I am so behind on my blog, but today I’m making up for it. December kept me incredibly busy with Christmas orders and January I spoke at the national photographic convention which meant a ton of prep and time all around it. Still, I have been flagging shoots all this time to blog about, and today I’m going through those shoots and posting them out. So keep tuned in as there will be plenty to see.
Sorry to keep all of you waiting. And by “all of you,” I mean all 50 Million of you that read this blog…or however many it really is. 🙂
On top of couple portraits, I always like to get some fun individuals of each, in case we use them in a collage or other wall art display. The slight variations in lighting and positioning for each person help exaggerate her beautiful feminine features and his masculine features.
We may have had a short shoot, but the images were fun to create and she looked so great! This first image utilizes my own custom made edges and overlays. That is the only image with any enhancements, by the way. The rest of these are still un-retouched, but I like them as straight images. They have such a sense of reality to them without any retouching or effects.
And for this final image I added some heavier edge lights to set off her hair and collarbones. There is a lot of dimension in this and her smile and sparkle in her eyes is so genuine and real. I really hope that she loves these images. It was great getting to know her.
But then when you add night to the mix of shooting in a city, you add another layer of difficulty — LIGHTING! Lighting isn’t used to create an exposure, but rather to specifically sculpt a subject. Therefore it must be used specifically! It must come from a very specific angle depending on the model, despite any surroundings. And at the same time light has to balance with the background in both intensity as well as color temperature to avoid creating images that are too dark, flat, or dull looking. An image, even when created at night, should instead seem 3-dimentional and have pop!
I love this smiling close-up above, and this serious expression in the image below. Both created in the same spot. The vertical lines in the background above play off her angle and her soft hair, while the curve of the sidewalk in the image below leads your eye back to her and adds balance to the left side.
I really like the shadow of a the figure off camera in this next image below. It helps create a mysterious mood. It was created by some stranger walking by, and I liked it and waited to take the shot once the shadow moved into the open space of the image where it wouldn’t visually touch and compete with the rail in the foreground.
I used the effect of light color temperature to create different moods and looks throughout the shoot. I love the color, the angle, and her expression and stance on this image below. The hair softly blowing at an angle really makes this image work!
Dallin did the Senior Mix Session, which includes both Color and B&W, both indoor and outdoor portraits using a number of sets, and multiple clothing changes. We mixed looks and created images that show his interests and hobbies.
Watching Alex, I was inspired to do a time lapse photography video. He has one he did that is now the opening sequence of SNL, and it gave me an idea. Sunday morning, I mounted a camera to the side of my car, and created a time-lapse video of me driving to Salt Lake. Here is the result.
We then switched it up to Scott playing his electric guitar, again with selective focus before moving outside.
We then went on location to one of my favorite places because it’s so far from anywhere. As far as you look on the horizon, you won’t see civilization. We are really in the middle of nowhere, and the colors and textures are so great! I really like the lines in this particular image, and how they all work with the guitar’s neck.
We ended the shoot with Scott walking away, feeling that this could perhaps be the back of the CD or a foldout page inside. It gives room for text and design work.
And this little boy looks so good. You’d hardly believe that he was so wiggly.
Time is running out this year for outdoor portraits. The weather is turning and fall is here. Now is the time to book your family appointment. Give me a call and let’s talk about your dream portrait: 801-728-3317. The weather is holding out a bit longer and it’s a great time to get in, especially if you’d like some cards for Christmas.