Posts Tagged ‘Photo Tips’

March 2nd, 2011

Offering FIVE Mini Photo Sessions in Denver, CO NEXT Saturday!

I’m headed to Denver, CO next week to do a special photo shoot–TWIN PREEMIES!  I’m so excited and just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this family!!  I had the honor of shooting both sisters weddings, their first babies, and now preemie twins!!  I can hardly wait to hold these little miracles!

I’ve also got a special opportunity for five families or engaged couples!  Since I’m already being flown to Denver, CO, I thought I would stay an extra day and offer five Mini Photo Sessions.  This is something I don’t get to do as often b/c of all the travel we do for SONY, The Nate Berkus Show, and our CONFIDENCE Workshops.  But I’m super excited to make it happen in Denver next Saturday!

There are five Mini Photo Sessions for five sweet families/couples.

If a Photo Shoot is something that tickles your fancy with Mother’s Day around the corner, here are the details!

Pick one of the FIVE TIME SLOTS below.

Cost is $550.  Mini Photo Session MUST be prepaid to confirm your time.  You must be on time, preferably 10 minutes early, since sessions are booked back to back.

Location: Cheesman Park in Denver, CO.

I LOVE this location whether it’s sunny, raining or snowing!  So many beautiful shots to take in this setting!  CLICK HERE for Google Maps!  Come to the monument, and as soon as I’m done with the family before you, I’ll find you!

Features of Mini Photo Sessions;

1. 30 minute Photo Shoot of your family (Some of you may be thinking, THIRTY minutes?  What can you shoot in thirty minutes?  Answer: a whole heck of A LOT–see below)

2. 30 Final Images that are touched up, mix of Color and BW toning

3. High Res DVD of Your 30 Final Images (yep, you get to keep the images and print them wherever you’d like)

4. 16×20 Metal Print of Your Favorite Image (Moms have gone CRAZY over these Metal Prints since we spotlighted them on the Nate Berkus Show.  Nate LOVES these Metal prints–I LOVE these Metal Prints!  Watch the episode by clicking “Turn Your Portraits into Art.”

 

I have these metals all around our house, and I even have them hanging on my outside deck because they can handle rain and snow and add this wonderful design and color to our backyard.  Once you get yours, you’ll join the fan club of Metal Prints!  :)

The BIG question…What can I shoot in 30 minutes? Well, this is what I shot in 10 minutes at a recent CONFIDENCE Workshop in Seattle.

Mom had these amazing, long legs, so I walked the group through my thought process on how to set up a shot that tells this story along with the story of two generations.

Love all that JOY!!

(Within this 10 minutes, 20 plus women were watching me as I walked them through my camera settings and creative process–while trying to keep the kids entertained–mind you.  :) )

When we do your family shoot, we won’t have an audience.  :)   And, I’m going to pull out the individual personalities of your kids so that you feel like the story of “who they are” is found in your photos.

When I’m doing a live shoot on The Nate Berkus Show, I get less than 7 minutes and ONE click for each photo–one shot, and it has to work because 2 million viewers see it.

Bottom line, a thirty minute Mini Session with your family feels like total LUXURY on my end!!  We can do ENDLESS things in thirty minutes!  Pick your time slot below!

FIVE TIME SLOTS to CHOOSE FROM:

1. Friday, March 11th, 4pm-4:30pm

2. Saturday, March  12th, 9am-9:30am

3. Saturday, March 12th, 9:40am-10:10am

4. Saturday, March 12th, 10:20am-10:50am

5. Saturday, March 12th, 11am-11:30am SOLD!

CLICK HERE to pick your time slot and pre-pay!  Once you are signed up, Genie (my right hand woman) will email you with details, like what to wear, what to bring, how to prepare, etc.  Questions?  Don’t hesitate to email us at info@merakoh.com.

Engagement Shoot

If you are engaged but don’t think you can afford to hire us for your wedding photography, the Mini Shoot is an option that clients love.  You are more than welcome to grab one of these time slots for an engagement shoot!  I don’t book engagement shoots unless we are shooting your wedding.  But the Mini Photo shoot is an alternative option.  In fact, this is one of my favorite engagement photos that was taken at Cheesman Park on a cold, winter day.

Want more than 30 minutes?

My Portrait Packages start at $3K.  I come to your home and spend up to two hours with your family, documenting the many expressions of your family being in the place you love.  I may be able to squeeze one of these Portrait Packages in on Sunday morning before I fly back to Seattle.  If you are interested, email info@merakoh.com.

I can’t wait to meet five beautiful Denver, CO families!  See you next Saturday!

