Monday, March 14, 2011

The Film Experiment...

I was recently told Film is not dead.  In disbelief I said "Excuse me, Who uses film anymore?"

Ahem....umm...They still sell it at the Pharmacy. Yup, a lot of people still have film cameras.  "No Way!'
....and so it is true.  I tried it!  =)

So....You may have read my previous post to understand why the sudden interest in film. I Love my Digital camera and I am a Professionally Certified Digital Photographer.  Film is....well, just for fun and for exploring and going on new adventures.

Let's get something Straight I don't actually OWN a film camera, but my friend Anne Ruthmann let me borrow her 1979 Olympus OM10.  I bought a few rolls of film and got it ready to fire. Of course, one of the things I learned is that shooting digital really does make you shutter happy. =) I would have shot hundreds of exposures on my camera.

I rarely get to be at a wedding where I am not Photographing it, so I found this to be the perfect opportunity to experiment :) I got some memories with my phone just like everyone else, but I did manage to go through a whopping 24 exposures...yes ladies and gentlemen a whole roll (hear the clapping as I bow).  I won't lie and say I wasn't afraid of getting nothing, that was the risky part, but I did get something.......Not the kind of images I'm used to getting with my digital camera, but I'm happy with my first try using film on a manual camera.

Here's a peek at what I captured.

Flower Girl

For the Toast

Ceiling Design

Please Understand this is Pharmacy Bought film and Pharmacy developed too ;)

I bought Kodak Ultra 800 film which I developed at Walgreen's 1 hour Photo, I'm sure it did the film NO justice.  However since these images are just for me it didn't matter.

Any critique offered is completey acceptable here, as this is a learning journey.

Happy MONDAY!!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Clyde Wheatley at Freedom Life Chruch.....

Last Month Freedom Life Church hosted a concert during our regular sunday service.  Clyde Wheatly a Jazz Musician often referred to as "The British Kenny G with a hint of Benny Goodman" played some great Music for us.
I really enjoyed capturing these images during this event.


















































Lilly did a wonderful job leading us in Worship.....

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Film Vs. Digital

Who thought film still existed? I went to school for photography but have never entered an actual darkroom.  Some People are still confused when I tell them my 24 inch  iMac IS my Darkroom....Since all of MY developing gets done with Adobe Lightroom.

So When I interviewed with Local Photographer Joseph Prezioso and he said he shoots film...I was confused and disappointed because I thought.... I don't know the first thing about film. We talked about the differences and the similarities.  I went home thinking it would be interesting to learn and experience something New. (in this case old ;) He was willing to teach me an assures me it really is the same thing. An Exposure is an Exposure. So I agreed to assist.

Don't get me wrong I've had a camera in My hand for as long as I can remember, but most times it was the easier to manage Point and Shoot film Kind...So if anything I certainly know how to load a roll of film. I did as much research as I could to be prepared for the event I would be assisting on.  But Whoa!!! No one could have prepared me for the experience and the tons of different cameras and rolls of him that were all to be used during one event! I am sad to say that I did not use the film quite as much as I thought I would. It was there and available for my use. I chose one camera a Canon 35mm 7e Elan which was the closest thing to how my own camera felt in my hands. However I still felt more comfortable holding on to my digital camera.

Here are My Reasons why...
  • Instant gratification
  • Not having to change the film
  • Checking to see that I got what I needed
  • Carrying one camera instead of 3
  • Being able to Show some the VERY next day =)

While I totally have Respect for those Photographers that still shoot film and as an assistant I will do as I'm told and shoot whatever the Main Photographer is requesting/requiring of me. I do want to try again but.....

Until I am totally confident and have mastered film (and practiced it on my own time)  I think for Me and the Work I do for My Own Clients, I'll have to stick to digital =)

 & Be Happy about it!!

Here's a Peek at the Digital images :)
A Work of Art

A First Look Moment

A Spectacular View

Friday, March 4, 2011

Turning 15....

The day this child was born I found my first grey hair....which is why I'll argue with anyone who tells me they come from old age.  =)  I was quite young, actually I still am ;) but enough about me....

Last Month she turned 15....I can not believe how time has flown by, it seems just yesterday she was a baby and now....She's a beautiful Young Lady.

As a Photographer one of the perks of the business is being able to offer your own services as a gift...and her gift was a mini photosession, where she could be a Model...

Judging from these images I think it's safe to say that she enjoyed it.
Teen Modeling

Sweet 15

La QuinceaƱera


Happy Friday!!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The Branding Journey...

I knew I needed help with my branding....

So, I looked to a lot of people to help me, But if you know Photographers at all, you'd know that we all have such very different opinions and every one of us has a different way of doing the same thing.  I learned this very valuable lesson in Photography School.  I was getting confused not sure what to do...I was hoping I would have learned how to brand my business in Photography School, but it must be something they teach in Business School or maybe by attending one of the many workshops that other Photographers offer....

I Finally connected with a Photographer who does consulting. You might already know Anne Ruthmann...we made arrangements for our first meeting...and Oh Boy was it intense.  I really love her honesty and bluntness. I needed someone to direct me in the right direction.  I almost cried when she told me I had to let go of the Logo I spent a good year trying to perfect, but I knew it was for the better of my business.  For the sake of anyone learning from my mistakes I'll include it here. 



I was given instructions before our meeting. I had to bring a list of answers to the questions I was e-mailed, a 100 images, and a shoe box of Miscellaneous items. 

Items that....
  • represented me
  • made me feel good 
  • I used regularly 
Items that would eventually determine my brand (although I didn't know it).  I had to really think about the questions they weren't simple yes or no answers. The images were easy to choose I just grabbed my favorites. The box was easy, I didn't really have to think about what to throw in, it just came natural. 

Here's what I put in the box. 

I showed up to my meeting in a Zebra Striped Shirt and a purple Handbag. I chose My outfit carefully because I wanted her to really see who I was. (You'll Understand this better in Post #2) Within the first meeting we had agreed on colors and my consultant had actually sketched, while I spoke, what she thought represented my brand best. Yes ladies and gentlemen within 5 hours of our consulting we knew what I was going to do...Fabulous you might say Right?

HOWEVER.....

Getting it done has been a whole different story. I'm in the process of trying to find a designer for my new LOGO. This my friends has NOT been an easy task, after being sure about who I was going to use and finding out that working with a designer and expressing your ideas for someone else to develop is not an easy task. I paid and had to ask for a refund because I was incredibly disappointed.  There are sooo many options out there that it is a little difficult to actually find one person to work with unless your paying thousands of dollars of course, but Small businesses don't have that kind of money :-/

There is also the option of doing a competition entry through Logo Sauce or Logo tournament...The Problem I find with that is that you pay a Prize fee, but what happens if you don't like ANY of the entries you get.  I haven't made a final decision but I would love to have 100+ concepts designed for me...but I would also like to just communicate my ideas with a person that is going to extract my logo from my brain exactly how I see it. 

So Frustration is setting in and I hope there is a solution soon...because we (Anne & I) set timelines for certain tasks to be done.....And my time is running OUT....

Stay tuned for part 2 of this post. When I get to share with you what I actually decided on and accomplished.

Happy Wednesday!!