This adorable family (minus Dad, who was at work) came out to participate in my Family Mini Session Weekend! These little cuties were so fun to work with, full of smiles and laughs. Mom got to share a lot of snuggles with her monkeys, who were so cooperative that I barely had to bribe them with candy! LOL
I will be posting each family who participated in the Family Mini Sessions on the blog over the next couple of weeks - stay tuned to meet them all!
{M} xo
It is the little moments that count. To me, there is nothing more special than to be able to capture a moment of love, connection and happiness with a photograph. An image that can freeze that perfect time forever, to look back on as the years pass and the memories fade, serving to keep these moments alive in our hearts.
This image is a perfect example. It evokes so many emotions and remembrances with a single glance. My wonderful hubby, snuggling and tickling our girls as the late spring light fades and the cool breeze tickles the back of their necks. Hands stained yellow from plucking nearby dandelions. Laughter, love, happiness, pride and joy, all captured in one frame. This moment is mine forever. 
{M} xo
Have you ever gone to pick up your prints, gotten them home and then wondered what the heck happened? Why your red rose is now purple, why your blue eyes are a dull grey or why your blue house is now has a nauseating yellow hue? The simple answer is in-lab colour correction. When you send your order to a typical consumer lab, your photos are automatically colour "corrected" based on the perceived colour flaws, as determined by either the print machine's computer, or sometimes by a technician. Without going into crazy detail, each image has a range of colours, primary and complementary, that come together to create the image as we see it. With the naked eye, the small variances in tone or hue cannot be discerned. But the sensor in your camera is not quite so sophisticated, and it is sometimes fooled into adding too much of one colour to the mix, throwing off the delicate balance. This becomes even more noticeable when images are printed, since we mostly view images on back-lit screens, like computers or the back-of-camera LCD, which are brighter than a print and tend to hide a bit of the colour casting.
When you get your images back from the lab, sometimes the colours can be slightly (or not so slightly) different than what you saw on your screen. If these are simple snapshots of your family or friends doing everyday things, this may not be a huge concern. But if you have invested time and money in getting professional portraits done, you will want only the best quality product to end up on your wall.
As a professional photographer, it is part of my job to help you get the highest quality final product. Whether you are printing through me (using my professional lab) or printing from your digital image collection, it is important to have beautiful prints/canvases to display in your home and to share with family and friends. When you hire me to capture your family and children, part of my process is to colour balance, both in camera and in post-processing. By calibrating both my camera and my monitor to the colour settings that match those used by professional labs, I ensure that when the image goes to the lab, it will come back looking the same. So you can imagine my frustration when a consumer lab changes all of my carefully calibrated colour corrections! (Try to say that 5 times fast!) :)
To demonstrate the differences in output between a pro lab and a consumer lab, I recently did a print comparison. I am proud to say that my pro lab is GTA Imaging, based in Toronto - they are awesome! I am always so pleased with the prints they produce. I will leave the consumer lab unnamed, since I don't like to sling mud, but I can give you a hint: It is a large retail store that is always rolling back prices. ;)
Here are the results of this experiment:
The original image is warm, not too contrasty and is clear and sharp.
The print from my pro lab comes very close to the original in colour, clarity and tone. It is slightly darker, with more contrast, which is to be expected due to the difference between seeing it on a lit screen versus seeing it as ink on paper. It is also a bit cooler than the original, but not to a significant degree.
The print from the consumer lab is washed out, with a very cool tone, causing her skin to look almost grey-green. It has lost some of its sharpness and is overall a poor representation of my work.
I have had clients who have, unfortunately, had to learn this lesson the hard way, ending up having to pay for all of their prints twice - once from a consumer lab (which were completely underwhelming) and again from a recommended lab. This is why is it so important, if you are not buying your prints from your photographer, that you ask him or her which lab they recommend. In the end, everyone will be happier. :)
I hope this helped you all understand how colour correction can affect your final prints and that you will think twice before sending your beautiful professional images to a not-so-professional lab!
{M} xo
Does anyone else have a little drama queen on their hands? Because I sure do. Brielle seems to be going through a phase right now where everything ends in tears, tantrums or a slamming door. UGH! I hope she is just getting it all out before the teenage years... Please? LOL
Not the most gracious loser at the best of times (she has been known to flip the card table if she loses UNO), it was not surprising that she completely disintegrated when she thought she "lost" the annual Easter Egg Hunt after her sister found the coveted Shiny Egg. One of her baskets got chucked across the lawn (she kept the fullest one of course) and then she stomped away to sulk under a tree while loudly protesting the outcome of the hunt. Sigh.
