Posts
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!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Portsmouth photo meet up {Littleton NH photographer, Marshfield MA photographer}
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
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
Monday, March 29, 2010
Creative Process Feature 3........ Cindy
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
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 !!!
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 !
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....
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!
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!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Our First Giveaway!!!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Checks and Balances
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 :)
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