* the Pixel Chicks *

Cindy Got Married!!!

2010-06-29T09:59:00.004-04:00

What a privilege it was to celebrate with Cindy as she married Robert in a magical forest last week. I wish you all could have been there to see how beautiful it was!! Twinkling lights, lightning bugs, beautiful soulful music, and lots of love. Here are a few shots I captured. Laura and Sherry will share more soon, and I will too as I get them edited. ~Alli

A Very Special Wedding

2010-06-18T22:13:00.002-04:00

On Saturday evening, June 19, 2010 a very special couple will exchange vows... our very own Cindy Harter will marry her prince charming... her soulmate... Robert Sims. Three of the Chicks will be there to celebrate with her... and the rest of us will absolutely be there in spirit. We are all so thrilled for them both and wish them a lifetime of happiness and love!

There are three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.
~ I Corinthians 13:13

Cindy Harter Photography

2010-05-26T15:07:00.001-04:00

I had the very talented Danny Kersic come out and shoot me during an engagement session. I can't tell you how much I love doing what I do :) Soooo many wonderful things going on in my life right now. TODAY, I am a fulltime photographer ! I am launching into this biz full steam ahead !!!!!!! I have so many ideas and so many opportunities :) GOD is soooo good ! I get married in 24 days :) LIFE IS GOOD !!! I just had to share !!!! Thank you , to my sweet dearest friends ...MY PIXEL CHICKS .... for staying with me and supporting me on my journey !!!! THESE WOMEN ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST !!! I know of atleast 2 of them that will photograph my wedding WOO HOO ! YEY, for the good life :)

Creative Process Feature

2010-05-17T12:40:00.009-04:00

Hi ~ Sherry here...
Fall is one of my favorite times to shoot because of all the gorgeous warm colors! Here's an image from winter where I was able to find some of the fall color lingering.
One of the best things about personal images is having the time to get a little more creative and try different things to see what fits your style. With this image, I just let my mind wander until I came up with something that I liked. I actually could have stopped at several times during the process and had an image that would have been acceptable to me but I wanted to push the image (and myself) a little further.

Original

basic S-curve ~added warmth

darkened background ~ soft light layer

slight gaussian blur

texture

slight desaturation ~ clone

The steps behind the process:
1. A basic S-curve to add some depth
2. Pioneer Woman's warmth action to increase the warm tones
3. Darkened the background using the burn tool on a very low opacity
4. Duplicated the layer and changed blending mode to soft light (decreased opacity as desired)
5. Softened the image slightly to give it a more subtle look with very light use of blur
6. Texture added ~ An image of that I had taken of concrete was added as a new layer (the blending mode was changed to overlay). If you've never used textures, find the method that works for you...This is just one of the methods that I use.
Remember: Erase the texture from the areas that you do not want covered, such as the face!
7. Slight desaturation ~ Since I wanted a more subtle look with the texture, I desaturated the image slightly.
8. Cloned distraction ~ The texture overlay added an area that appeared like a smudge. I simply cloned to remove the undesired portion.

So there you have it...a little look at the wheels which turned in my head during the processing of this image. Having a perfectionist streak, I can always find some way to improve on images (and this one is no exception) but I like it when they make me smile! :)

Keep shooting!
Keep creative!
Keep having fun behind the camera...and in your processing!!
~sb

We have a winner! SEO Guide Giveaway!

2010-05-12T08:52:00.005-04:00

Sorry we got a little off schedule here due to some technical difficulties. But we're back and ready to announce the winner of Shannon Steffens fabulous SEO Guide!!!

Drum roll please.... and the winner is HALEIGH ROHNER!!!! In her winning comment Haleigh said: "Great feature! I've been wanting your guide forever! Pick me :)"

Well Haleigh today's your lucky day because The True Random Number Generator at Random.org. did pick you!!! Here's a screen shot:
Congratulations Haleigh!!!! We'll get you and Shannon in touch.

For those who didnt win, or who want more information, please visit Shannons SEO Guide Blog. Thank you again to Shannon for donating this amazing prize and for the fabulous interview!

Jack of Hearts, TV Pilot

2010-05-06T06:38:00.029-04:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of joining the cast and crew of Jack of Hearts for a photo session. (Side note, if you'd like to follow the journey of filming for this project, check it out here). Jack of Hearts is the brainchild of director Elyjah Wilbur who's wife Kate I met while doing work for the Sacramento Kings. I met up with Elyjah and Kate prior to the shoot to discuss the storyline and characters and get a feel for the show. Together, we talked about how to best capture the essence of the show and bring it out in the photo shoot. It was fun to learn the characters and creatively chew over with Elyjah and Kate the feel of the images, small details that we could include to elude to the character's nature and even the expressions and body language that would best emphasize this.

We also had to shoot with the final product in mind - so, for example, the image below (group images, bottom) with a lot of top and bottom room is intended as a possible poster for the show with room left top/bottom for title, info, etc. That's a key detail I learned while working with the Sacramento Kings who use a lot of the images we create at Media Day for their Gametime covers - for projects like this, its really important to know where the images are going and what they're intended for as it can direct how you shoot and compose.

Below are some fav images from the day and a few behind-the-scenes shots. And make sure to check out the fun video of the shoot here!

Image below - thought you guys would get a kick out of this. SO. I could have dressed a wee bit nicer for this project (and maybe styled my hair a bit! geez. ya don't know how bad it is until ya see yourself! LOL) Anyway! Talking in total girl-to-girl mode - the teeshirt I wore did my figure no favors. So, I did what any self-respecting photoshopping photographer would do - I helped myself out. :)

Before (and no, I swear I'm not pregnant! it was just the wind and the shirt! :))

Liquifying tool to the rescue!!! ohhhh baby! check out the flat tummy! :) If you're unfamiliar with the liquify tool, hit me up at my email and I'll send you some tips (studio@llfotos.com). Every women should know this tool - if only for her own vanity - inside and out!

possible posters

some tech tips from this shoot:
Camera used: Canon 5d
Lens used: 85mm 2.8 (all group shots), 50 mm 1.4 (all individual shots)
Lighting: 2 Alien Bees. Most shots had a main 800AB with an octabox camera left in front of subjects at about a 45 degree angle and a 400AB bare bulb, camera left behind subjects. Individuals were shot using "flat lighting" - one 800AB octabox slightly above and behind my head. We used a white foam core board for fill for some of the group shots toward the end as light was dwindling.

Feature Interview with a Giveaway!! Double the fun :)

2010-04-28T08:45:00.026-04:00

Hey everyone!! Well today you are in for a double treat here at the Pixel Chicks Blog. We have a fun and informative interview with the Fabulous Shannon Steffens of Candid Moments. And not only do you get to enjoy Shannon's beautiful photography but Shannon has also been so gracious as to give away one of her books on SEO, which I can personally tell you is fabulous!! Her SEO field guide can be purchased by using the link below. As you will see when visiting her SEO blogsite, there are 2 options in purchasing the guide. For the contest we will be giving away the book option which is a $50.00 value!! So sit back, relax, enjoy Shannon's interview and don't forget to visit her website, blog, and SEO blogsite to check out her Gorgeous work. Then make sure you leave a comment to enter the giveaway. Winner will be drawn by random.org.

