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| Eleanor Leonne Bennett |
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Nov 24, 2011
Nov 16, 2011
Brag Button for Cover Contest Finalists
Finalists: Grab a brag button for your website! Just copy and paste the code below.
Nov 1, 2011
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
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.
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 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.
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| 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)." ~ EmilyWhy we chose it:
Cindy - Location, motion blur, color, composition
Amy - Beautiful exposure, great interaction and connection.
Entry #41 :: Lisa Deering - Lisa J Photography
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| 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
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| 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
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| Entry #4 -Mary Lynn Photography |
Why we chose it:
"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
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
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| 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." ~RandiWhy 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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." ~ DeenaWhy 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
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| 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." ~ KatieWhy 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
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| 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." ~ AlexWhy 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
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| 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." ~WilliamWhy we chose it:
Cindy - Love the colors, clouds, and the perspective.
Amy - Interesting composition. Great color and exposure.Entry #15 - Leaha Bourgeois - POPography
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| Entry #15 - Leaha Bourgeois |
Great color and expression. Lovely shot.
Entry #43 :: Lilli Schwindt -Lilly Photography
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| 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
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| 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)" ~ LindyWhy 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.
Oct 1, 2011
Sep 30, 2011
Humbled In Haiti
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.
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.
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.
*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.
Read more >>
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
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.
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
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jessicastromphotography
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