Something Borrowed, Something New...

 I love playing around with Photoshop.  After all, I've been doing it for....gasp....20 years now!  But there's always something new to try - a filter, technique, action, you name it.  I especially like some of the tools from Nik Software and Alien Skin.

Yesterday, I came across a tutorial for making faux HDR images.  From Wikipedia:

In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques or photographic prints. This wider dynamic range can allow HDRI to more accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to deep shadows.

In English - it creates some very cool images.

I haven't really done much with HDR.  My one and only attempt didn't turn out, so I poo-pooed it as some passing fad and moved on.

Yesterday, I read a tutorial about faking HDR and gave it a try.  What fun!  I saved it as a preset in Lightroom and went to town on a bunch of photos.  It is definitely NOT for some photos, but I rather liked how crazy some others turned out.

Full slideshow:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/gotbaby/sets/72157622154433356/show/

I may start to offer this option to Clients who want something a little more edgy or artsy - ask if you're interested in knowing or seeing more!  Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the photos.

Upgrades to our Online Galleries

With every package/shoot, we include a private, password-protected, online gallery. This way, you can see your images faster, because we upload batches as they become available. You don't have to wait for all the images to get done or a CD/DVD to be mailed to you. Plus, you can order prints, view, download, share with others (some options depend upon the package you selected).

I did a great deal of research before we picked our current vendor, Zenfolio.com. They offered many of the features I wanted, BUT they continue to add more! This means that we can offer more and better features to our clients. Some of the latest enhancements:

1. Batch downloads. Nice! Now, you can download more than one image at a time - which can be a slow and painful process, I admit. Of course, downloading hundreds of images will take you days due to the large file size. We are on a very high speed connection, and it will still take 8-10 hours to upload 500 or so images. So, keep that in mind if you select the option to download all files.

2. Export to Flickr. This is more of a feature for the photographer (me), BUT it means I might be able to offer this service to clients. Need to noodle on it some more and check it out, but if there's a way to offer better service to my clients, I'll find it!

3. Share the love! Now your gallery will offer a "Share" feature. Cool new option! With one click, you can Tweet your gallery, post to Facebook, send in an email, etc.

Can't wait to see what new enhancements Zenfolio will announce next! Keep them coming - we love them!

Three Years Ago....

....I was in the hospital giving birth to my beloved Nicholas! All nine pounds and six ounces of him. Happy Birthday, my silly, little Boo! I can't believe you're three already....you're the reason I finally indulged my passion for photography. Hard to put a camera down when such a cute subject is around....

A Day Off!

Tomorrow is my son's third birthday. To celebrate, my husband and I decided to take the day off and take all the kids to The Beach Waterpark. I'm doing some quick work in the morning, and then we'll head out. I know the three kids are looking forward to it - especially the birthday boy.

Hope we have some good weather for our fun day out!

Gone Shoppin'

Was out shopping for my almost 3-year-old's birthday and decided to stop into Best Buy for some new movies for him. Well, we wandered into the computer section, and I ended up with a few new toys!

I'm all about the latest gadgets - especially if they'll make my life easier, and I can deliver better quality in less time. I'm also all about having the right equipment. External hard drives are VERY important, because I would hate to think of what would happen if I ever lost any photos - eek! That thought gives me nightmares, chills and gray hair.

That's why I back up my images online at Zenfolio.com AND on an external hard drive. My current drive of choice is the Western Digital My Book. It's 1 TB (size matters!) and is a slick looking black device. Ever since we got the new Canon 5Ds with their 21 megapixel awesomeness, I've been filling up my current My Book rather quickly. It's down to 500 GBs!

So, I picked up a second 1 TB My Book, and I'm ready for the megabytes - bring them on!

In addition, I got a fancy new DVD writer. It is much faster than the one in my laptop and offers some additional features like LightScribe label printing. I am VERY interested in checking this out, because it means I can print on the CDs and DVDs - much better than marking them with my trusty Sharpie. Hey, it works, but it's just not the prettiest way to go.