And now, we introduce Shannon Steffens of Candid Moments. Thank you so much Shannon for the interview and the giveaway!! You are AWESOME!! :)

Shannon's Photography Website http://www.mycandidmoments.com/
Shannon's Blog http://www.mycandidmoments.com/blog/
Shannon's SEO Blogsite http://www.seophotoguide.com/ (link to buy is on top)

1. How long have you been a photographer, and when did you get started? I have been a ‘photographer’ as long as I can remember. I have ALWAYS be interested in documenting life through photographs. I got my first camera at age 7 and have not stopped taking photos since then. I didn’t have one for a while and felt, lost. I had been doing photographs for friends for a while, when I decided to take the plunge and do it as a business. It was a long journey but Candid Moments was born out of my love of capturing those moments the ones you almost don’t see, between the smiles and the tears. I launched officially the fall of 2006, but really get truly going until after I had my daughter the following spring. In all honestly it was something that just evolved out of my love of photography.

2. If you weren't a photographer...what would be your career choice? I would be a librarian. That was my ‘other’ life before I started my own business. Long story short if I could go and do it again, there are days I would. I loved helping people learn how to find information.

3. How would you describe your work? This is hard, but if I had to give it words I would use fresh, clean and basic. I tend to go with simple and processing that will be more timeless. I would love to be known for my black and whites, which are my personal favorites but my clients seem to love my color, go figure!

4. Tell us your background and how you gained so much knowledge of SEO? It’s simple, I researched it. I work for another company online (Flashpalette can I say that here) and wanted to understand better how to optimize a flash site for SEO. It was during that journey I realized that while SEO is important, most of us just need to raise to the top of a small area and not be listed number one for the term photographer. That when people search they search by area, type or other parameters.

5. Show us your very favorite image taken by you. This is so hard. I have so many. I have to say that my current favorite (and that rotates) is this one of my kids. I like it because it so “imperfect”. My daughter has remnants of tattoos, the clothes are not what I would have picked, the background was their choice, but it’s real it’s “THEM”.

6. What equipment do you use? Nikon all the way! I shoot both with a D700 and a D300 and a variety of lens. I primarily use the 24-70, 60 mm macro, 105 macro and the 85 1.8. I have a few others, but these four are my main staples.

7. What is the one piece of equipment you can't live without? Hmm… this is hard, because I think anyone who knows me would tell you I would die if you took away my 24-70 or my macro’s. However, it is not either, it’s my reflector – odd choice I know. However, it saves me so many times when the light is not just right. I also love that I can and have used it to sit on or just catch the attention of a fussy toddler.

8. What is one piece of advice you can give to photographers to help them get noticed on the web? Make sure you have your website listed with Bing, Google and Yahoo. I also recommend you get your website/business listed with Yahoo and Google maps.

9. What is the biggest misconception about SEO? The biggest misconception is that it’s a magic bullet to QUALIFIED clients. Yes, you need to have good SEO to be found, but there is so much more to getting clients to book you. They may find your site, but you may be priced too high, you may be too far or your style may not mesh. Yes, you do need to work on it and have some web presence and come up on searches, BUT you still need to cultivate word of mouth and make sure you are finding other ways to hit your target market.

10. If you could have any superpower what would it be? To fly, for so many reasons, but I think of all I can show my children about the world if I could just transport them to somewhere else for a bit!

11. What's your favorite guilty pleasure? A hot bath, a good book and Diet coke and dark chocolate. I don’t get all four at the same time often, but when I do it’s heaven!

Again...HUGE thank you to Shannon!! We loved having you here on the Chicks Blog. Don't forget to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment and don't forget to check out more of Shannon's work and her SEO Field Guide :)

Work It Baby, Work It!

2010-04-14T12:35:00.012-04:00

Posing to me is as much the art of photography as is editing. They all work together and without precision and detail to each area, the image doesn’t come together. When I went into business I began to pay special attention to this area because suddenly I was no longer photographing just people I selected but a wide range of people – many with body or facial attributes that required different posing techniques than I was familiar with. And posing men, women, children, high school seniors, elderly people, models, etc., all require different techniques and skills.

There are some simple techniques though that everyone can follow and like everything in photography, you can then take these and build upon them and make them your own. To keep this article relatively short, I’m just going to mention some techniques I use for photographing women.

1. This is simple technique that I find esthetically flattering – I always note what side someone’s hair is parted on and will typically pose them with their parted side faced away from the camera. I like hair to frame the face – depending on their hair length and style, I typically find this the most flattering.

2. Stand on a stool or have your subject on the ground and photograph them angled down. This narrows the image and provides a slimmer view. However, be aware of women with thin or long faces – this will elongate those features even more. This image is an example of both steps 1 and 2.

3. Use strong directional lighting to slim. If you’re working with studio lights this is easier to achieve but if you’re working with natural light there are a lot of ways to do this too. Strong natural sunlight can be used to highlight only the features you want to showcase while letting the rest fall into dark shadow. The image below shows how late afternoon sunlight can be used to do this – I didn’t use any reflectors for this image and let the shadows go dark. This is a very dramatic example – typically, I’d use a reflector to cast some light back into the shadowed areas.

4. Angle your subject 45 degrees away from the camera and have them bring their chin back toward the shoulder that is closest to the camera and slightly angled down. This is a simple technique that works especially well for headshots and close ups.

5. Have your subject bend and pull the arm that is closest to the camera slightly away from their body. This breaks up the “mass” of their body. Have them place their other arm along side the part of their body that is faced away from the camera and let it ‘disappear.’

6.No slouching! I always tell my subjects to give me a ‘tall spine’ – that just reminds them to stand up straight!

These are good tips for us to remember when we’re in front of the camera too! My pet peeves in pictures of myself are slouching and lifting my chin too high which widens my face. See? We all need reminders! Even things that seem inherent are often forgotten when a lens is facing you! Gently coax your subjects with the above tips and reinforce how great they look and you’ll be amazed how small details can make a big difference!

- Laura

Ps:please vote for my little studio to be #1 in Sacramento HERE!

Interview with Rockstar Photography Team Anthony and Adelynne

2010-04-09T11:03:00.029-04:00

One week ago we spotted this incredible young, hot and hip team of Anthony and Adelynne. We really thought you would LOVE to hear more about them. This is the original story on the Traina Photography Blog. Check it out first, then check out our follow up interview:

Without further adieu, meet Anthony and Adelynne:

Pixel Chicks: Hi guys, thanks for accepting this interview with Pixel Chicks. You’ve developed a following with photographers who are looking to you as the face of our evolving industry. We wanted to take this opportunity to get to know you, and answer some questions your followers have. First how old are you, and how long have you been shooting weddings?

Anthony: I’m nine and a half, and Ady (Adelynn) is six, but me mum & dad have been doing this since I was four. I mean when you think about it, I've been part of this industry since before I could properly dress myself. That's the brilliant thing really... this is about art defining you, you defining art... there's really no limit as to the potential we have for self discovery, while at the same time showing your clients who they really are to each other.

Adelynn: We haven't shot any weddings yet.

Pixel Chicks: Are you both from Oklahoma City, because Anthony your accent…

Anthony: (interrupting) Right, so the thing is, I've been watching a lot of Jerry Ghionis lately, and I'm quite taken by him. I can't say his style is exactly where I want to be in say five to ten years, but right now I'm just doing my thing love.

Pixel Chicks: OK, so what exactly made you choose the wedding industry? Why not pets, or kids, or flowers?

