There are many good parts to my job.  In fact, most days, I can't believe I have the good fortune to have the job I do--I am truly very lucky.  One of the best parts is meeting truly wonderful people and maintaining great relationships with them, both in photography and in life. 

The portraits I'm using in my writing today are of a baby--a delightful little girl that is so easy to photograph, and especially expressive with her huge eyes.  But, more than just a baby, she is the child of two people that I met through my Wedding Photography work several years ago--I was happy to be the photographer for their Wedding Celebration.  So, from the engagement photos in the fall, through the wedding the following May, I got to know the bride and groom.  By the time we finished their fun wedding shoot, I felt we had become friends.  Through that relationship, I have also become friends with the bride's family, including her sister, who regularly brings her two young sons up for portrait work as well, and the entire bunch of them are just the neatest people you could ever want to know.  I have received referrals from them, and now, I am having a great time photographing that bride and groom's daughter, Ava, pictured here. 

I have several different families that I do such extended work with, and it is truly a precious experience to see the children grow and change, and to get to record fun, special moments for those families.  I, myself have completed my own childbearing experiences, but these children who grow up right in front of my lens--they become very near and dear to me--let's just say any of them could come live with me and be completely welcome.  And it is a huge honor to be trusted with capturing the milestones in these families' lives.  I am not only creating art, but, I am their record keeper.  Photos are important.  They have the power, through the extremely simple technology of an image printed on paper, of transporting you to another time and place in your life. 

Lucky, lucky, lucky. 

Be well.

The Appeal of Snow

I take a lot of photographs.  A lot.  Both for business and for pleasure.  And I am different than most midwesterners seem to be about the weather.  I always find it funny how, when in the midst of a sweltering summer, people (including television news crews) seem to find great pleasure in complaining about the heat.  And then, six months later, they gripe about the snowdrifts.  And yes, I am sure there are people who prefer one over the other--this time of year the population appears to run high to those who want to live on a palm tree shaded island.  But, I am not one of them. 

I like all of it, really.  Hot weather brings great opportunity for infrared work, comfortable outdoor photography, and wonderful underwater photography.  Spring and Fall each have their merits as well, from the newborn leaves just hazing the April tree branches to the piles of red, gold, and tangerine leaf piles that mountain up in everyone's yard come October.  There is always something to shoot.  Wintertime has a special charm as well. 

First of all, if you have decent snow, you have the perfect world for classic black and white photography of all types.  Simply because there is so much white.  Then, when working with people, there are so many fabulous clothing opportunities--chunky knits in great colors juxtaposed with all that vast whiteness just look good.  And the regular world just looks different with a 6 inch coating of white snow---the ordinary becomes a winter cathedral.  And just like in underwater photography, people of all ages become children again when plopped in a snow drift.  Opportunities are everywhere, as long as you keep your batteries warm and bag your camera before you come inside. 

All of these samples were taken in the last few weeks here in Southwest Iowa  for various purposes, but it strikes me how different they are, even though all were made in the snowy surround.  Depending upon lighting, location, activity, and purpose, as well as the ranging weather conditions, they are each a varied expression of the same season.  

I can't imagine living anywhere else--I love all of the seasons.  Winter is maybe my favorite though.  At least until spring.  And then summer.  Of course, there's always fall.....

Lies, Truths, Answers and Mosquito Bites

The picture I feature with my blog today is really the subject of this post.  All of the past 3 days here at Lovett Castle (and if you have seen my house, you know I jest) have been SNOW DAYS--great for my kidlets, yes, but challenging for someone trying to get some work done.  And not only have those days been snow days, but they have been REALLY SNOWY DAYS, as has been noted on every television and radio newsprogram the whole wide country over.  I'm sure you've heard of it---SNOWPOCALYPSE, SNOWTORIOUS B.I.G., and probably a multitude more that I haven't heard.  So, everyone has been in a snowy frame of mind.  Which is where we come to this photograph---a striking ice storm shot over a frozen pond, everything dressed in a lustrous, pristine white coating of crystals.  Very apt for where a large part of us are right now.

