of this page.  In the process of doing this you need to be careful that you don't only focus on what's framing your subject.  Make sure you focus on the main subject, and also it is a good idea to use a narrow aperture (high f/stop) to achieve a high depth-of-field.  It also wouldn't hurt if the part of the picture framing the subject was darker so make sure you take your light reading on the main subject.

           Texture can add a significant amount of interest in any picture.  When people see texture in pictures they start imagining what it feels like to touch what's in the picture.  Texture is a good idea when your taking pictures of rocks, walls, surfaces, someone's hands, or leaves.  In order to make a picture reveal a texture you must make sure the light is coming almost exactly from the side of the surface so it creates shadows in places key places.

           Leading Lines are used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to an important subject.  Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines are all good at promoting interest.  Good examples could be roads, rivers, streams, bridges, branches, or fences but there are endless things that could be used.

           Colors are what add heart and emotion to your pictures.  Certain color configurations can inspire awe and amazement in onlookers.  Colors can be used to add all sorts of accents and effects, but you must be careful to not draw attention away from the main subject.

It might not be a bad idea to keep these key terms with you when you practice taking pictures.  The best way to learn and improve your composition is just lots of practice and experimenting.

Oct 12 Another successful session.

I am totally happy with the direction my business is going with every successful session comes another session. I am having the time of my life getting to be creative and help spread joy to those I photograph. So yesterdays session was originally planned for outdoors then the Kansas weather stepped in and forced us indoors. So I didn't get to be as creative as I would have liked but am happy with the results and so is my client which in the end is all that matters. So 2 beautiful girls and a beautiful mom later I had a collection of photos with edits that I am happy to post as mine. For the common public you will only get to see one photo from the session as the album on my website is password protected to you will get the sneak peak version. My session for tomorrow has been rescheduled again Ks weather has stepped in only this time the client wants to stay outdoors so has been moved to the weekend when the weather is to be most favorable. I am excited with anticipation as outdoors is where I feel I really shine and I can get the most candid of shots. So am very eager for the weekend to come. Today's photo is your sneak peak to yesterdays session.

Today's Photo Tip: Bringing it all together. This tip goes with the two previous about ISO and aperture.

Quick Guide to Understanding Shutter Speed

Written by Ron Risman

In a film camera, light travels through the lens opening (aperture) and past a shutter that opens and closes to allow light through to the film. While a digital camera doesn't have a mechanical shutter, it does use electronics to simulate this same process.

As light travels through the lens opening (aperture), the shutter opens and closes in a timed fashion to determine how long the image sensor ("film") gets exposed to a scene. A faster shutter speed, similar to blinking your eye more quickly, helps to reduce the amount of motion the cameras image sensor will capture. If the shutter stays open longer, it will allow more potential motion in the captured frame. Any movement during the "capture" process of a scene will end up as a blur. If it's camera movement then the entire photo will be blurred. If only the subject moves then only the subject will be blurred.

In order to capture blur-free "action" photographs (Sports is one example), you'll need to make sure the camera is using a high shutter speed. Typically a shutter speed setting of 1/125th of a second (shutter speeds are measured in fractions) is considered a "high" shutter speed, although the setting will depend on the speed of the action that you want to "freeze". Example: To capture a golf swing you might need to use a 1/500th speed shutter, while trying to capture kids playing basketball might only require a 1/125 or 1/250 shutter speed.

Important: Less light gets through to the imager (or film) as the shutter speed is increased, thus it's very difficult to use higher shutter speeds in lower light situations. There are ways to improve the speed of the shutter in these situations. One is to allow more light to pass through the lens (aperture setting), the other is to increase the ISO sensitivity of the imager.

Oct 10 Brrrrrrr it's cold out there baby.

Man talk about freezing. 29 with wind chill and my crazy butt is out there doing a session. What were we thinking. Although it was chilly you can not tell by the photos that turned out great. I am posting my favorite one for my photo of the day. I love bridges and am glad there are some close. May try to shoot again if not too chilly because I would really like to get a few more of this senior. I have another shoot tomorrow thank heavens it is indoors.
No tip today will be posting again in the next few days so will post my tip with that one.

