HagePhoto Q & A

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!

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The Video Portrait | Annette Wilson

"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

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Achieving Better Focus

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.

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LVP's Headshot Swap

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:

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

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Oh So Posh Actions Giveaway!

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!  ;) 

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December Cover 2011

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

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Session Share

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.

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Get the Look

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,

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My Big Decision!~ Saying Goodbye

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

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Photographing your Holiday Feast

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!

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

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.

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

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. 

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

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

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

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

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

* 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.

[Copyright © Cindy Larkin]

* 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]

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Flickr Photo Share

Eleanor Leonne Bennett

Join our Flickr Group to get featured.

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Brag Button for Cover Contest Finalists

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

<center><a href="http://lasvegasphotographer.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Las Vegas Photographer" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qwwHVOe1kGk/TsPuve9gIHI/AAAAAAAABJU/-rr9Mx6b8n0/s200/Cover+Contest+Finalist.jpg"/></a></center>

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November Cover 2011

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Social Media Tips for Photographers

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

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Ashentide | Band Photography by Yasmin Tajik

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.

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LVP 1st Annual Cover Contest FINALISTS

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.

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