Long time, no blog!
I’ve been slacking on blog updates lately! Between wedding inquiries, bride meetings, email piles and my surprise! abdominal surgery, I am just now catching up from my recovery time. I have also been shooting! I’ve lost all use of my Cactus V4 triggers. They both died within a few months of getting them (the 2nd one died a few WEEKS after I got them) so am just miserable over losing my wireless flash ability.
HOWEVER, I’m going to suck it up and buy a couple Pocket Wizards this month, whether I can afford them or not…because I am just dying with being tethered to a flash.
As for 2010 weddings I’ve got about 15 inquiries pending and a few confirmed dates already. I get inquiries every week so I’m hoping to have lots of work this year! This is my 2nd year and I feel really confident about my ability to improve this year and really push myself. Thanks to all the couples who are trusting me with such an important job!
Now, onto some photos! Here’s a sample of my last few projects.
Last night my friend and photographic muse Hope stopped by with the lovely Adrienne on their way to a club to see their friend spin. We had an awesome hour long session just goofing around. I spent a couple of hours figuring out how to set up high-key (white backdrop, bright) lighting with one slaved flash and one attached to a sync cord. I manged it with the assistance of flags and reflectors and some stretching of muscles I probably shouldn’t have stretch. Anything for the photos, right?
And a few nights ago I did a last-minute session with some friends for their new band, Sauriel. We didn’t have a lot to work with (again, this no wireless flash this is obnoxious) but we got some good shots to start with and will be shooting again after I get my PWs.
I also shot some self portraits just screwing around and finally got some I like so I could update my website photo and whatnot. One light, shoot through umbrella camera right, black side of a zip disc for backdrop.
Alright, I’ve got to get back to editing! Thanks for reading!
Mara: Finally finished!
Much like Hope and Missi’s shoots, because Mara’s was partly for school I found myself putting finishing them off…for like a month. Oops. But motivation is finally finding me and I finished editing (very tediously- these were noisy as hell…how I lust after the 7D and it’s better high ISO performance) her best shots today. If I were to do these again I would DEFINITELY bring my flash into the net and shoot ISO 800 rather than 1600.
By the way, if Mara looks familiar it is because I shot her wedding last fall at the Springstep Dance Studio.
But I had a lot of fun, learned how to exit a trapeze net (the more you know) and got some pretty cool shots. Here’s four favorites. Full set here.
Thanks for letting me tag along, Mara!
Long time, no post!
Why? School and life are pretty rough right now, I’m pretty down about it all but I’m still shooting! Here is proof! I have TWO shoots with Missi and one with Mara (you may remember her, formally a bride on this little blog). I did some studio time with Missi and she was kind enough to hoop for me while I took her picture. If you don’t know what hooping is, check this video out. It is a new obsession of mine and I wanted to do my final project on unconventional dancers and performers. I’m hoping to get some belly and burlesque dancers soon!
Mara is another one of my kind friends who are helping with the performers project. Mara does aerial silks. If you don’t know what that is, watch this video! I can’t do that stuff but I did manage to get in and out of the trapeze net without injuring myself or anyone else. Not bad.
Here’s a couple peeks, many more coming!
Mara:
Missi:
I am a lucky girl with beautiful friends!
More of baby Max!
Finally finished up Max’s park session. This baby was oodles of cute and seemed happy as a clam to smile wherever we put him!
We had perfect cloudy light, a nice fall day and lots of leaves for him to try and cram into his mouth before his mother stopped him. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Here’s some more faves, flickr set here.
Epic drool
Model Shoot: Hope
My friend Hope is a fun model. We had a great time Saturday night getting inebriated and shooting. I ran into the downside of Cactus Triggers…if the batteries aren’t spanky new, you’re screwed.
So we had no new batteries, it was 10pm and I refused to be defeated (again, we’re not going to talk about the humiliating experience I had on a child shoot last weekend) by these damn triggers.
I ended up attaching my 430EXII flash to my little Canon cord and mounted it to a light stand. This was annoying because I was stuck to a lightstand (which clocked me in the head once during the shoot…) but sacrifices had to be made. I aimed the flashhead into an open reflective umbrella (not the straight up silver kind, so the light wasn’t too harsh) over her head at 45 degrees to camera right. That light then bounced off a silver reflector gaffer-taped to a reflector to camera left, as well as another silver reflector on the floor as a skip.
Somehow, this ridiculous set up worked pretty well! Only downside is I wasn’t able to really light the backdrop and blow it out. Next time.
Here’s some favorites, all black and white because I was shooting for a black and white assignment for class.
I have some color shots coming soon when I get a little more editing time, and you’ll be seeing a lot more collaboration with Hope in the future!
In which I distract you with something shiny…
…so you don’t notice my lack of blogging!
Things have been kinda crazy around here and I do have some kid portraits coming up, but for now here is my favorite from last night’s “Trashion” show at UMASS. I had to shoot it for The Torch, and unfortunately couldn’t stay too long but once again the Nifty Fifty really worked it and I got some good shots.
This is my favorite, I love this girl (how gorgeous is she?) and her outfit and the red and the sharpiness! (It’s a word now!)
Shot @ 2.8 (with my 50mm 1.8) 1/200 at ISO1600
Julie & Alexis
My friend Julie has had an 8×10 frame hanging on her wall featuring a smiling family for some time now. Unfortunately the smiling family was not hers…or anyone she knows. They are the model family that comes in the frame. We took a quick trip down the road to Battleship Cover here is “lovely” Fall River to get her a nice photo of her and her daughter. These are my two favorites:
Few more here, I’m still editing a few others.
Finn: 6 Months Old!
A knitter friend of mine managed to birth the cutest baby boy…next to mine of course…ever. I can safely say that editing photos of such a cute little person make the work fly right by! I cranked these out in one sitting.
We had a nice cloudy morning, so these are all natural light. I had my flash on at 1/32 power and pointed up to (attempt to) grab baby’s attention and put some catch lights in, but the light itself is all natural.
Here’s some favorites, the full flickr set is here. (20 pictures)
I’m always looking to photograph kids…when did you have your kids’ pictures done last? *eyebrow waggle*
Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow 2009
FINALLY getting caught up on photos. I figure I better use this wedding-free month and this weekend’s photo shoots as motivation before I was even further behind on personal work!
I didn’t get to shoot nearly as much as I’d have liked again this year because without an official photopass (something I hope to get next year) the security guards (who are mostly not Wampanoag and have no idea what dances are ok to shoot and what dances are off limits) were harassing me every time my camera touched my face. I knew which dances were OK and could have shot anyway but I wasn’t in a debating mood, nor did I want to run and get my cousins to tell off these guys every 10 minutes. Oh well.
I did shoot the Goomba’s dance without harassment though. They were tough because their regalia is SO TALL it was hard to get a shot without background distraction AND get all of them in the frame! The Goomba’s, from what I remember being told, are Wampanoag natives that migrated to Bermuda. If anyone knows more, I’d love the info…google didn’t help much. Cousins that may be reading this?
These guys were amazing to watch and all the little ones were adorable.
Fortunately the security couldn’t tell me not to shoot my family so I did lots of that!
This was Aiden’s first pow-wow, too. Daddy took him for a spin around the dance circle.
Next year I’ll get that pass if it kills me, although I can tell you if you’ve never been to a Pow Wow, no photos will do it justice! Chances are you have a native tribe nearby, check it out!