Of course, being the caring, sympathetic mother that I am, I grabbed my camera to record the proceedings. Don't worry, she got lots of hugs and soothing words once she calmed down.
All I know is that she is just like me and I dropped the attitude around thirteen. Here's hoping we both survive the next six years. :)
I hope your Easter was a little less dramatic than mine and you had the chance to enjoy this glorious spring weather!
{M} xo
I just realized that I totally forgot to share these images of my family from this past fall! I shared them with friends and family as part of our yearly calendar but it just hit me that I never posted them here. These were taken on a sunny but chilly day back in November, when I dragged my family out for a few quick snaps for the calendar. We loaded the couch in the back of our van and drove a very short distance to the parking lot of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (affectionately known as "The Aud".) This row of evergreens is so awesome but not a very popular location for portraits, so we got a lot of curious stares and odd looks. :D
I am sure that many of you can imagine how difficult it is to take your own family portraits. Even with a remote trigger, it can be dicey. Making sure everyone is in the right spot, looking at the camera and not picking their noses is a bit tricky. I think we did pretty well, considering. And the memories we made are now hanging proudly on our wall on huge canvases, so it was worth the headache! I didn't even bother trying to hide the remote - way more difficult than you would think. Oh well, why start being perfect now when not-quite-perfect is working so well for me? ;)
Daddy's girls - now and forever. I am not sure that he even has circulation left in his baby fingers, they are wrapped so tightly.
Even Charlie attempted to participate, but as you can tell from his expression, he is NOT impressed.
And here we are - together for 11 years and married for 9 years. More in love each and every day.
My family is my everything and I feel so blessed and happy to live my life with and and for them.
{M} xo xo xo
This gorgeous family met me on a fabulous Sunday evening - warm and sunny with amazing light. It was especially perfect because this particular day was book-ended by two very chilly ones. Brrrrr! I have known this fantastic lady for about 6 years, after meeting her when she was one of my students at massage therapy school. We have kept in touch and when I met her little cutie, Mr. E, I knew I had to photograph her beautiful family. We planned this shoot very last minute, but sometimes those are the most fun!
She, her handsome hubby and little E arrived at the session dressed and ready to rock, with a whole laundry basket of outfit changes in tow. Can I just tell you how awesome it is when people come with wardrobe options? It makes me WAY more excited than it rightly should. :) And she had five -yes, five - hats for Mr. E. A woman after my own heart. My girls have a bin FULL of hats!
We all had a great time making these memories. Lots of laughs, a few quick changes (good thing there were no hikers on the trail) and one dirt-covered photographer made for an awesome shoot. They are so happy together they made it easy to capture the love they share.
Thanks again Amy, Dan and Mr. E for the opportunity to capture your lovely family. I had a blast!
{M} xo
I cannot believe that it is March! My girls have had shorts and tees on for about a week now - in Canada, in the the spring. WHAT?! I am not quite ready for the heat, but it seems I had better adjust quickly. It really feels like summer. Nearly 30 degrees and sunny for the past week, we have been digging out the bicycles, patio chairs and table, and picnic basket. In fact, we snuck off to the riverside just last night for an impromptu evening picnic. After deciding on the plan, Brielle was put in charge of packing the goods (which means we had cheese sandwiches, granola bars, mints, Kool-Aid and baby carrots for supper) and Emery was in charge of carrying the blanket to sit on. We loaded into the van and made for a beautiful spot along the Grand River in Waterloo. We had a lovely time watching the river flow by, soaking in the sun and exploring the river bank's various flora and fauna.
Of course, before we packed up, I had to try to get some shots of my girls in the delicious, late afternoon light. And that's when it all went to H-E-L-L. Even though they knew we were going to take a few photos, the symptoms of PK (photographer's kids) showed up as soon as my camera came out of the bag. I managed to snap a few, but most of the time was spent asking them to look at me, to stop scratching non-existent itches and to stop picking things off the ground. Sigh.