As we add more fancy, cool gadgets to our arsenal, I'll report them here! Just one more way we are trying to offer the best service and options to our clients.

Good to the Last Shot

Batteries may not sound like an exciting thing to discuss, but they really are very important to a wedding photographer. We go through A LOT of batteries in one wedding, because our Canon 580 EX II flashes are battery hogs. I can almost hear the sucking noise as I take photos.

Like myself, my husband is a research freak. And, like me, he wants to have the best equipment, so that we know we can take the best photos. I never want to worry about my gear and whether it's going to deliver.

So far, we've been using Eneloop and Duracell rechargeable AA batteries. At first, I thought I preferred the Eneloop, but it seems the Duracell actually last a little longer. I know the Duracell are 2650 mAh, but the Eneloop might be a little less.

A fellow photographer recommended Powerex. Since I liked their chargers and planned to order one, I decided I'd get two packs of the 2700 mAh batteries and give them a "shot." They should arrive this week - just in time for our next wedding on 8/29. I'll have to report back on how they do.

One of the goals at Gardner Photography & Design is to deliver the best service possible - that is why we put so much time and effort into picking out something as small as batteries. They seem like nothing major until they die on you in the middle of a key shot!

BEST Best Man Speech

Even I was laughing, and I don't know these people....this guy was a riot!

Capture Cincinnati - More Shameless Promotion!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my awesome Dad! Can't wait to visit and bring you the silly gift your crazy grandson picked out.

Wedding Venue : Veraestau

On September 5, 2009, we are shooting a wedding at Veraestau in Aurora, Indiana. It will be our first wedding at this venue and our first Indiana wedding. Due to the uniqueness of the location, we thought we'd do a site visit before the wedding. So, yesterday, my hubby (and second shooter), son and I all went on a little adventure to Aurora, IN.

As soon as we made the turn into the driveway, I was excited! It's a long, narrow drive with large trees and a white fence running alongside. Then, we saw the stables and main house - both white. I couldn't wait to see inside both buildings!

We were the only ones there, so we had a "private" tour of the buildings and grounds by Josh. He was very helpful and informative and was giving us some ideas for photos as we walked through the house! We're very excited for our September wedding - now, we just need some good weather and light!

Slide show of photos from our visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gotbaby/sets/72157622053771050/show/

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Veraestau: Indiana Historic Landmark

When Jesse Holman combined the Latin words for spring, summer and fall to name his property in 1810, he hoped winter would never touch his home. In a way, it never has. Set high above the Ohio River in Aurora, Indiana, the landmark home captures a long sweep of Indiana's architectural history and exemplifies the historic preservation practiced by generations of two families - the Holman/Hamilton clan and the O'Brien/Gibson family.

Although the two-story log house with a brick addition Holman built in 1810 was humble, his choice of name and the value he placed on history set the tone for a grand estate. An Indiana Supreme Court Justice and a federal judge, Holman participated in drafting the state's first constitution and founding the Indiana Historical Society and Franklin College.

After Holman's log home burned in 1837, his son-in-law Allen Hamilton bought Veraestau, salvaged the remaining brick portion, and in 1838 added a one-story Greek Revival structure. The style was at its height; architectural trendsetters employed Greek Revival to reinforce similarities between the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and the new United States of America. In 1913, Allen's daughter Margaret Vance Hamilton added a two-story Greek Revival structure that included four bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining room, a kitchen, a breakfast room and two sleeping porches.

Learn More about Veraestau.

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In 2004, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana received the 116-acre property as a gift from the Cornelius and Anna Cook O’Brien Foundation. Today, Veraestau serves as Historic Landmarks Foundation's Southeast Field Office, and is open each weekend April through December for tours and rentals.