But, that photograph is a LIE.  Yep, a big, fat liar-liar-pants-on-fire lie.  It was taken in the full heat of a luscious, green July with frogs croaking and mosquitos buzzing in my ears, no doubt some of them grabbing a quick lunch at the restaurant located in that one spot that I can't scratch on my own back.  Nice waitresses there, I hear.  Anyway, that image is a black and white conversion of a digital infrared image exposed in full sun, 90 degrees out, at least, everything leafy and green, felt like the equatorial jungle though it was on some backroad in southwest Iowa. 

 

Several years ago, I purchased a consumer digital camera.  Which for me, is just not the 'done thing'.  And I don't mean to sound arrogant about it, although that comment probably bleeds arrogance at first blush.  The reason I don't purchase consumer cameras is because, in general, they don't hold up to the considerable use and abuse I foist upon them.  However, when I bought that camera, I had a plan.  I bought the nicest, but cheapest camera that would accept my collection of lenses, and, when it got here, I promptly relabeled the package and sent it off to have it converted to infra-red.  Turned out to be one of the best creative decisions I ever made.  That little plastic-bodied camera is still with me, and still makes pictures that can be blown up to 20x24 enlargements easily.  And, for that infra-red camera, that image is the truth.  As true as a photograph can be, anyway. 

I think of creativity as a way of looking at things.  A way of providing new answers to questions, maybe questions that have been asked a million times already.  And, when faced with the question of how to photography that delightfully green swamp in the picture, well, I came up with an answer, that, for me, was unique.  BUT, and this is IMPORTANT---IT ISN'T THE ONLY ANSWER.   See, when you take as many shots as I do--100,000 or more in a year---things can get a bit stale if you don't look for new answers.  A fresh new answer brings a fresh new feeling to all the rest of my work as well--not just the series of infrared shots I made that particular hot July day.  It bleeds into the rest of my work--my portraiture, nature work, wedding photography, underwater photography---it bleeds just as surely as that mosquito did when I flattened it on my shoulder.  But, if I revisited that particular location today, no doubt, my answer would be different.  If I had had only a visible-light camera with me that day, another answer would have come into my brain. 

And that's it, for me anyway.  Finding new answers to keep EVERYTHING new. Sometimes a whole SLEW of answers to the same problem.  Sometimes, the answers flow---and those are the blessed days.  Sometimes, they come hard, as hard as the ground underneath that pile of snow outside my window.  But, hey, that's life, isn't it. 

Be well.

NEW THING--WEDDINGS

Okay, yes, I know weddings are NOT a new thing to my Studio.  We started out photographing weddings--it's how we cut our photographic teeth, back when film and medium  format cameras were the only choice. Now, we are  retooling our Wedding Services, offering more choices,  some of them very couture,  to satisfy the most discerning couple. 

Many people say "Oh, wedding photography would be the hardest kind of work to do."  Which is not necessarily true.  Of course, you will have rough days, just like in any job.  But, for the most part, a wedding day is THE day when people are at their best.  And, if you come in prepared to make creative images that capture the spirit of the couple, with professional cameras and lightning, it IS strenuous work requiring mental and physical stamina, but, it isn't crazy-difficult.  I find that when I am photographing a wedding, I  am completely "on", lost in  the moment of creativity---for 8 to 10 hours at a time.  I liken the experience to when I am working on a colored pencil or pastel painting.  I get lost in my work, and the time just flies.  After I finish a day of wedding photography, I go home tired but exhilerated, and I sleep for 10 or 12 hours afterwards.  I think my brain needs the recovery time after a marathon of actively creating. 

But, after the wedding day, my work has only begun.  Then comes post-processing, where I fine-tune images, and apply my own art techniques to give portraits my "look".  After that, comes the fun part.  We are introducing a Post-Wedding Media Show--the newly married couple will arrive at the Studio and view my favorite images from their wedding day on the big screen with a dynamic video slideshow accompanied by local music from talented independent artists. They will review album choices and options, perhaps making decisions at that time about their portrait presentations.  They will leave with a package of proof CD's, and purchasing guides, ready to move on into sorting images for their Wedding Album.