But even though they are definitely not my best or favourite images ever, I am going to share them here, because they represent the memory of that gorgeous, warm spring night when we had a picnic by the river and watched a dog chasing geese down the bank while we ate dry cheese sandwiches. Bliss. These are the memories I will take with me into the future.
I am amazed at how much Brielle's growing adult teeth have change the shape of her face and the look of her smile. It is amazing and a bit heartbreaking at the same time.
Ironically, Emery was the least cooperative, but I ended up with more of her that I liked than of Brielle. Go figure.
This is the only shot, of many, of both of the girls that was actually sort of usable. Oh well, next time.
And by the way, this early spring means a longer warm season for shooting, so if you want to have some amazing family portraits in this beautiful light, it is not too early to book! :)
{M}
Flu be damned, we were going to enjoy our March Break. With temperatures soaring into the mid-20s here in Ontario, we finally have spring breathing some life into our Vitamin D-deprived bodies. My parents had booked a family trip for us to Great Wolf Lodge, a family-friendly water park and theme "resort" in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We headed down the highway, my brother and his girlfriend and my parents accompanying us, for a weekend that was sure to be filled with fun.
Arriving Friday afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious supper, hit the water slides and then boogied to the tunes at the family dance. Saturday (after a night filled with a chorus of flu-related coughing and snoring), we hit the water park after breakfast. My hubby and brother, the biggest kids of all, went straight to the big water slides, me and my brother's girlfriend to entertain the kiddos. We frolicked in the wave pool, enjoyed the smaller water slides and then called it quits for lunch.
After lunch, my brother volunteered to take the girls on a MagiQuest, a Harry Potter-inspired magic scavenger hunt that required a magic wand and a lot of patience. My brother (and his girlfriend) helped them complete two quests while my Mom and I enjoyed a little people-watching in the grand lobby.
On Sunday, we hit the water park one more time before tackling the arcade. And just when we thought we were done and cashed out our tickets, we realized that my brother's girlfriend had found the "special" silver token and she was awarded 100 bonus tokens. Needless to say, the girls were thrilled!
Here are the compulsory snapshots of the girls in their wolf-ears and on the giant Adirondack chair.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Great Wolf Lodge, and I think we are going to make it a yearly family adventure. 
Thanks for looking and stay tuned for lots of spring sessions coming your way!
{M} xo
"Flu, flu, go away. And never come another day!" The flu reared its ugly head at our house nearly two weeks ago. First Brielle, then I and then Emery got sick. And I mean SICK. I am still feeling like a wet noodle nearly a week after it began.
And to deepen the despair, it is March Break here and the temperatures are soaring into the mid-teens. We are stuck in the house, faces pressed to the glass in a desperate effort to suck the sunshine into the dark, Kleenex-filled corners. Sigh.
But, things are starting to turn around a bit -Emery is coming around and my hubby has avoided the nasty little virus so far. And in T-minus two days, we are headed to Great Wolf Lodge - that paragon of family fun and lukewarm pools filled with a plethora of germs. Here's hoping our weakened immune systems are up for the challenge! :)
I snapped a quick image of Emery as she dozed fitfully on the couch the other day, in one of those fever sleeps that seems to only last long enough to have you wake up cranky.
And with that, I am handing the flu his eviction notice and looking forward with hope to our adventure down the QEW to lovely Niagara Falls. Keep your fingers crossed we make it that far!
{M} xo
I am looking for families (maximum of six people) to participate in some FREE mini sessions! See the dates below and contact me at info@mandyblakephotography.com if you are interested in taking part. 
{M} xo
I turned thirty-three yesterday. And I am totally fine with that fact. I have a husband, two kids, a dog, a house and pay lots of taxes - thirty-three seems to fit this picture. I decided that I would spend the day recording a "Day in My Life" so that I could look back next year and see exactly how I spent my birthday. I soon discovered that I am not nearly as interesting or busy as I think I am on a daily basis. I did, however, find out that I do spend a lot of time with my girls, I spend lots of time with my family and I am a dedicated student who goes to class even on her birthday. All good things.
Here are some images from my day. I chose to show them all in black and white, just for a bit of a change - hey, I'm thirty-three now, I am expanding my horizons!
I started my day dropping Emery off at Grandma"s house so that I could take Brielle to the doctor. She has been sick for nearly a week, so it was time to get to the bottom of this mysterious illness. Of course, before we left, the girls had to squeeze in a quick game of Go Fish, each taking a turn being Grandma's partner.