Anthony: ...I think really, when you asking yourself what’s this thing all about… my life, my passions yea? It just clicked. I love me two pups, but you gotta remember I'm from the old school. Have you ever tried shooting a pug in your kitchen with a kit lens? There's no future in that. Kids are lovely, mum works with kids, but I find them impossible. They don't listen to instruction, they have no vision... they really don’t respect you as an artist. When I was younger I used to take pics of babies, but they go poop or wee on literally everything. Flowers? C'mon, next question.

Adelynn: I’m not really into photography, more in capitalizing on selling myself to other people, which in this industry works for both my clients & my competition. Win win.

Pixel Chicks: Have you ever heard of film?

Anthony: (laughter) Yea, I get that a lot. The truth is I think it's brilliant really. Five years ago people would look at me and say "is that a digital"? Now people say "where's your LCD", or "Holga, that's so cool"! Those are the people who get it.

Adelynn: Isn’t that what people used to watch before YouTube?

Pixel Chicks: What is the one piece of equipment you can't live without?

Anthony: You know, I don't think it’s so much the equipment. You give some new kid a fresh 5D MK2 with a 50 1.2 or 135 f2 and what are they going to do with it? Tools for the artist I say. I guess I would have to say I'm a painter of light, driven from my soul. Does that make sense?

Pixel Chicks: Absolutely, I think we all…

Anthony: (interrupting) I mean I have no idea what brush Van Gogh used to paint Starry Night, but I don't think that's the question we ask ourselves when we see it yea? When people see my work I don't want them to say was that Nikon or Canon? Hasselblad or Leica? Film or Digital? I want them to say "that was captured with brilliance"! But yea, the D70 is killing me, & I'm hoping my parents upgrade soon so I can snag one of their D300's.

Adelynn: I've noticed there's been no answer in my search for a camera bag that is beautiful & stylish in design, yet built for today’s photographer with a six year old frame. There's a market for that, and I'm excited to announce I’m scheduled to launch a new bag that is more expressive than it is functional.

Pixel Chicks: How would you describe your success with the $99 special you offered?

Anthony: You know, I think we learned a lot from that whole experience. We researched the whole Groupon thing, but I didn't want to get stuck selling 200+ weddings at 99 quid. That's just insane. We just wanted to get out there and shake things up a bit, and make a name for ourselves in our market. I think at this point we've really started to settle into things, and looked more towards the bigger picture like WPPI, mentoring & what not.

Adelynn: We haven’t booked any yet.

Anthony: (responding to Adelynn) Wait, it’s not fair to just put it out there like that. To start the entire model was all off. You can't do the kind of work we do & give it away at $99. We were priced way to low, and I really think we had to take a step back & ask ourselves "how do we do this, and remain true to ourselves". Ultimately we got a lot of people buzzing about us, but when it came down to it we really couldn't find anyone who was willing to pick us up & have us back in bed by 9:00. We've run our pricing by some people on photography forums, and I think we'll really start seeing more success starting at $4,500 instead of $99.

Adelynn: When I showed him what I cost he realized he had to raise some prices.

Pixel Chicks: So if I understand what you're saying, you haven't shot any weddings yet, you didn't book any weddings at $99 but think you will have success at $4,500, and you're looking at mentoring in your future.

Anthony: Absolutely.

Adelynn: No question.

Pixel Chicks: What do you say to brides when they tell you they love your work but you are just too expensive?

Anthony: You know, this hasn't come up in any of our client meetings, but I'm certainly anticipating it as we begin to have client meetings.

Adelynn: I truly believe if you want to make a name for yourself you have to price yourself in a way that is going to demand attention. If I have a bride say "$4,500 for 4 hours of photography with no disc, and no prints... that's crazy"... I know I have them.

Anthony: Brides usually don't realize how much photos are worth, and when you can chat it up a bit with them as to why you command such high prices I think they begin to realize "Hey, this is what I've always wanted and I never even saw it. Thank you for showing me all this Anthony, you are a true artist".

Adelynn: (rolls eyes)

Pixel Chicks: How do you handle it when the bride asks why the guests' snapshots are better than yours?

Anthony: Is a guest going to tell you "I got a blink in that shot, can we redo"? No. Is a guest going to say "I need to get a shot of your rings dangling from a chandelier, or a shot the whole bridal party jumping"? No. You know why? Professionalism. Anyone can snap good photo, but does a guest know how to handle a Vicar who won't allow photography during the service? Or how bout requests to remove all the color from an image except for the flowers?

Adelynn: Vicar?

Anthony: I’ve read about them on the forums… I feel I’m ready to handle the situation.

Pixel Chicks: Adelynn, what drew you to this brother & sister team?

Adelynn: I wanted to watch WALL-E, and I couldn't reach the DVD player. Anthony said he would put the DVD in if I helped him… he still hasn't put the DVD in.

Pixel Chicks: Final thoughts, what are your goals, and what would you like to accomplish with your photography?

Anthony: I have some large goals, actually. I’m trying to become the youngest photographer to have a print featured at WPPI. I would like to break out some new styles I’ve been researching, some things that will hopefully have a huge influence on the wedding photography landscape. I’m hoping to revolutionize this amazing form of art & expression the same way the people before me have shaped it. It will help tremendously once I am able to book some clients to make this happen.

Adelynn: Honestly, I'm trying to keep this simple. My model is to go to the west coast blogs, copy the trendy shots, and sell it to my local market. It looks fresh & original, and brides think you're the greatest. That gives me more time to live a fabulous life so people will want to hire me. My goal is to get 1,000 followers on my Traina_Rockstar twitter account this month.

Anthony: Mom let you on twitter?

Discount from our friend the Crochet Nanny!

2010-04-06T18:49:00.003-04:00

Hey all... our friend Ellen, otherwise known as the Crochet Nanny, has asked me to let our readers know that she is offering 10% off anything in her Etsy Store just for mentioning The Pixel Chicks! How awesome is that?

Go check her out now and mention the Pixel Chicks to get your 10% off!

Portsmouth photo meet up {Littleton NH photographer, Marshfield MA photographer}

2010-04-02T14:02:00.007-04:00

Alli G and I (Megan) met up this past Wednesday and Thursday in Portsmouth NH. If you are familiar with NE at all, NH has a very small section of border in the Coast and one of the main area is the city of Portsmouth. It is rich in culture, charm and history. It is an old whaling port, many of the buildings are still there. The town has a beautiful square with great Art Galleries, eateries and shops, even a Repertoire theater.

We arrived on a crumby, rainy, over cast day. We spent the day having lunch, shopping, talking and then went back to go over our work flows, compared notes and gave each other some tips. I have found in the past that it really is important to have a friend/s that you can meet and share like this with. That is one of the reasons why the Pixel Chicks is such an important group to me ;) I always learn an extra tip or two and it also saves my husband from having to listen to me trying to fiddle with things on Photoshop or the camera. Having a colleague to hang out and do this stuff is not only FUN but also productive. The premise of this meet up was to help our work flow productivity, admittedly we were having too much fun to really sit down and go through all of what we wanted. (another trip in the future but this time with our kids?)

One of Alli’s friends used to work in Portsmouth and she recommended a fantastic restaurant, the Dolphin Striker. We both loved what we ordered, had to take our desserts home and waddled our way back to the hotel. :) and go figure we forgot our desserts in the fridge when we checked out now all I want is Baklava, the dessert I forgot…. ;) Alli had some crazy delicious looking cheesecake, sadly forgotten. ;) Thank goodness!

Thursday, Alli and I spent the morning discussing light and angles for faces and poses. We ventured back into the town and looked for some fun easy locations that offered a lot of what we talked about and also it gave us a chance to fiddle with settings on the cameras. One of the things that I came away with was do not be afraid of your settings, and let the numbers always rule you. Watch your histograms too!

