Las Vegas Photographer Magazine

February Cover 2012

2012-02-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Photographer behind The Bobby Wheat Gallery

2012-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

Growing up on the plains of Oklahoma, Bobby always had a fascination with the grandiose scenes of the western United States. Road trips with his dad from early childhood into his college years solidified his desire to continue exploring the natural beauty throughout the world. "I was always so enamored with the big scenes out west that even from a young age, I had what seemed like an innate desire to take a sense of ownership in those places. Taking a photograph was the best way for me to do that".

"Epiphany"

Soon after marrying his wife Haley, they packed up and moved to the rugged mountain town of Jackson, Wyoming, where he continued to fine tune his craft while working as an electrician and later an elementary teacher.

"Out of the Ashes"

Unsatisfied with the print quality from digital cameras, Bobby soon resorted to building his stunning body of work using old-school techniques. After 4 years enduring cold winters up north, Bobby and his family moved to the heart of the desert southwest, Las Vegas, where he taught elementary for 3 years before opening his debut gallery at Tivoli Village.

"Streets of Venice"

The Bobby Wheat Gallery features the exquisite fine art photography of the young and ambitious Las Vegas local. From the deserts of the American southwest to the streets of Venice, Italy, Bobby captures his body of work using vintage large -format film cameras yielding a portfolio with unparalleled detail, integrity, scarcity, and archival permanence. His unique purist approach cultivates within him an organic grasp on fine art photography that is extremely rare amongst contemporary photographers, elevating his natural expertise and ability to convey the wonder of the world around us. Awarded 8 times internationally before the age of 30, Bobby's work is being recognized along side that of his contemporaries 20+ years his senior by the world's top art critics.

"Infinite Solace"

Bobby continues to seek out the hidden beauty of the world yielding an alluring body of work that is guaranteed to keep viewers excited as he explores new terrain and exotic locations in upcoming shoots. Collectors can look forward to Wheat’s bright future as he continues the tour de force that is his exploration of our landscape and the manner in which we experience it. "Inspiration is Everywhere"™ Bobby Wheat.

"Sounds of October"

To stay in tune with new releases, gallery events, photography tips, shot locations, etc. please find Bobby on Twitter: @bwheatgallery, his facebook page: Bobby Wheat Photography, his website http://bobbywheat.com, and his gallery in Tivoli Village.

Tips from Bobby | Aperture & Shutter Speed

2012-01-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Aperture & Shutter Speed: The World's Greatest Photoshop Effects (without using Photoshop)

It’s time to take your camera off of the automatic setting and even the shutter priority / aperture priority setting and start taking your creative potential to the next level. Yes, that means you have to use that scary “M” setting on your camera, meaning you manually control it based on what you want your images to look like. Aperture and shutter speed are God’s gift to realism. They allow you to present your unique perspective on the world with the utmost creative control. Knowing how to effectively use both will allow you to accomplish effects in the camera that 99 percent of the world saves until post production. Cloning people out, blurring the background a little more to eliminate the twigs, brush, a stop sign, etc. and even achieving exaggerated color palettes are all possible if you know how to use aperture and shutter speed to your advantage. The digital camera is one of the greatest learning tools ever invented in that it allows you to instantly see the effects of your creative choices when shooting. You instantly get to see what happens with even the slightest tweaks to your camera settings. Putting your camera on manual mode, and noting what happens when you change your camera settings is the first step in becoming a picture maker, rather than a picture taker.

Aperture | Basically, this allows you to control the amount of the scene that will be in focus (it does other things as well, but for now, we will stick with the basics). It allows you to eliminate unnecessary background elements by blurring them out. Large apertures (smaller F numbers) mean a more shallow depth of field (less in focus). Have you ever seen a shot of a flower where only the grains of pollen are in focus and the rest is a beautiful blurred color palette? That is aperture working its magic. It would not have the same effect if all the imperfect green leaves and scraggly details in the background were in focus. Large apertures f2.8, f3.5, f4, f5.6 give you a shallow depth of field that will turn unnecessary background and foreground elements into a nice dreamy color palette accentuating your subject matter. Small apertures like f16, f22, and f32 will give you a greater depth of field and more will be in focus. Broad landscape scenes are usually shot with apertures f16 and smaller (larger numbers mean smaller apertures). Just think, a little f-number f2.8, f4, f5.6, etc. (larger apertures…I know it’s confusing)=little focus. Larger f-numbers like f16, f22, etc. (smaller apertures) mean larger depth of field and more in focus. Practice shooting scenes with a variety of aperture settings and note the subtle differences between each one. An aperture of f5.6 might have rendered too much detail in the background elements causing you to want to open up the aperture to an f4 or f3.5 to blur out a smidgen more. You will soon learn exactly which setting you want to achieve your desired result.

Shutter Speed | This is your greatest paintbrush-like tool in that it allows you to paint movement, freeze fast moving objects, erase moving objects, capture streaks of light, and even exaggerate the color palette of a scene without cranking up the saturation in Photoshop. Longer shutter speeds like 1/15th of a second or more can give your composition a very dramatic and dreamy feel. Silky ocean tides and waterfalls, streaks of light through a cityscape, and even those Van Gogh “Starry Night” star trails are all the results of using long shutter speeds in which the movement of the subject is captured. I’ve also used longer shutter speeds to erase people in front of a busy cityscape. As long as the people aren’t wearing the old school British Knight light up shoes, they will disappear in the composition when using longer shutter speeds. Longer shutter speeds can also greatly exaggerate the color palette of any given scene due to the extended time that your CCD or film is exposed. It’s almost as if your film or CCD is a sponge that becomes more saturated the longer it is in contact with the light. Faster shutter speeds like 1/125 of a second or shorter can freeze moments in time. Water droplets coming out of a sprinkler, Kevin Durant dunking on just about anyone who gets in his way, and a lion sprinting across the Serengeti can be frozen in time using faster shutter speeds.

As you become more familiar with aperture and shutter speed, you will be able to achieve whatever result you desire, thus turning you into a photo maker rather than a photo taker. I approach each scene with a desired effect and use the two features to bring my vision to fruition. Sometimes, I need a longer shutter speed and set my shutter speed to the desired setting and change my aperture accordingly. Some scenes I approach in a completely opposite fashion knowing that I want a certain amount of the scene in or out of focus; therefore, I set my aperture to the desired setting, and adjust the shutter speed accordingly. The point is to know your camera well enough that you are making all of the creative decisions and not your automatic camera setting. Mastering these two aspects of photography will drastically improve your body of work and by extension, increase your credibility and the demand for your work or services. Uprgrading your gear is always better when you have to do it because your clientele demands it.

"Higher Love" :: Session Share

2012-01-31T15:36:00.000-08:00

VanessaMillecamPhotography.com

"think about it, there must be higher love

down in the heart or hidden in the stars above

without it, life is wasted time

look inside your heart, I’ll look inside mine

bring me a higher love…"

"I could light the night up with my soul on fire

I could make the sun shine from pure desire

let me feel that love come over me

let me feel how strong it could be…

bring me a higher love…"

"bring me a higher love

bring me a higher love

where’s the higher love I keep thinking of?"

PHOTO CHALLENGE~ "Reflection" :: Southern Utah Photography Guild

2012-01-31T15:34:00.000-08:00

Interview with Kevin Hulett

Southern Utah Photography Guild~ President

K Hulett Photography: http://www.kevinhulett.com

How did SUPG come about, and what is the main goal for your guild?

Being in business here in St. George since 2005 there has always seemed to be animosity between the professional photographers. It's something I have always had a bad taste in my mouth about. Photography is an art, or it should be, and as an artist I feel there is room for all of us to create, share and be a support for each other rather than just treat this as a cut throat business. My goal for SUPG was to bring like minded artists together in a space that was comfortable, supportive and fun.

Andi Watkins: www.andiwatkins.com

Annette Belnap: www.littlegemsphoto.com

Kellie Larsen: www.elementsphotographystudio.com

What are the geographic boundaries for your guild?
There are no geographic boundaries for this Guild. However, since it's the Southern Utah Photography Guild, most of us are somewhere close. So far our meetings and events have all been held in Southern Utah, but I don't want to be limited to that. I don't want us to be limited to anything. Anyone who wants to be a positive presence in the Guild is encouraged to join.

Cindy Larkin: http://cindergirlphotography.blogspot.com

Rachelle Kolb: http://rachellekolb.com/

Bob Kulon: http://www.bobkulonphoto.com

What are the benefits from being involved in a guild?
There are many benefits to being an official member of our Guild. It's a list that we're working to expand. SouthernUtahPhotographyGuild.com has links to member's pages, there's a network of helpful photographers with experience and insight, membership photoshoots and events, etc. But most important to me is just the community of like minded artists sharing what they love and being supportive of each other. It's been amazing to watch all of these artists come together and interact on their own.

Cher Houston: http://www.facebook.com/speaknowphotography

What are some of the things that you focus on in SUPG?
SUPG is just still in it's growing phase so we seem to be focusing on new things all the time. To me, right now, I'm focused on knowing our members on a personal level, having fun with the other artists, and creating ways for us to give back to our community.

Deone Thornton: http://www.deonethorntonphotography.com/

What kind of photographers are in your guild?
Many different levels of photographers have joined our Guild. We have pros and noobs and people who just love the art of photography and don't own a camera. It's open to anyone.

Dustin Buchanan: www.choosefunny.com

How often do you meet as a group?
Right now we meet on the first Tuesday of every month for general merriment and salsa. I try to throw together coffee meet ups every so often when the mood is right.

Errin Andrus: http://www.errinandrusphotography.com/blog

Tell me about your monthly Photo Challenge.
The photo challenges are a fun project for everyone to participate in if they want. Last month our challenge was "Reflection", however the artist interprets that, and this month is "Silhouette". There's no judging or critiquing. Everything is done in a positive way to encourage our members to go out there and create!

Marla Webb

Randi Gardner: http://www.rgardnerphotographs.com/

Valerie Hart: http://www.valeriehartphotography.com

Teria Brooks: http://www.teriaphotography.com

Ryanne Day: www.MoxiePhotoz.com

Tell me about some of your other guild projects.
Before Christmas we set up a family photo event to raise money for the local homeless shelter here in St. George. We invited anyone to come down and have their family portrait taken for $10 and all the proceeds went to Dixie Care and Share. I'd like to point people to an important video that helps shed some light on the problem here in Southern Utah and why we felt so strongly about doing something. I want to make sure as an artist community we are using our medium to do what we can when we can.
We've had other events as well, but I'm the most proud of our Guild for this one, the support from our members to put this together was amazing.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to get involved in a guild, or start their own?
My advice to starting a Guild?? Get involved in an existing Guild, that's why they're there. If there isn't one, make sure you're starting it for the right reasons and have some free time on your hands. It's also important to have people you trust in your corner. SUPG wouldn't be where it is without Randi Gardner & Amberly Judy, among many others who have taken it on their shoulders to care about and help build SUPG.

Miss America Pageant Exclusive Photo's

2012-01-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

Behind the Scenes with Rex Winterton and Dixie Henrie

It's the Super Bowl of the Beauty World. The pageants have been held across America. The queens were all chosen six months earlier. All contestants, parents, and their individiual teams have worked hard at getting sponsors for additional financial help. These pageants are not cheap by any means. What the girls and their teams earn, learn, and put to good use, will be remembered forever.

The girls all arrive one week early in Vegas so they can not only have fun, and go to special sponsored events sponsored by the City of Las Vegas and also the Miss America Pageant.

Photo by Rex Winterton

This is Rex's seventh year covering the Miss America Pageant. He always brings an assistant so they can take photos from various positions during the preliminary shows and during the final show on Saturday evening.

Photo by Rex Winterton

They pick up our credentials upstairs at Planet Hollywood from the Miss America Organization. That's where they meet up with Bonnie MacIssac. Bonnie has been with the MAO for several years too and they have become close friends. Bonnie was very happy to see me this year.

Photo by Rex Winterton

After picking up their credentials from the MAO they line up a few interviews for Thursday afternoon with Miss Nevada, Alana Lee, and Miss Utah, Danica Olsen. For a photographer and writer interviewer they always hope that the contestant doesn't think they are a "dummy" compared to other press members. They do well and get real with as the contestants laugh and cry, and seemed to enjoy their time being interviewed.