Brielle waiting to be examined at the doctor's office. Turns out she has multiple viruses and all the doctor could prescribe was fluids and rest. Which Brielle translated as Popsicles and Family Channel. Oh boy.
After I got Brielle back to Grandma's to snuggle on the couch, I drove Emery to the sitter's in the Vanicus Maximus (aka the Mom Taxi).
I then went to work (as a massage therapist) and afterward came home to my lovely hubby making supper! Emery helped to deliver my lovely card, signed by all my loves.
And finally, I headed off to school to learn about the business of photography. Interesting.
So that was my birthday. No cake and candles, no big, flashy gifts (although a new lens wouldn't have been turned away). Just another day in my life, full of love, family, friends and learning. It was a beautiful day.
{M} xo
I am excited to introduce you all to my new monthly feature, "Beautiful Things". Each month, I will be exclusively featuring handmade baby and children's products made by local vendors. I love buying handmade and unique items for my own girls and really wanted to find a way to showcase all of those creative entrepreneurs out there! My first featured business is Buttercup Children's Decor, who specialize in framed wall art, pillows, mobiles and ornaments made with new, vintage and up-cycled fabrics to create unique decorative items. Started in early 2010 by Lisa Fox, a stay-at-home-mom and Vilaylack Fox, a teacher, school administrator and expectant mother, Buttercup is a true creative partnership, with each gal creating about half of the designs and artwork. As a result, each piece has that Buttercup style with a dash of their individual flair. And thus, what began as an idea to create special gifts for friends and family (and beautiful decor for their own homes) has blossomed into a thriving small business for these talented ladies.
Buttercup has been a hit at local arts and craft shows and they have been kept busy filling custom design orders. I was lucky enough to have a chance to photograph a few of their pieces to show you here - I think you're going to fall in LOVE!
The first image is of a beautiful, hand-painted canvas. Isn't the colourful wing awesome?
These are some of their framed pieces, all with gorgeous detail and texture. I absolutely adore the fact that each scene has some elements that extend out onto the matte - so fun!
Here are a couple of more cute canvases that would really add style and whimsy to any child's room. Hedgehog = Adorable!!!
And finally, here is a plush pillow with hand-stitched elements, perfect for little arms to wrap around as your babe drifts off to sleep.
I think that these ladies have done a wonderful job of creating special, fun and decorative pieces that can really liven up your rooms! And even better, they accept custom requests and can even create pieces using your very own sentimental items (baby blankets, favourite dresses, etc.) or personalize it with your child's name. How cool is that?!
Make sure you check out Buttercup Children's Decor on Facebook to see more of their work, and look for their Etsy shop to be up-and-running in the near future!
Stay tuned for next month's Beautiful Things when I will be featuring some lovely knits!
{M} xo
We all know the Golden Rule : "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It seems so simple. But lately, I have noticed an alarming trend in the photography community (not to mention the wider world). It appears that the Golden Rule has been replaced by the motto "Do unto others whatever you need to do to get ahead." I see this on forums, on Facebook, on Twitter and in person. I have personally had some not-so-friendly interactions with fellow photogs that have left me feeling sad and discouraged. And I am writing this, not to elicit pity, sympathy, to complain or to point fingers, but rather to point out that we are all professionals and we can all ACT like professionals. We can help, support and encourage our peers without having to feel threatened or worry about our ideas being stolen.
This is how I feel when the negativity starts to fly:
On the flip side. I have also had some wonderful experiences with my colleagues in this craft, and it's the positive attitudes and helping hands that keep my faith in this industry. I have met, chatted with and developed friendships with some amazing women who have helped me grow and flourish in this business. Thank you to Hilary, Jenn, Martina, Kate, Sandra, Ashia and many others for your support, friendship and honesty. *Hugs*
Now go out there, be positive and help to turn the frowns upside down! :)
{M} xo
It is finally here (again)! My girls had anticipated a snow day yesterday, when the reports were hyping a big storm set to arrive in the wee hours of the morning. We woke up early, only to find a disappointing dusting of snow that was quickly turning to mush as the rain started to fall. So they headed off to school dejectedly and I have to say, I was hoping for snow too. We have had a pretty mild winter and I was looking forward to curling up with a book on the couch and watching the flakes fall. But then, last night, the "storm" arrived! Right before I was heading to bed the wind picked up and the snow started to swirl. And before I even before I opened my eyes this morning, I could tell by the light in my room that there was SNOW! The next thing I heard was my girls hurriedly dressing as my husband fired up the snow blower in the garage. I helped the girls bundle up and out they went, joy stamped on their little faces.