Much love!

m

p.s.  Please keep in mind that you MUST be on time for your Mini Session.  If you are late, your time and payment will be forfeited.  Thanks for understanding and arriving early!

p.s.s.  Since we spend a lot of time in NY for The Nate Berkus Show and SONY Speaking Engagements, I’m thinking of maybe adding a day that is dedicated to Mini Photo Sessions the next time we are in Manhattan.  Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’d like!  Central Park in the Spring…perfect photo shoot setting!

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March 1st, 2011

NEW Book! “YOUR BABY IN PICTURES” See the Trailer!

YEAH! It’s FINALLY March 1st!!  I’m on a personal countdown because on March 15th my new photography book releases and starts shipping to all those who are pre-purchasing it!  The title is Your Baby in Pictures:  The New Parents’ Guide to Photographing Your Baby’s First Year.

(I’m just crazy, giddy about the cover design!!  But wait till you see what’s inside the book!)

What would you think of FORTY Photo-Recipes for photographing a baby?!  And not just any Photo-Recipes, but Photo-Recipes that are split into the developmental milestones that a baby experiences the FIRST year!  For instance, there are defining details to capture when a baby is 3-6 months that will be gone when a baby is 6-9 months.  Whether you are a new mom, friend of a new mom, aspiring photographer or pro photographer looking for fresh inspiration, I’ve been thinking of ALL OF YOU for two years as I wrote Your Baby in Pictures.  I did the research, dug through the thousands of baby photos I’ve shot and found 40 amazing baby moments we don’t want to miss the first year.  (And they are super sweet moments.)  Wait till you SEE!!  I can’t wait!

There is so much I could write, but why don’t I just say it instead!!  (writing it down just doesn’t show how excited I really am–I had to do a video!  :) )  Mouse over the video below and hit play!

Can you tell I’m excited?!  Two years in progress friends, and we are only 15 days from Random House shipping it!!  I could SCREAM!!!

To pre-purchase Your Baby in Pictures at Amazon’s AWESOME discount of $13.17 (regular price is $19.99), goto Amazon or Barnes & Noble to Purchase!  Books start shipping on March 15th!

xoxo,

m

p.s.  To celebrate this 15 day countdown, I’ve got a fun treat!!  The first 15 people to purchase AND post an awesome review on Amazon will receive a second autographed copy from me!  You can either keep the autographed copy, or you can save it for your next baby shower gift!  Once you post your review, email us at info@merakoh.com with your mailing address!  MWAH!

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March 22nd, 2010

MamaBloo Photo Tale: The Technical versus The Soul

For those of you who have been following Me Ra and Brian’s Thailand Adventures Part Deux,  you know – like I do – what an amazing (both in good and bad ways)   trip it has been so far.

I gotta tell ya, I had been working on a photo tale to share with you all that was about lighting.  But, after reading what has been going on in Thailand and Cambodia, it just wasn’t working for me to think about the technical aspects of photography right now.  I have been so inspired by the SOUL of photography after reading Me Ra’s posts.

And, frankly, my family and I have been put through the ringer these last few weeks.  Oh, nothing like almost perishing on an airplane or facing the harrowing reality of orphans being sold on the street for $10.   And especially nothing like facing some crazy jungle fever! But the kind of “stop and take stock” that is uncomfortable.  I described it on MamaBloo as losing my OOMPH.  But the bottom line is that it looks like my days as a Stay at Home Mom may be over.  I knew they would come to an end someday and I absolutely acknowledge and embrace what a gift the past five years has been.  But I haven’t been ready to jump back into working full time, and with a 12 month old at home, my heart just feels on the verge of breaking when I think about leaving her.  I mean, like big chunks of my heart falling off of my soul.

So, I picked up my camera. Hoping it would soothe me.

I looked at my baby girl and there she was dressed in her brother’s hand-me-down tie dye shirt, our only green option for St. Patrick’s Day:

 

And then I went back through my 100s and 100s of pictures.  Looking for just the right ones.  The ones that said, “this is my baby… my Emme.”

And I realized something.

That even if my white balance isn’t right:

Or the lighting isn’t the best.

Or something just isn’t quite a masterpiece:

Or I still need to work on how to set all the dials and knobs on my camera:

I can still capture the soul of my child.

And that is just what I needed to know.

(Stay tuned – that Photo Tale on lighting is still coming!)

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February 11th, 2010

MamaBloo Photo Tale: Turning The “Story” on its Ear

I feel like if you give me a laptop, a cup-o-coffee, and some time alone, I can tell a pretty good story.  Better yet, put me among friends, feed me, and give me the floor and I can PERFORM a good story.