Photo by Rex Winterton

Miss Nevada, Alana Lee, she was very relaxed and very much at ease when describing her ambitions of being a news anchor woman on the news, and how she's has dreams of being the President of the United States of America. Big dreams, big aspirations, but atainable. Her dreams for being a news anchor take her to three major U.S. cities. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.

Photo by Rex Winterton

Miss Utah, Danica Olsen, who won the swimsuit/fashion portion of the pageant on Tuesday night, was asked during her interview if she had any special bond with any of the judges. She indicated she felt like she had a special bond with Chris Powell who's in charge of the show "Extreme Makeover, Weight Loss Edition." The photographers get up-close and personal and get to ask her about her family life. She has an older 26 year old brother and each summer Miss Utah, her brother, and their parents travel around the U.S. to several baseball parks and watch Major League Baseball games. Her favorite team was the LA Dodgers. Her favorite park you might think Chavez Revine being where the Dodgers play, but it wasn't. Her favorite is the infamous Fenway Park in Boston. Lots of history!

Photo by Rex Winterton

The photographers interview a few more contestants and discuss the lenses and photography equipment they will need for this event. Dixie carries with her a Canon D70; and Rex his Nikon D300. From past experience the only lenses they'd need would be a 17-85, and a 70-200, f 2.8. The latter is by far their favorite lens.

Photo by Rex Winterton

After touring the "Miracle Mile" halls cluttered with people looking for exceptional deals, both Dixie and Rex figured it's time for a good old cheeseburger or maybe even a yogurt. One of the sporting good shops found lured them inside by two girls dressed up as referees. Inside the sporting good facility they had four professional athletes signing photos and letting people like themselves take their own pictures. There on location was the Hall of Famer for the Chicago Bears, Gale Sayers. On the other side of the store were three boxers of years gone by. Ernie Shavers, Ken Norton, and Leon Spinks. Later that evening there was also another NBA former player that dropped by. The great Dennis Rodman and his two body guards.

Photo by Rex Winterton

It's now time for the big production. The show starts at 5:30 PM, with the doors opening at 4pm.
Excitement fills the air. Ladies in beautiful evening gowns flowing with sashes and diamonds. Men wearing all different colored tuxedo's and also a few others in regular slacks and long sleeved shirts. There were also an army of State's winners of the Miss Teen Pageants.

Chris Harrison (The Bachelor) and Brooke Burke (Dancing with the Stars) were the hosts of the Saturday night performance.

The Miss America Organization gives hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in scholarships. The new Miss America will receive a $50,000 scholarship to the college of her choice, and after she is crowned can expect to leave right after her press interviews early Sunday. She will fly to New York City, to be on Good Morning America, on Monday. She has appearances all over the country including other shows in New York, and the Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis.

Photo by Rex Winterton

As for the photographers, they wrap up another great season with the Miss America Organization. Next year will be another year and maybe another camera and another lens. You know photographers...they like to dream too.

January Cover 2012

2012-01-03T18:30:00.002-08:00

HagePhoto Q & A

2012-01-03T18:30:00.001-08:00

by Matt & Agnes Hage

What made you decide to become an outdoor/hiking/climbing photographer?

I had always packed a camera and made photographs on my adventures (growing up in Alaska, there were many). At first it was with the latest funky 110 camera gifted to me from my grandfather. In college I finally got my hands on a Nikon and a couple lenses that I packed around on our weekend excursions to the Alaska Range. My first serious personal project was a winter mountaineering expedition to the north side of Denali (20,320 ft) with a couple friends. That was the first time I thought about what I was doing as ‘work’. After successfully pitching the photographs to a couple magazines, I never looked back. Felt like this photography thing was going to work after all.

What's the most successful technique that you've used to build your business?

Starting out we would take pretty much whatever assignment came our way (except weddings and babies). We once took an assignment to travel around the country photographing pay phone locations for a client. Most of these jobs were lucrative, but not moving our business in the direction we wanted. The people we wanted to be working for were not going to take us seriously as a couple of skitzos. It was time to focus. A few years ago we revised our business plan and started working to create a brand identity to let prospective clients know exactly who we are and what we do. This process has streamlined our promotional efforts, style of photography and the type of work we pursue. Even though it can be hard to pass on assignments that don’t fit our style, the new level of professionalism has opened many more doors than it has closed.

What's your best business advice to photographers struggling with the business side of things?

Trust. Just like in any other business, your clients need to be able to trust that you will do the job or deliver work to their standards as promised. Of course you need to be a somewhat talented photographer to make a go at this. But not an ‘amazing’ photographer. I think to be considered a professional, you need to be able to create photography that will suit the client’s expectations, even when nearly everything goes wrong. And then do it again the next week.

What's your "Photoshop Philosophy"? What is your goal when editing?

Our style is clean, bright and real. Coming from a film background (photojournalism), we produce most of our work in camera, when it is happening. We rely on the in-camera jpeg settings to control the look or feel we want for a particular shoot. We’re not too fond of spending a lot of time in post processing.

What's your best tip for shooting outdoors in full sun?

Yeah, we do shoot a lot of our work in mid-day light. Unless we have strobes to add contrast to a set-up, we are big fans of using side lighting techniques. Let the ambient wrap around the subject. Otherwise I'll take back lighting or moving into the shadows over full frontal. Bright overcast and dusk are our favorite conditions to shoot.

What kind of companies hire out for your type of photography?

Our client base is made up of outdoor equipment/clothing companies and retailers, active lifestyle magazines, travel bureaus, travel book publishers, and associated stock agencies.

What was your favorite location you've shot?

That's a tough one. We keep going back to Sedona, AZ for backpacking and mountain bike work. Patagonia has probably been our favorite location overseas for travel and backpacking. Literally fantastic settings for doing our kind of work, plus post trek steak ad malbec wine.

How do you split up the workload between the two of you?

We definitely play on our strengths. Matt is in charge of keeping the work coming in and Agnes is in charge of delivering that work once it's done. She is the financial genius, keeping us on budget, investing, saving, coming up with the estimates and making up the budget for the next project. He keeps up on the technical aspect of digital photography and post processing, does most of the networking, and is in charge of putting our recent work out there. Out in the field, we 'see' images and work on the next set-up for commercial shoots.

What is life like on the go? What is your least favorite thing about traveling all over the world?

Our assignment load has us on the road six months a year. We usually break this into two month blocks with some weeks back home before heading out again. Lately we've been doing a bunch of 10-day turn arounds, which are not that much fun. Probably our least favorite aspect of a lot of travel is that it's hard to stay in shape on the road. Most of our time is spent getting to the next place, logistics, planning, packing and taking care of biz at some bar/cafe. There's actually not that much time for regular exercise like there is when we're at home. Usually we're only in a town for a few days before heading out again. There's a lot of work that needs to be done in those days, most of which includes sitting at a MacBook.

What is your favorite thing as a traveling photographer?

Our favorite is when we find ourselves in those outrageous OMG locations and get to work there all day (or week). We once had an entire week where we got to use Mt Everest as a background element on a backpacking shoot. You can't help but pinch yourself on days like that. Also there are the stories that we have from years on the road. Characters, places, situations that we would not believe otherwise.

Keep in touch with Matt & Agnes:

HagePhoto: http://www.hagephoto.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hagephoto

Bio:

Avid! That one word sums up the duo of Matt and Agnes Hage. From their Anchorage basecamp, they pack more into six months than most do in as many years. But that's how you have to operate in AK if you want to get anywhere on your 'to do" list. Have you seen the size of this place?! We pretty much have our own continent up here, including 17 of the 20 highest peaks in North America, thousand-mile long rivers and enough wilderness for a lifetime of trekking.

Love to Travel! Though they certainly do plenty of work in teh Chugach Mountains right out their back door, they're known to go 'Outside'. HagePhoto has taken on photography assignments all over the American West, Canada, Pacific Islands and Patagonian Andes. And this all in the last year!

The Video Portrait | Annette Wilson

2012-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

"If there are 25 frames in a second, imagine how many frames there are in 20.

Introducing the Video Portrait, which describes things about people that photos never could- as film sees the things, that photos can not."

by Annette Wilson

My Dad was and still is an avid recorder. He recorded everything about the life he and my mother share, including all 6 of his children’s daily happenings. Rolls and rolls of film went in and out of his camera, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. His photos are beautiful and real, but it’s the things he recorded on video that have always interested me most.

Bubba from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.

I remember pulling out an old tape, it was one of us all putting up the Christmas tree, some 14 or so years ago. I was about 5 years old at the time. While us talking directly to the camera, telling the viewers of later-days where we were and what we were doing, was interesting, it was the moments that were recorded after the fact that interested me most. Observations from an outsider’s perspective- the camera, which sat in the corner of our dimly-lit lounge room, as we decorated our tree. It allowed the viewer to see how we interacted with each other at the time, our stance, the way we held ourselves. The camera saw the things that photos taken at the same event could not. And this was something that intrigued me beyond belief, planting the seeds of a little project in my mind.

Solange + 1 from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.

As a photographer, I am a strong believer in candid portraiture. In fact, the vast majority of my photos (www.armchairapplause.blogspot.com) definitely fit under this description. In saying so, the relatively lax nature of a video portrait fits perfectly in line with my own personal way of thinking and recording. There are no static poses and the continual frames, second after second, fill in all of the gaps often missed by photos.

Jordan Ruchalski from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.

The editing process is my favourite of all. Looking at the footage frame by frame, watching a face change in 1/25th of a second increments, is truly fascinating. It’s especially exciting to watch two people interacting via this frame-by-frame method. A slight head turn, is then mirrored by the other- a blink, a furrowed brow. All those teeny, tiny aspects of affection and unspoken language between people evidence the wonder and the amazement that is humanity.

Blake and Flavia from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.
Each video portrait has a greater meaning to me personally, and while others may not know why directly, I hope that through these short films they can understand more about the people within.

It all started with The McCowan Girls, a small recording of my cousins and my aunty, moments before they hopped into their hire car to return to the international airport after visiting their Australian home for the first time in 10 years. The sun had gone below the horizon, leaving just a small glow of light in the world, and I was trying, trying so hard to catch a few photographs of the family before another decade of not seeing them sat between us again. But the light just wasn’t enough, even with my 50mm lens wide open at 1.4. And then I remembered those video portraits, that had been playing in my mind for months, and how valuable it would be to have this recording, increasingly so as the years go by.

At once and without a moment of second thought, I flicked my 5DII to video mode, set the white balance manually and played with the ISO, until my cousins looked as clear as if it were still day. And then, I recorded them. Each individually, and then standing together, like pictures in a magazine in the land of Harry Potter. Moving, blinking, breathing, being. Making the idea in my mind a reality.

After that, we said our goodbyes, and they drove away, off into the distance. Leaving behind a little bit about themselves, in the form of a video portrait, the first of many.

McCowan girls from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.

Technical aspects:
Each video is different and to be honest are never really planned. At most, I’ll say ‘hey can you just stand over there for about 20 seconds?’. For example, the film of Blake and Flavia at their engagement shoot was entirely shot unbeknown to the two of them, literally moments of them just being.

The locations vary accordingly, but a lot of the films- all of the ones where the people are surrounded by lots of grass and an open sky- were filmed in my own backyard, in our rural little suburb where cows and horses wander in their paddocks, about an hour out of Sydney city.

Elders being and Elders to be. from Annette Wilson on Vimeo.

On the technical side, the most important thing besides the obvious correct exposure, is the white balance. Auto white balance is no good, as it will adjust according throughout, creating at times a very inconsistent film and small flickers of strange lighting. Manually set the white balance. If in doubt, and as a general rule, I like to shoot video slightly cool, as it is a lot easier to warm up footage using colour curves later than it is to cool it down without alien-like skin tones occurring.

After watching all of the footage I have recorded, I then use Adobe Premiere Pro to do rough cuts of the footage, taking out sections I like and letting go of any that are too shakey, completely unimportant or are almost the same as other seconds of footage.