Anyone fortunate enough to have Alli as their photographer and friend knows what I am talking about when I say how giving Alli is. She is generous with her art and her eye. She captures life as it is happening in a beautiful artful way. Besides being what we chicks call our resident word smith, Alli is easy going, insightful and REAL. We laughed a lot on our mini trip! (Did I mention we had a magic mirror in our room, we both wanted to take it home with us, LOL)

Have a wonderful Weekend everyone!
Here are some shots of Alli during our time yesterday.
f3.5 iso 200 1/1250 (yes the wall was so wonky with the exposure) 50mm 1.4 lens

iso 200 f3.5 ss 1/500

iso 200 1/250 f3.5 50mm

Creative Process Feature 3........ Cindy

2010-03-29T20:37:00.010-04:00

Hi... I am Cindy Harter :) I really really LOVE to shoot relationships !! Shooting weddings seem to really suit my personality. I enjoy all the stories going on during the day and capturing the love ! I enjoy the pressure and challenge of getting so many important shots in a short period of time in unpredictable circumstances. I love looking for good light and just having to make something work it is soooo exciting !!!! This couple was sooooo awesome in that they agreed to have a private meeting before the wedding that I photographed so that we would have time during the most amazing light to capture some yummy, romantic, dreaming couple shots. Their meeting was so sweet I was teary :) We had so much fun !!! If you would like to see more from their wedding visit here.

BEFORE: This is what the image looked like straight from the camera

After I played....
Location : Barnsley Gardens

This is inside the ruins. Barnsley Gardens is probably my most favorite place on the planet. It is peaceful, quiet and so romantic. If you haven't been ..... GO !

Camera and Lens : This was shot with my Canon 5D Mark ii and I used my Canon 24-70 2.8L lens . Iso 100 SS 1/125 F 5.6 Focal length 24.0mm

Lighting : This was natural light and my Maggie was holding a reflector to the right of the couple to give more light on their faces.

Creative process : This image was captured during their private meeting before the wedding to allow for more time for couple pictures :) The energy was amazing and they were so excited about seeing each other. I decided on this spot for the meeting because of the arches and the shadow and light. This was taken about an hour and a half before sunset and it was a perfectly clear beautiful blue sky day :) I had the bride wait for her groom and their interaction began in that spot and i moved around getting them from different angles. I really like this composition because I was on the ground trying to stay incognito and they are placed between the door and arches.

Post Process : This image was shot jpeg. I decided to show the SOOC image as well as the edited version. I first ran Kevin Kubota's Vol 1 action Edge burner and then sharpened a bit. I then ran Kevin Kubota's Lord of the Rings everyday to give it a dreamy glow. I bumped up the curves and contrast a bit and there you have it :)

So happy you all are here to visit us !!!!! THIS is a dream job and this group is sooooo AWESOME ... I LOVE MY CHICKS !!!

And the winner is....

2010-03-29T12:08:00.003-04:00

Renee Bynum!!! Using Random.org to generate a number for us it selected #18. Renee was the lucky 18th person to leave a comment on the giveaway post!

Renee please contact us at pixelchicksphotography@hotmail.com with your address so we can send you your prize!

Huge thanks to everyone who participated with their comments, and everyone who became a fan on facebook! We really appreciate the incredible amount of support we have received in our first official week! We will have another giveaway, and other exciting stuff coming very soon so keep checking back!

Our First Giveaway!!!

2010-03-22T11:52:00.007-04:00

We're kicking off our "new" and definitely much improved blog with some giveaways! That's right... we have bunches of freebies coming so keep checking back. This first one is awesome... a matching hat and bowl-style cocoon made with love by a very good friend, Ellen Tietke, also known as The Crochet Nanny! (*Please keep in mind that the cocoon is a photo prop only*)

What do you need to do for a chance to win? Just leave us some love (comments) here on the blog, and "fan" us on Facebook! Everyone who does will be entered to win the set and the winner will be drawn totally at random next week. Please be sure to leave your full name with your comment so we can identify you! Results will be announced here on the blog next week so be sure to check back!

First... a little interview with "The Crochet Nanny"...

Q. When did you first pick up a crochet needle?

Probably about 35 years ago, as a new bride! My husband's grandmother crocheted all the time and tried many many times to teach me. I was all thumbs, I just couldn't get it, but she was very patient and finally it all came together! I always made the ripple afghan, but after my grandson was born seven years ago, I taught myself to read patterns and attempted little hats, and sweaters, and it just grew.

Q. What do you love most about what you do?

I love learning to make something new and giving things I have made to people as gifts! I love when people like what I make.

Q. We love your biz name! Where did the name "Crochet Nanny" come from?

Well, actually, when my grandson Damien started talking he would identify his grandfathers by what they did! He calls one grandfather Red PopPop because he wore a red shirt for work all the time and called my husband Garage PopPop because he was always in the garage smoking! My grandsons call me Nanny, and in my family grandmothers were always known as Nanny, with an adjective! So we had Fat Nanny, Old Nanny, etc., so I thought Crochet Nanny fits me and thought it would be a cool name for my shop. (And I thought I better grab it before I became Fat Nanny or Old Nanny II!)

Q. Vanilla or Chocolate?

Vanilla

Q. What is your secret indulgence?

Obviously yarn, I cant get enough of it, I have bins and bins and still keep stopping in at AC Moore and Michaels to buy more. Its an obsession.

Q. Favorite movie?

I love movies, it is great to sit on the couch, crochet and watch a movie! One of my favorite pastimes and very relaxing! I think one of my favorites was Between Heaven and Earth with Tommy Lee Jones, Amadeus I loved, but it changes often. Anything that is a good dramatic hearwrenching tale with a moral to it, and anything on Masterpiece Theatre!

Q. What do you do when you're not crocheting?

Cruising the computer, Facebook, blogging, playing games, Bejeweled Blitz, Hidden Object games. This week I'm hooked on Mahjong, and most often I am looking for new crochet patterns or ideas for crocheting. I have a whole box of patterns I have printed off the internet!

Q. If you could go anywhere in the world for a month long vacation ( money is no object here) where would you go and who would you want with you?

I always dreamed of going to Ireland, but lately I have been thinking of seeing the western United States, Grand Canyon, all that kind of stuff and I would love to take my whole family, children, spouses and grandchildren. However, since one son in law is from Romania and one from Portugal, I would also like to visit those countries as well with the whole crew of course! I think I need more than a month!

Q. What is the best advice you've ever been given?

I remember my mother always saying "a day doesnt a week make" and "this too shall pass" - which didnt make sense until lately. My three favorites that I really try to live by are Kill Em with Kindness (from my Uncle Ed O'Brien) and Live in the Moment (which is a variation of something my father used to say all the time), and happiness is a choice I make everyday (I made that one up, I think!) Something I read on a day by day calendar once that I repeat often to others is "the door to happiness opens out"!

Q. What do you most want people to know about you and your products?

Hmmmm... I think that people should know that I put a lot of love into everything I stitch, I think of the person who will be wearing or using it and try to put good thoughts and karma into them. I have a lot of respect for my husbands grandmother and my own aunts who were avid crocheters and feel honored to have many of the things they made. I hope that people will appreciate the time and skill it takes and that perhaps they will be encouraged to learn a craft that they can enjoy and create heirlooms for their own families.