I watched from the window as they chased the dog, bombed down the slide and ate mitt-fulls of fresh, clean snow. I ventured out, only for a minute to get one simple snap of them together, before the frolicking resumed. And right now, as they sit on the floor near my feet, wrapped in blankets, thawing out and putting a puzzle together, my book and a cup of tea are calling my name!
Have a wonderful "snow day" everyone!
{M} xo
Do you ever wonder why some photographers present most of their work in colour? Or why some prefer to use black and white? The answer is simple. Impact. Sometimes, the emotion that is being conveyed in an image may get lost in colour, or inversely, in black and white. The photographer's goal is for your eye to be led to the subject and sometimes tints and shadows affect how you see the image.
First, let's talk about colour. Colour images tend to stimulate a variety of responses within the viewers mind. Bright colours foster happiness, joy, warmth and radiance. Muted colours often convey sadness, boredom, silence or peace. And if a colour image gets the viewer to experience these emotions, then it has served part of its purpose.
However, the colours in an image must work in harmony to create an overall viewing experience. If there is a bright colour amidst a dull scene, and it is NOT part of the intended subject, it can be distracting to the viewer. As well, if the colours in the scene seem not to compliment one another, the viewer may get more caught up in these variances than in the actual image content.
Here is one of my images in colour. I like how the red wall and green grass play off of each other to create a frame for the subject. The viewers' eyes should be drawn directly to the subject`s face, since it is the lightest part of the image. His jeans add a pop of blue, which is complimentary to the red and green. Finally, I think the colours in his shirt tie in well with the over colours in the image, making all of the elements of colour work well together.
I think this image speaks of solitude, warmth, and reflection.
Next, let`s look at the same image in black and white. With a monochromatic colour scheme, the photographer is relying on the subject matter to capture the viewers`full attention. Often, black and white images are very dramatic in their lighting and subject matter, and the absence of colour further creates dramatic tension. In a world, that now, more than ever before, lives in colour, the starkness of an image without colour can have a big impact. Sometimes, it makes the viewer have to think more about the subject matter, since they are not immediately dealing with the visual stimulation of colour.
In my opinion, in the black and white conversion of this image the subject is the sole focus. We no longer see the interplay between colours, nor the pop of the blue on the green and red, and thus, our eye is brought straight to the subject, with no hesitation. I like that the subject seems to be surrounded by a lighter space within the darker elements of the image, as well as the fact that I am more inclined to wonder `What is he thinking about?".
I think this image also speaks of reflection and solitude, but also of loneliness and a touch of sorrow.
So the next time you are looking at an image, whether in colour or black and white, try to think about what the photographer was trying to show you, and what the subject matter is expressing. Through the use of these two forms of image presentation, photographers are telling a story. We just hope you are following along!
Phew, that was pretty heavy stuff for a Friday morning! On a lighter note, spring is around the corner, and I cannot WAIT to get out shooting ins some glorious sunshine and warmth!! :) Spring and summer sessions are starting to get booked up, so if you are planning a session for your family, don't procrastinate too long! LOL
{M} xo
What do I wear? This is the question I am asked most often when a client is booking a session with MBP. Sometimes, if I have enough time, I will put together a little "look book" for the client to get an idea of clothing selection, but as the busy spring and summer seasons approach, I know that time will be more precious and I won't be able to do this for everyone. So I decided to put together a little post showing MY idea of cute outfit choices for the whole family. The most important thing I tell my clients is that their clothing should reflect their own style. I mean, it is wonderful to look great but if the kids (or Dad!) look really uncomfortable in the clothes Mom chose (because let's face it, Mom is usually the family's stylist), it is hard for them to be relaxed and enjoy the session. However, all the different styles need to find a way to work together. Whether it is different styles with the same colour scheme, or similar styles with complimentary colours, it all has to look cohesive. Gone are the days of jeans and a white polo shirt for the whole gang. Boring. It's time to get some fun, colour and attitude back into clothing options!