I then watch all the selected parts again, this time with different songs playing that have been previously shortlisted by me when thinking about the person. I think long and hard about the most appropriate sounds for the footage, as just like a blockbuster movie, the background music is ultimately what creates the tone and mood of the visuals. Choosing the music, the song to match the person, is the peak of living for me. After I have chosen *the* song, I decide if blank spaces and fades are needed and where to place these if this is the case. I make cleaner cuts and firm decisions about whether bits and pieces of footage are an absolute necessity to complete the piece. I then export to Adobe After Effects, and apply an appropriate colour curve on a low opacity adjustment layer, from my little stash of curves which I have created over time. And then I place the coloured footage back into Premiere and export and upload.

While the footage is always a little shaky, and I am in no way a cinematographer, the things I have learnt about the technical side of filming and editing through the creation of this little ongoing project are far more than I could ever have imagined. But I would have to say that what I am learning about the people within the videos is far greater. After all, that is why they were created- of the people, for the people. Film sees the things that photos can not.

Annette.
www.annettewilson.com
Bio:

I am Annette Wilson, a 19 year old photographer from Sydney, Australia. I come from a big, musical, hilarious family of individuals who all share one thing- a love of creating.

My camera is one of my closest friends and rarely leaves my side. I love to immortalise bits of reality, especially people and the way they are. It’s a subject matter that is constantly interesting and challenging, the process of understanding humanity better has and will always excite me.

Blog: www.armchairapplause.blogspot.com
Website: www.annettewilson.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/annettewilsonofficial
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/annettewilson
Contact: info@annettewilson.com

Achieving Better Focus

2012-01-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

by Amy Leavitt

As a beginning photographer, I couldn't take a photo in focus to save my life. I tried many different apertures and f-stops. I set my shutter speed as high as I could. Still nothing. I read about how to hold the camera, and finally concluded that my camera's focus system was broken and needed to be repaired. I actually did a focus test (google it) to see if this was true. It wasn't. My focus system was fine. The problem was simply user error. Once I learned how my camera's focus system worked, I slowly but surely saw better results in my photos. So, please enjoy this simple and straight forward information on focus.

1. Know your camera's Focus System

Most DSLR's have 9 – 11 focus points. Some newer models have 50 or more. There are two types of focus points, single plane and cross point.

Single plane will only work with lines of contrast that are perpendicular (at a 90 degree angle) to their orientation. So if you were shooting a skyscraper, a vertical object, a vertical focus point will not be able to find the edge of the building (the contrast) and it won't be able to focus. A horizontal focus point will be perpendicular to the building and would easily be able to find the contrast in order to focus.

Cross points contain both vertical and horizontal focus points, as shown by the square in the image below. Because a cross point has both vertical and horizontal sensors, they are the most accurate focus point. Some DSLR's only have one cross point in the center (like my Canon 5d), but newer, high-end cameras are now featuring cross points on all focus points.

Most cameras will look something like this:

The autofocus (AF) system in DSLR's works by adjusting the focus to achieve the best contrast between adjacent pixels on the focus sensor.

If you are trying to photograph a subject that has little or no contrast, like a blue sky or even just a piece of white paper, the AF system cannot function because it can't find an "edge" or an area of contrast, and your camera will not focus.

To better understand how the focus points work, choose a vertical focus point and try to focus on the following image. Because the focus sensor can't find an edge, it will not focus.

The focus points are looking for contrasting pixels perpendicular to their orientation, not parallel. To illustrate this, go to the above image again. Try to focus on the black line using a horizontal focus point. It will easily find the edge and focus.

2. Use the Correct Focus Mode

Avoid using the "all focus point" mode, where the camera chooses the area of focus. There are sometimes when this is handy, like in fast situations or when you just need to get the shot. But for portrait, wedding or commercial work, you'll likely want total control on the area of focus.

One-Shot or Single Servo (for still subjects) – When you press the shutter button halfway down, the camera locks on your focus point. You can recompose the shot and press the shutter all the way down to take the photo. The focus stays locked until you press the shutter or re-press the shutter to lock on a new point.

AI Servo or Continuous Servo (for moving subjects) – When you press the shutter button halfway down, the camera will focus on the subject continually and refocus if the camera or the subject moves. It will attempt to track your subject and predict the correct focus area when the shutter is pressed. This is useful for sports, action or fast moving subjects, like toddlers, or a child on a swing.

Manual Focus - You adjust the focus manually by turning the focus ring on your lens. I rarely use this mode, but it can be useful in macro photography or low light situations. I've also used this when I purposely want to blur a subject, as in the example below:

3. The Focus and Recompose Method

This can sometimes be a subject of debate in the photography world. So let me qualify this by saying that if it works for you, do it. If it doesn't, don't.

The focus and recompose method is exactly what it's name says: Focus on what you want sharp in the image, i.e. the eye of the subject, press the shutter halfway to lock focus, then recompose or frame the image according to your artistic taste. I use this 90% of the time when I'm shooting portraits because I only have one cross point in the center of the frame. I don't always want my subject in the center, however. So I will center the middle cross point over my subject's eye, then recompose so that they are not dead center.

The reason why this may be a hot topic is because of the fact that when you recompose, you are moving the focal plane and thus your shot might turn out soft. This can be true, if you're using wide open apertures, where moving the focal plane can make a big difference. However, I consciously use this method when I know a slight adjustment in the focal plane won't lose sharpness on my subject. I don't use this method if I'm up close and/or using a wide open aperture.

4. Focus on What's Important

What should you focus on in the image? For portraits, you should focus on the eyes. Focus on the part of the image that you want to draw the viewers attention to. For groups, choose a subject near the middle and focus on their eye (use a small aperture). For landscapes, where you want everything in focus, choose the smallest aperture and focus on a subject in the foreground and let the depth of field carry the area of focus to the background.

5. Don't Use Photoshop to Try to Fix Focus Errors

If an image is out of focus, sharpening it in Photoshop won't ultimately make it in focus. You'll just have a sharp image that's still out of focus. Unsharp Mask, Smart Sharpen or High-Pass filtering are there to sharpen in-focus photos, not to fix out of focus photos.

6. Common Reasons for Blurry Photos

Blurry photos can occur for a variety of reasons:

Camera shake: Every person has a different "safe" shutter speed. Find out the lowest shutter speed where you can handhold the camera without camera shake. You may have steady hands and can hold the camera as low as 1/60 without camera shake. My limit is 1/125.
Slow shutter speed: If your subject is moving, it won't matter how steady your hands are. Use a faster shutter speed if you don't want action blur.
Improper focusing of the focus points: If you're trying to use the wrong type of focus point, the camera will either not be able to focus, or it will choose the closest area of contrast to focus on, which may not be where you want.
Improper Exposure: If you have bad lighting or your image is underexposed, it will look out of focus, no matter how hard you try. Be sure your subject is well lit and your exposure is spot on.

LVP's Headshot Swap

2012-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

As photographers, we are so busy taking photos of other people, we rarely (or never) have the time or energy to get photos of ourselves. It's important for our website visitors to see US - to put a face to our name. It's also important for that photo to be high quality. So with that in mind, LVP Magazine is having a Head-Shot Swap. We're looking for pro photographers to meet together and take headshots of each other. This is a great way to network and meet other local photographers!

Head-Shot Swap Guidelines:

You must be in business as a professional photographer with a website.

To participate, you must agree to:

Provide 3-5 high quality, edited head shots of each subject you photograph.
Give permission to your subjects to use the photos on their website/business cards/brochures, etc.
Give the same quality and care as you do to paying clients.
Provide the photos within 4 weeks.

If you're interested, please indicate which day/time works best for you. We are planning on doing this in January or February at Red Rock. Once we nail down the date, we will have a place for you to register. Hope to see you there!

Which day/time works best for you?

Oh So Posh Actions Giveaway!

2011-12-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! It's Cindy here! Just wanted to let you all know about this fabulous giveaway from Oh So Posh Actions This is my despearate attempt at getting in on her lovely giveaway, and I wanted to let you all know about it as well! Please follow her link to get all the juicy details!
Good luck and may the best man...or woman win! ;)

December Cover 2011

2011-12-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

[http://www.marylynnphotography.com/]

Session Share

2011-12-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

by Mary Lynn Photography

I've sat here wondering exactly how to go about explaining my passion for photography. I wish I could write a story that would describe just how much this world means to me and how much I enjoy every moment I get to capture. A friend told me that I don't need to write anything, I am already capturing a story when I shoot a photo.

I love this concept; I love writing stories with my images. Even though you are getting a glimpse of a beautiful little girl with green eyes, her story may tell that she is a spitfire with a soft spot for her mama. Or perhaps by chance, you may come across a photo of a family that is snuggled close, hanging in there despite the chill, their love is captured for decades to come.

I don't believe I could ever write a novel with words in the same way that I could with a series of photos. I hope to share as many stories in this lifetime as I am able to provide.

Get the Look

2011-12-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

by Becka Robinson -Studio 222 Photography

"We’re so excited to announce a new Friday column over at Studio 222 Photography. It’s called 'GET THE LOOK' and in it we’ll be taking inspiring interior design photographs from the pages of today’s most influential design magazines and catalogs and breaking them down into simple, easy to replicate guides to help you get the look in your own homes for less! You know, in case you need a weekend project. ;) There is no bigger photographic tragedy than to get your images back and then never do anything with them. Especially when it is so very easy to create modern, eye-catching displays in your home for less than buying a painting.We hope you leave inspired! Let’s get started with our first installment shall we?

This look comes direct from the pages of Southern Living Magazine and is so easy that you’re not going to believe it. Southern Living created a modern gallery wall grid display using borderless clip style frames hung perfectly spaced in a large rectangle. You can easily tweak this design to make it a square if you are a symmetry addict. Here’s the breakdown:

Shopping List Breakdown:
We hunted down 4×6 borderless clip frames and were thrilled to see that our beloved superstore Ikea sells them in packs of 4 for the low low price of $0.99/pack. Can you believe it? How much do you love us right now? You’ll need to pick up 8 packs and you’ll end up with 2 extra frames but with a grand total rolling in at $8 we think you’ll still be jumping for joy.
Next you’ll need to pick out 30 of your favorite images from your online proofing gallery. We suggest using all color or all black & white for a cohesive look to your display. Head on over to our proofing site to pick your favorites and place your order. We also suggest ordering your 4×6 prints in a bundle to save money. We offer sets of 50 and 100 at a BIG FAT discounted bulk price of over 50% off. (And since these images are going to be a huge focal point in your home, you deserve to invest in professionally printed pieces that look absolutely gorgeous.) While you’re waiting for your prints to arrive in the mail, go hunt down a tape measure, level, and pencil so you can start to map out a grid on your wall for your prints.

Measure how far from the top of your wall and the bottom you will make your grid and then use your pencil to mark on the wall where each nail should go. Use your level to make sure that your tape measure is straight so that you don’t end up with crooked lines of prints. This is the hardest part but if you take the time to map it out precisely it will be a breeze to hang up all your images perfectly without wasting a lot of time (or leaving a lot of nail holes in your walls).
When your images arrive, clear some space on the floor or on a table and lay them out in a grid. Move the photos around until you find an arrangement you like. Then one by one put them in their frames and add their frames to the wall. When you’re done snap a photo and send it to us! We can’t wait to see how you turn your photos into art in your home!"
Cheers,

My Big Decision!~ Saying Goodbye

2011-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Hensley

Every so often, a series of events seem to occur & force me to stop what I am doing & really think about my intentions. I am having one of those moments. It started last week while I was laying in the grass of someone’s home that I truly wished I owned. It was a Victorian Cottage that looked just like a dollhouse, I once wanted as a small child. The thoughts continued to rush thru my mind as I watched children playing with their parents in a Park later that afternoon. I came to the realization that almost 22 years ago my first child was born and then 2 years later another one, and then 2.5 years later one more. For those first 6 years of being a parent, I think all I thought about was how excited I would be when Bre could crawl or when Raygen could hold her own bottle on her own. Then when Brittney was born all I could think about was how nice it was that Bre would be starting Pre-school that year and I would only have two of them at home with me. I remember thinking how happy I was I got the three of them to bed at night and how that was the best part of the whole day. Please don’t get me wrong I loved my babies, I loved everything about being a mom. I was fulfilling a life long dream, however I think I spent more time thinking about “when they were going to be capable of this or that” then I did enjoying each moment of their precious lives.