Veraestau Historic Site
4696 Veraestau Lane
Aurora, IN 47001-9406
812-926-0983
Fax 812-926-3122
veraestau@historiclandmarks.org
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Zenfolio.com - Great Way to Present Photos

I have been using Zenfolio hosting service for organizing and presenting my photos online to clients. You can view my home page at http://gardnerphoto.zenfolio.com. Most of the collections are locked with a password, because they allow the downloading of full size images. Smaller versions of select photos are available to view at flickr.com/photos/gotbaby.

I think Zenfolio is a great service, and I recommend it to other photographers all the time! I tried other services, but Zenfolio meets all my needs, and my clients like it, too.

Some of the features Zenfolio offers are:
- Unlimited storage
- Elegant pages with a choice of layouts and theme designs. Clients can create a free account and make their own mini-albums, too!
- Highest quality presentation of photos online - variety of settings, so photos can be viewed, ordered, downloaded, etc.
- Easy to use intuitive interface
- Full screen Slideshow
- Links from auctions, blogs, and forums to seven different image sizes

Anyone can use my referral code Y96-Y3D-G5V during sign up to save $5.00 off their own subscription until August 14. Once subscribed, you'll get your own code, and if you get enough referrals, you may never need to pay for the service again.

Zenfolio offers a Free Trial account for two weeks so you can see if you like it.

http://www.zenfolio.com

GREAT First Dance - Baby Got Back!

This is an older video, but it's still a lot of fun! If you plan something like this, be SURE to tell your photographer, so they don't miss any of the action! I've had something like this sprung on me, and although we got the photos, it would have been nice to get a little warning....enjoy!



Baby Got Back Wedding Dance

Inspiration : Greeting Cards?

Last night, I did an engagement shoot for Katie & Nick – what a wonderful couple! We met at Devou Park at the overlook (behind the Drees Pavilion) for an early evening shoot. This part of the park isn’t really positioned right for a sunset, but there is some fabulous lighting to be had as the sun sets behind the tall trees. The sun went behind the clouds for a little bit, too, and the lighting was studio quality – if only I could get natural light that amazing all the time!

Nick and Katie brought along Whitney, Nick’s daughter, and we took a variety of shots – with Whitney, without Whitney, just Whitney…you get the idea. All three had on white tops, jeans and cowboy boots. Katie did a spectacular job of coordinating their outfits!

We got so many great shots – and then, Katie asks me if we can try something. I had already planned to do some photos with everyone in the grass on their bellies. I also shoot on my belly, and I love how these look. But Katie had a special shot in mind. It was based on a greeting card she had received from Nick – and she loved this card. The card had a couple tangled in sheets, their feet the only thing visible. I didn’t actually see the card, but Katie explained it to me, and I got a visual.

Katie and Nick removed their boots and socks – Nick was definitely wondering where this was going when Katie first asked him to take off his shoes! The first photos were of just the feet, but then I got down low, and that’s when the magic started. The resulting photos were FABULOUS! I may just have to get every couple to play footsy in the grass and see how it goes. Or I may have to start spending some time in the greeting card department at my local Target!

THANK YOU Katie for your wonderful inspiration! We are so excited for your August 29 wedding and can’t wait to see all of you again and meet the rest of your clan.

Great Places : Devou Park

Tonight, I'm doing an engagement/family shoot at Devou Park. It's for my August 29 Bride and Groom - very last minute, but they want a photo for the mat for their reception. They are bringing the Groom's daughter, too, so we plan to get a variety of shots, and they can pick their favorite.

I'm looking forward to meeting Katie and Nick, since we've only handled things via telephone or email. I have yet to meet them! I met Katie's grandmother at Devou Park while shooting another wedding, and she passed my information onto Katie.

I am also excited about shooting at Devou - the view of downtown Cincinnati is fabulous! I'm hoping the weather will cooperate, and we'll get some good light. I'll post photos soon!