For the little ladies, here are some some fun, colourful options. I love the floral skirt - so summer-y!
For the women, there are options ranging from casual to flirty! The purple top really pops!
The little guys have some colour and some attitude! Fashion isn't just for little sisters!
And for the men, some classic styles that combine comfort and style. I gave Dad and son the same shirt (Black Military-style T) for those who just have to have some matching in the mix! ;)
All clothing pictured can be found online or in store at Old Navy.
I hope this helps everyone out there get a few ideas of what you can wear for your session. Happy shopping!
{M} xo
Meet the Hamilton family. They are a tight-knit group of siblings that love to laugh together and tease one another, but most of all, clearly love one another very much. We met on a chilly Saturday afternoon to take some extended family portraits, and even though everyone was freezing, we toughed it out to get some great shots.
Thanks again to you all for coming out in the cold! Enjoy the images everyone!
A special thanks to my friend Sandra of Sandra Medeiros | Photographer for helping me out on this shoot! I owe you one!!
{M} xo
I think it is amazing how kids are amused by the simplest things. A mud puddle, a flowing fountain, putting stickers onto paper and colouring on anything! They find joy, peace and fun in all the little things that we as adults forget to enjoy. When I got together with my good friends, Kate Emerson of Novella Photography and Martina Wendland of Martina Wendland Photography, we had every intention of photographing all of our girls in a little Easter-themed set-up that Kate had devised. However, our little ladies were more interested in playing together than being photographed, and thus our carefully laid plans quickly went bust. But then Kate had the genius idea to let the girls draw with chalk on the large piece of seamless paper we had tacked up on the wall as a backdrop. All of a sudden, the girls were completely engaged and having a blast, drawing, smearing the lines, colouring on themselves and working together to create a large mural. Fantastic!
I couldn't resist snapping a few shots as they worked, but I did do a bit of drawing as well!
At least little Miss A tried to cooperate with the Easter portion of the shoot!
Friends and chalk make for a wonderful afternoon! 
Thanks again Kate and Martina for another great day of friendship.
{M) xo
It's Family Day weekend in Ontario, which means an extra day to hang out with my girls! While I do have some sessions this weekend, Monday is completely dedicated to my wonderful family, to enjoy some snowboarding, a great meal and to make lots of new memories! I personally think every day is family day, but if you're gonna give me a holiday, I'll take it! I leave you with this image of my Happy Meal pirates. What a couple of characters.
Have a great weekend wherever you are in the world. I am looking forward to showing you some new images in the coming week - check back often!
{M} xo
In today's world, where anyone with a DSLR can take fairly passable images on "Auto", "photographers" are cropping up all over the place. I understand the lure. Snap a few photos, burn them to a disc, and walk away with a pocketful of cash. Easy, right?
So many "photographers" hang out their shingle WAY before they are ready to compete in this market. And I definitely put myself in this category. After my first term in photography college, I was out there doing family and children's session for $70-90 including disc. Ugh. Just admitting it makes me cringe, shudder, self-flagellate and laugh at the same time. I figured "Hey, while I am getting my formal education, I might as well do my "on-the-fly" learning at the same time, AND make some money!" Stupid, I know.
Now that I have nearly completed my photography program (three long years later), I can look back with that 20/20 vision of hindsight and see my mistakes. I should have waited until my skills and knowledge were up to snuff. I should have waited until I was ready to dedicate a significant amount of time and resources to promoting and sustaining a business, not an under-the-table side enterprise. I should have learned to use Photoshop/Lightroom (which I did learn fairly early on, but still, some of the first edits - yikes!). I should have had enough respect for the photographers that I admired, appreciated and blog-stalked to wait until I could set my prices appropriately without undercutting. All these things I should have done, but didn't.
And now, from the viewpoint of a professional photographer, I think I see one of the reasons why this has become the trend. Photography has lost its exclusivity. For better and for worse. It used to be that photography was a skilled artistic profession, or a really expensive hobby. There was nothing in the middle. But as the price of equipment dropped and the digital age of take-and-erase came upon us, the gap began to fill. Photoshop and other digital editing software made it possible to "fix"images and thus it was perceived that less skill was required to do the same work. Wrong. It still takes a level of skill and knowledge to be a photographer that can take years to refine. You still have an eye for subject and composition. And you definitely cannot put it on "Auto" and hope for the best (despite what your mother tells you.) However, with the wider availability of prosumer equipment and more flexibility with digital technology, it has also opened the door to a whole host of new talent who may have been overwhelmed by the challenge of film photography and would have never taken up the camera. And we would be missing out on some incredible talent. You win some, you lose some.