I went on to have 3 more beautiful daughters who are now 13, 11 and 9. Samantha will be graduating from 8^th Grade this year and Gracen will be starting Jr. High. I never got to be at home with the younger 3 girls. I have been working for the better part of the last 12 years at a Real Estate Office. I never got to attend very many class parties, never attended any PTO meetings or sold cupcakes at their Bake Sales. I come home after work and cooked dinner and helped with homework. On the weekends it is all about cleaning and running errands (but only if I didn't have a Photo Shoot) that I couldn’t do during the week because I am working. I feel as though I am just a part time parent silently going thru the motions.

My oldest daughter is now living on her own and my 2^nd oldest not too far behind her. Brittney will be leaving for College next year after she graduates from High School. That only leaves a few years left with Samantha until she graduates from High School in 4 years and Gracen & Jayden are just about ready to enter the phase where they hate mom.

Wow, how did 22 years of parenting just fly by like that? I spent so much time wishing away their childhood and now it is gone and I want it back! I want to play in the park again with BreAnna and listen to her beautiful laughter. I want to spend more time at the Zoo with Raygen and watch her eyes light up when she sees all of the animals. I want to sit on the floor and read with Brittney and watch her little expressions as she tries to figure out the story line.

All of these thoughts are weaving thru my brain and forcing me to think about things differently than I have before. Because I only have a few years left with my 3 little girls before they leave my arms and venture out into the world on their own.

I have been trying hard to work 3 jobs, to stay on top of all of my obligations and in doing so I have neglected the most important role I have, the role of Motherhood!

Over the last few days I have clarified exactly what it all means to me. My family must come first and I have made some pretty conscious decisions lately to let some opportunities go, because I am afraid that my family would pay the price. As for my photography business I have decided to shut it down. It turned into something that I just loved to do as a hobby, into something that stole time from my family. I need to find a way for it to be my little place of happiness again, something I can do to express my appreciation for the world that God created for us. Photography is such a passion for me, I see the beauty in everything around me. It makes it so much sweeter when I can actually capture it in an image and make that moment mine forever. I have found that I am starting to resent that little black camera in the corner of my bedroom and I never want to feel that way again. Hopefully some time apart from each other will be good for us.

So to everyone that has supported me up until this point I want to say thank you! Thank you for your love, thank you for building me up, thank you for making me feel as if I was an important part in your life, for that small amount of time we spent together.

If I could share just one piece of advice to all of my fans, please remember that each moment we have with our families and friends is a precious gift. Children leave our lives to quickly, moments pass without a care in the world, and relationships change in a moment’s time.

Enjoy life! Enjoy every moment and give every second you are given “your full attention!”

~Lisa Hensley

Photographing your Holiday Feast

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

by Cindy Larkin
For all you foodies out there, I thought it would be fun to post a few tips I've discovered on my journey to learning more about food photography. Keep in mind that I'm still learning this craft, and I am in no way an expert. I love it none the less. Enjoy!

1. Always use natural light if possible. I have found that shooting during the day, and near an open door or window is the best place to shoot. If you really need to shoot during the evening, don't use a flash directly on the food as it can be too stark.  Bounce the flash off the ceiling or wall, or use a diffuser.

2. Shoot from varied angles. Move around and really take a look at the food from all directions. It's okay to take too many shots, especially when you're practicing. This is my favorite way to discover what works and what doesn't.

3. Styling your food can make it stand out in a nice way, but keep it simple. You want it to look good, but not too good to be true.  Use a clean and clear background, removing any unwanted clutter. Add only necessary props.

4. Use a macro lens if you have one, or simply zoom up close, filling the frame of your camera so the viewer can almost smell the food. Details are awesome!

5. Take pictures during the process. Preparing and cooking the food can be just as fun to shoot as the finished product.

6. Capture the food at its freshest, when it's hot and steamy or when it's still glistening. From experience, waiting too long can have a disappointing effect.

