Senior Portraits - Digital Makeup

Your skin is not perfect and neither are celebrities, but they have access to makeup artists and Photoshop experts. As a portrait photographer I want you to look your best, and I post-process my photos to add a little digital makeup. When you are looking for a senior portrait photographer ask them if they do any retouching and if they have any examples to show you. I found some photos of Naomi Watts and Jessica Alba and did some retouching on them to show you what can be done with a little Photoshop magic. You may not be a celebrity but your photographer should treat you like one.

Senior Portraits - Booking Early

Summertime is the best time to do your senior portraits, next year seems like a long ways away but Now is the best time to start looking for a photographer to do your senior portraits. Bookings for portraits pick up the closer we get to the beginning of school, therefore many photographers offer discounts for booking early. You may not need to take your photos early but you could save some money by getting them scheduled the beginning of summer. The best time of year to do your portraits is in the summer before school starts. if you wait to long the weather gets bad, and your into homecoming. if you wait untill spring you will have to wait utill may for the grass to get green and the leaves to come out on the trees. by then it's prom time and then after that is exam time. so do your self a favor and do your portraits in th summer, you won't regret it.

If you are thinking of having photos done in autumn when the trees are at their peak color, then you want to make sure you book that way ahead of time, and let your photographer know that you want pictures then. There is about a 2 week window when the leaves are at there best for autumn, so you need to plan ahead for it.

if you would like me to do your senior portraits then check out my website www.huronphoto.com

Kodak Moments

On my recent vacation to Disney World it was surprising to see Kodak Photo Spots still posted in the parks. growing up in the 70's all of my family's memories were preserved on Kodak film and paper. Now with digital, Kodak is not the giant in the photography world it once was, but as a business they understood the inportace of saving our memories. here is a video they made to remind us how importat it is to keep, protect and share our photos

Kodak video

Photgraphers Love Props

I love it when clients bring in their own props to the studio. It makes their portraits unique to them. If I use a prop that I have in the studio many clients will have a photo taken with that same prop. If someone brings in their favorite guitar or sporting equipment, their child’s favorite toy or their dog’s bed, then we can create a special portrait that will be cherished even more. Next time you have a portrait done be sure to bring some props with you.

Photographers Style

Every photographer has their own style. A style can be the way you shoot or the process you do to the photographs after they have been taken. I like to photograph on a white background, because I like the “clean” look, there is nothing there but the subject. If you are looking to hire a photographer look at their portfolio, if you like what you see then that is what you will get. I see to often someone looks at a portfolio and then instead of going to that photographer they go to a different one and then tell them to do a photo like the one they saw. I you like somebody’s photos the go to that photographer to get that style of photo that is what they are good at. And oh yea it you like my white background then please see me about taking photos for you.

A Day At School

I was asked by my kid’s school to come in and take some photographs of the students for the yearbook. I have been to Weiss Elementary several times but it was usually some special event such as a Christmas party or field trip. On this day I got to see the teachers and students doing what they do on an average day. I tried to be the preverbal “fly on the wall” which is hard to do for a 200 plus pound guy with a camera. I was able to see first hand how much our teachers care about their pupils and that the kids do work hard, they were even reading during snack time. It was nice of the teachers to share some of their class time with me and see what goes on during an “average day” at school.

When documenting events with photos I like to shoot without my flash and capture the images with the available light. Most photographers think that as soon as they are indoors they must use a flash but I turn up my ISO and try to capture the atmosphere with the light that is in the room. It works well in a school since most schools are well lit.

Get In Close, Then Get Even Closer

I have not been able to photograph much between teaching photography at Saginaw Township Community Ed and having games canceled because of the blizzard. But I need to do another post on my blog since it’s been a while. I think the biggest mistake most new photographers make is not getting in close to their subject. Use a telephoto lens or zoom in with your lens and then move in closer with you feet. It makes for a much more dramatic photo when you fill the picture with the face of you subject and not have you subject standing off in the distance. So remember get in close and then get even closer.