More information on Devou Park: http://www.cincinnati.com/visitorsguide/parks/061400_devoupark.html

Be sure to ask about our special DISCOUNTS for weddings at Devou Park! The first wedding we shoot at select venues will often get select discounts - and the Drees Pavilion at Devou Park is still on the list!

Tweetin' in Style

This week, I made two big changes in regards to Twitter. First, I downloaded TweetDeck, so I could manage my Twitter and Facebook posts better. Check it out - tweetdeck.com.

View larger size: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gotbaby/3812733772/sizes/o/

Secondly, I changed the look of my Twitter home page - no more templates for me! I created a new design to match my new website. Want to fly along with me? Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gardner_photo. Let me know what you think of the new design!

Behind the Scenes

It's bound to happen - you have two (or more!) photographers, and you sometimes get in each others way. And next thing you know, one of you is in the background of the other person's photo!

My second shooter (who is also my husband!) and I have mostly worked this out. We have our "positions" for different points in the ceremony and reception, and we try to time our photos, so that the other person can move out of the way.

For example, he might be at the end of the aisle shooting people as they walk down it. Since I tend to stick with my bride, I am often at the other end of the aisle getting them before they enter the church or ceremony site. And I get photos of the back of people as they walk down and the candids of the Bride before she enters.

We try to make sure we've positioned ourselves, so we can duck out of the way or hide when the other person is taking their photo. I will see his flash go, and then he will get out of the way, so I can take a photo without him in it. Takes a little coordination, but come on, nobody wants a bunch of photos with US in them!

Since I am the primary photographer, I am often the one in the way....but hey, I need to make sure I'm getting all the photos the Bride and Groom have requested. Sometimes, it's just not really possible to get the photo without one of us in it....here I am shooting Beth and Dan at their recent July 4th wedding...

Countdown Calendar Worksheet

Here is a great resource for brides: http://www.engagedmagazine.com/images/stories/Worksheets/Countdown%20Calendar%20Worksheet.pdf.

I came across this information while checking out another photographer's blog. The Engaged! Magazine looks interesting, so check it out if you're a bride-to-be.

To Stock or Not to Stock...?

I've been selling stock photography online for the last year or so. I make some money - was really hoping to make more, but my library is pretty limited. It's somewhat of a pain to upload images, especially at istockphoto.com! Others allow more batch processing, but istockphoto.com is a slow, painful, one-at-a-time process.

However, I decided I would try uploading some new ones that I thought might meet the uber strict requirements of istockphoto. It's the only site where I sell much of anything, so I have decided to focus on them and try and become an exclusive photographer. I almost have enough downloads (250) and am super close on my acceptance rate. Maybe these latest uploads will get me over these humps, and I can move everything to istockphoto!

Our Next Wedding

Just spoke with the Bride of our next wedding (end of August). I have yet to meet her! We handled everything via e-mail and the telephone. But we're planning a quickie engagement shoot, so they'll have a photo for the mat that everyone will sign at the reception.

It's kind of a crazy story. I always show up early for photos, especially when it's a location I've never been to (and haven't scouted out beforehand). This particular wedding party wanted to start out at Devou Park. I was so excited, because it was on my list of places I wanted to do photos! I heard the views of the Cincinnati skyline are fabulous!

It was a hot, late June day - with bright sunlight. NOT the best conditions for being outside and taking photos. I was walking around doing test photos, waiting for my wedding party to arrive, when I started chatting with a very nice woman named Barbara. She was helping out with another wedding and worked for the flower vendor.

Well, it turned out that her granddaughter was getting marred at the end of August and asked for my business card. Luckily, her granddaughter, Katie, called me and booked! Katie sounds super nice, and I can't wait to meet her and her future husband, Nick! Her small wedding will take place at her grandmother's house, and it sounds like it's going to be special, intimate and a beautiful event! We can't wait!