We truly, truly want to thank Ellen for her joining with us for this "grand opening" of sorts. Ellen has lovingly made and donated several more items for future giveaways here on the blog as well. Be sure to check out all the wonderful goodies in Ellen's Etsy store or her 1000 Markets shop! Tell her the Pixel Chick's sent ya!!!

Now get busy - drop those comments and become a Facebook Fan!

The Creative Process Feature 2

2010-03-22T08:19:00.009-04:00

Hi all... Hayley here. Glad you stopped by :) This is our 2nd creative process feature, today I will be sharing a favorite image from a recent newborn session and the breakdown of how it was created.

Location: This image was made in the client's home in their living room.

Camera & Lens: This was shot with a Canon 5Dmk2 and Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens at 35mm. It was shot in manual mode at f4, iso 640 and a shutter speed of 1/250.

Lighting: Lighting was all natural. There was a large east facing window in their living room which is where I set up next to. It was an overcast day making it perfect to work by this large window. There was also a window in their dining room facing the north which also brought in more light to the room I was working in.

Creative Process: The baby loved being snuggled up in these cocoons. I had 2 that I brought with me and he loved them both. I had mom hold the cocoon while I placed baby in. I then layed him inside a large antique trencher (also known as a dough bowl). That is what you see as the wood background. The thing I loved about having him in the trencher, is I could easily move the trencher to create different angles of light and shadow without actually moving "him". I had the trencher sitting on my fake barnwood floor mat so it slid and moved very easily and it never disturbed him. I was able to make different shots with different light plays just by simply moving the trencher.

Post Production: This image was shot jpeg. I then adjusted the levels in CS4 to my liking and added a blur/vignette effect after the square cropping was done. I felt the square crop represented the best artistic composition for this image.

Checks and Balances

2010-03-21T22:20:00.001-04:00

Several years ago when I first transitioned to digital photography I joined several online forums and educational sites. At the time, it was a way to put my work out there and get unbiased feedback. Betterphoto.com was one of my favorite sites. When I first joined it was a relatively new site with a – compared to now – small community of photographers at all levels of expertise. It was here that I met a group of women who have changed my life both as an artist and person and who I consider some of my best friends in the world.

Today that group is known as The Pixel Chicks. Either by luck or destiny or whatever your belief system is – it’s a beautiful thing that we all found each other just as we were all starting our own businesses. Starting your own business is an exhilarating but daunting task for anyone. In the art field, it can be even more daunting because unlike many other professions where price tags and service fees are clear cut and established, in photography there is a wide range in pricing and services. In addition to that, there is branding, establishing a definable style, understanding who your target market is and deciding what equipment best fits your needs and budget. And once you’ve figured all of that out (and this can take years), then there is dealing with actual clients. This is maybe the most daunting task of all because no matter how prepared you think you are there is always that client that will ask you something for which you have no answer, test your boundaries and flexibility as an artist and challenge your knowledge as a business owner.

This year marks my fourth year in business. The last three years have been some of the most exciting and challenging of my life, but I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support, advice and friendship of The Pixel Chicks. They have held my hand through rough times, advised me on dealing with tough issues, helped me through new technical challenges, and served as my checks and balances….which is good since I’m a girl who tends to run by emotion more often than I’d like to admit.

I’m excited for the renewal of our blog and an opportunity to share some of the goodness this group has given me to other new photographers. If you’re looking for a place of friendship, a place to find tips and advice, win a few goodies along the way, or just share a smile, then you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to The Pixel Chicks Blog!

- Laura :)

Glad to be a Photographer..It's the only way to press the pause button

2010-03-19T09:27:00.005-04:00

I came across this image when I was checking to make sure my website was working well and it sort of grabbed me when I saw it. This is my daughter two whole years ago. Do you know she looks nothing like this now? She has developed her own funky style with funkified 80's colors and wacky combinations that resemble my own 80's stylin clothes. (Seriously, flashbacks daily. Leg warmers! Shoes untied! Skinny jeans and leggings!) But this was her then. Soft and sweet and wearing a dress which she won't wear for anything anymore. I am so thankful for this image that captured her so perfectly at that time. She's new now. She's evolving into her very own person with her own unique style and it isn't anything like it once was. And next year or the year after, there will be another evolution and a new part of her will emerge and this part will be gone. This is why I love what I do. It gives my clients THIS moment. This little piece of my day committed to celebrating her thens and nows and futures. I am so thankful I found this image and revisited it. I never had it printed, isn't that sad? It is on the way to the canvas people right now.

For some technical information:

This was shot with my old camera, the Cannon 40D and a Canon 85mm 1.8
Early evening, May 2008
Manual Exposure, 1/160th sec at ISO 100, f/3
Reflector camera right, shot in open shade
Back then before the stress of the tween years, my daughter had this nice peacefulness, a softness about her that I really wanted to capture. I asked her to get comfortable and just talked to her about the things she liked- back then it was probably Barbies and Ballet. I shot the image when I felt I saw that relaxed peacefulness at it's best.
The image was shot in RAW and converted to JPeg after using Nichole Van's LR preset, Basic Plus Vignette. (I re-edited this image yesterday so i remember exactly what I did!)
I ran Pioneer Woman's Sharpen This action and sharpened her eyes at 20% opacity, then Redleaf's Color Flow action with minor adjustments and Portraiture. It took around 2 minutes to edit this image.

Very, Very exciting news for me.... Cindy

2010-03-15T19:30:00.002-04:00

I applied for a spot to be mentored by Michael Oneill. He is an amazing photographer with experience in Wedding Photography for over 30 years. I sooooo LOVE to shoot weddings :) Guess what ? He picked ME :) I am beyond happy !!!!! I got the email today and he offered for me to fly to New York and shoot a wedding July 24, 2010 with HIM :) I will be the happiest wedding photographer soaking up everything he has to teach :) YEY!!!!!

Check out his work www.michaeloneillfineart.com

Have a fabulous rest of the day... I WILL !!!!!!!!

The Creative Process {Pixel Chicks Photography}

2010-03-15T11:44:00.006-04:00

Hi all... Denise here. This is a new and hopefully recurring feature we plan to post to the blog at least once weekly called "the creative process" where each of us will take turns presenting a favorite image and dissecting it to give some insight into what went into the making of the image.

Here is one of my favorite images, titled "A Love Like No Other" and a breakdown of the creative process:

Location: This image was made in the client's home in the baby's tiny little nursery.

Camera & Lens: This was shot with a Nikon D200 and Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens at 32mm. It was shot in manual mode at f2.8, iso 800 and a shutter speed of 1/60th.

Lighting: Lighting was all natural. There was a large window camera right, and another smaller window almost directly in front of the subject. The large window was the main light as the morning sun was shining pretty directly into the nursery.

Creative Process: I wanted to make a very simple image that said something about a new mother's unconditional love. The light in the nursery was gorgeous, and though Mom wasn't crazy about having her photo made, she was comfortable with a shot taken from behind. Her hair was piled loosely on her head and I loved the texture the tendrils created. We decided that the image would work best skin on skin and so we merely pulled down the sleeves of her tank top to get that effect.

Post Production: The image was shot in RAW, so post production included just a quick conversion from RAW to jpeg, and a very basic black and white conversion in CS3.

Full speed ahead!