October 8 Business is Thriving

Another end to a beautiful week. With my new version of Photoshop to play with I can offer so many new photo enhancements it is insane. Definitely lovin CS4 and getting new plug ins everyday to expand my creative edge. Have 3 sessions coming up I am very much looking forward to one Sat., one Sun., and one Tues evening. The only downside to them is the weather is getting colder and will prove to be chillier sessions than I am used to. But, so is the life of a photographer you take the good weather with the not so good weather when shooting outside. I just am hoping for no more rain as that just ruins any chance of shooting cold I can handle rain is a big fat no way. So todays photo is of me playing with my new lens and the mirror. Such fun to do odd ball things and then experiment with the outcome. I did a glamour enhancement to the photo so you can't see too many smile and frown lines.

Today's photo tip: Going along with last times tip here is a bit on aperture or f-stop.

Quick Guide to Understanding Aperture

Aperture Information

In the dictionary the term Aperture has this definition: "a usually adjustable opening in an optical instrument, such as a camera or telescope, that limits the amount of light passing through a lens...."

All lenses have an opening (Aperture) that allow light to pass through to the camera's image sensor (digital) or film. A larger aperture, (measured in fractions: i.e. f/3.5) allows more light to pass through while a smaller aperture (F/22) allows less light to pass through. The size of the aperture, or its range is determined by the lens itself. If you look around the front of the lens on your camera you might see "f-stop" numbers listed. An example may be: F3.8 - 5.4. These number tell you how large the opening of the lens can get at wide angle (F3.8) and at the telephoto setting (F5.4). In this example "zooming in" will allow less light to pass through compared to shooting the same scene at wide angle.

The smaller the F-stop (fraction) the larger the aperture (opening) of the lens can be. An F-stop of F2.0 lets in more light than a setting of F2.8, etc.. A lens with a maximum F-Stop of F2.8, F2.0, or F1.8 are considered fast. Most consumer priced cameras usually offer a maximum opening size of F3.5 or F3.8 which are fine for normal everyday shooting but not great when trying to reduce motion blur in lower light situations (school plays, indoor sports).

A larger lens opening (brighter lens) offers the following advantages:

• You'll be able to shoot more often with just natural lighting. This helps to reduce harsh shadows and red-eye caused by flash. A flash will still be needed when the scene is too dark, even for the bright lens.
  
  
• By allowing more light to pass through, the camera will be able to choose a slightly higher shutter speed which helps to reduce motion blur when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions.
  
  
• A larger aperture (F/5.6 in photo example) helps to reduce "depth-of-field" (the amount of area from front to back that stays in focus) which makes for beautiful portraits (sharp subject, blurred background).

Sept 30 Went for a walk today.

So instead of going to an optional Disaster Drill for work I caught up on all the things today that I wanted and needed to do yesterday. Both boys were home sick from school so had to stay homebound on the day I had planned on getting all my stuff done on. So yesterdays walk turned into today's walk. Very lovely as I am a huge lover of fall and all the beauty that comes with it. Kansas turns so many different colors in the falls. Oranges and reds, yellows and browns the colors will take your breath away if you let them. So today's blog will be special as I will share my favorite 3 photos taken today instead of just one. So as the weather and colors change so does my business I am getting busier and hope the momentum carries me into the holiday seasons. I am loving every minute of it. I feel I have finally reached my true potential and what I was meant to do with my life. Yeah it is slow going and a labor of love but I don't believe I would have it any other way as I really appreciate it because I have put so much into it all. I want to take a moment and just say a word of thanks to all those who have stood by me and believed in me these last 2 years. Thank You to all of you and you know who you are. I could not have done it without you especially my family who even when I thought my photos were bad they stood beside me saying if you don't like them change them. Ok enough of the mushy stuff as it is not typically my style back to today. All the photos taken today were with my newest lens canon 55-250 IS I can definitely see the image stabilization making a difference in the variety of shooting situations and assignments that I can say yes to. I am even daring to start doing more weddings and even some advertising for them. What a difference a lens can make.
So today's photos were all taken in ElDorado Ks smack dab in the middle of the afternoon.