And, as for the Wedding Albums--we are adding new options to our line up. Album Epoca is a line of custom couture albums handmade in Italy--they are truly beautiful, original creations made to the highest standards.  We have just ordered our sample albums, and I can't wait to get them into the Studio so I can share them with future brides. 

We are mixing things up a bit with our engagement sessions as well---we now call them "Sweetheart Sessions"--expanding them to include more unique locations that really mean something to the couple.  Do you love picnics?  Let's set up a picnic in a great location and do a Session!  How about boating?  Let's do the Session at the lake!  Swimming?  How about some great underwater shots?!  Or ANYTHING you can thing of! Let's try it, let's make some images that are original, and truly representative of you as a couple. We now offer custom made Guest Books for your Wedding Day, that are made up of your Sweetheart images.  We want Sweetheart Sessions to be a happy, personal time.  We want to show our brides and grooms having fun together, laughing and loving. 

Now, the new Wedding Referral Program IS a NEW THING to our Studio.  It is a very simple concept.  For every couple that books us for Wedding Coverage AND mentions that YOU referred them, YOU will receive a Full Studio Photography Session at NO CHARGE.  The couple must mention you during their consultation, and they must officially book us with a paid deposit and signed contract.  That's it! 

So, we are remaking our Wedding Photography--updating, streamlining, and adding new services.  I am frankly excited!  NEW STUFF IS GOOD STUFF!  Keep your eyes out for other NEW THINGS, because they are coming! 

NEW STUFF

New things.  Everyone likes new things.  New clothes, new cars, new haircuts, new furniture---all fun stuff.  But, I have to be honest...I am not much of a shopper.  I have recently undergone a change in hairstyle that necessitates much less maintenance, so, I get fewer new looks.  I have 4 kids, so, any new furniture I acquire rapidly earns that 'lived-in-look'.  And, as for cars....I am an A to B kinda gal---whatever gets me and the family there, along with all the camera equipment, is a winner in my book. 

However, I love new things when it comes to photography.  New props, backgrounds, looks, locations, equipement, gadgets....they all provide me with endless thrills.  And sometimes, it doesn't even have to be an object--it can be a more existential concept, like a new way of doing business, new ideas for Sessions, a new way of answering the phone, a new technique in editing.  So, this year, I am doing some NEW THINGS.  Just to see what happens.

First thing---this blog.  I have attempted blogging before, but frankly, with all my other duties and obligations, it got lost in my daily shuffle very quickly.  This year, I am going to blog at least once per week, about whatever is going on in my studio, my photography, and my creative life.  Photography will be a major feature in my writings, but, as I think I may have a touch of the blessed ADD, it will not ONLY be about photography.  I will be discussing great images we have recently created in the studio, as well as new product offerings, techniques for others to use to make their snapshots better, etc. 

Next---Facebook changes.  Over the past year plus, I have spent an extensive time uploading client images to Facebook.  Now, in the interest of client privacy, I am no longer going to upload and tag bunches of images from each Session.  I will instead, have a few representative Galleries of my portflio AND links to this blog, where selected images WILL be featured.  I simply believe the world has enough to look at on Facebook, and if clients wish to upload their images via CD's they receive from our Studio, that is up to them.  I simply am no longer comfortable sharing those images myself. 

Another New Thing---More Reality Photography.  I am increasingly interested in real situations and real people.  While I enjoy shooting inside the Studio, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity of developing studio lighting skills, I am excited to venture out into the world more often, to locations that are personal for my subjects.  I am looking for genuine situations, honest reactions, and real people doing real things.  I will NOT stop doing studio photography, not at all.  BUT, I want to pursue more personality driven work, and sometimes, the studio stifles personality rather than enhances it. 