 

But I am still working on telling the story with my camera.

I am probably being hard on myself.  Ugh, I say.  Do I have to “tell the story” or can I just line the kids up, put the camera settings on the dreaded green box, and yell “SAY CHEESE” and snap the picture.

I know, I know… I can just hear Me Ra’s gasp, can’t you???

What’s a mom to do?

Outsourcing.

So, I handed my $900 camera to my 4 year old son, Ty. “YOU take the pictures today,”  I say.  He beams.  I give him a quick lesson on the basics  –  viewfinder, thingy on back to look at the picture he just took, camera strap (a must!).  Then I set the camera on aperature priority and I turned on all the lights in our house and opened the curtains wide.  And I let him tell HIS OWN STORY.

Then I got out of his way.

How he sees the world made me stop.   One time a while back my then-8-year-old, Izzy said, “Adults get wrapped up in the craziest things sometimes.”  And that quote came to mind when I looked at Ty’s shots.

What he saw was not what I would have photographed.  But it was worth my time.  A fleeting moment of Daddy re-filling the ketchup bottle.

 

 

Mommy’s Desk.

 

Mommy, working on her blog and not looking her best.  But he tells me that I am the “prettiest mommy in the whole world.”  Het tells me I am “wonderful pretty.”

 

 

Part of a toy.

 

 

As Me Ra and Brian head back to Thailand, I think back to a post she wrote on how the people in Thailand really SEE kids and that Blaze noticed this.  He said he “felt invisible” in America. 

Then I thought, THIS is what my son sees.  This is his world.  This is the story he chose to tell with the camera. Although I have a need to photograph him from top to bottom AND in such a way that my love for him somehow translates into digital pixels, that is purely MY need.  HIS need is for ME to see his world the way he sees it.  And, today I did because I handed him my camera.  Today, photography taught me to slow down and really think about my child, my baby boy, and how he must see the world from only a few feet off the ground. 

He turned my paradigm of “Telling the Story” on its ear.  And I am so glad he did.  Because I think I’ll go a bit easier on myself next time I pick up my camera.  It’s not just about me afterall…

Click here to read Me Ra’s post mentioned above about Blaze feeling invisible.

Come visit me at MamaBloo and check in with my other tales!

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January 7th, 2009

Time to Vote and Clear 500 on Your Favorite Inspirational Object!

An object. Is it possible for an object to strike emotion in us? Can it move us even though it isn’t alive? If there is no face smiling back at us, can we still feel a deep connection? After seeing the awesome work from our Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object contest, you may say yes to all the above!

If you are new to the blog, let me catch you up.

Way back when, we opened a photo contest for the most Inspirational Object. Remember that, feels like years ago! :)

Well, let’s fast forward to today! What better way to start the new year than be inspired by the Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object Photo Contest!

You will love these images, but you can only vote for one! See voting guidelines, FAQ, and prize info below.

For now, meet your talented finalists and be inspired!

Finalist #1, 1930′s Piano, by Julie

I wish I could do a post of all the piano images that were submitted b/c they remind me of the baby’s feet images from yesterday’s post. So many of you sent piano images, and each one was different in perspective. Each image was well done! We picked Julie’s as one of the five finalists b/c of the unique angle she shot from.

The piano fills the frame. The keys blur off the bottom corner of the image and you feel like the piano goes on forever and forever. I don’t know about you, but I also felt like I was sitting at the piano. The image composition is that inviting, drawing us in. The post process Julie chose was also well done. The vintage, sepia tones lends to that timeless feeling. But more than the timeless feeling, it makes one feel like the piano is magical, almost weightless. These are just a few things that come to mind when I see Julie’s beautiful image. What comes to your mind? Thank you Julie! Your image is wonderful! Check out Julie’s blog too!

Finalist #2, Asher’s Onsie, by Jennifer

The image alone is striking b/c of the meaning it holds. From a photography perspective, we loved how Jennifer composed this image. There are a couple elements that stick out to us that make her image stand out. I love that the onsie is hanging on the doorknob b/c it adds instant emphasis to how small this little one is. We already know the one who wears this is a baby, but Jennifer helps accentuate that point by hanging the onsie on the doorknob. And what I like even more than the doorknob is the blurred crib in the background. If this was intentional, BRAVO Jennifer! She also shoots down on the onsie to give the effect of it looking smaller and then there is a slight camera tilt which adds a little motion to the image. All these little details combined equal a great image. Jennifer also has a great blog! Be sure to check that out! And now to keep you from suspense, here is the story behind this sweet onsie.