Today's photo tip: I am sharing a more technical side of photography today for those who follow that are a bit more advanced. When I started out I always let the camera make all the decisions for me and found it really put restraints on exactly what I could and could not do with my camera. The more you know the more you can experiment and find what really works in all situations for you. Next tip will be aperture or f-stops when coupled with shutter speed and ISO these can be handy to have a grasp of even if you are simply a shoot the kids at the park kinda person the more you understand the more you will love photography. This is how I learned and now I will be sharing it with you.

Quick Guide to Understanding ISO "Speed"

Written by Elizabeth Giargiari, Cameratown.com

A camera has to make a lot of decisions when you press the shutter button. It needs to determine the brightness of the scene and the distance of subjects in order to set the camera's ISO, aperture, shutter and focus. This all happens within milliseconds. It is these settings that I'll explain in order to give you a better understanding of how they affect your final captured image. ISO Sensitivity:
A camera's ISO function sets the light sensitivity of the camera's image sensor (this is similar to the speed rating of FILM). ISO settings are often rated at 100, 200, or 400 but go as high as 800, 1600, and even 3200 on some advanced models. A lower ISO setting is used when capturing overly bright scenes, since it reduces the light sensitivy of the image sensor. This is ideal when shooting at the beach, on a ski slope, or under the midday sun. A higher ISO settings is often used when shooting under dimmer conditions (cloudy days, indoors, etc.) since it increases the light sensitivity of the image sensor. As brightness in a scene is decreased the camera tries to compensate by slowing the shutter speed which in turn lets in more light but increases the risk of motion blur. To prevent this, you can increase the ISO or sensitivity of the camera, which allows the camera to select a higher shutter speed, thus reducing motion blur. Why not just use a higher ISO all the time?

While using a higher ISO setting is often needed to capture images with reduced blur in lower light, it also increases the noise level of the image (In film this is often referred to as "grain"). A lower ISO setting is preferred whenever possible since it helps to reduce this noise or grain.
ISO settings can also be used to help control the shutter speed of a camera while in automatic mode. In order to "freeze" motion in a scene, a camera needs to be able to use a higher shutter speed. By selecting a higher ISO you are allowing the camera to gather more light, this automatically forces the camera to select a higher (faster) shutter speed, which helps to reduce motion blur.

With film, the ISO rating is considered a "speed" rating. ISO 100 would be considered a slow film, while ISO 400 would be considered a faster film. Digital cameras obviously don't use film thus the ISO number corresponds to the image sensor's light sensitivity.

ISO 100:	Great for bright sunny days, at the beach or on the snow. Produces clean images that are great for enlargements.
ISO 200:	Great for overcast daylight pictures (noise levels may increase, but in most cases not noticeably)
ISO 400:	Great for lower lighting conditions (indoors, night time) or when you need to capture faster moving subjects in lower lighting conditions. In many consumer cameras, ISO 400 can make photos look very noisy in dark areas of the picture. The reason a higher speed ISO helps you capture fast moving subjects is because a higher ISO makes the image sensor of the camera more light sensitive. This forces the camera to use a higher shutter speed to compensate for the extra brightness, which in turn helps to "freeze" movement in the captured frame.

In the above example I set my camera to a fixed shutter speed of 1/200th of a second and the aperture value to f/5.0. I then changed the ISO setting for each photograph to demonstrate how a faster ISO setting can make the camera more light sensitive.

This example demonstrates increased noise (and depth-of-field) in a photograph as you increase the ISO. This example was shot using a Canon EOS-10D which is known to have very little noise at higher ISO's when compared to consumer level digital cameras. As you can see, the photograph on the far right has increased noise (grain) but is also a bit more in focus. I focused and zoomed the camera in on a tree (bottom left corner) which was about 80 feet in front of the garage (window). The higher ISO setting allows the image sensor of the camera to be more light sensitive. It also allows the camera to set a smaller aperture which helps it to achieve a greater depth of field. This is why the Window is a bit more in focus in the photo on the right.