An Old Thing Comes Back---I want to get back to my art basics.  When I started, 13 years ago, I shot medium format film.  But, with the evolution of the industry, I went digital, in a BIG WAY.  And with that, my focus became very computerized.  I want to bring back more of my art training into my job.  I started out hand tinting black and white photos with oil paints.  That particular specialty has fallen away largely because of digital tinting and spot coloring.  I intent to bring it back in a big way.  In this computer-driven world, I feel that anything done by hand is truly precious, because of its uniqueness.  So, hand-tinting is back, as are other techniques I will save for future blogs.

And Finally---New Looks.  New Backdrops.  New Furniture.  New Session Choices.  New Album and Book Choices.  New Website Updates (keep your eyes out!).  New Products.  New, Simplified Pricing.  And more. 

So, please check back every few days and see if I am keeping my blogging promises......I am excited.  I love reinvention.  I love getting new energy, new focus.  2011 is gonna be great. 

Okay, folks, a word to the wise: Back-up your data!!! As you know--or will if you read the rest of this website--we are a completely digital studio. Digital is truly my medium, perfect for the kind of artistic expression I like in my photographs. And as for convenience, it is second to none. Organization is not my strong suit, but with today's technology, files basically organize themselves. However, we recently had a very bad scare. Last year we set up a RAID drive storage system, so our data was automatically backed up on several different drives--very safe, secure, all that jazz. Well, as my luck would have it, the whole array of discs went down--statistically it would never happen. However, I am usually the exception that proves the rule. At any rate, after a few weeks of stress we eventually recovered virtually every single file from this hard disc system--but it was extremely expensive, and believe me, I don't want to live through that again. 13 days ago, we received all our files from the data recovery company on two separate drives, which we promptly backed up on other separate hard drives--no more RAID for me, thank you very much. And we have been working very busily ever since. However, today, one of the new drives we received from the data recovery company crashed. A brand new drive! They are replacing that drive with another with all the data that they recovered the first time on it, which is great, and we had other back-ups, which is even better. But my point is, this technology may be wonderful and convenient, but when it fails it can be catastrophic! So, folks, purchase lots of external hard drives to back up your main drives, and for an even better solution, CDs and DVDs are even better. Just be sure to burn two copies of everything and store one in a different location in case of a house fire or something. I have recently read that 13% of all hard drives will fail in the first year of usage. So, when it comes to your precious data, photographs, and whatever else you store on your computer, back up twice and then do it again!

All the best!--T

Okay, Friday nite, and a great time for family fun. Frozen pizzas are all the rage in our household, accompanied by a dose of wii. I am busy while I am playing however, zipping in to the print room to put portraits on the fire, so to speak. I am trying to get ahead of all the Senior Orders, and so far I am staying afloat. Tomorrow we have two shoots, a Senior and an Engagement. I imagine I will be printing and shooting at the same time. More snow will be falling on Sunday as well, so it sounds like a great day to work on work. We have a glass kiln we need to fire up--we are going to work on glass with photographs embedded inside, and I am really excited to give it a shot, but a little intimidated by the kiln itself. Hot!!!. And I have to work on advertising, as well as 2008-09 brochures for Seniors. So much for the downtime. Plus--I have personal projects I am working on. Plus, children--they are all doing so well! They all have snotty noses--me too--but wow, terrific grades. But hey, you can never have too much face time with the kids. And then there is that nagging ingrown toenail. Wow, a lot of pain for just one bit of swollen redness around the nail, but so far, self-care is working really well. But for the remainder of tonite, I must clean the Studio up--when we aren't shooting for a couple days, it tends to collect things--all sorts of things, like laundry, toys, paperwork. I suppose this is exactly what having a business in your home is like, but it feels sort of like we are trying to have a home inside our business. So much for the romantic life of a photographer, huh. Lots of laundry, messes, food to cook, cats to look after, and once in a while, I get to pick up the camera. What a deal. Oh well, tomorrow I shoot.