Asher’s onsie is my inspirational object because it reminds me of how big miracles come in small packages. Asher is the son of a friend of mine who has overcome challenges he was born with. He had a heart defect and major open-heart surgery when he was born, and now at almost a year he is free of most of his medication and has a clean bill of health. I myself was born with a heart defect as a preemie twin born at 28 weeks weighing two pounds and two ounces and had life-saving surgery at two weeks old.

Finalist #3, Love and Coffee, by J.P.

J.P.’s image stuck out to us because of how warm his composition was (no pun intended :) ). The story behind why this coffee mug is his Inspirational Object will warm you right up. (pun intended :) )

My wife and I met in our favorite local coffee shop; I was 24, she was 19–far too young for me. I liked her an awful lot, though, and over the next year we spent a lot of time talking over coffee. Eventually, I realized that she was too amazing to keep at a distance, and so, sitting in our coffee shop, I asked her if she’d like to start seeing me romantically. She said yes, and a few years later said yes again when I asked her to marry me at that same table in the same coffee house. This cup and another like it were given to us by the wonderful owner of the coffee shop. They were the last two remaining of the old style of cups that had gradually been replaced by shinier, whiter cups that lacked the character of the old mugs. I love the chips and the stains in our matching coffee cups–they remind me that, although we’re bound to get banged up a little bit, we’re going to continue to bring one another warmth and comfort for years and years to come.

What did I tell you? Isn’t that a great story! But the story isn’t the reason why J.P.’s image was picked. A handful of you sent coffee mug images too, but J.P.’s soft lighting and buttery, blurry background guided my eye into the significance of this one mug. The lighting and blur played hand in hand in making this image give off a warm energy. J.P., was this window light that you used? I only ask b/c of how beautiful and soft the lighting is. There is also background in the image, but the background is intentionally blurred and the blur almost accentuates the solid colored mug. Even the light colored coffee inside the mug adds to the softness of the story behind this image. I don’t know if J.P. meant to, but it feels like he thought of every detail in composing an image of a single coffee mug. Great job J.P.! Thank you for submitting!

Finalist #4, Tic Tacs, by Ashley

The story behind this image reminded me of Brian and the kids, except we always buy little packs of gum. Not only are you going to love Ashley’s story, but don’t you love her composition of this image? It’s awesome. The low F stop with the tic tacs blurred in the foreground, and how Ashley filled the frame. Great job Ashely! You took a simple object and really brought it to life. Thank you for sharing! Here is Ashley’s story in the email she sent me;

The tic tac tradition started when I was a little girl. My mom would put orange tic tac’s in my brother and my Christmas stockings at first. Then she would hide them in my bag when I would go to my dad’s house on the weekend as a kid, go on vacation, or leaving home for college. Now, as a grown woman, she still hides tic tacs in my bag when I leave her house from a visit. Over time, orange tic tacs became a reminder of her love and strength when she wasn’t with me. A month ago, my husband and I went to see her for a visit. When I got home, I found these in my bag.

Finalist #5, No Place Like Home, by Yvonne

Red slippers was another popular image that was submitted by many of you. Yvonne’s image really jumped out at us. The sun flare captured in this image added a magic to the shoes. When we think of red slippers we think of the Wizard of Oz and all the magic of the movie. I remember watching the movie as a little girl and having my own pair of red slippers that I insisted on wearing with my white flower girl dress. :) The shoes were magical to me, and Yvonne has done a great job of capturing a magical element through her use of sun flare. Can’t you almost see those shoes tapping on their own? :) I also like how Yvonne filled the frame with the shoes. The background is free of distraction and all our attention is on the magic of the shoes. Yvonne, I would love to know how you set up this shot! If you are comfortable with sharing that would be great! Thank you for submitting your image, and congrats on becoming one of the Top Five Finalists!

There you have em’! The Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object Photo Contest! Each on is truly inspiring. Now you have the tough job of voting for ONE!

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote!

Please vote only one time for one image. Thanks!

FAQ #2: Is there a Photo happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: Yes! We picked the theme Simple Gifts Theme right before the holidays. You must send an image that in some way conveys the theme Simple Gifts. The deadline was January 4th, but since I forgot about the contest during my “unplugged” time off, we should extend the deadline. Don’t you think? :) Let’s make the Deadline for Simple Gifts, Sunday, January 25th 2009 PST . Send your images as an attached JPG (small in size) to contest@merakoh.com . Prizes will be as good as what you read below!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Click here for Seven Quick Photo Tips to photographing your own Inspirational Object!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!!______________________________________________________________________________________

Don’t forget to vote before you leave! You could be picked as a Random Voter and win a gift card to Starbucks or a copy of ‘s ! :) Yep, that’s right! You heard me say it correct! (but FYI, remember to check back when I post the Random Voter Winners so you know that you’ve won and can claim your prize! :) )

In our last photo , we had over 487 votes by the cut off time! It was amazing! You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 500 votes (that’s only 13 more than last time) on this , we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #500, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of ‘s software again!! And then we’ll keep going and pick two more Random Voters who win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and TWO more random winners of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 500!