Sept 26 Reflections

This weeks topic will be my reflections of how this whole thing started. I look back 6 years ago to that oh so very lucky shot I got of my then 3 yo son. He was overlooking Fall River Lake at sunset me armed with my little 2.1 mp HP camera. Which was a great camera for a consumer then and took some great photos for me in it's time. It was then and there that I decided that I could tell stories with photos. I was intrigued with the whole thing and motivated to get more great photos. But how? I didn't know the first thing about why that photo ended up being so great I just knew everyone loved it. So I kept doing my best to take great photos everytime but alas still didn't grasp that technical side of the whole process. So me being the pioneer woman I am set out to learn everything I could via the world wide web. I am here to tell you there is so much out there you can learn it is unbelievable. A cornucopia of information just waiting for those who seek it out. 2 years after that first realization of a glimmer of skill I purchased my Kodak mid level point and shoot camera. I was in heaven all new settings 5 wonderful mp of resolution and a sporty looking little camera body. This is where technicality met skill I was learning about light and settings and applying them to the photos I was taking, to say the least my photos got better and better and I started getting friends asking me to take photos of their kids. But, was still stuck outside as the inside studio style photos still eluded me. Not enough light not enough knowledge to really produce a wonderful studio photo. Then in 2007 my breakthrough so to speak I found the DIY web sites how to produce enough light in an indoor studio setting. I was really rolling and by Oct I was doing rock bottom cheap sessions for close friends and family. I finally built up my portfolio to a satisfactory level I started getting more paid sittings and then what would you know a business was born. Nov. of 2007 a wonderful person decided that I had great skills and needed that elusive expensive new camera that I had been wanting forever. So an investment later I was purchasing a camera and some lights. This is also the time in which I built my first backdrop stand. It was big and bulky but cheap and got the job done. I spent countless hours taking photos of my kids and their stuffed animals (which don't complain when you have taken 100+ photos and want to keep going) hours of moving lights changing settings and tweeking all the small details of shooting in a studio. By mid 2008 I had done some really great sessions taken some really great shots but low and behold the recession hit and no one has the money to buy food and gas let alone get photos of their family so things were feast or famine. I went months between shoots taking all kinds of small jobs little league basketball and baseball filled in gaps nicely. Then I decided in Oct 2008 I had to get a real JOB to help out my family but, with the understanding that all involved had to deal with me being gone if I had photo sessions in my off time. I have to say almost 2 years later my business is finally at a point I should have been at when it all started and I just keep getting better. I continually learn new tricks and poses. I frequently surprise myself with shots that were unexpected but take my breath away and will never get tired of seeing the smiles when I deliver prints to a family I have done work for. I feel blessed to be able to capture life in a way as to provoke happiness in my fellow humanity. With much sadness and sorrow that there is in this world I am happy I can give back moments that will forever be remembered in the form of a photo.
So this is my story I am just as enthralled with photography as I was 6 years ago and I haven't looked back I am eager for the future and what it has to offer. My goal is to one day be published in some form and will keep working toward that goal til I reach it. I also want my own studio that is not located in my home and one that is sufficient enough to allow me to quit my JOB and do photography full time.
Today's photo is a wonderful barn in Halstead, Ks I am partial to barns. Enjoy.

Today's Photo Tip: Ok not so much a tip as an affirmation. You do not have to have the best camera or equipment to take great photos. You need what we call an eye for it. Seeing things differently or thinking outside the box. Some of the best photos are taken with everyday consumer cameras not pro grade. In fact not too long ago I saw a friends photo taken with a disposable camera and was one of the best photos that told a story that I have ever seen. This photo was a lucky shot so admitted by the taker but now he has a photo that will give him a memory of that moment for the rest of his life. So don't fret if you have a consumer point and shoot camera even one with low resolution as it is who is behind the camera not the camera itself that results in great photos.