7. Lastly, don't forget to photograph the people surrounding the food. After all, they are the main reason the food was made in the first place! Cooking together is such a rewarding tradition, but having the pictures to look back on, makes it even sweeter!

~~~

RECIPE SHARE- 2 Crust Fruit Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups cold butter
1 1/4 cups ice water

* Sift flour and salt together in a medium bowl.
* Add cold butter after cutting it into 1/4 inch slices.

* Add ice water and mix with a fork until the butter is mixed thoroughly, but not over mixed.

* Divide the dough in half, then roll the dough out flat on a piece of wax paper, and place it in your pie pan.

* Add pie filling, and then the top crust. You can either do a lattice top (pictured) or you can do a simple casing that covers completely.

* Bake at 450 degrees for 35 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake another 15-20 minutes.

[Making pies in Grandma's kitchen with Aunt Cindy]

Flickr Photo Share

2011-11-24T00:09:00.000-08:00

Eleanor Leonne Bennett

Join our Flickr Group to get featured.

Brag Button for Cover Contest Finalists

2011-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Finalists: Grab a brag button for your website! Just copy and paste the code below.

November Cover 2011

2011-11-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

Social Media Tips for Photographers

2011-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Question & Answer with Kelsey Anderson

You're a photographer. You want to know how to grow a fan base, market yourself and make real connections with potential clients using social media. How do you start? Ask someone who's been successful at it! Check out how Kelsey Anderson has grown her fan base to nearly 7000 'likers'.

What are the best tactics you've used to increase your fan base?

Be me. I think that people really feel a connection with me or feel they have a good idea of who I am as a person and photographer because I don't try to business myself up all the time on my page and only post photography and business related topics. My fans read about my daily life as a Mom, Wife and Photographer. Most of my fans know that I am in love with Edward Cullen and have an addiction to reality tv. I believe this is a huge benefit for my business as well because my clients get a good sense of who I am and feel more comfortable in front of my camera because I am not a total stranger :)

How do you measure the effectiveness of your social media efforts?
I don't know if I have ever really sat back and looked at it honestly. I guess if maybe I didn't receive the response I typically do from my posts then I would reevaluate my approach.

For new business pages, where should they start?
Suggest away to all your friends! Ask them to share with their friends and make sure you are tagging your clients in the images you post as well!

How do you focus your efforts on your target audience? My target audience is quiet large :) I am promoting myself to portraits and wedding clients as well as photographers. So I try to post about topics that all of the above would find interesting. I don't always just try to promote myself. If I come across a product or vendor that I think my clients might find cool I will post as well. I don't want my page to be one dimensional. I want my page to be a resource and a place for people to come and chat about stuff that might have nothing to do with my photography business at all.

How do you convert your social media efforts into tangible results?

I don't really have to do anything. By doing as I mentioned above clients find me and book. Either they are local clients or people traveling into Vegas. This is another reason why I believe photographers only focusing on clients that live in their area could be a huge disservice to their growing business. Don't limit yourself. Reach out to other photographers and people outside your area. You never know if they have friends and family in your area or might be traveling to your area in the future and want portraits while in town. Living in a tourist area this is huge for me. I get referrals from other photographers outside of my area and clients that found me on Facebook because one of their friends liked my page.

What are your favorite social media tools or strategies?

Facebook without a doubt. I do have my page linked up to Twitter but Facebook is truly where it is at in my opinion. It is free and really who doesn't have a Facebook account.... well besides my husband :)

Check out Kelsey's photography here - http://www.kelseyandersonphotography.com/
Stop by Kelsey Anderson Photography on Facebook

Ashentide | Band Photography by Yasmin Tajik

2011-11-01T11:11:00.002-07:00

by Yasmin Tajik

The shoot took place in December 2010 at a beach north of Malibu. I flew down to LA for the weekend to shoot the band Ashentide. My sister-in-law is the fiery red-head who plays the keyboards. It's a symphonic metal band so they wanted an edgy look without doing the typical grungy alleyway shoot, and since their name incorporates "tide" they thought something along the water would be appropriate.

I shot with a Canon 5d Mark II, with the 24-105mm lens for the group shot, and used the 85mm for the individual shots. There were no off-camera lights used, only ambient light, shot about 2 hours before sunset. The entire shoot lasted about 2 hours after extensive hair and makeup by Sarah Wong prior to the start of the shoot. Sarah assisted and did touch-ups throughout the shooting time, and my brother assisted during the shoot as well (his wife is Anastasia). Post production was done by myself and a graphic designer.

Photography by Yasmin Tajik | http://www.shalimarstudios.com/

Band Information:
Ashentide | http://www.ashentide.com/
Lenore Young - Vocals
Andrew Faust - Guitars, Vocals
Anastasia Devana - Keyboards
Overlord Tom - Drums
J. Rivers - Guitars

Ashentide is a female-fronted symphonic metal band from Los Angeles, California, USA.
Ashentide's debut self-titled EP is was released in July 2011, and is now available at http://ashentide.com/music, as well as all major online digital music retailers.

LVP 1st Annual Cover Contest FINALISTS

2011-11-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

First, thank you to everyone who entered our 1st Annual Cover Contest! We were so impressed with the quality and talent of those who entered. It was truly difficult to decide this group of finalists.

Each photo was judged on creativity, originality and technical skill. We also took into consideration the practical ability of the photo to be converted into a cover. If you entered and didn't make the cut, please know that it's not because you're not a good photographer. Some photos covered subjects we've used often for covers. Some photos were not cropped in a way that would work for a cover. So don't be too hard on yourself!

So without further ado, here are your 14 finalists, in no particular order. Each photo includes the photographer's notes on the photo, and a few notes from the judges.

Entry #30 :: Emily Ku - Emily Ku Photography

Entry #30 - Emily Ku

"I took this engagement photo in Cambridge, MA inside the Harvard Square T (subway) stop. The couple had their first date at Harvard Square and wanted pictures to remember their time together in Boston (they are now living in Hong Kong)." ~ Emily

Why we chose it:

Cindy - Location, motion blur, color, composition

Amy - Beautiful exposure, great interaction and connection.

Entry #41 :: Lisa Deering - Lisa J Photography

Entry #41 - Lisa Deering

"This image was taken at a little green area near my home. These are first time parents with their new baby girl. We used lovely morning light." ~ Lisa

Why we chose it:

Cindy - So endearing, lighting

Amy - Beautiful moment captured, lovely composition and interaction.

Entry #3 :: Yasmin Tajik - Shalimar Studios

Entry #3 - Shalimar Studios

"The subject in this image is Ria, a young, Indian lady I first met when I was photographing a charity pageant. This pageant, Glitterati, is designed specifically for girls of South Asian descent (Indian, Pakistani, etc.) to compete and raise funds to benefit the Akshay Patra Foundation. Akshay Patra is a powerful organization funding the production of meals for over 1.2 million children a day living in poverty conditions in India. Due to their dire conditions, they often don't attend school, and by giving them a meal incentive, it increases their chances and motivation to get an education. The Glitterati pageant provides a wonderful opportunity for local young South Asian girls to participate and bring in funds, donations and awareness to a critical issue in their homeland. Ria was one of 15 girls participating in the 2010 pageant and won Miss Photogenic which included a portrait session with Shalimar Studios. This image is one representation from that recent portrait session, and beautifully shows how stunning Ria is inside and out.

This image was captured in a deserted, industrial area near Blue Diamond and Rainbow. We just happened to find this location as we were driving to another location." ~Yasmin

Why we chose it:

Cindy - composition, love the post edit, pleasing to the eye

Amy - Technical skill, connection and composition. Great post processing.

Entry #4 :: Mary Lynn - Mary Lynn Photography

Entry #4 -Mary Lynn Photography

"This is a shot of my daughter from last Christmas. We were getting ready to go visit Santa. We live in Northwest Las Vegas, she was four years old and my favorite subject." ~Mary Lynn

Why we chose it:

Cindy - composition, perfectly exposed, rich color

Amy - Great exposure and connection with the photographer. Post processing is just right.

Entry #23 :: Randi Gardner, r.gardner photographs

Entry #23 - Randi Gardner

"This is Ashlee, she is in her senior year of high school. I was lucky enough to photograph her - as she is so natural in front of the camera. This particular photo is my favorite from the shoot because of her genuine smile. She is looking at her mom. This was taken at the Jacob Hamblin home in Saint George, Utah - right as the sun was coming up." ~Randi

Why we chose it:

Cindy - It's lovely and soft, great lighting, love the bokeh, and composition.

Amy - I love her natural expression. Perfect exposure, soft and feminine feel to the image.

Entry #6 :: Nick Pelletier, Nick Pelletier Photography

Entry #6 - Nick Pelletier

"This shot was taken from the top of the northern parking garage of the Las Vegas Premium Outlets North. It was taken in February of this year, and I re-touched the photo using Photomatix and Lightroom.

My family and I spent the day capturing some city photos from the stratosphere and other areas, finishing the evening with a colorful sunset! I think this photo captures a bit of why people come to vegas... The Lights, Shopping, Entertainment, and Gambling." ~ Nick

Why we chose it:

Cindy - colors, clarity, and location!

Amy - I love the beautiful color and feel to this image. It's just so VEGAS. It's not easy to get night photography just right, and this is just fantastic.

Entry #7 :: Lacey Buchorn

Entry #7 -Lacey Buchorn

"Paris, France - Our family took one last hurrah trip to Paris before moving back to the US from the UK. Paris is my absolute favorite city in the world and I would live there in a heartbeat." ~Lacey

Why we chose it:

Cindy - Great angle, eye-catching!

Amy - Incredible composition - the conversion to black and white gives enhances the dramatic angle.

Entry #11 :: Deena Wilder - DW Photography

Entry #11- Deena Wilder

"I decided to play around in the background with my camera and my favorite subjects (my daughters). I put both of my daughters in sun dresses, and had them play around while I took some shots. I found this wonderful photo of my eldest daughter that I took between her twirling and dancing." ~ Deena

Why we chose it:

Cindy - Great composition, expression

Amy - This photo really grew on me. The expression and composition are lovely, but I think what I love most is how the photographer took the processing right to the edge without going over.

Entry #14 :: Katie Hulett - K Hulett Photography

Entry #14 - Katie Hulett

"This photo was taken with a Canonj 5D Mark II in the streets of Paris, France. The man in the middle is an Australian groom who was married a few hours later, happily walking off his nerves with his father and best friend. His best friend found a stray puppy and stooped to say hello while this shot was taken." ~ Katie

Why we chose it:

Cindy - This one interests me and makes me want to know more about the story behind it

Amy - It's "street photography" style is very endearing and captivating. The composition a.nd technical skill are there, and it makes the viewer want to know and see more.

Entry #18 :: Alex Mo - Alex Mo Photography

Entry #18 - Alex Mo

"This was from a last-minute wedding request that I was delighted to photograph. I just LOVE when kids run and play. It makes for some of the best candids because of their youth and innocence. This particular photo was of the groom's daughter just having a blast without a care in the world. I experimented with some odd/interesting composition and angles throughout the morning and found this gem." ~ Alex

Why we chose it:

Cindy - I like the whimsey and composition of this shot.

Amy - I adore the playful journalistic feel to this image. Great movement and composition.

Entry 45 :: William Swaney - V3 Arts

Entry #45 - William Swaney

"This photo was taken on a romantic trip with my wife to Los Angeles. This was our stop at the Santa Monica Pier, it paired a beautiful blue sky with fluffy white clouds to a colorful and surely joyous ferris wheel." ~William

Why we chose it:

Cindy - Love the colors, clouds, and the perspective.

Amy - Interesting composition. Great color and exposure.

Entry #15 - Leaha Bourgeois - POPography

Entry #15 - Leaha Bourgeois

Why we chose it:
Great color and expression. Lovely shot.

Entry #43 :: Lilli Schwindt -Lilly Photography

Entry #39 - Lilli Schwindt

"I´m a photgrapher from germany and this was a 50´s journey shooting at a old train station." ~ Lilli

Why we chose it:

Cindy - Composition, post edit, and clarity

Amy - There's just something about this photo. Great sharpness and post processing.

Entry #40 :: Lindy Frye - Frye Fotos Photography


Entry #40 - Lindy Frye

"The woman featured is Mary M. She is an inspirational lady who has been through many rough patches in life and gotten past each one. She has not let herself become a victim and has moved on to become a motivational speaker and successful author of Rocket Risks (www.rocketrisks.com)" ~ Lindy

Why we chose it:

Amy - Beautiful, well done portrait. Love the catchlights and pose.

Voting begins now! To vote, tell your friends and family to 'like' our page and vote for your photo (each finalist has a number). The photo with the most votes wins the December 2011 Cover! Voting ends November 15th.

October 2011 Cover

2011-10-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Humbled In Haiti

2011-09-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

by Todd Ellis

A while back my girlfriend Amie challenged me to “get out of my comfort zone.” I am a person who likes to operate with the same routine every day. Maybe Amie saw something in me that needed being jolted. Her suggestion on how to step out of my comfortable realm was far from anything I had ever thought about doing.

I am Todd Ellis. During the day, I help execute the day to day logistics of a trucking company based out of St. George, Utah. After that, I am a professional freelance photographer. Photography is my passion and is one of the most fulfilling activities in my life.

Normally I photograph athletic events, people, and nature. Southern Utah provides me with a multitude of sources for my photographing desire. Between the beautiful southwestern landscapes, and the quality people who reside here, there is a treasure trove of subjects for my camera to capture.

Amie invited me to go to Haiti with her and her family as a volunteer for their foundation (FFCIN). Besides learning more about my girlfriend and witnessing her in humanitarian mode, I would gain the humbling experience of seeing third world condition up-close. In addition, Haiti would be something far different from any subject I have photographed. This trip to Haiti would make me grow as a person, and hopefully, I would grow as a photographer. I cannot deny that I had apprehension in my heart and mind. I didn’t know much about Haiti and really did not know what to expect.

Looking out of the window of the 747 at the largest Haitian city, Port-au-Prince, as we were approaching the airport, struck me with a heightened sense of reality. Up to this point, Haiti had just been a novel thought.

I saw the slum areas; made up of the makeshift structures that so many of the over three million in populace uses for shelters. I saw trash filled waterways, right next to housing. I saw mass activity in narrow streets with rising smoke from people burning garbage. After the plane touched down, I walked down the ramp and entered into this third world’s tragic conditions: for seven days.

The smell of trash and stagnate water, the sound of unfamiliar language, and the realization that I was a man of minority status, made me question my decision to step outside of my comfort zone. I don’t speak a lick of the language so I didn’t understand any of what is being said at Customs. They searched all of our bags, which mostly contained supplies from donations. We made our way through, and outside the airport was a small truck waiting for us to load up our supplies for the drive to the foundation.