New David Ziser Webinar

Recently, I attended David Ziser's "Digital Wakeup Tour" when it came to Cincinnati. I was SUPER excited about it, and it was a fabulous evening! I learned so much - and am thankful that Ziser got me playing with my Kelvin WB settings. I now have a dream combo that delivers nearly perfect WB in certain situations. My 5D Mark IIs do a great job with natural light, but I needed to find the right setting for incandescent - now, I feel I have it! I have so many more techniques and tips that I want to master, but one thing at a time.

Got word that Ziser has a webinar coming up in a few weeks! I'll definitely be registering for this, and I also look forward to his book being published! I was lucky enough to meet David at the end of the Wakeup Tour seminar and hope to have future opportunities to learn from him.

More information on the webinar:
http://store.ziser.com/12excitinglightingandphotographytutorials-1.aspx

Vendor Recommendation : Jewelry

I've decided to start something new - vendor recommendations! The longer you're in this business, the more vendors you meet, and the better your recommendations get. Some of my recommendations are based on who I used for my own wedding - and some are based on the fabulous folks I've met and worked with at other weddings.

For my own wedding, I truly struggled with the dresses and jewelry for.....my bridesmaids! Yes, picking out my own dress was pretty easy. I went to David's Bridal and quickly had it narrowed down to two dresses. With the help of my stepdaughter, Taylor, and some very nice women at the store, I was able to settle on a dress (okay, okay, so it was about four hours later, but it was only ONE trip to the store).

After that, I spent countless hours searching for dresses for my bridesmaids - they even laughed at me for working so hard on finding THEIR dresses. I didn't want them stuck with ugly dresses that they would hate. Same for the jewelry - for them and me! After I did find dresses (also from David's Bridal), I spent weeks trying to find matching jewelry that wasn't tacky or cheap but something I could afford. NOT an easy task.

That's when I was lucky enough to find Redot Designs. I was actually able to custom design my own necklace based on earrings they offered. I mocked up the design in Photoshop and sent it to Rebecca Dotson (the owner), and the resulting necklace was perfect! I ordered all the jewelry for myself and my bridesmaids from Redot Designs and was VERY happy with the entire experience. One of my bridesmaids was wearing her necklace of black Swarovski crystals recently, so I'm happy to know that my gift is getting more use than one day!

I was just on the site and noticed they now have a "Christie" necklace. It's not the one I designed, but I love it and may have even ordered it for myself! It looks like they're going to start a big face lift/redesign, so I will be sure to check them out afterwards and possible pick up some bling for myself.

To learn more about Redot Designs or order their gorgeous jewelry, visit: http://redotdesigns.com!

The BEST Wedding Ceremony Entrance

Something else NEW I am going to do! If I come across a wedding video and think, "Wow, I really wish I had been their wedding photographer!!", then I'll share it here on my blog. With that said, let's get the show going...if you haven't seen this one, then you are in for a real treat! I have watched it several times and just love it.

Jill & Kevin's Big Day

Wedding Makeup - Beauty Tips for Brides

For years, I sold Clinique and did many make-overs. I was the top producer in both Ohio and North Carolina (when I lived in each state). I continue to do make-up, as needed, for photo shoots and weddings. Most recently, I did the make-up of my gorgeous bride, Diana, for her bridal shoot and wedding:

• Bridal Shoot Slideshow
• Wedding Slideshow
  

However, not everyone wants to or can hire someone else to do their make-up. Here are some tips for everyone. Taken from an Associated Content article:

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Every bride wants to be picture-perfect for their big day. You want to look like yourself - but different, more dramatic, fresh... it can feel like a big task. Many brides think that because a wedding is such a big day, they have to go big on the makeup. Well, you've got the perfect groom, the perfect dress, and the perfect flowers - don't overshadow that by making your face as grand as the day itself.

Here are some top tips for helping you create a beautiful look that you will treasure in your wedding photographs for years to come...

Read the full article by clicking here.