Sept 14 Thoughts on Photography

Welcome back for another late entry to my blog. I really wish I could get a blog up at least once a week I feel so scatter brained when I don't. Ok so my thoughts on photography when you really want your shoot to be fantastic this little thing called unpredictable kids comes up and really challenges you and makes you have second thoughts about your ability. I love kids but have found that they can be the most challenging subjects to photograph. I am just hoping that the photos that I captured for them were everything they wanted. I need a recoop session to just turn my day around. I am ready for the seniors that have been sitting on the fence saying they want to book but have not yet. Or I just need a great session with a friend who wants to look pretty in photos. I have in the process found some awesome places to do sessions at so nothing lost there and both my sessions from this weekend were great I just wish I could have created more for the second. Funny how you can believe in yourself wholeheartedly for something and second guess yourself for the same thing another time. I guess that is what makes us human and always growing at our skills. Today's photo is one of the best photos I have ever taken and I was just coming off a shoot that I felt was my best ever. I just keep growing everyday and never stop learning.

Today's photo Tip: Know your camera. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not taking time to learn about the features of your camera. Don't be lazy. Read your instruction manual.
If you don't do this you are taking away from the value of the camera you have spent your hard earned money on and potentially losing great shots too.

Sept 4 catching up

Ok so I have been really busy between shooting at the Watermelon Festival and personal client sessions so I am behind on my blog. So let's catch up a bit. I have learned to love my white and purple weird backgrounds. I call them weird because they are not smooth they are textured and you have to be careful or you show that but adaption has been found and I now embrace them as a great asset. I got to photograph my favorite young model that last year all I heard was no and I don't want to this year at 3 is no less than a Diva in front of the camera. I in the end gave mom 43 photos to choose from and was apologizing for it as I know it will have to be hard to pick just a few but any less would not be my style. I have another shoot coming up on the 12th that I am looking forward to as it will give me new landscape to photograph in front of and the new challenge to get 3 goofy brothers to behave. I have some seniors coming up and very much looking forward to making them be their best photos ever. The photo I have chosen is fromm my 3 yo sitting last weekend and I think the photo speaks for itself.

Photo Tip of the Week:

Have Enough Memory Capacity

Just like you must have enough rolls of film when using traditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity in your digital camera. It's terrible to be on a holiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you've no memory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digital camera storage.

• 2 megapixel cameras - get at least a 64MB card
• 3 megapixel camera - get at least a 128MB card
• 4 megapixel camera - get at least a 256MB card
• 5 megapixel camera and above - get at least a 512MB or 1GB card

Aug 14 2009

It's that time again, time for my weekly blog. I would have done this yesterday but was battling my worst enemy migraine headaches. Sometimes I wonder why one gets them and another doesn't I would trade for many ailments just to get rid of them. But I am back up and running today and have many to do's today. Scouting locations is one of them need some unique and interesting locations for photo sessions. I will be getting those up on my facebook page under locations as soon as I get them processed. I am very excited to be adding some new and fun locations to my list. Especially for seniors as they are the most dynamic shoots scenery wise and todays seniors are getting more shall I say demanding of fun and unique scenery. So a trip southward then maybe hit the oldtown district and if enough time head northward to cover all aspects of my range of travel. This may be a two day adventure to be continued early next week we will see what time permits me to do today. So on to todays photo these guys showed up in the backyard the night before last when I was coming in from bowling and I was lucky enough that they were still there yesterday morning so I fought the thumping head to get at least some shots of these weirdly unique critters. Hope you like the photo.

Todays photo tip:

Changing the Point of View

Another thing to consider when taking your picture is your point of view. A picture can be more interesting when taken from an unusual angle. Don't be afraid to lie down and look up at your subject, a particularly dynamic approach when photographing pets or children and also less threatening to your subject. Equally, you could try climbing up to a higher viewpoint and looking down on your subject. Better yet, try both and then delete the one you like less.

Aug 5 2009

Ok so I missed my one week goal by just a bit but I am trying. I have been really busy with work and family but i have managed to take a few new photos. The photo I have highlighted today is from my very own bushes I love hibiscus and they are so pretty when photographed. I am just glad I am able to share with others. I am proud to announce that my facebook page is now up to 80 fans and hopefully growing even more. My goal is to get at least 150 if not 200 but am so happy with my 80. I just hope that my work will increase with my fan numbers increasing. I head back to my day job on Thurs will hopefully get one more blog in before then if not will blog again next week. Til then Live like there is no tomorrow.