I say this not to offend any up-and-coming photographers, nor to judge anyone else's practices or work. I just know that I made some mistakes when I was starting out that I wish I hadn't and if I can help another photographer avoid these pitfalls, or give a client the information to make a wiser decision when they are choosing a photographer, then I have met my goal. Education and information are powerful tools, make sure to use them when choosing a photographer to capture your memories.
And now, because no rant, errr....post, is complete without images, I have some before and afters to help illustrate some of the things you should try to notice when browsing portfolios looking for a photographer. There are some doozies...laugh along with me, people! I used the same subject in each before and after to keep the images as comparable as possible. And as a disclaimer, I am not saying that my images are THE BEST, but I hope you will see that I have definitely improved! Consider this an official MBP public service advertisement. :)
Okay, let's talk about subject. The subject should be obvious in the photo, and the viewer's eye should be led to the subject by proper placement in the frame and the lack of distracting background/scenic elements. In the top image, I did a poor job of keeping the viewer's eye on the subject, since the dark lines in the background compete for attention. In bottom image, I fixed this by filling the frame, allowing the viewer to truly focus on the subject without and distracting background. A simple fix but an effective one.
Next, let's look at light. In the image on the left, the light was coming from the top and side, creating dark shadows in the eye sockets and a big contrast between dark and light on each side of the face. The subject's eyes (which are a stunning ice blue) can't really be seen. I should have had the subject either facing the light or with his back to the light to minimize the harsh shadows. Plus, the image is a bit overexposed. In the image on the right, I used back lighting to give the subject definition from the background and exposed properly for his face to ensure that I could see those dazzling eyes. I also used the truck to frame the subject to have more visual impact.
In the next example, I want you to notice colour. The top image has a very strong red-orange tint. This could be due to poor White Balance (every type of light has a colour temperature that is not perceived with the naked eye, but is captured by the camera's sensor), or the colour of the leaves around this scene may have caused a colour cast. It is particularly noticeable on the skin. Either way, it could have been fixed in post-processing. In the bottom image, after carefully selecting the proper white balance in-camera and with a little bump in post to warm it up, the skin tone is natural and even.
Okay, moving on to composition. In the image on the left, the subject is slightly too far right in the frame, and his foot is cut off at the bottom, losing the feeling of the subject being grounded. Whenever possible, the photographer should try not to cut off limbs. If limbs are outside of the frame (for stronger composition), they should not be cropped at a joint. In the image on the left, the subject is well-balanced in the frame and the feet are in the shot, showing the viewer that he is grounded and whole!
The rule of thirds. This is one of the most simple yet dynamic "rules" that photographers use to make their images look more polished and professional. It basically means that the image is divided into three vertical and three horizontal sections, like a grid, and the most interesting placement for a subject on this grid is along the top or bottom line, or where the lines intersect. If I knew how to put a grid on this image I would have! ;) In the top image, the subject is in the centre of the frame, and though her eyes are in the top half of the image, the centering offsets this placement, all making for a boring image. Plus the processing sucks! LOL In the bottom image, the subject is slightly off centre and her eyes are near where the lines would intersect, making it a more appealing image overall.
Expressions matter. In the top image, the subject looks like he turned around and was caught unaware. In the bottom image, I simply waited until he was relaxed and playful, to capture a more natural expression. Patience is ALWAYS key to capturing your subject at his or her most natural. And whoo, what is with the weird fluorescent yellow undertones on that before shot? LOL
So there are a few examples of how I screwed up, and most of the "before" images are from when I was charging for my services. Clearly, I should not have been taking people's money back then, but I was truly ignorant of how detrimental my actions were, not only to me, but to the entire profession of which I was striving to become a part. I have had to grow from each failure, misstep and missed opportunity. However, all of those mistakes led me to my present standing, and I can proudly say that I am now running a totally legitimate part-time business while continuing to grow and learn at every opportunity.
Now go and have a good laugh at my before pictures...that's what I am going to do!
{M} xo