Deadline for all voting is this Monday night, 5 days from now, 1/12, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 500 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win !

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get?

Great question! The finalist will get their choice of one of our 101 Kits or the downloadable version of our Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series. And then , and THEN (we’re hooking our Finalists up for 2009! :) ), they also get to choose between one of two MORE things!

1. Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom Software

2. Or the most unique prize ever, a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175.

Enjoy! VOTE AWAY!!!

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To see our day job , visit here.

For more fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a in , click on the words of your choice!

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December 3rd, 2008

The Hardwoods, Last Day Of Sale and Surprise Press!!

You would have laughed if you saw us at 5:45pm last night. Our dinner guests were coming at 6:30pm, we had just returned the Uhaul, ran through the grocery store, and took light speed showers. By 6:15pm we were starting to make dinner, setting the table, attaching the bathroom door back to it’s hinges (which was never completed :) –good thing no one had to go!). When the doorbell rang at 6:30pm, I had wet hair (I never push it this far!). But I was so excited for dinner! The funny thing is that we could have rescheduled, but all the wives will get me on this. If there is a deadline to get the house put back together, deadline being that company is coming, my husband just moves so much faster on his “Honey Do” list. And Brian, moved SUPER fast down that list! He was a rock star for sure! :)

So check out the hardwoods! Before sanding the main floor, the hardwoods were the dark color of our dining room chairs!

I can’t tell you how much BRIGHTER the whole main floor feels! I love it! And you know we need all the light we can get in the Northwest.

Quick reminder, today is the last day of the sale on all our products and the discount for the Atlanta Workshop!

Sale ends at midnight tonight PST! For details, click here!

Again, if your having issues with using your coupon code, email Brian at brian@merakoh.com.

And check this out!!

My publicist just emailed me and said the Sacramento Bee ran an article on our photo tips called “Take Perfect Pictures of a Newborn”. What a treat! I had to share it with you! To read it, click on the title!

But I almost forgot! Here is that promised peak of what I did with those 8 ft branches! I can’t show you a wide frame shot because I want to surprise my family this Christmas. But this gives you a small idea. We mounted the branches on the walls and hung photos underneath with glass balls hung by Christmas ribbon from the branches. The glass balls have candles inside, and at night the room glows. I love it! And the best part, Brian isn’t giving me any more grief about those branches. He’s a believer now too! :)

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The ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY Sale is happening on all our products and the Atlanta Workshop!

It ends Wednesday at midnight PST!!! To see the details, click here!

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October 28th, 2008

Q & A, Segment 2: Top Six Poses for Senior Portrait Shoots!

The Hawk Girl costume tips are great! Here’s my thank you! :)

After last week’s posts on what photography questions do you have, a number of you emailed me about photo coaching teenagers for Senior Portrait Sessions.

Let me start by saying, Seniors are rarely, if ever, impressed with you.

I remember doing a Senior shoot a couple years ago after we had finished working with VH1. I was relaying the story to this Senior and her mom. We had just got back from Maui, and worked with a VH1 film crew for crying out loud. Was this girl impressed? No way. Her mom thought it was amazing, but her daughter seemed more interested in watching the traffic go by then listening to any thing I had to say. And that is how it often goes. Not always, but often enough.

So here’s the post tip: If your Senior seems unimpressed with you, don’t sweat it. Once they see their photos, you’ll see their face light up.

Having said that, what kind of Photo Coaching do we do with Seniors? A mom barking like a dog isn’t going to fly this time. :)

There is so much to say on the topic, but here are the Top Six Photo Coaching Poses we shoot during a Senior Session. Let me know what you think!

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Gina Sook, our Associate Lifestyle Photographer, shoots most of our Senior Portrait sessions. She’s awesome! She has been with us for four years now, and her work is beautiful! Last night, Gina was showing me a recent Senior portrait session. Her photos were awesome! AND, Gina demonstrated all the things I wanted to blog about. She said I could use her images as examples, so here we go!

The TOP SIX PHOTO COACHING POSES for Senior Portrait Shoots!

1. Hands Behind on the Wall and Leaning Forward!

We always do a series of shots where we ask the Senior to place her hands behind her at hip level against a wall. Her hands don’t have to be flat against the wall, just gently placed there. Make sure her bottom is touching the wall too. Then have her lean a bit forward into the camera. This is a slimming pose because it elongates her neck and waste.