2010-03-04T12:12:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed we have a new look. Don't ya just love it? Thanks to Denise for our new logo!!!! And it's not just a new look we have. The chicks have a fresh outlook. We're going to be posting more, sharing more, and getting out there more! We're going full speed! We're going to be more interactive, too, and are super excited about some major things. For one, we're going to be doing some give-aways. Shhhh. It's a secret for now, but we've got some things in the works. So, check back soon and you'll be glad you did!

High School Seniors from across the country. {Pixel Chicks photography}

2009-09-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

Here are some great looking seniors from across the country...

I'm Laura Stetser with Laura Lynne Photography and here are some senior favs...

I am Cindy Harter :) I am so proud to be one of the Pixel Chicks. Seniors are one of my favorite things to shoot because these kids are as adventurous as I am about getting the picture... I have been known to climb up on things , lay down in the street, go out on a rock in a river... whatever it takes to get the image that we know we are dying for... I enjoy hearing them talk about what they love and where they want to go from this point. It is such an exciting time and I have a really good time. I had such a hard time narrowing down the images to show you.... so I chose a FEW... The other pixel chick photographers are some of the most talented women out here in this field !!! We ALL have such a passion for our cameras and more importantly we share friendship and give support to each other in all areas of our lives..

the first picture is of MY senior.... my baby is a senior this year... I can not believe the youngest of my five children is a senior !!!!!!!!

Here are some more great looking seniors from across the country...

Hayley here... :) This past summer I have met some awesome seniors from the Class of 2010. I love working with seniors as well. Like Cindy, I have been known to do some pretty crazy things to get a shot. It's nothing to drive by an alleyway in town and see me laying in it...LOL. Hey, what can I say, anything for the shot, right :) Seniors are so fun to work with, they all have their own unique style and it's my goal to make their session reflect that :) Here are a few of the awesome seniors I've met this year!!

From Alli, Littleton, NH:

A few of my 2010 Faves:

A Grand Opening

2009-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

Alli here: I am so happy to announce the opening of my studio in Littleton, NH. It is in an old factory that has been refurbished to house artist studios, antique dealers, a massage therapist (conveniently right across the hall from me!) and other businesses. It is this wonderful creative space that offers endless possibilities for shooting a wide variety of studio and outdoor portraits.

The studio:

Me in the reception area..this was taken by a local photographer for a newspaper article written about the opening.

This was taken outside the studio on the grounds:

If anyone ever stops in to beautiful Littleton, NH- please pop in and see me! ~Alli

A wedding...

2009-06-03T17:31:00.000-04:00

Denise here... our poor blog has been sorely neglected lately, so I thought I'd post some favorites from a wedding I shot this past weekend. I dont shoot many weddings, but this one was such a blast I am thinking I will probably start doing more of them!

This was immediately following their first kiss as they came back down the aisle... I just love the look of joy on the bride's face!

These are a little out of order, but this was during the ceremony... you can see how he adores her!

The bride and flower girl showing off their beautiful flowers...

Isnt she just beautiful?????

After the ceremony we strolled down to the beach... it was a beautiful blue sky day... not ideal lighting for photographs, but I think we did okay...

Ahhhhh.... romance!

Again, she looks soooooo happy!

And of course... a kiss! (I had some fun with the processing on this one)

We'll try to do a better job of keeping up this blog... come back and visit us soon!

POTD at Shutterbugs

2009-03-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

Here's a fun one for me. It's not that usual that I get a POTD of my own kids! Part of it is that I don't do "real" sessions for my kids like I should. But, on Tuesday, I got a whim to buy some fish for them. It was spring break. It was yucky outside. And we needed something to do. So, here's the shot. And it's a Photo of the Day today at shutterbugs.biz.

Hayley Here...

2009-03-20T08:42:00.001-04:00

Hello readers :) I am just finishing up editing this session and thought I'd share some. Actually I am known in the group for being really bad at picking a "couple" images...so you get image overload with me...LOL :)
This session was a lot of fun and what I loved the most was the mix of photos I was able to get. The baby was 6 months old and she sat very well on her own which made it easy to pose her in things like cute tutu's, hats, bowls, etc. But for me, what made this session extra special was this family allowed me to just sit back and quietly observe life for them. So I was able to capture wonderful interaction shots of mom and dad playing with the kids, or the baby just laying playing with her feet. Also the older sibling played at her craft table for awhile and I have some shots of her doing that too that I love (but like I said already had image overload...LOL). It is always such a huge honor for me to go into a session and be able to be apart of a families ever day life.

All photos were shot with my new 5dmkii and my trusty Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens. These were all shot natural light. In the more posed shots, the light source was behind me.

This first one is really one of my faves. If you aren't familiar with my style, I like to use dramatic light and b&w's to tell my stories. And this was has those key elements. And you match that up with her eye contact...and wow it really gets me. :)

Enjoy the pics :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs

2009-03-04T12:53:00.000-05:00

This image of this tiny dancer was selected as the Photo of the Day today in the People category at Shutterbugs.biz. I just love this beauty's little fingers as she ties her shoes. And her pretty face and falling hair. So pretty!

It's Julie here

2009-02-19T16:07:00.000-05:00

This is the first time that I've posted to our blog here... All my friends have done a fabulous job, and I guess it's my turn to contribute. :)

I'll share some from a recent session that was so much fun. It's for a secret project that I'm not going to talk about until it's all done. Okay, it's not really secret. But, I don't want to jinx anything by talking too much about it before it's done.

I had a chance to really do some slightly different kinds of photography, and it was fun.

A Peek Behind the Scenes

2009-02-05T12:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers! I love it when photographers share pullback shots that show their setup. I am such a visual learner, so it helps me so much more to see a photographer in action, to see their equipment and setup, how they position themselves, how they hold their cameras, how they see the big picture that an image is created within. We hope it helps you to see us at work too. And bonus, it's just plain fun to put faces to those photogs you see and chat with online!

A few bits about our equipment: All of us on this trip shoot with either the Canon 5D or the 5D MK II. We used the Canon 85mm 1.2 L, the Canon 24-70 2.8L, the Canon 50mm 1.4, the Canon 15mm fisheye, and the Canon 70-200 2.8L. (Don't worry Nikonians, Denise and Sherry both shoot Nikon, so you are among friends!)

We used all natural light for the entire shoot at the Plantation. You will see in some of the pullback shots that we brought softboxes and lights, but we never used them. We used various reflectors and moved furniture to suit the light.

For the baby session, Megan used all natural light and no reflectors. Part of the session was done in studio but I didn't manage to get any shots of that.

For the warehouse/ night session we used one OCF, bare bulb, triggered either by the ST-E2 transmitter or an on camera flash. Using the infrared sensors allowed us to take turns at the flash without having to share pocket wizards. Have fun peeking! ~Alli

This is Megan at work, and the shots she got of this seriously handsome little guy:
This is a shot of Cindy and I shooting Cindy's daughter Melody, and the shots we got from this setup. Melody works for Elite Modeling Agency and is an experienced, very busy, super hard working model. We are incredibly lucky to have been able to get her for this shoot:
Below is a shot of Julie and I shooting Cindy, purty thing she is:

Cindy shooting the dancer. You can see more of those shots on Cindy's and Laura's blogs:
Candy took this shot of Julie, Cindy, Megan, and Laura shooting Melody on the plantation stairs:
ANd just a few more.....

Megan here.