The truck was an old, beat up, Nissan pickup truck. It had a diesel engine, and reeked of diesel fuel. We loaded into the back of this rickety, old, truck and took off towards our destination. Traveling around Port-au-Prince seemed crazy at first. There were no traffic rules. There were no defined lanes. Cars, busses and trucks just made their own way in and out of each other, on the narrow disintegrated roadways. It was mass confusion. I was glad to arrive at our guest home and have a feeling of some kind of safety.

One of the main reasons for going there was to help and volunteer in the orphanages. While visiting, we notice there were many children but only a few workers to tend to their needs. Some of the children were very sick and malnourished. Amie’s mother who runs the Foundation told us in orientation that the most important thing was to make the orphans feel loved.

If nothing else, we were to make sure that the kids were held and that their basic need for human contact was met. A particular orphanage we visited, was a small three-room house with approximately 50-60 children living there.

As we entered through the gate, I saw a young girl doing laundry in a tub. She’s was just scrubbing away. She looked about six years old, maybe seven. She looked at us with curiosity but did not stop scrubbing the clothes. There she was, a young little girl, carrying on as if she was a mother herself. I thought, "I can’t even get my kids to put their clothes in the laundry basket".

We took bottles of “blow bubbles”, bags of suckers, and ribbons for the girl’s hair. We also brought mirrors, so that the girls could see themselves. This was a big hit and confirmed my suspicion about girls and mirrors!

We also assessed their needs, and returned the next day with rice and beans and even some milk. We bought and took anti-bacterial supplies to treat the kids who had open sores. We found some plastic tubs on a street corner that we purchased to use for cleaning the kids. We devised an assembly line where we washed the babies in the first tub, rinsed them in anti-bacterial solution in a second tub, and then applied medicine to their sores.

These babies and older kids were suffering with open sores. They were mal-nourished and their poor bellies were sticking out. They don't have anybody. Seeing this and taking part in this project affected me greatly.

I met a girl named Abigail who came up to me. She could actually make out a few words in english. She pointed to my eyes and said “eyes,” and pointed to my ears and said “ears,” as if she was trying to impress me. My guess is that she was about nine years old.

Every time I went to that orphanage, where Abigail lived, she was the first kid to meet me. She would practically throw herself in my arms, hang on my shoulders, she didn't want me to let go of her when it was time to leave. At the end of our day, the members of the volunteer group had to make a plan about the exit. On cue we'd quietly meet at the front gate and hurry out the door, and leave as quickly as possible. That was a hard thing to do, each time.

On another day, I walked down an alley behind the orphanage where there was a small building. There were flies everywhere, and an awful smell. After I walked around a corner, I saw children standing in a line that led to a narrow doorway of a building. The children looked at me in a curious manner and then it hit me. The children were standing in a line to use a bathroom. This little closet-sized space housed a non-plumbed latrine that about 60 kids use. It’s basically an outhouse.

These poor little children are lined up and waiting for their turn to use the only latrine available to them. Seeing this line of children and discovering what they were lined up for was another glimpse into the reality of the conditions that these children live in. I took a few shots, turned around and headed back to the front of the orphanage. As I walked back, I could not help wrestling with feelings of guilt. These few stories certainly do not fully express my experience in Haiti. The many photos I captured would demand many pages of text in order to properly describe the scenes that affected me.

As I drove home from Las Vegas, after flying into McCarran International Airport around 2 AM, I noticed the reflectors on the interstate. Those hundreds of thousands of reflectors that helped light my path home, something I had totally taken for granted before, was now something of little importance. I remember thinking, "Do I really need reflectors for hundreds of miles to keep me on the road?"

When I saw my sons the next day, I hugged them with a tighter grip. When I ate my next meal, I thought about that little four-year old Haitian girl who spilled her plate of rice and beans on the floor. She was so upset! I watched as she scooped up every bit of food that she could get off the filthy floor. My experience in Haiti definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I would like to think that I view everything with more appreciation now. When I take photos, I search deeper, trying to capture a more meaningful representation of the figure I am targeting my lens on.

I look forward to returning again to Haiti, to keep myself focused on the things in life that are really important and worrying less about things like reflectors in the road.

*The Foundation For Children In Need (http://www.ffcin.org/about_us.html ) was Founded (in 2001) as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to help the children of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Timeless: My Love Language of Birth Photography

2011-09-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

by Jessica Strom

I was 16 years old standing outside the delivery room when I heard my oldest niece's first cry. I remember thinking it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. All I wanted to do was hold her close and I was 'just' her new Auntie. Fast forward 10 years and I am with my mom looking through a window watching my youngest nephew come into the world, not sure if the baby was a boy or girl, but hearing that little cry so loud through the window. The memory still gives me goose bumps.

I don't remember whose birth photography I saw first but I do remember when I saw it, I was so taken by the love language those photographs were able to speak, and how incredible I thought it would be to have the honor myself, of interpreting a live birth through the lens of my camera.

I had tried many different areas of photography to see what made my heart leap, but nothing did quite so much as the passion of photographing the grand entrances, of new little beings into the world. Perhaps the drive was fueled by the desire to be a mother myself, something in which my husband and I have been striving for, for many years. Ultimately, it was driven by the song of my heart to forever document the beginning of not only a new baby's life, but the creation of a new mother, a new father, a new family. Pure innocense, completely fresh, starts the hope of limitless possibilities for the future. The intensity of these emotions, and these new realties are only describable through seeing the outward expressions, that completely over-take those experiencing them.

Giving that birth is such an intimate time, tasteful professional photographs are not only essential in being able to share the experience with others, but also for the family to be able to look back on, and truly cherish the sacred start of their childs life. Besides, how cool will it be for that child, 20-30 years down the road, to be able to compare what they looked like the moment they were born, to the moment their own child is born? How amazing will it be, a few generations down the line, to have photographs of their great-grandparents and great-great grandparents? These photographs truley stand the test of the time, and as a photographer, I know that they will be cherished by future generations long after I leave this world, and there is no greater satisfaction to my work than knowing that.

All of the births I have had the honor to photograph, have all been so very different and exciting. As a photographer, the uncertainty and the unknowns in ever changing situations is such a high. There are no dress rehearsals and no second chances. You have to be ready and prepared at all times. You can't pre-plan any particular shots, you truly need to take whatever comes at you, and think fast.

Many births are photographed in dimly lit situations and you have to know your camera so well that when you think of what you want to do, your fingers just know what to do on the camera without stopping to translate in split seconds.This is when your camera is truly an extension of yourself. And of course, it's crucial to have a back up camera in case of a camera malfunction.

The best part to me is showing the parents the birth photographs and experiencing the whole event with them again. while seeing the little details they didn't realize happened, as if looking at themselves through a window. These emotions are so intense that they don't last. Over time they become grey, foggy, almost dream like in that they remember bits and pieces but can't quite put it all together. When I first started on my photography journey, I created a phrase that unknowingly, suits birth photography and all its majestic beauty so perfectly.

"A photograph speaks a language only your heart can ever truly understand."

Birth photography helps parents always remember that 'come what may' in life, they felt more than just happy the day their child was born into this world. That, my friends, is what makes my heart leap with joy.

~Jessica Strom

Jessica Strom is a maternity, birth, and newborn photographer based out of the greater Kansas City Metro

www.jessicastrom.net

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jessicastromphotography

Ciao Bella!

2011-09-30T07:54:00.001-07:00

by Laureen Carruthers

History...amazing architecture...rustic castles & churches...Italy is like nothing I could ever imagine. When Terri and I arrived, all the trees were just beginning to blossom and it made me ache to stay here long enough to see it in full summer bloom.

We came to Italy for a photography workshop [Becker & Dale & Meredith Benfield wedding workshop], but mostly because I was desperate to see Ilaria (our foreign exchange student) and her family again.

The people were lovely, the red wine, cheese, and gelato, amazing! But the most delicious food by far, came from Ilaria's home kitchen, where her grandmother and family did all of the cooking for us.

The best way to experience another country is to stay in a native home and experience day to day life, culture, and food. True Italian Lasagna is like nothing I could ever describe...it was so good, I just wanted to keep it in my mouth and savour it forever!

Getting off the beaten path, and into the heart of the country, is where we were able to see and experience so much more. Although I'm not Italian, something about Italy just made me feel like I was home. I made a promise to myself that I will go back one day. I don't feel like I simply "love" Italy...I feel like I "need" it!

Equipment used: Canon 5D Mark II, 50 mm 1.2, 100 macro, 35L, and my lensbaby composer (the cheapest, but most fun piece of camera equipment that I own!)

Often I see friends on facebook or various places asking for a good point & shoot camera recommendation, because they don't want to take their good gear on a big trip. Seriously?? Take the GOOD gear! I would've gone crazy if I had seen so many amazing sights without my good equipment! Take less lenses if you must...but if it's a trip of a lifetime, these will be memories worth capturing with your good gear!

LVP's 1st Annual Cover Contest!

2011-09-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to see YOUR photo on the cover of a magazine? Here's your opportunity! Beginning October 1st, you can submit your entry to be on the cover of the December issue of Las Vegas Photographer Magazine.

How to Enter:

Click here to submit
Images should be JPG, sized 600x800, 72 dpi. No watermark or logos, please.
Images can be any subject of your choice, portraits, weddings, landscape, pets, etc. (No pornography or nudes, please, G rated content only)
Any photographer, amateur or professional, can enter.

All entries will be placed in the "Cover Contest 2011" album on our facebook page. You can like as many photos as you want, but official voting will not begin until the finalist's photos are uploaded on November 1st.

DETAILS

Any photographer, from any location, and any skill level is eligible to enter. Submission deadline is October 31, 2011. Winner will be announced November. Entry is free. Only one entry, please.

Image submitted must be original and you must have written releases on file from any subjects pictured in the image. Photographer must have captured and created the original exposure. All digital photoshop editing must have been performed by the entrant. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification of entry. The decision of the Contest judges is final.

Images should be JPG, sized 600x800, 72 dpi. No watermark or logos, please.

The photos will be judged by Las Vegas Photographer Magazine's founder and editor, Cindy Larkin, and editor Amy Leavitt. The top 5-10 chosen photos will then be voted on by viewers. The photo with the most votes, or "likes" will win the prize of Cover Photographer.

To vote, you must "like" Las Vegas Photographer Magazine on Facebook. Then, you may vote by "liking" the image. You can "like" as many images as you want.

Voting begins the week of November 1st and ends November 15th.

If you become a finalist, direct your friends, family and other photographers to our facebook page from November 1-15 to "like" your photo!

September 2011 Cover

2011-09-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

Storytelling

2011-09-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Storytelling is our way of holding the truths of the present for the future to remember. Anyone who knows me, knows I can tell one heck of a story. This is the very thing that inspires my photography work. People are my business, my lifeline & the reason I continue to do what I love. I like to say I shoot relationships, journeys & memorable events. Nothing is too small nor too big.

Some people can go on and on about how photography was their dream job or maybe they have been taking photos most of their life, but I am not that person. I was an elementary music teacher for 7 years and just recently resigned to take my photography business full time. My mom shared her secret wishes of being a photographer and how it was ‘too late’ for her to begin taking photography more serious. Her dream somehow became mine. I started to realize that the disposable cameras I carried around for the last 10 years could be upgraded to something fancier. Something Digital! After looking through hundreds of 4x6 prints my family has collected and seeing the memories stored in the top of my parents laundry room in giant Christmas popcorn tins---I realized there was a passion for preserving. Nonetheless, I spent every penny I had on my first DSLR. After photographing every friend, neighbor & child I knew, I decided this was something I could get used to.

People have always been important to me. I want to continually walk in humility and learn the stories of those that may go untold. I want my photographs to serve as footprints and memoirs of things that once existed. It’s truly an honor for someone to put their trust in me to cover some of their most important events or share their story through photos with the world.

This particular session was a spur of the moment session. No plan of attack. No prep time. Just a single dollar bill and a camera. It was approximately 11am on a Sunday morning on Royal Street directly across from Bourbon Street in downtown New Orleans. The streets had just been given a good soapy scrub and the hustle and bustle of morning goers filled the sidewalks. There was the occasional straggler left sitting on a street corner from the night before with their head in their hands trying to avoid any contact with the human kind. I’m guessing they probably had way too many Hurricane Drinks the evening before. The city is alive and I’m also guessing most of the people up this early were not on this very street the night before when the smell of cold beer and jazz music filled the air.

I was on a mission. A mission to find someone unique. A story.