This is hard to explain to a Senior, so I advise demonstrating it for them. Don’t touch the Senior. Once you touch them by moving their shoulder or chin, they feel like they can’t relax unless you place them. So keep hands off, and model, model, model.

Sometimes a subtle tilt of the head works nice with this pose too.

2. The S Curve Face On!

This pose never feels natural. Be prepared for your Senior to look at you with a frown and say “Is this right?” When she says that just smile back and say, “Yep! You look awesome for the photo even though it feels weird.” Then gently keep adjusting her pose until it’s where you want it, telling her how well she’s doing the whole time so she doesn’t stiffen up on you.

What we’re doing is showing a nice S curve of her hips and shoulders. I usually start by asking the Senior to rest their forearm on their head. Then I ask her to put her weight on the opposite foot to the arm that is up. See below. This creates a curvy line that looks like a S. If I need to, I’ll have her lean into the camera ever so slightly.

Depending on the personality of the Senior, I’ll either have her look away with a big smile, or look right at the camera with no smile or somewhere in between. Even if you don’t use this pose, the S Curve should always be in your mind when it comes to posing women. However they are standing, you want to accentuate motion and curves.

3. The Hip Shot!

This is one of my favorite poses b/c it looks great on so many different body types. It’s a lot like the S Curve above b/c your being thoughtful of accentuating her curves. But it’s a little different. The palms rest on her low back or even lower, depending on her height. Have her push her hips forward and be leaning on one foot more than the other. Then have her look straight at the camera.

Or accentuate the curves by putting a little more sassiness in her hip, elbows and tilt of the head. It’s a flattering pose because the arms behind her are a slimming effect which draws out confident shoulders, her chest and curved lines of her hips.

4. Wide Angles Help Ease the Nerves!

It’s also nice to start with wide angle shots before you move in closer. This gives your Senior a chance to get used to the camera being on her, the sound of you clicking your shutter, and all that other non verbal stuff that makes a Senior tense.

With a wide angle, we still want to be intentional about shooting the shots from a slimming spot. Meaning, we don’t want to shoot straight on. Gina demonstrates this well in her photo. See how it looks like we are looking just a little bit down on the Senior? You see it more in how the railing seems to be descending down.

The Senior is also not standing face on for a reason. Having one shoulder closer to the camera than the other, slims your subject down too.

After Gina grabs her wide angle shot, she moves in for the close up.

The Senior doesn’t have to move anywhere.

5. Teeth, No Teeth and Laugh!

I always take a handful of close up shots whether it’s a Portrait Session or Bride. And I will specifically give these directions, “Can you give me a small smile? Perfect. (click) Now, can you give me a smile with no teeth, only lips? Wonderful. (click, click) Now, close your eyes and go to a quiet place. When you open them, I want to get a shot of you with no smile at all, just your bright eyes looking right into the camera.” (click, click, click) We go through this a couple times so I can capture the many expressions she possesses. Then I end with the Fake Laugh that you already saw us demo on the recent video. :)

6. Try Something Out of the Box!

Gina has done countless portrait shoots at this campus. But the other day, she thought of a new pose that was out of the box. And the results are fantastic! I love the lines of the Senior’s arms and neck and how the shadows help bring definition.

Don’t be afraid to try something new at the end. It’s important to push yourself out of your comfort zone. And once you’ve covered all your basic shots, why not try something totally different. If it works, it works. If not, it’s okay!

There is so much more to say on the subject of Photo Coaching Seniors, but let’s pause for now. Are these tips making sense? Any questions come up for you on the subject?

A BIG, BIG thanks to Gina for letting us use her images as examples. Gina, your awesome!

For booking a session with Gina, email our Studio Touchpoint lady, Genie! (genie@merakoh.com). Genie is happy to answer all your questions.

Question: How do we price our Senior Sessions?

Check out our Portrait 101 Kit to see what my Senior Portrait Pricing is and what the package includes. We also have new packages that we created this year for Gina to offer. We like to change it up every so often for her, and these three packages have been going over well! If you buy the Portrait 101 Kit (or if you have bought it in the past), email Genie with your email receipt. Write “Gina’s Senior Packages” in the subject line, and Genie will forward those to you. (please note: These are Gina’s new packages and are currently not in the Portrait 101 Kit, but just ask Genie and she’ll email them to you once you’ve purchased the 101 Kit.) Also, give Genie a day or two to get those to you. The kit also comes with Photo Release Waivers, Marketing Ideas and Much More!

