I meant to do that!
No doubt about it, my portraiture is distinctive. I have a contemporary style and it is sometimes unconventional. My portrait clients are usually looking for something fresh, modern and more artistic that what many “traditional” studios offer. That being said, there are some characteristics you may notice when looking at my portfolio that is unlike what you might be accustomed to:
Cut me close - This means tight crops where the face fills most of the frame and the head is not included in it’s entirety. These images are about the eyes or the face. I meant to do that.
Left of Center - (or in this case, right of center) The most boring placement of a subject in a photograph is smack dab in the middle! I know, I know, not what you always thought, right? Trust me! There is a little something in design called the Rule of Thirds that we contemporary photographers often employ to enhance visual interest.
The rule states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines (like a tic-tac-toe board). The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.
Trust me, your son or daughter does not need to be right in the center of an image for it to be a good portrait! I meant to do that!
Turn That Smile Upside-down- So many of us have been brought up to believe that a smile is a requirement to make a great photo. So not true! I love a pensive look as much as a big grin. I meant to do that!
Negative Nelly â Negative space is when the subject is placed off to one side of an image and the rest of the image is emptyâthis is done for artistic impact. I meant to do that!
Bright Eyes - The hallmark of good portrait photography is good lighting, and the hallmark of good lighting is something called a âcatchlightâ â as mentioned in the previous article. I love big catchlights! I purposely position my lights or reflectors for the best and largest catchlights. Flip through any parenting or glamour magazine and look at the eyesâwhat do you see? Big bright catchlights! A lack of catchlights leaves the eyes looking flat, dull and lifeless. I meant to do that!
A New Slant - On rare occasions, only where it seems appropriate, I will tilt a horizon. I spent many minutes trying to think of reasons why, but I couldn’t come up with any. Sometimes it’s just fun. I only have two examples, and they’re both of my daughter. I meant to do that!
Focus Factor - Sometimes I use blur, or shallow depth of field to bring your attention to an area of interest. Sometimes as much as 85% of the image will be out of focus, leaving just one detail sharp. I meant to do that!
Shoot From The Hip - Not every image from your session is going to be a head & shoulder shot. I like to take images from all different perspectives and capture the details from a new angle. I meant to do that!
Don’t get me wrong, I do like traditional portraits, but I prefer to do all of the above. That’s my style. 
Nicholas and Scarlet
Today’s newborn session was a family affair. Mom, Dad and big brother were all present. Nicholas sat with me for a few moments while Scarlet was removed from the carseat.
He really liked my toys, but he was also frighteningly too interested in my new camera. LOL! ack!
Scarlet was such a good sleeper. She was a good pee’er too because she got mom right before this shot, and got dad right after it.
Hang in there dad, I’m working on your proofs. It won’t be long!
Reflecting on Catchlights
I recently photographed the son of one of my friends. Upon looking at his gallery she inquired about the reflection of the studio strobe in his eyes. These are called “catchlights”. Catchlights are what give the eyes life and sparkle. Eyes without catchlights look cold and lifeless.
Below is a girl I photographed outdoors last week. The light in her eyes is a reflection of the sky to her right. She was leaning against a building to her left.
Below is the same image with the reflection of the sky removed. Notice how unnatural and dull her eyes look.
I hope that this has illustrated that catchlights are as common as eyes. Everybody has them unless you’re in a pitch black room. 
Even the cartoon artists at Nickelodeon draw catchlights in the eyes of their characters. Take Dora the Explorer for example.
My friend wasn’t used to seeing such large catchlights in her son’s eyes. She had previously taken him to a chain studio that uses the same lighting setup for every subject. At mall studios, the main light is across the room and leaves just a small speck-sized reflection like a point & shoot camera flash. I use varied lighting setups to achieve different results depending on what kind of image I’m going to make. Or in the example above, the sky provides the the light. Either way, there will aways be beautiful catchlights in my portraits.
Excuse the dust
I’m attempting to change the “theme” on my blog. Things might look a bit off for a few hours. Thanks for your understanding.
Brady
I love to photograph babies with blue eyes. It’s a nice change of pace from my brown-eyed girl. Both my husband and daughter have beautiful brown eyes. Brady has some of the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing.
I couldn’t pick just one for the sneak peek, so I’m posting three. Brady has just started to sit up, but isn’t quite there yet. He gave me a few seconds of sitting before he decided to lay down on the job. Isn’t he adorable?
I think daddy is a baseball buff. What do you think?
And in my signature red chair…
*happy sigh* I love babies!
My baby
Well, she’s not a baby anymore; she’s 2½ years old. But now I have a new baby; I got a Canon 5D. I’ve been using Minolta equipment for over a decade and I was ready for a change. I am over the moon with Canon’s performance.
Natalie is a PK. A Photographer’s Kid. She HATES the camera. She never makes eye contact with me for more than a split second. I’ve not been able to capture a decent photo of her for months now. I’ve captured several today and I couldn’t be more pleased.
Meet Aidan
Every mother-of-a-toddler that has walked though my door has cringed at the behavior of their child. I’ve seen it all. From belly laughs to temper tantrums ‘n’ tears and even cartwheels through the studio (not recommended!). I don’t bat an eye unless a child or my equipment is in danger of being hurt. I encourage the kids to have fun because I’m here to capture the honest smiles, the precious mischief and everything in between.
Aidan is no stranger to my studio. He used to be the “cover boy” in the example gallery in our store. I’ve photographed him in the studio, at the park and even in his home. Today he was reluctant to perform his typical antics. I finally coaxed them out of him with his Daddy’s help.
I love the upside down one! I’d love to print a huge wall canvas of that one. SO MUCH FUN!
Update - Crazy Couch Contest
I said I’d post a poll on July 1st. With only one contest entrant, there’s “no contest” so I’m extending the deadline until July 31st. There’s still time to enter so email those sofa snapshots! If you enter, you’re more likely to spontainously combust than you are to lose the contest. Those are really good odds! Join in on the fun!
*yawn* It’s too late to be blogging.
I had a fun session at Stony Creek today with a family from Garden City. Here’s their sneak peek:
From there I ran home to pick up the hubby and daughter. We went out to see a local fireworks display. I put together a little collage of sorts from a few of the best captures. You can see it here:http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1003/711714883_b3e13afb48_o.jpg Feel free to use it as wallpaper, it’s the perfect size for that. Here’s the blog sized version:
Goodnight.
Little Miss Jade
I spent the afternoon with Jade and her family yesterday. This baby has such a sweet temperament. She didn’t cry hardly at all and tolerated a lot of repositioning. On the other hand, she has a stubborn streak in there somewhere because she NEVER goes limp when she’s asleep. This made capturing relaxed-looking sleeping pictures somewhat challenging, but somehow this was one of the fastest newborn sessions I’ve had in a long time. Jade was a very good girl! It was a very pleasant session.
Okay, onto the sneak peek before mom goes nuts with anticipation. Here ya go Mom!
I never get tired of newborn collages. Every single one is different. Babies are so precious.
Now I must go and design a birth announcement.