Finally working through all of the "First Day of School" photos - new backpacks, smiling faces, everyone illuminated by that gorgeous 7:15am yellow-orange light...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The (whole) Carter Family | Hartwell, Georgia Family Photographer
If it seems as if we've done several sessions in short succession with this family it's most definitely because we have!
When Levi was born, Lucy contacted us about doing a family session with wee Levi. However, our schedules and their schedules didn't synch. Newborns change so, so fast (I see you mommies out there, nodding your heads) that waiting until he was three and a half weeks old was out of the question. So we shot Levi's newborn photos on August 9th. Finally, on Saturday the 21st, we were able meet up with the whole Carter family for a session. The rain scratched all plans of some sun-kissed-sprawled-out-in-the-grass photos; never fear, Curt and Lucy were all set up for indoor photographs. Sara Beth was a doll, but that's not a surprise to anyone who knows her. Levi was once again a cooperative model, but managed to pee on both his father and mother in a ten minute period.
In case you're wondering, there's no particular reason why some photos are color, some are black and white and some are both. Sometimes it's done at the client's request, but most of the time it's just a 'feel' thing. I go by the emotion I want to evoke and the reaction I hope the viewer will have.
The full Carter family album is showcased here, along with Levi's newborn photographs.
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If you haven't already, Like our page on Facebook to stay up on our work and Kristin's somewhat random photographic musings. :)
When Levi was born, Lucy contacted us about doing a family session with wee Levi. However, our schedules and their schedules didn't synch. Newborns change so, so fast (I see you mommies out there, nodding your heads) that waiting until he was three and a half weeks old was out of the question. So we shot Levi's newborn photos on August 9th. Finally, on Saturday the 21st, we were able meet up with the whole Carter family for a session. The rain scratched all plans of some sun-kissed-sprawled-out-in-the-grass photos; never fear, Curt and Lucy were all set up for indoor photographs. Sara Beth was a doll, but that's not a surprise to anyone who knows her. Levi was once again a cooperative model, but managed to pee on both his father and mother in a ten minute period.
In case you're wondering, there's no particular reason why some photos are color, some are black and white and some are both. Sometimes it's done at the client's request, but most of the time it's just a 'feel' thing. I go by the emotion I want to evoke and the reaction I hope the viewer will have.
The full Carter family album is showcased here, along with Levi's newborn photographs.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If you haven't already, Like our page on Facebook to stay up on our work and Kristin's somewhat random photographic musings. :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Carter Family, take three! | Hartwell, GA Family Photographer
A Saturday morning well spent...........
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday Wandering | Hartwell, Georgia Photographer
Last Wednesday Aidan and I were at a loss for something to do. With Em and Jake in school Aidan and I are on our own to fill the days. It's funny, but when thinking about something to do I often forget that Aidan is 2 1/2 now and I have this "Aha!" moment when I realize we can do something outdoors! We (OK, I) decided that we ought to pick up the camera and head out to check out areas I wasn't familiar with and make some photographs. I spent four years exploring Boston (the Back Bay and Fenway, mainly) and there was always something new to discover. The photos I made on those walks were more of an exercise for me than for any great artistic purpose; sometimes they would spark the idea for a photograph and sometimes they were silly photographs of leaves or stores. I burned a lot of film (i.e. spent a ton of money and darkroom time) but really enjoyed the time to think and create. That's just my process - think, shoot, then sometimes think more and reshoot.
So Aidan and I walked. We wandered, we poked, we strolled. We chatted and enjoyed each other's company as we checked out alleys and sidewalks and train cars and tall grass. We were on our way home by 11am because it was getting hot and we were hungry, and Aidan took a marathon nap that afternoon. As I did in Boston, I'm kind of using some of these like a painter would use sketches - great for working out ideas for photos to go back and make with different light, or with people for portraits, or with permission to explore a location in greater detail. Others are just snaps from a fun morning out with my youngest son and I'm glad we ventured out to make them.
So Aidan and I walked. We wandered, we poked, we strolled. We chatted and enjoyed each other's company as we checked out alleys and sidewalks and train cars and tall grass. We were on our way home by 11am because it was getting hot and we were hungry, and Aidan took a marathon nap that afternoon. As I did in Boston, I'm kind of using some of these like a painter would use sketches - great for working out ideas for photos to go back and make with different light, or with people for portraits, or with permission to explore a location in greater detail. Others are just snaps from a fun morning out with my youngest son and I'm glad we ventured out to make them.