2009-01-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi readers!! I am in the middle of editing a newborn session and I thought I would share some of the proofs with you. This beautiful little man was 10 days old. He was so good and so sweet. At 10 days he was just starting to wake up, so we had to wait him out for a few hours. It is tough for the babies because if we fiddle with them too soon without them being in a deep sleep then we have to go through the sleep process all over again. The parents of this cutie pie were totally awesome, his Mom is a nanny and she handled him like an old pro which made my job easier too. The father was just so excited and so in love, it was a honor to be there with them.
this was all natural light, we had a big picture window but direct light was shining in so I had the set up, (bean bag, heater, blankets etc to the right) I shot with 2 cameras, my 5D with my 50mm 1.4 lens and then my new 5D mark ii with a 24-70mm lens. with the light moving I was able to shoot between 200-500 iso to keep my ss up.
enjoy the pictures!!!

The Atlanta Pixel Chick Get Away !!!

2009-01-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

As many of us that could make it gathered at my house in Atlanta and had the best time shooting pictures, watching eachother edit, talking equipment and motherhood and every other thing you can imagine :) To have friends like this who share so many common interest is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has shared with me :) I love these women so much ! They are the kindest, most giving and talented group of women you will ever meet. We will be sharing several images we took during the weekend just for fun !!

me , Cindy

Candy

Alli

Julie

Laura

Megan

Pixel Chicks get togethers....

2009-01-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

Several of us met up this summer to go to a workshop with Heather Bookout. We had such a good time !! Plenty of learning went on and I had visited Heather's website and blog many times but meeting her was better than just seeing her pictures. She nad her Husband Ben are such special people. God is so good to put Good Talented people in my path to help me see what is possible :) My chicks do that for me everyday. We talk everyday on the phone, online and it is extra special when we get to actually see eachothers faces !!!!

Julie, Cindy and Alli :)

Cindy and Heather Bookout

Kodak Picture of the Day January 24,2009

2009-01-24T22:34:00.001-05:00

Today has been a good day with a very nice surprise. www.kodak.com has a contest where they choose one image everyday to be the Picture of the Day. Many Chicks have recieved this honor and today was my turn :) This is my 5th Kodak POTD. It is displayed on their website as well as on a 3story billboard in Times Square.. How cool is that ?? I have been able to visit the city when one of mine was being displayed and it is the COOLEST thing EVER!! Hope everyone is having a great weekend !!!

The Importance of the Right Attire

2008-10-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

When I first opened my business, when clients asked what to wear, my standard reply was: jeans or khakis, solid-colored shirts, no logos, stripes or bold patterns. I still think this is solid (general) advice, especially for large groups, but I have to admit, after awhile, it makes me yawn a little. In reality, I love color! I love funky patterns, striped skirts, wild tights or hats on kids and bright colors, ripped jeans or trendy dresses on teenagers…I love whatever it is that shouts: this is ME! I love those character-identifying pieces that give me a glimpse into the person I’m photographing – that show me their fancy side, their down-to-earth side, their wild or outrageous side, their funny side, their wistful side or even just their wishful side – something they wouldn’t normally wear but positively float in during our session.

These are the sessions I open in post-processing with a sigh of anticipation, wide eyes and a giggle or two of pure delight. And, more often than not, these are the sessions I find parents doing the very same thing when viewing their images later. The truth is, clothing can make or break a session. It can bring out true character, promote fun and laughter, bring color and light, or it can distract, overwhelm, or turn what could be a beautiful image into a flat, dull reflection. I didn’t understand this when I first started out. I thought by telling people to dress by a set of standard rules, I was obeying one of the basic principles of portrait photography which is: the subject is/should be the focus. While that’s true, what I didn’t realize is that clothing is as important to bringing out the character of the subject as the subject themselves. Therefore, in my opinion, clothing should be looked at as an extension of the person.

Again, with large groups, coordinated color or the old solid-colored shirts with jeans or khakis is a good rule of thumb to follow…unless you enjoy going cross-eyed while viewing a family photo of fourteen who all choose different patterned shirts to wear. But with babies, children, seniors, individuals or even small families – toss it out! Have fun! Be bold! Find out who your client is – what colors they love, what outfits they adore, what funky accessories they harbor in their closet. Have a list of recommended stores for shopping or for collecting outfit ideas. Encourage them to have fun too and help you create images that will color their world for years to come!

Below are a few photos from a recent session in which I think mom totally rocked the outfits and accessories.

Written and posted by Laura Stetser of Laura Lynne Photography.

Your questions answered...continued

2008-04-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

Thank you again to all of you who have sent questions to be answered. These are the last 2 questions we will be posting for awhile, we have enjoyed this and we hope you have as well. Remember to check back from time to time because although the question has been answered, other chicks may add to the answers if they do things a little differently :) So you may get a few different takes on how to do things :)

Q: "I've been looking at all the websites and blogs of you pixel chicks, and my pictures just aren't measuring up. They are lacking that pop!... that 3D effect... depth...etc. Is this something I should be looking to Photoshop to help me with, or is it the lens? or maybe the light?"

A: (From Alli Gaulin) This is a super loaded question! There are so many factors that go into getting an image to pop. The most important factors are going to be light, exposure, clarity, and color. When you are able to create an excellent image straight out of the camera (aka sooc) then you can take that image into Photoshop and enhance color and contrast to give it an extra pop. My advice would be to read "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson and work toward getting the very best images you can SOOC. Then you can begin to explore different options in Photoshop that will help those excellent images pop right off the page.

Here is an example of an image sooc and then the final image. I shot this in open shade, the light was great, there was vibrant color in the chalk on the driveway, in her clothes, and behind in the green shrubs. But the image was boring as is, it needed some extra zing.

To get that extra zing here, I increased contrast slightly then added a soft light layer. After adjusting the opacity of the SLL to my liking, I then took the saturation sponge set to about 25% and brought out the blue in the pavement and further brightened the chalk drawings. This image was relatively simple to PP, but there are many methods that are more complicated and bring out color and detail in different ways. Just keep experimenting until you get the right combination for the look you are going for. It takes lots of trial and error, and remember, every image is going to be different, requiring different techniques to create that perfect pop.

My tech info for this shot:

Canon 40D

24-70L lens @24mm

ISO 200

F/2.8

SS:1/250th sec

Manual exposure, center weighted average metering

Q-How do you deal with customers that want to see on your camera's display the pictures you are taking? I had a mom try this while I was taking pictures of her daughter. I would snap away, then look at my display to see what kind of composition, lighting, etc I was getting, and she wanted to look at them with me. I really felt uncomfortable.

A-Hi this is Hayley. I have not ran into this issue, so I may not be the one who should be answering this, but I will give it a go. I think if you try NOT to draw attention to your LCD during the session that might help you. Checking it here and there is okay but try not to stop the session and draw attention to it. If you still have issues with it, maybe politely say something like The LCD does not really do any justice to the images and you would prefer that they wait to see them when they are proofed. You may also want to add that you don't want to miss any moments you could capture by stopping to show the images on the LCD. I have found that showing kids there pics on the LCD is a great way to engage them though in a session. Kids seem to love that :) Hope that helps a little, like I said, I have not encountered this, so I am hoping another chick will pop in here!!

And some more...

2008-04-19T09:28:00.000-04:00

And here are a couple more Questions we have received and the Answers from the Chicks :) Remember to check back from time to time because although the question has been answered, other chicks may add to the answers if they do things a little differently :) So you may get a few different takes on how to do things :)

When taking pictures of a newborn without a diaper on, how do you keep everything clean?