Click here to see Segment 1 : How to Coach a Family Session!

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Upcoming Workshops: Two more spots were bought this weekend! If your considering the Seattle December Workshop as your Christmas gift to yourself or loved one, now is the time to register!

Click HERE to register!

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October 22nd, 2008

Photography Q&A, Segment 1: How to Photo Coach a Family Session!

Last week, I did an interview with Pictage and a number of photographers asked for suggestions on how to Photo Coach a family session. What is Photo Coaching?

Photo Coaching is a term Brian and I came up with when we realized we are not photojournalists. We are not the fly on the wall. Our clients look to us for direction in how to relax in front of the camera. And we love using a number of strategies to help this happen. Whether your client is paying you $200, $2K or $20K or is a high fashion model, at some point they look at you and your camera and say “Now what do you want me to do?” Photo Coaching is our answer to that question.

Since the issue of Photo Coaching a Family Session has come up a few times in your comments and emails, let’s make this topic Segment #1!

Read this over and then tell me what other questions it stirs for you.

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I find that Photo Coaching my family shoots happens before the session as well as during.

If it’s a family, I make sure I know how old the kids are (before I go to the session). I tell the parents prior to the session, at the beginning of the session, during the session and after the session (seriously!) that “I know you don’t feel like we’re getting any shots, but I promise we are. Don’t worry. Your kids are doing fine.” Parents ALWAYS freak out about how their kids are behaving or not behaving. And thus, they tend to be the most stressed out looking subjects of all. I know you know what I mean!

So with the kids, I strategize my session in how I set up the shots. I get the group shots often done first b/c these are the toughest when kids are tired.

And this is often what kids expect to do when a photographer shows up. But once we have those out of the way, I do sibling photos (brothers together, sisters together, etc).

I have them sit cheek to cheek and model what I mean with their mom.

I have the younger ones tickle the older ones.

I have dad stand right to the side of me and make goofy faces right above my lens. I have mom bark like a dog when the kids least expect it. No matter how old the kids are, they always laugh when mom jumps out barking like a dog. And the most reserved of moms will do ANY THING for a great photo of her kids.

It’s the opposite of weddings, I find that if I’m being goofy for the kids they don’t respond as well as when their own parents are being silly. If I have a high energy child who can’t sit still, I have dad hold him tight and tickle the crap out of him.

I then split them up and take one parent with me and one child. I have them sit on the ground (I like cement best because it casts up a great grey light) and take close up shots of them individually. Then I get the parent in there for some shots together, and I work through the whole family this way, one child at a time.

At the end I use my zoom lens and shadow the kids. I used to do this in the beginning and try to capture them “just being kids” but they take advantage of the freedom really fast and need direction. I found the situation would unravel faster than if I let them do this at the end when nothing else is really expected of them and now they are free to roam and play.

Does any of this help?

For info on how to start up or beef up your Portrait Business, check out the popular Portrait 101 Kit.

And then if you want help with the actual shooting, see the DVDs.

What questions does this post bring up for you?

Also, Steph asked yesterday about who should attend the December workshop. All levels, and I mean ALL levels. In every workshop we have women who are total beginners to women charging clients. But I found that there is a common thread with each woman: a lack of confidence in the technical side of photography which breads a lack of confidence in their overall photography aspirations. We tackle the technical stuff head on (from a women’s perspective in digesting tech stuff), aside from many other topics we discuss. But really, all levels gleam from the workshop. Steph, we hope to see you in December! Women are flying in from all over, and we are going to start the Christmas season off with a blast!

Chicago ladies! We are counting the days! :)

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October 20th, 2008

Seven Photo Tips for Shooting Objects!

If you haven’t heard, our current photo contest theme is an “Inspirational Object“. This means your picture has to be an object that inspires you. It cannot be a picture of any living things; flowers, pets or people. The image must be a picture of a non breathing object that gives you life in some way.

I know this is not an easy task, but such a good photo exercise to try. Objects, or should we say Details, are important to being a Story Telling Photographer. Whether you are capturing the objects in one’s home that describes who they are, or the details at a wedding, you are telling their story.

We’ve had a handful of photo submissions for this contest. But I’ve noticed there aren’t as many as we usually have. I think it’s because the theme is a bit more challenging.

So I thought I would post some tips on how to photograph objects. See if this gets your creative juices flowing!

Here are Seven Photo Tips for Shooting an Object when trying to bring still life to life!

1. Get up as close as you can to the object so that you’re filling the frame. Have as little background as possible. And if you do have any background that is recognizable, make sure it strengths your object.