My little buddy in his shades, in the lower left. This one has me thinking... I miss the city! What city photographs can I make around here? Can I make our small town look like a major city? How can I do that? Should I even try? Should I respect the small-town qualities of our small town and showcase those instead? What about doing both and juxtaposing the images?
No, the one on the right is not in Florida, it's just outside of Hartwell. Love the colors - there's something else to be made there...
Good wood - I can almost feel the splinters.
Super colors, but not in love with them and I can't put my finger on why. They might make a good exercise in Photoshop, to test out some new techniques for post-processing. I don't believe that you can take a poor photograph and make it good with Photoshop, but I do believe you can take something already good and make it look extraordinary. There might be hope for these.
Love the feel of these, but the image can't work on tone/feel alone... I think I'll chalk these up to "fun to make" - which is perfectly alright with me.
*If you'd like to see what happens with these photos and the spin-offs from them, go "Like" our Facebook page to get the update!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Hows and Whys | Hartwell Georgia Photographers
As we work with more people and post more photographs to Facebook, the website and this blog, we find ourselved running into many of the same questions. "What is your fee?" "What packages do you offer?" are among them. I thought I'd try to explain a little of how we do things and why we do them, in order to answer the questions listed above.
Who are you?
Dave and I met at MassArt in 1997. We were both sophomores in one of the best photography degree programs in the country (many thanks to Jane Critchlow for the first photo).
We studied under some amazing artist-professors; photographers who had mastered the technical and produced the extraordinary. Both then and now, our professors regularly exhibit work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and at museums and galleries around the world. While we were learning in classrooms, honing skills in the field and in darkrooms, we were also developing ourselves as artists. Anyone can click a button and take a picture, but can anyone make a photograph that takes your breath away and leaves an impression on your soul? Not so much, which is why photography is both an art and a profession.
Why do you work together? Because two heads are better than one. Because we each have unique gifts. Because we've shared photography for 13 years and it's woven into our relationship, both personally and professionally. Because working with your best friend is fun.
But I thought...and I had no idea...
Most people know me as an art teacher and by extension, an artist. Most know Dave as a state trooper and have no idea that he has a BFA in photography and was the top of our class (whereas I was always trying to keep up). When we schedule sessions it seems as though people assume I will be shooting and Dave will be tagging along. Ha! Fooled you! Dave shoots. He is a student of the decisive moment. He's a sharpshooter and he knows his camera and can make it sing. I'm not like that. I have ideas and assist, but he is the master of freezing time. I am always in awe at the end of a session at what he has accomplished in such a short amount of time. I constantly think "Wow, I never would have gotten that!" It's pretty amazing, actually, to watch someone you know very well work through shooting a subject, then to see the final result.
Why don't we get all of the photos?
Because they're not all good. We're asked this question all the time and that's why. People blink, kids move, the flash doesn't fire and so forth. The first step in my workflow is massive deleting. Then the task becomes selecting the best from the session. This is much harder! By the time we've chosen the right photographs to process we're down to a handful that are technically sound and visually interesting. We don't release blurry photographs. If the photo is "almost there" or "so close" or "just a little bit fuzzy" it's not good enough - which is sometimes very hard for us to swallow. What you are given represents the best work from the session. It's about quality, not quantity and that won't be comprmised for the appearance of success. We can't guarantee exactly how many photos you will receive, but we can promise they will be good.
Why is your session fee $150?
Several reasons. One, we're investing a lot of time into your photographs (two people x three hours on location x 9 hours of editing = $10/hour). Two, we're not making a profit off the images you choose to purchase, which is something many higher end photographers do because it's very, very lucrative. No packages, no minimum purchases, no cut-off dates for ordering. Three, we're dealing with overhead - adding to our photography and editing equipment, hosting the website and so forth. Finally, we have the skill and appropriate training to charge a little more. Our fee is higher than many local photographers charge, but photography can be viewed as an investment in your family's history.
As a parent, I can honestly say that time flies and I'm grateful for all of the photos we have of our children - both silly snapshots and portraits we hang in our home. As with any investment, you have to consider what it's worth to you. If you choose us when the time is right for your family photographs, we'll be honored.
If you have a question I didn't answer, please leave a comment and I will do my best to get back to you. :)
Who are you?
Dave and I met at MassArt in 1997. We were both sophomores in one of the best photography degree programs in the country (many thanks to Jane Critchlow for the first photo).