I was passing this young man with a skirt made out of a cloth material and knotted on the side and not a stitch of clothing more. His hair was wrapped up in a high ponytail and his facial hair showed no signs of taming. I told my husband as we walked by that this was the guy. He was going to have a good story and I was going to shoot with him today. We snuck into a nearby hat store to kill time while he set up his drum and assorted instruments. I guess about 10 minutes went by and we walked back towards the stranger. Almost immediately I noticed a sign sitting inside of his drum. “Please leave tip AND THEN take a picture. Thank you”. I just looked at my husband and chuckled. He wasn’t even set up when I threw a $1 bill in his box. I told him that I was tipping him before I even knew what he was going to do and that I was just roaming the streets looking for “cool” people. He said he always wished he were “cool”. I replied, “me too.” He continued to set up his gear and I asked him if he minded I took some portraits of him. I didn’t really want to refer to these as pictures because I knew the power that would come from them later. Portrait seemed to be a fancier word and maybe he wouldn’t mind so much. He had no reservations and continued to set up. As he was dressing himself with bells and kazoos I continued to talk to him. He revealed he was a gypsy of sorts- a traveler. He had been in New Orleans for a few years and liked performing on the streets. But his time would soon end here and he would move on. He actually has an 8-piece band, but today would only be him and his saxophone player. His tattoos were plentiful and unique. He took a moment and I held his hands to detail all the artwork. Purposeful and well-placed markings that told his beliefs and the story of who he was. He had a very easygoing, positive vibe about him. Very soulful. It was time to play. He warmed up his kazoo and had to replace it with another kazoo because that one just didn’t sound right today. I stepped back and watched as one of the most unique performances began to play out. I shot. I got video. I gave a simple wave and thanked him. Street photography was never really an option. I like the fact there is no formal money exchange, no hiring, but a highly inspirational conversation and photos that hold that feeling for a lifetime.

My name is Leaha Bourgeois and I’m a people photographer from Dallas/Fort Worth.

Gear used on session: 5d Mark ii, 50mm 1.2 & a dollar bill.

I would like to send a shout out to my family! They are my everything. My amazing husband Jeffrey, my beautiful teenager Madi & my sweet baby Trace. Thank you for allowing mommy to venture out into the world and love my life. And most importantly God for helping me to reach more people for Him.

http://www.popography.org/
www.facebook.com/popography
www.twitter.com/popography

Travelling the World

2011-09-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

~by Shauna Roughley

People gave us crazy looks and shook their heads when they heard my husband Gareth and I were quitting our jobs, renting out our house and abandoning conventional responsibility to spend a year travelling.

London - Westminster Bridge

Adventure, fun, and fulfilling a dream was the aim for our year away from Edmonton. The amazing photos we have captured has been a side effect of visiting so many awe-inspiring places, having the time to set up for shots, and constantly keeping our eyes open for opportunities.

Walking the Lanes of Wales

Misty Morning Shot. Towy Valley, Wales

We left Edmonton on December 8, 2010 and headed to the UK to spend some much-needed quality time with Gareth’s family. This would be my first UK Christmas, and my first Christmas away from home. The weather was beautiful when we arrived, the warm days a welcome relief to the freezing temperatures of Edmonton. We took advantage as much as we could, jogging in the sleepy lanes of Wales and walking the hilly countryside to visit castle ruins.

Dryslwyn Castle. Towy Valley, Wales

Snowy morning in Wales

The beautiful weather was not meant to last for us, and one morning we awoke to thick, fluffy snow.

Snowy Cotswolds, England

Queensferry, Scotland

The snow didn’t stop us though; we soon headed to the Cotswolds. The stone cottages were covered with snow, an uncommon sight not many people experience. The area came to a standstill, cars abandoned on the side of the road, their drivers welcomed into the pubs and restaurants to sit beside the warm, blazing fires.

Hogmany, Scotland

Edinburgh was in the cards for Christmas and their massive Hogmany new years eve celebration. The streets were packed with people celebrating, cheering, in jovial spirits. Everyone was friendly and welcoming as we wandered Princess Street, taking in the spectacular views of the night. Seeing the fireworks over Edinburgh castle was the perfect end to our time in the UK.

Markets. Hong Kong

We hopped on a plane for Hong Kong in the early days of 2011. The warm weather, busy streets and smoggy air was a shock to the system after the snowy Christmas we had just experienced. We soaked in this new culture, seeing as much as we possibly could in the six days we were there. We hit the pavement taking in the various markets, the temples, the old culture mixed with the new technology. Our taste buds were tantalised by the street food, from noodles to meat on a stick to sugar cane tea. Hong Kong is a constant contrast of old and new, high culture and street culture, calm mornings and frantic, busy nights.

Tai Chi in Kowloon Park. Hong Kong

Kung Fu Corner. Kowloon Park, Hong Kong

Next up - Tasmania, Australia. We visited friends who showed us some of the best Tassie has to offer. We drove to Bicheno, and spent a day hiking from Wineglass Bay to Hazards Beach on the Freycinet Peninsula, enjoying the hot sun and the turquoise ocean.

Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia

Hazards Beach, Tasmania, Australia

We reached our destination for the year on January 27, 2011 - New Zealand. We had no set plans, no obligations, nothing set in stone for a year. Our only plan was to buy a camper van and tour the country.

R. Tucker Thompson Tall Ship. Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Gareth and I quickly fell into a routine with our home-on-wheels. Our living space was smaller than a queen sized bed so everything had to be kept in its place, at all times. Every nook and cranny in the van was utilized – the glove compartment became our medicine cabinet, our closets were plastic buckets that were shifted to the bed during the day, to the front seat at night. We each had one mug, one plate, one set of cutlery. We learned how little we needed to survive, how little material possessions were necessary to keep us fed and clothed.

Elliot Bay, New Zealand

Matai Bay, New Zealand

The benefit of always having our home with us has been obvious on numerous occasions. Its not possible to forget anything, because everything we own comes with us! If we fancy a swim, we can grab our suits from the back. If it gets late, we can camp out on the side of the road for the night. This has allowed us to view some splendid sunsets, and be in a perfect spot for spectacular sunrises.

East Cape, New Zealand

Taking the time to drive around New Zealand with no set plans and no firm timeline has presented us with many opportunities. We have worked in a small winery called ¼ Acre Wines in Hawke’s Bay through their busy harvest season. Our passion for good wine is now accompanied by a healthy appreciation for the amount of work that goes into a good bottle of wine.

Gisborne, New Zealand

Tangoio, New Zealand

We still have half of the country to see - the spectacular south island. We have been told by numerous people that the south island is a photographer’s paradise, so we can’t wait to head down and explore. There is so much more to see, so much more to experience. We feel like we’re just getting started.

Bridal Veil Falls, New Zealand

Bingo the Bongo Mazda Van

We’re documenting our trip on our blog, we would love for you to come along with us on our adventure: www.roughleyoriginals.com

August 2011 Cover

2011-07-31T08:05:00.001-07:00

Nature's Beauty from the Far North

2011-07-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

By Lisa Kryschuk

Greetings from Northern Saskatchewan, Canada! My name is Lisa and I am a mom to three wonderful kids! I am also a Portrait and Wedding Photographer from Denare Beach, SK. [http://www.lisakryschukphotography.com/]

One of my favorite pastimes is capturing the beauty all around us. From flowers to bugs, I truly love capturing what I see through my lens for others to enjoy.

I am not at all what one would call an outdoor girl. I am not adventureous by any means! My nature shots started with raindrops on flowers, slowly moving up to bees and spiders (which by the way, scare me silly)! With a little motivation, my husband started convincing me that there was more to the world than my flower garden. Soon birds and animals were added to my porfolio.

The most rewarding images I have taken so far have been of this magestic eagle. I had a wonderful day with my Dad and Uncle, patiently waiting for the eagle to visit while they ice fished. When the eagle decided to join us, I was truly amazed with his size and beauty. I will never forget the thrill I got that afternoon. This experience is very dear to me... memories to always cherish.

Saftey is always a must with any type of nature shots. Bees sting, and well...bears can eat you!!! Seriously I am not trained by any means in wild animal photography, and the bear pictures were taken with my Canon 70-200 mm 2.8 L IS USM and taken from the safety of my car. I will leave the serious wildlife photography to the experts!

Many of my nature shots were taken with my 24-70mm 2.8L lens, but I finally bought a 100mm 2.8L macro lens and I am seriously falling in love! I love how close it brings you to the subject. But, now I want even closer, and have extension tubes on my "wish list".

Rubicon Estate: Photo Session Share

2011-07-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

By Andrea Watkins

Every year our family takes a trip to the Bay Area in California to visit my Dad and extended family. This year my Dad had a project planned for the kids, so Lance and I were able to sneak away for the day.

It's been about 9 years since we had been to Napa Valley- although it's only about a 30 -40 minute drive from my Dad's house.. We decided on Francis Ford Coppola's Vineyard Rubicon Estate.

We didn't really put a lot of thought into it we just figured winery/ Coppola.. win, win.
But as we drove down the tree-lined driveway, and got closer to the estate, I couldn't help but be in awe.

The grounds were beautiful, sprawling, and well-groomed. The majestic fountain centralized in the courtyard and the large, trellis shaded outdoor patio gives this place such a calm surrender, It made me feel like I was visiting an estate in Tuscany. It would be a beautiful place for a wedding.

As we entered the estate, I took in the sights as well as the smells, it's hard to describe the smell, but if I were to venture a guess I would say it smelled like a castle.

The ambiance was just perfect, and I loved that there was a vast collection of authentic movie memorabilia displayed, as well as his wine-making accomplishments, because YES we are fans....

and much of the memorabilia is integrated throughout the property so that you can enjoy it all while you sip your delicious wine.

I honestly can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. I'm glad we decided to do it.

Andrea Watkins resides in St. George Utah. She has an amazing and supportive husband and 3 beautiful children. She has been in the Photography business for around 8 years, but fell in love with photography when she was given her first real camera at the age of 15. She uses the Canon 7D, and her favorite lens of choice is a 28-70mm 2.8.

Images by Andrea Watkins are available for sale {here}.

Documenting the "Everyday" with Style

2011-07-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

by Jacque Larsen

I LOVE to scrapbook but life is busy, so I just don't have much time. I have four children, ranging in ages from six to fifteen. My children are active, participating in dance, guitar lessons, football, basketball, swim team, track, not to mention afterschool homework, church and community projects. To keep up with all of those things, but still make time for scrapbooking, I have turned digital! Digital Scrapbooking has allowed me to document the everyday things and the once-in-a-lifetime moments in such a convenient way. I'm so glad that in 20, 30 or 40 years, I will have these pages at which my family can look back. I love that I will have helped them to remember the fun things that they did and all that they accomplished. It’s about the memories! In fact, my photos aren't perfect. Like most moms, I'm usually chasing my children around at the last minute trying to document their accomplishments. Lately, I have found that carrying around my DSLR has even become cumbersome and I've started using the camera on my iPhone. I've taken over 600 photos on my phone since February 2011. I'm amazed by the quality and by the moments I've captured that I would have otherwise missed. The wonderful thing about digital scrapbooking is the convenience of using a digital camera with those easily accessible digital kits. I can download pictures to my computer, without waiting for prints, and start scrapbooking immediately! Technology really IS amazing, isn't it? What do I scrapbook? If your children aren't inspiration enough or you need some ideas to start out with, here are a couple of my favorite topics:

Photo-a-Day:

Take a picture on each of the 365 days this year. Some pictures will illustrate bigger moments and some shots will be routine stuff in your life. It all adds up to complete the puzzle of your life RIGHT now. Add a quick sentence or two (or more) about the photo so you won't forget why and when you snapped that picture.

All About Me:

Whether you are scrapbooking about you, your child, or teenager, focus completely on what makes up that person’s life right at that moment. Include details such as: favorite thing to wear, favorite thing to eat, what they love, where they've gone, who they hang out with, where they work, why they do what they do. Tell about other favorites, their hobbies, their friends, their schoolwork. Snap pictures of them or just of their things. These are some of my most beloved pages. I try to do at least one of these for each of my kids every year.

Other ideas to scrapbook include:

Family journal, have each person take responsibility for a layout or more. Use extended family too! Combine all finished pages in a book!
Self-Portraits, on my said cell phone I couldn't count ALL the self portraits I have of my 15 year old daughter. They are so awesome and I love scrapbooking them!
Scrapbook other all time favorite photos, of your children, your spouse, your best friend, the world around you, ANYTHING.
Scrapbook about your home. Focus on every little detail of things that you love.
Pregnancy & Baby's first year.
Travel and vacations.
Month by Month calendar type pages or give yourself Weekly or even Monthly Themes. You would be amazed at all the inspiration available on the internet. Have a look around!

Remember, like your photos, your pages don't have to be perfect. You just NEED to get that memory on paper (or a digital file, haha!). There are so many tutorials available to get you started. Use your photos to document the everyday. Don't be afraid to take that first step! I've included some sites that may be a huge help to getting you started if you are a beginner.

Here are some great tutorials and descriptions of what digital scrapbooking is and how to get started. There are so many talented designers, most of which I have the pleasure to work with. Some of them have posted very detail instructions and descriptions as to what digital scrapbooking is and how to get started. Here are a couple of my favorites:

By Karah Fedricks: -What is Digi-Scrapping?

http://blueflombingo.com/2011/what-is-digi-scrapping/

By Krista Sahlin: -How to Start Digital Scrapbooking

http://sahlinstudio.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-start-digital-scrapbooking.html

Here are a few of my favorite basic products to share with those who have dabbled a bit in digital scrapbooking or those that are itching to get started, but aren't sure of what to purchase first.

Download it {here}

For me, it is so important to have certain basics to start with. Then after a few layouts you will quickly learn what your personal style is and can go from there. I think every scrapper, beginner to advanced, should have at least one of each of the following. The site www.the-lilypad.com , where I sell at, has put together an ESSENTIALS category for you and me. You can find it here. http://www.the-lilypad.com/store/home.php?cat=211 My essentials include a few nice alphas, every scrapper loves fonts, a pack or two of plain neutral or solid colored papers and some kind of adhesive (staples, tape stitching). Then you can start adding other fun elements, ribbons, buttons, doodles, tags, word art, etc. to your hearts content. Templates are also a great way for beginners to start scrapbooking.
The Lily Pad (TLP) {here} holds my favorite pages and galleries chalk FULL of ideas and challenges where I know I can go for constant inspiration and motivation to get my scrapping mojo moving!!

The TLP BLOG {here} also hosts many challenges and tutorials on HOW to do so many techniques that are great for us ALL to learn and know!

Here are some of my (not so perfect photos) shown in a few scrapbook pages I've created recently.

It is so fun to start a scrapbook page with a blank piece of paper that we work to mold and create into these masterpieces we call scrapbook pages.

If you ever have a question or need help getting started feel free to contact me jacque@larsenfamily.com, I will be happy to encourage you along on this amazing record keeping journey.

**COUPONS JUST FOR LVP READERS!!!**
I have created a coupon for Last Vegas Photographer readers, to use in MY TLP STORE {here}
ENJOY 50% OFF your purchase of $10 or MORE using code [LVPM_JLL].
AND
15% off STOREWIDE if you use this code [4READERS]
Expires August 31, 2011.

Styled Couture Wedding: Santa Monica Pier

2011-07-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