Todays Photo Tip: High Resolution All the Way-

One of the most important reasons for packing a massive memory card is to enable you to shoot at your camera's highest resolution. If you paid a premium price for a 6 megapixel digicam, then get your money's worth and shoot at 6 megapixels. And while you're at it, shoot at your camera's highest quality compression setting too.

Why not squeeze more images on your memory card by shooting a lower resolution and low quality compression settings? Because you never know when you're going to capture the next great image of the 21st century. And if you take a beautiful picture at the low 640 x 480 resolution, that means you can only make a print about the size of a credit card, not exactly the right dimensions for hanging in the museum.

On the other hand, if you recorded the image at 2272 x 1704 (4 megapixels) or larger, then you can make a lovely 8- x 10-inch photo-quality print suitable for framing or even for gracing the cover of Time magazine. And just in case you were able to get as close to the action as you had liked, having those extra pixels enables you to crop your image and still have enough resolution to make a decent sized print.

The point is, if you have enough memory (and you know you should), then there's no reason to shoot at lower resolution and risk missing the opportunity to show off your work in a big way.

Happy Shooting.

July 23 Life is like a box of chocolates, there's always nuts in every box.

Ok so today will be my last blog for 6 and I am dreading them. Back to my real job I go, if you want to call it that. I will be so glad when I can ditch the job and have my studio running full time. This is frustrating times but alas I do not give up. So I am re prioritizing my funds and will be hitting the advertising world to further my client base. I am also with great prompting from my husband going to be beating on the doors of some mags to get my landscapes and art prints published. This is new for me and am learning along the way. Wish me Luck...... I am at a point where I have worked so hard to get this business off the ground it is time to take some initiative and get things done. When life gives you lemons, Make Lemonade.

Todays Photo Tip: Take your camera everywhere with you. I don't know how many times I have seen something beautiful or just plain strange and wouldn't you know I don't have my camera. I have seen deer and sunsets and many more things of great interest and no way of documenting them. So when loading up to run your errands toss in your camera just for safe measure you never know when you might find that one in a million shot that will take your breathe away.

Til next time. Have a blessed weekend.

July 21 A good day.

So I got the studio cleaned out since everytime we go camping all the gear gets dumped in my studio. Nice huh? But just didn't have the drive to shoot any photos today and the kids only let me get away with so many a year. So I am faced with a dilema in these economical hard times. Do I take time off from my business or do I do some work for a great deal. I am seriously leaning toward the second option. So in light of my declined business largely to to economic hardship and also my lack there of advertising I will be doing a special. In the remainder of July and August I will be running 30% off my sitting fee and 25% of prints. That is a great deal personalized sitting with me for $28.00. If you are interested in booking give me a call at 316-734-3853 or email me at basicandbeyondphotography@wheatstate.com. Just a side note the photo I have posted was from our trip to San Antonio Seaworld. What a lovely park and truly a great experience for all I highly suggest if you get a chance check it out.

Todays Photo Tip: For those who only have on board flashes. If you are getting frustrated with there being a big bright spot right in the middle of your photo where the flash fired you are not alone. This is called a hot spot and they can be very frustrating. So when you have to use that on board flash and you want to minimize that harsh hot spot. Go to the kitchen pull you out a coffee filter, yes I said a coffee filter. Lightly take a piece of said filter over that flash and see how more diffuse that light is. It will minimize the hot spots and help spread the light just a bit more. You will not be sorry that you used this tip and hey it can't hurt that photo a bit. LOL

Til next time, God Bless.

July 20th Update

So I feel that I may have taken on a little too much trying to do a 365 project right now. I still am taking photos everyday pretty much. But, getting them on here and edited is the trouble. So for now I am scrapping the 365 project and my goal is to update my blog no less than once a week. I will also continue to give photo tips because I love to share what I have learned in the last 5 years since I commited to photography my time and energy. Todays photo is my nephew just sitting and contemplating the moment. This is one of my favorite photos I took over the weekend while camping. Hope you enjoy.