We studied under some amazing artist-professors; photographers who had mastered the technical and produced the extraordinary. Both then and now, our professors regularly exhibit work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and at museums and galleries around the world. While we were learning in classrooms, honing skills in the field and in darkrooms, we were also developing ourselves as artists. Anyone can click a button and take a picture, but can anyone make a photograph that takes your breath away and leaves an impression on your soul? Not so much, which is why photography is both an art and a profession.
Why do you work together? Because two heads are better than one. Because we each have unique gifts. Because we've shared photography for 13 years and it's woven into our relationship, both personally and professionally. Because working with your best friend is fun.
But I thought...and I had no idea...
Most people know me as an art teacher and by extension, an artist. Most know Dave as a state trooper and have no idea that he has a BFA in photography and was the top of our class (whereas I was always trying to keep up). When we schedule sessions it seems as though people assume I will be shooting and Dave will be tagging along. Ha! Fooled you! Dave shoots. He is a student of the decisive moment. He's a sharpshooter and he knows his camera and can make it sing. I'm not like that. I have ideas and assist, but he is the master of freezing time. I am always in awe at the end of a session at what he has accomplished in such a short amount of time. I constantly think "Wow, I never would have gotten that!" It's pretty amazing, actually, to watch someone you know very well work through shooting a subject, then to see the final result.
I handle post-production. I'm a Photoshop junkie. I started working with it when I was 14 and have been using it ever since. I know Photoshop inside and out. Many people think that editing the photos involves deleting the bad ones and adding a little contrast here and cropping there. Not so. I may spend as much as an hour working on a single image. If we shoot 200 images in a session... yup, you see where this is going. If a session lasts three hours, editing takes nine or ten. This sweet photo took a long time to process, but I think you'll agree it was well worth it:
Because they're not all good. We're asked this question all the time and that's why. People blink, kids move, the flash doesn't fire and so forth. The first step in my workflow is massive deleting. Then the task becomes selecting the best from the session. This is much harder! By the time we've chosen the right photographs to process we're down to a handful that are technically sound and visually interesting. We don't release blurry photographs. If the photo is "almost there" or "so close" or "just a little bit fuzzy" it's not good enough - which is sometimes very hard for us to swallow. What you are given represents the best work from the session. It's about quality, not quantity and that won't be comprmised for the appearance of success. We can't guarantee exactly how many photos you will receive, but we can promise they will be good.
Why is your session fee $150?
Several reasons. One, we're investing a lot of time into your photographs (two people x three hours on location x 9 hours of editing = $10/hour). Two, we're not making a profit off the images you choose to purchase, which is something many higher end photographers do because it's very, very lucrative. No packages, no minimum purchases, no cut-off dates for ordering. Three, we're dealing with overhead - adding to our photography and editing equipment, hosting the website and so forth. Finally, we have the skill and appropriate training to charge a little more. Our fee is higher than many local photographers charge, but photography can be viewed as an investment in your family's history.
As a parent, I can honestly say that time flies and I'm grateful for all of the photos we have of our children - both silly snapshots and portraits we hang in our home. As with any investment, you have to consider what it's worth to you. If you choose us when the time is right for your family photographs, we'll be honored.
If you have a question I didn't answer, please leave a comment and I will do my best to get back to you. :)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Levi | Hartwell Georgia Newborn Photographer
Ever since we did Lucy's maternity session, we've been waiting to meet the little man inside the big belly. Yesterday was that day! Little Levi was alert and thoroughly interested in what was happening around him - which is wonderful for a 13-day old baby - but not so wonderful when we're trying to make sleeping baby photos! After a few hours of evading sleep, Levi finaly drifted off and allowed us to make some pictures. I don't believe there is anything sweeter than a sleeping baby. According to Lucy, Levi slept all afternoon after we left - seems he's already becoming a mischievous little boy!
We're very much looking forward to seeing Levi, Lucy, Sara Beth and Curt in a few weeks for their family session!
*Want to see more squishy, scrunchy baby cuteness? Head on over to our Facebook page and click "Like" to see the cuties we photograph next!
*Want to see more squishy, scrunchy baby cuteness? Head on over to our Facebook page and click "Like" to see the cuties we photograph next!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sneak Peek!
What? Spend the day with this sweet-smelling, angelic little boy? If you say so.... stay tuned for Levi's full infant session - and for the rest of his wonderful family, too!
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