By Christina Bentheim

This was a styled couture wedding shoot at the Santa Monica Pier featuring gowns from La Belle Elaines in Seattle and Renee Pawele Bride accessories.

There were two "couples" for the shoot. All of the models had just met that day and did a nice job of creating chemistry with each other that translated well in the photographs. The weather was super overcast, which made the sky yucky, but the light fantastic!

Meet Natalie and Patrick--both out of southern California.

Those doors were closed when we started shooting, but then a delivery truck came and we shot in between the guys delivering loads into the storage there.

The shoes and cotton candy were inspirations of Emma Smith who designed the shoot. She thought it would be fun to show a couple having fun while being all dolled up.

One of the crazy things about this shoot were all of the models dressed up on the pier--and the crowd's reactions to them.

We stopped traffic everywhere we went and people were randomly saying, "You look beautiful! Congratulations!" They had no idea it was a styled shoot--and that's just what we intended!

Credits For This Shoot:

Photographer: Red Corduroy Media Group {Photography} L.L.C. [http://www.rcmgphotography.com/]

Event Organizer/Stylist Emma Smith: [http://www.emmajanephotos.com/]

Wardrobe: La Belle Elaines (Seattle)

Accessories: Renee Pawele Bride (Orange County)
Hair/Make-up: TM Make-up and Hair (Los Angeles)

July 2011 Cover

2011-07-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Cover Image by Wendy Laurel

Winner of $50 MissRubySue Gift Certificate!

2011-07-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

And the winner is.....

Kasey Murphy

Congrats Kasey and all the winners! And a huge THANK YOU!!! to our lovely vendors who generously donated these fantastic items to bid on!

We are grateful for everyone who participated, commented and shared about LVP! 

Giveaway :: $50 Gift Certificate :: MissRubySue's Etsy Shop!

2011-07-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Prize:

$50 Gift Certificate to MissRubySue's Etsy Shop!

Click here to see the cutest accessories/props on the planet!

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Las Vegas Photographer on Facebook and “like” us! Feel free to say 'hi' while you're there.

Visit MissRubySue and "like" her page. Leave her a little thank you note too :)

BONUS ENTRY:   Share a link to this blog post on your Facebook Fan Page, Profile  Page.  Remember to tag "Las Vegas Photographer" and "MissRubySue" in the post. (Use the  @symbol  before typing). 

Come back here and tell what you completed the steps - and also let us know if you've reposted so you can get a second entry. 

:: Details ::

This   giveaway ends at 11:59pm, July 12th. Winner will be chosen randomly   using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Wednesday, July 13th. Prizes will be distributed to the winner directly   from each vendor. Should any winner not claim their prize by July 14th,   another winner will be chosen.

Winner of Michelle Tiek Photoshop Templates!

2011-07-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 3 Photoshop Templates from Michelle Tiek is:

Jamie

Congrats Jamie! Contact Michelle Tiek (michelle@michelletiekphotography.com) to redeem your prize. 

Be sure to enter our next giveaway for a $50 Gift Certificate to Miss Ruby Sue's Etsy Shop!

Giveaway :: 3 Photoshop Templates :: Michelle Tiek

2011-07-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Prize:

 
3 Photoshop Templates of your choice!
Click here to check out her amazing logos, templates and designs!

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Las Vegas Photographer on Facebook and “like” us! Feel free to say 'hi' while you're there.

Visit Michelle Tiek Photography & Design and "like" her page. Leave her a little thank you note too :)

BONUS ENTRY:  Share a link to this blog post on your Facebook Fan Page, Profile Page.  Remember to tag "Las Vegas Photographer" in the post. (Use the @symbol  before typing). 

Come back here and tell what you completed the steps - and also let us know if you've reposted so you can get a second entry. 

:: Details ::

This  giveaway ends at 11:59pm, July 10th. Winner will be chosen randomly  using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Monday, July 11th. Prizes will be distributed to the winner directly  from each vendor. Should any winner not claim their prize by July 12th,  another winner will be chosen.

Come back Monday to see if you won. And

check out our NEXT giveaway!

Winner Winner!

2011-07-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 3 camera straps are:

Angela W

Lindy Frye

Anne Snyder

Congrats everyone! Contact SewUnique by Kristen (sewuniquebykristen@gmail.com)  to redeem your prize. 

Be sure to enter our next giveaway for 3 photoshop templates from the amazing Michelle Tiek!

Giveaway :: Handmade Camera Straps! :: SewUnique by Kristen

2011-07-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Prize:

3 Beautiful Camera Straps!
(3 separate winners)

A little bit about Kristen: 
My name is Kristen I am a military wife and a stay at home mom with a wonderful little boy named Noah. All of my purses and wallets are handmade and most are one of a kind. Contact me at sewuniquebykristen@gmail.com with any questions or orders.

Click here to see her more of her amazing handmade items, including purses, camera bags, diaper bags, etc.

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Las Vegas Photographer on Facebook and “like” us! Feel free to say 'hi' while you're there.

Visit SewUnique by Kristen and "like" her page. Leave her a little thank you note too :)

BONUS ENTRY: Share a link to this blog post on your Facebook Fan Page, Profile Page. Remember to tag "Las Vegas Photographer" in the post. (Use the @symbol before typing). 

Come back here and tell what you completed the steps - and also let us know if you've reposted so you can get a second entry. 

:: Details ::

This giveaway ends at 11:59pm, July 8th. Winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Saturday July 9th. Prizes will be distributed to the winner directly from each vendor. Should any winner not claim their prize by July 10th, another winner will be chosen.

Come back Saturday to see if you won. And

check out our NEXT giveaway!

Winner Winner!

2011-07-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

We have a winner for the $50 Gift Certificate to Kelsey's Design Shop!

Jacque from Jacque Russell Imagery!

contact Kelsey Anderson to redeem your prize!

Giveaway :: $50 Gift Card :: Kelsey Anderson's Design Shop

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Prize:

$50 Credit at the amazingly talented Kelsey Anderson's Design Shop! 

Click here to see her lovely designs, actions and templates. So many to choose from!

HOW TO ENTER:

Visit Las Vegas Photographer on Facebook and “like” us!  Feel free to say 'hi' while you're there.

Visit Kelsey Anderson Photography and "like" her too! Leave her a little love too.

BONUS ENTRY: Share a link to this blog post on your Facebook Fan Page, Profile Page. Remember to tag "Las Vegas Photographer" in the post. (Use the @symbol before typing). 

Come back here and tell us you did all of the above in the comment section below.

:: Details ::

This giveaway ends at 11:59pm, July 6th. Winner will be chosen randomly using Random.org. The winner will be announced here on the blog on Thursday, July 7th. Prizes will be distributed to the winner directly from each vendor. Should any winner not claim their prize by Friday July 8th, another winner will be chosen.

Come back Thursday to see if you won. And

check out our NEXT giveaway!

Let the Kids Dress Themselves

2011-06-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

by: Wendy Laurel

Kjrsten Madsen

Tory O'Leary

Let the Kids Dress Themselves is a portrait inspiration blog in love with creative and honest photography. Myself, Wendy Laurel, and Tory O'Leary are the editors.

Tory O'Leary

Kjrsten Madsen

The style of Let the Kids Dress Themselves is creative and honest photography. We love to see really beautiful and fine art photography that shows off the childrens' and families' personalities. We look for real life scenes and not overstylized photo shoots. And we are looking for an emphasis on the people, not overloaded on details or props. Of course we provide links to things our readers will want to know, i.e. where to buy that super cute baby outfit etc., but the emphasis is on the subject's personalities and relationships and beautiful photography. Our blog also provides a listing of our favorite baby and family photograpers by area.

Wendy Laurel

Tory O'Leary

Wendy Laurel

Recently in JPG magazine, Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai said, "Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward." That is exactly what we are looking for at our blog. Photography that shows the photographer's voice. The props and actions can be put aside and let the photography and the subject shine through. "Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated."

Wendy Laurel

Let the Kids showcases an amazing variety of both digital and film portrait photography. All different styles of babies, children, family and portrait photography are featured. The more unique and creative, the better. The criteria is to make us say, "Dang, I wish I shot that!" Submissions are accepted at submit@letthekids.com.

Who we are:

Wendy Laurel is a family and wedding photographer in Maui, Hawaii. She is the mother of four children, Nalu (15), Hannah (9), Noelle (7), and Noa (3). Wendy shoots 100% film and uses a variety of cameras, including toy cameras in her client work. She is known for her use of color in her images. She has been featured on Style Me Pretty, Brooklyn Bride, Weddings.com, and Rock and Roll Bride. She also has photos being published later this year in the soon to be released book, Lens Flair. Wendy's work can be viewed at http://www.wendylaurel.com.

Wendy Laurel

Tory O'Leary is a 100% film, sought after newborn and family photographer in Southern California. She was voted Top 3 in Los Angeles's Hot List for Portrait Photographers as well as a Favorite by the Daily Breeze. She is the mother of two children, Pierce (5) and Leighton (2). Tory's work can be viewed at http://www.photographybyvictoria.com.

Tory O'Leary

Evoking You

2011-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

by: Kelsey Anderson

I am a mother to 3 and have been married for almost 7 years. I got my first camera for my birthday 2 years ago and fell in LOVE. When my kids were awake I was photographing them. When they were asleep I was online reading about photography. Learning and practicing all the time. I started my business and shot everything. However I realized about a year in that I didn't enjoy shooting everything. There were certain sessions I LOVED and that was what I wanted to turn my focus to. So late last year I made the decision to do an overhaul and cut out what didn't truly inspire me. Scary yes but one of the best decisions I have made for my business and for my photography.

I decided to create Evoking You because I know how crucial it is for us to be inspired. That we all get in creative ruts from time to time and we need a little bit of a kick in the butt. I hope that Evoking You will be that kick. I will be featuring amazing photographers with AMAZING style. Sessions that push the envelope and that I feel will help others to think outside the box.

One feature that I am really excited about is the Evoking Creativity|Image of the Day. I have created a Flickr group where anyone can join and share their images. I will be choosing one image a day to feature on the site. My hope is that all the images that people see on Evoking You will help them evoke their creativity. To take what they see and make it their own. To get inspired to shoot for themselves.

Featured Session :: Maternity

2011-06-30T20:01:00.001-07:00

by: Alexander Mo

The location was Mountain View Park in Henderson, NV, a bustling new suburb just outside of Las Vegas. It has a small baseball field, which is perfect for Jeanette and Justin, as they are HUGE baseball fans, specifically Angels fans.

For lighting, I normally have the sun behind the couple so as to avoid squinting. Otherwise, I like the sun facing them as it gives off a nice, natural light. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky when the couple is facing each other, but fortunately the shoot was fairly early in the morning, so the sun didn't create very harsh shadows.

For posing, I decided on a more cute session with a sprinkle of fine-art photography. It really depends on the couple, so you have to observe and see what best fits their personality. The fine-art approach, however, is more universal as it comes from integrating the couple with the background and finding cool angles and pretty compositions that are pleasing to the eye.

My name is Alex Mo, and I'm living the dream of doing what I love most and making a career out of it. My photography is defined by the beauty of the world we live in. Long ago are the days of dark, underexposed photos. Today, more and more folks want to be photographed in more unique and artistic ways, defined by bright imagery and vibrant colors. With a keen eye for the arts, and an undying passion for what I love to do, I would be more than exhilarated to capture your wedding or portrait session with style.

My website is:
http://www.AlexMoStudios.com/

Blog:
http://www.AlexMoBlog.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/AlexMoPhotog

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/AlexMoPhotog

Posing for Couples

2011-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

by: Jamie Y

Posing for Couples: Engagements & Weddings

One of my favorite ways to pose couples is by not actually posing them at all. I love to just have them do something that forces them to interact in a natural way. Sometimes just talking to the couple and having them tell you about their personal love story or anything about them will get them to loosen up and get you some of those natural smiles and loving glances. You can also do things like have them walk or separate them and have them come back together. Little things like that you can do to help create a moment that will get you some great candid shots. You can also secretly tell one of them the next time I am setting you guys up for a picture, grab the other one’s butt or whisper something dirty in their ear. I guarantee most of the time you are going to get some great laughs and smiles.

There are lots of couples, however, who like to be posed. They like to be told what to do and where to put every part of their bodies. You should be prepared before the session with some poses that you can use. I like to do research and brainstorming a few nights beforehand and write up some notes that I bring with me to the session, because I always go brain dead and forget all my great ideas. You can come up with some great pose ideas by searching online, reading magazines, watching movies, or doing whatever else inspires you. It also helps to always carry a notebook or have somewhere on your phone that you can write down cool ideas as they come to you.

The two main aspects of posing that I am going to go into a little more depth about are ways to slim people and the importance of watching and using their hands. One of the tricks to slimming people, mainly a bride, is to use things to block parts of her body. Two things that you will most likely have on hand are the groom and the veil. By positioning the bride and groom in certain ways you can use the groom’s body to block parts of the bride. Even something as easy as having the grooms hand on the upper part of the brides arm will help to make her arm look slimmer. Try to pay attention to the bride’s arms and make sure they are not pressed up flat against her body which is not slimming to any female. You can use the veil the same way that you use the groom, by positioning it so it covers parts of her arms or upper body. Having the bride and/or groom push their shoulders back and lean forward a little also helps to slim them. Also, shooting down onto the couple helps slim them as well.

Paying attention to the hands is a very important part of posing that often gets overlooked. No matter how great of a pose or photograph you take, if their hands are stiff and awkward, it makes the whole photograph look awkward. One of the best ways to use the hands is to have the couple create intimacy with them by holding each other or touching each other’s faces. If you give their hands something to do it helps them look more natural and loving. If the pose does not lend itself well to touching, make sure that they relax their hands. For females have them lightly lay their hand on themselves or something. If one of their hands is up, have them tilt the wrist back a little to give a slight curve to their fingers which is more feminine and natural. Typically the male can have at least one hand on the female. With the other hand he can rest it lightly in his pocket, or even rest it on a wall or something. If he has a hand that is just dangling, try and do something with it.

There are so many aspects to posing, but I hope that what I have shared with you can help in some way. Sometimes little things that you never thought about before can help to bring your photographs up to a new level.

XO-JamieY

June 2011 Cover

2011-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Cover Image by Julianna Collett