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I'll be posting more tips about skin care in the future! I got Diana started on a serious skin care routine months before the wedding, and the results were very evident! Her skin glowed, and her make-up looked more natural. If nothing else, I suggest you exfoliate. Otherwise, make-up can "sit" on your skin and look caked on. But more about this later!

What I Learned From a Week at the OBX, Part III

10. Chelsea is a good dog. One day, we were playing in the water, when I saw a black dog quickly walking off when a plastic baggy from our site. It had a mostly eaten sandwich in it. I retried the bag from this friendly dog, and that is how we met Chelsea. We came to learn that she’s a “local” who likes to play at the beach and befriend the tourists. You would have thought she was ours – playing in the surf with the kids and trying to make herself at home in one of our beach chairs. So, if you find a black dog with red collar who seems friendly enough, then check the tag – it might be sweet Chelsea.

11. The BEST corn I ever had in my LIFE came from a roadside stand across from the Cotton Gin on 158. We all gobbled it up. I really wanted to stop and take some home, but we didn’t have enough time. I plan to buy enough to eat it every day on our next trip!

12. Cameras steam up. As hot and humid as Cincinnati gets, I’ve never encountered this problem. But I ran into this issue constantly and missed several shots because of it. C’est la vie. Stupid me, though, tried to wipe it off one time and scratched something inside the camera that will require some work by Canon. I just hope it doesn’t cost too much to fix…..lesson learned for sure!

13. A distant thunderstorm from the comfort of your hot tub is awesome. ‘Nuff said.

14. Lastly, since I am a wedding photographer, I am now desperate to photograph a fabulous beach wedding in the OBX. Something at The Whalehead Club would be truly spectacular, I’m sure. Even something simple on the beach. Hopefully, I can book something in the next year and plan vacation around it. I’m glad I have already dealt with the lens steaming up, sand scratching something, the lighting conditions, etc. If you are planning your wedding at the OBX for next summer, then please consider contacting Gardner Photography & Design! We’ll certainly give you a great deal.

What I Learned From a Week at the OBX, Part II

5. Speaking of the Hobie Cat – they are SO much fun. We spent the entire time being wet, but the water is warm and not nearly as salty as the Atlantic Ocean. I really don’t like getting saltwater in my mouth – waaaaay too salty for me. But since the Atlantic can’t “feed” the Currituck anymore, it’s become less salty.

6. Wild mustangs are cool – no matter how many times you see them! We were lucky enough to see the horses every day, except the morning we left. It was pretty early when we packed up and said goodbye to II If By Sea. No horses to see us off. We were lucky enough to see a dolphin or two cruising for an early breakfast. And there were these crazy, little tree frogs stuck to the house. But no horses. I was excited every time I saw them and regretted when I didn’t have my camera. It was amazing the one time they grazed in our yard, just a few feet from us.

7. Dolphins are also cool – no matter how many times you see them! Andy got the closest for sure. He was out on the boogie board and thought he’d swim out a little father than usual. I was watching and noticed the school of fish jumping out of the water on the next wave. And then the familiar fins! Andy was right in the middle of their lunch. He said it freaked him out, all the fish under and around him. And he’s pretty sure he kicked a dolphin in his haste to escape! We just observed them from the water, as close as we could get. They did get very close to shore a few times – and it was magical being so near a wild dolphin.

8. The water in the Carova area was nasty – at our house, at least. Andy said it was well water and had sulphur in it. It smelled SO BAD. If we didn’t leave the lid down on the toilet, then the bathroom smelled. I wrongfully accused Andy of stinking it up several times! It nearly made me gag when I brushed my teeth, and we certainly never drank it. I was NOT prepared for the stinky water at all!

9. Good shells (like good men) are hard to find. I am used to this – having always vacationed on the Atlantic (growing up in GA and NC). We found plenty of broken shells and “junk” shells like mollusks – but nothing really worth keeping. I guess that’s what souvenir shops are for!