Pascaline and I had our own little date yesterday and went to a local ceramic painting studio. What a blast! On a side note, while we were painting she looked at me and said, “So how is it going being a mom?” You have to love it!

Little did I know, it was the perfect place for taking pictures of objects! In regards to this first tip, I could have shot the paintbrushes even tighter, but I kind of liked clipping the side of a paint bottle to make the paintbrushes that much more powerful.

2. Set the object (depending on size) on a light colored surface. For example, if you have a white or marble cutting board try that as a background.

Or go the opposite direction and use a piece of black velvet. Black velvet is a great backdrop material because velvet soaks up all the light and creates a rich, deep black background.

3. Where is your light? Set your cutting board or black velvet next to a window for natural light. Keep that flash off. And don’t forget to play with shadows too. Sometimes shadows can enhance the drama of your object. Notice the shadows in the fork above.

4. Go as low as you can in your Fstop/Aperture to get the most buttery, blurry background possible. Low Fstops would be 3.5, 2.8, 2.0, or even 1.4.

5. If you are not comfortable shooting in Manuel, put your camera in AV or A mode (Aperture Priority). This way you get to decide how low that aperture is and your camera decides how fast your shutter speed needs to open and close.

6. Since this object doesn’t smile back at us, we need to create as much movement and energy as possible. Sometimes a simple tilt to your camera will do this. Push the lines in your image to evoke emotion. Make the lines of your teacup smile back at you. :)

7. If you process your images in Lightroom, try your vignette feature (under Lens Correction) so the four corners are a bit darker then the rest of your image. To get to this feature, put one of your images in Develop mode and you’ll see the Vignettes feature on the right hand side toward the bottom. Experiment by moving your “Amount” into the negative numbers, and then try moving your “Midpoint” into the negative numbers too.

Vignetting highlights the subject of your image even more. The slight vignetting that I did on the image below helps give the illusion that the paint bottles go on and on as they fade into the distance. The vignetting also brings more focus to the center of the frame.

One more challenge that I hope doesn’t offend anyone. A lot of the submissions have been of Bibles or crosses. There isn’t any thing wrong with these two objects being your Inspirational Object. But if you’d allow me, I’d like to challenge you to submit a second photo of a second object. We usually ask that you submit one photo only, but if you’ve submitted a photo of the Bible or cross we are making an exception.

Why? I want you to challenge yourself to think of an object that is out of the box. An everyday thing you pass everyday, or maybe something hidden away. When you first thought of what your Inspirational Object would be, an idea popped into your mind. Now put that idea on the back burner and try to think of something else. Trust me on this, you’ll get much more out of this photo exercise if you push yourself to get out of the box on what the second object could be.

The deadline for the Inspiration Object Photo Contest is this Sunday, October 26th at midnight, PST.

Have fun with this exercise. When we were shooting in Cape Cod last weekend, Brian looked at me and said, “So much of getting better at photography is just trying new things and be willing to experiment.” He is so right.

Try something new.

Experiment with light, shadows and unusual objects.

And enjoy!

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For more fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese (see the downloadable version that is now available if you live outside the US!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! To read a great review done on our DVDs, click here!

Upcoming Workshops: The Seattle December Workshop is open for registration with only a few seats left!! Click HERE to register!

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May 30th, 2008

Great Idea for Building a Portfolio!

We head back to Seattle today after a wonderful week in San Diego. But first, I have to give a huge shout out to Dana, our fearless San Diego Workshop hostess!

Dana, you went above and beyond the call of duty for being the hostess!! Thank you so much for all your help!

On Monday we had our Add On Day that covered Business and Marketing. It was held at Dana’s house. We covered everything we could in our time from pricing, structuring your business, when to outsource and what to outsource, marketing strategies and much more. It was an amazing time together (and thank you Dana for letting us use your living room!).

But we have to thank Dana for one more thing! She had the BEST idea for building a portfolio that I’ve ever heard!!

For those of you who want to build a portfolio but are not comfortable with charging people just yet, Dana did something you could do too! She told her friends that to take their pictures takes the same amount of time to make dinner. So if they wanted to compensate her, they could make her a dinner. Last year, she ended up getting handfuls of gift certificates to all different restaurants with credits ranging in $50-$150! Her family loved it! The kids are already asking her to take pictures again this year! Don’t you love that!

What a great idea to give your friends so you’re not “giving” your time away. Your time is precious, valuable, even if you’re in the “building” stage of your business. Plus, it’s a great way for friends to show their thanks to you!

Dana, you are the Queen Bee!! Love you and so thankful for you and ALL your fabulous ideas!!!

(thanks for the photos too!)


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