Photo tip: If you are wanting to stop action and you are having a hard time with your auto settings. Try switching to shutter priority (if your camera supports this) set your shutter speed to at least your focal length. Being if you are zoomed in to 200 mm then your shutter speed should be no less than 1/200th second. This will stop action so you can catch those jumps, and runs with out that pesky blur that motion will give you.

July 9 Day 4

Ok so back to the real world of my full time job in the old ER I did take a few snaps today but nothing worthy of posting so in light of my heavy weekend schedule. I will be sharing older photos that are special to me. So here is one of my first "art gallery" quality prints taken with my first high end camera by Kodak. Taken back in 2005 just the day after getting the camera. I was at that time in awe of the camera. Over the years I longed for something bigger and greater. So I purchased my DSLR and have not been upset with the camera one bit. So this weekend you will get to see a blast from my photographic past hope you enjoy the walk down my memory lane.

Today's photo tip: Great photos do not necessarily come from the most expensive or best cameras. They come from the eye of the photographer you don't need fancy equipment to take breath taking photos you need breath taking moments and an eye for that certain something. So just when you think you just have to have that fancier, costlier camera step back see things in a new light and snap away with what you have you might just be surprised at the result.

July 8 Day 3

Wow what a day started with storms and hail this morning and ending with storms tonight. What a wonderful display of natural electricity. Much to my delight I caught my long eluded lightning shot. I have caught others but never in focus just lit up I am overjoyed with this photo. Also very happy to share so others can see it, truly a day that I can say I have accomplished a goal. As I sit here writing I can hear the thunder outside and am itching to go out and try to capture more. Oh to live in the central plains where you can experience the raw fury of nature.

Today's photo tip: To create impactful photos, move in close and fill your picture with the subject. Move a few steps closer or use the zoom until the subject fills the viewfinder. You will eliminate background distractions and show off the details in your subject. For small objects, use the cameras macro or "flower" mode to get sharp close ups.

July 7 Day 2

Aaaahhhh another wonderful day in the life of a photographer. I could have done without the housecleaning but it is a necessary evil and has to be done. But, the reward was an evening with family I have not seen for many years. And seeing my great nephews for the first time how blessed I feel "My cup runeth over" So my photo for today that I have chosen to share is of my great nephew David what a little natural model. He kept coming up to me growling then waiting for me with a cheesy grin til I had taken the picture my most eager subject to this day. I also got photos today of the baby but David was just so eager for me to take his picture he was my choice naturally. Here's wishing my friends a great day.

Today's photo tip: When you are wanting to edit photos and don't want to spend a fortune on Photoshop. Try paint.net it is a wonderful simple platform that is very similar to photoshop but FREE. You can download the program from www.getpaint.net . This is a very nice program to do B&W conversions and other editing using layers and alterations.

July 6 Day one of 365 project.

Spent the morning on the farm with a friend and his kids. Took them riding and they got to play on the farm. It was a very nice and not too hot morning. I just love spending days on the farm a few photos later I have de-stressed and am feeling great. I took more than one photo today but decided this was my most interesting photo. This wasp was hauling his meal back to its home drug the thing all the way across the porch. This was part way when we realized what it was doing. What a fabulous way to spend a day.

Todays photo tip: When you happen to take a not so great color photo before you trash it see what it might look like in B&W you might have a nice surprise. Some of the best monochrome photos are failed color ones. So check it before you trash it.

Basic and Beyond Photography First Blog

Welcome I hope you enjoy our blog. I will be starting a 365 project this next week check back regularly to see each days photo. I will also be updating after each photo session so my readers can see a sneak peek at my newest shoots. I will also be sharing some of my photo knowledge for those who want to learn about simple photography and how you can improve your daily snapshots.

Todays tip: When doing headshots make your point of focus the eyes. The eyes are the gateway to making a normal photo an exceptional photo. With new digital camera technology this is easier than ever.