Hi this is Hayley...When working with newborns you just have to expect messes. I have wipes close by as well as a burp cloth for spit ups. Just be prepared that messes will happen and assure the parents that it's absolutely OKAY. Everything you take is washable so no worries there....just be prepared that it can and will happen :)

Hi this is Cindy... When I read this question my thought was well " YOU DON'T " :) I will never forget my first little boy newborn session. He was beautiful and I put him in a wooden bowl knowing it would be an easy clean up and that little rascal wet everything !! You really need a sense of humor. I have tried to keep a thick folded washcloth and place the baby on his or her tummy and place the washcloth just under their parts so it is some protection for a beautiful chair. There is nothing more beautiful than using a newborn as the perfect house accent on a georgeous peice of furniture.... I have even cut up peices of a doggy wet pad and placed it under them to protect a nice peice of furniture. Good luck and just laugh a lot ! A precious new life is always more important than any old piece of furniture but if we can prevent ruining clients things or our own props that is a great idea !

I'm looking into handheld light meters. Any tips and suggestions?

Hi this is Julie, I really like the sekonic 358. You can get a card in it so it'll work with the pocket wizards to fire your strobes. It's a flash and a light meter, so I can use it in the studio, and also outside.

The Answers Part 1 :)

2008-04-17T09:41:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all of you who have sent us questions to be answered. We are going to start posting some of the answers. Some of them might have more than 1 chick reply because we all do things a little bit differently in certain areas :)

Our first question is...

What dimensions do you crop an image to if you are not sure what the final print size will be?

Hi, this is Hayley here...My suggestion is to not crop your images until your customer places their order. I do all my editing to the un-cropped image which would be the (sooc crop) and save a copy like that. Then when they place their order you can crop it to whatever size needed. If I know my customer might be ordering something like a 4x6 proof album in advance, I will make a separate album and crop each image that I am proofing to 4x6's at 300dpi as well and put those in a separate album called "proofs", but again make sure you save the sooc crop completely edited for when they place thier order.

"Ask Us"

2008-04-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

So here's your chance to ask away...

The chicks are opening up a Q&A for photography related questions. If there is something you'd like to know how to do or something you would like to ask any of us...then here's your chance!! Just leave your question in the comments section and one of us chicks will get back with an answer :) If your question if for a certain chick be sure to include that in your question.

We will post the answers to your questions in another post!!

Quote

2008-04-02T09:40:00.000-04:00

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create
or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their
perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.
Ansel Adams

Getting to know us - Meet Cindy

2008-02-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

:
My name is Cindy. I choose to concentrate on relationships with my photography for a very good reason. I truly believe that a marraige can be saved with ONE special photograph. I have a passion for creating images for your family that help you truly see on a peice of paper what you hope is true in your heart. We need moments to stand still and soak up the best part of this life. The people we love and those that love us back. It isn't what car we drive or the house we live in that really matters but who we love and how we love them. I hope you see an image on my site that makes you thankful for the realtionships in your life. I can't wait to meet you and spend some time with your family. I can make the sweet moments last just a little bit longer....

A Few Favorite things you may not know about me...

* I eat something chocolate EVERYDAY..
* I Love the smell of the rain in the summer before it starts raining..
* I Love the sound of the Orchestra tuning their instruments before a concert.
* My favorite sound is the sound of my children when they sing together.
* The only scary movies I can watch are scary sci fi because they could never really happen.
* Children always amuse me.
* I totally am an addict about learning new things.

Thanks for listening.. If you are in the Atlanta area and are looking for a photographer.. I would love to meet you!

Cindy
www.photostudioc.com
770 547 1018

Getting to know the Chicks - Part 1

2008-02-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

This Photo was taken by the Divine Miss Laura Stetser!!

Well I am the first one in line to tell a little about myself. I just want to start out by saying it is an honor to be a part of this community of wonderful photographers. Here is a little bit about me.

I have loved capturing life in photographs for as long as I can remember. Life goes by so quickly sometimes too fast. I know that the important moments are not always the ones that are planned out. When I photograph your child/children I try to capture the little things about them, the goofy grin, the way they look when they are learning something new, the individual personality, the thoughtful way they approach a flower. It is these moments that I strive to capture, so that the photos will speak to the person viewing them and years from now you can remember what they were thinking. I love what I do and I try to have that show in everything I provide with my business.

Now here are some little things to know about me as Megan, not the photographer.

* I have an amazing husband, he rocks! I was so smart to say YES that day…

* My children can make me laugh and cry all in the same moment. I love them to pieces and I am very proud of the people that they are growing up to be.

* I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, but only when they come right out of the oven. I could care less about them after the first day. However that does not mean I don’t eat a PILE of them.

* I have a French bulldog, Ramona. I confess that I spoil her rotten, I cannot help it, those huge eyes, huge bat ears and her snores, how can I resist?

* I am scared of the dark, but I am getting better at it. I used to sleep under the covers but now I only have to cover the ear that is closest to the door. Weird….

* When I was 17 NEVER in a million years would I have thought that I would drive a mini van, BUT I do, and I like it!

* I love my Burt’s Bees chap stick, LOVE it!!

* I, hands down, love to laugh with my friends. I am very lucky, I have some GREAT friends who happen to be hysterical.

* I cannot start my day without a cup of PG Tips tea with raw sugar and milk.

* Oh yeah, one last thing, I am not a writer. In college, I was terrible in English so please excuse my run on sentences and such.

Kodak Picture of the Day- Dec 28, 2007

2007-12-13T07:10:00.000-05:00

"Dreamy Eyed" has been selected as the Kodak POTD for Dec 28, 2007. It will be featured on http://www.kodak.com/ on that day as well as being featured on the kodak billboard in Times Square in New York City. "Dreamy Eyed" was photographed by Cindy Harwood of Studio C Photography. Cindy has a photography business in Cartersville , Ga. www.photostudioc.com

Kodak Picture of the Day- Dec 12, 2007

2007-12-13T07:06:00.000-05:00

"Teary" was selected as the Kodak POTD and featured on Kodak's website http://www.kodak.com/ on Dec 12 as well as being featured on the Kodak billboard in Times Square in New York City. "Teary" was photographed by Cindy Harwood of Studio C Photography.

Photo of the Day- November 29, 2007

2007-11-29T09:34:00.000-05:00

" Cowboy" This image was chosen as the Picture of the Day for http://www.shutterbugs.biz/ on thursday Nov. 29, 2007 in the category of people. Cindy Harwood is the photographer of Studio C Photography in Cartersville , Ga.

October Betterphoto.com contest results!

2007-11-28T19:42:00.001-05:00

The Pixel Chicks scored many finalists in the Betterphoto.com contest for the month of October, 2007! Over 38100 photos were entered into the competition; it is an honor to have an image selected among the top 806 finalist photos. Its an even bigger honor to capture first or second place, as did our very own Megan Peck with her second place winner "BFF's"!

Photo of the Day

2007-11-25T19:39:00.001-05:00

"Cake Face" by Candy Avera of Picture Perfect was selected as a Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs.biz on Sunday, November 25, 2007, in the "People" category.

Photo of the Day - Nov. 24, 2007

2007-11-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

"Dreamy Eyed" by Cindy Harwood of Studio C photography was selected as a Photo of the Day at Shutterbugs.biz on Saturday, November 24, 2007, in the "Black and White" category.

National Photo Awards Winner!

2007-11-20T17:06:00.001-05:00

"Gabriella"

Laura's photo (aka:Laura Lynne Photography) won First Place and Category Winner for the month of October at National Photo Awards (cash prize of $500)! Click here to see it at NPA.