Word to the WISE!

This past weekend my Mac crashed. Lost my most recent newborn session and all my family pictures from this summer : ( So, like they always tell you. Back everything up! Thankfully, I had done that with the other 3 sessions that I had lately, but I'm sad I didn't take the time to back up our personal pics as well. I'm doing a reshoot today and thankfully it's something that can be redone.

LESSON LEARNED!

Better Way to Focus!

Hi ladies!

It's Makia. I'm just dropping in to share a technique that I have heard about for awhile, but only recently came across instructions on how to actually achieve it.

I came across the information on photo tip: back button focus Melissa Jill Photography Blog who got it from Chris and Katie Humphreys: Better way to Focus and it is as follows:

The idea is to seperate the shutter function from the focus function. While this technique may take a little getting used to, in the long run you'll be far more accurate with your focus.

1. To do this, go to custom function 4 and set it to setting 1. (setting 0 is default)

2. Turn your AF setting to AI Servo. Leave it there from now on and never take it off.

From here, your focus will be controlled by the * button on back of the camera by your right hand thumb. When you press the * button the AF will be engaged and will focus on whatever the red box in your viewfinder is set on. To stop focusing simply take your thumb off the * button.
The only time you'll take your camera off AI Servo is if you use your AF assist beam on your flash to focus. Your camera must be set up in Single Shot drive mode as well as One Shot AF mode.

Try it out and let me know what you think. I tried it out a bit the other night and I like it.

Also what's a post without a picture, introducing me and my family:

New blog! Yea!

Hi everyone, it's me, Melissa! I wanted to share with you my new blog created by our freind the super talented Jeanine Linder. Once we had the logo, I was hooked! I wanted her to do the "whole package". Her "get me on the web" package is so reasonably priced, and perfect for a rookie like me who knows nothing about the world wide web. I love what she has done! Check it out here!

So now that I am "on the web" I have a question for you pro's...I do proofing/selling online, and I need a good shopping cart. Who do you use? I currently have one that is "free", but they take a HUGE percentage of the sale. Do any of you have any recommendations on a good shopping cart? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Hope you're all doing well! ♥ Melissa

Sun and Flare article

Hi Ladies,

It's Cama....hey I just read a great article on back lighting today on MCP and I wanted to share it with you. I paid a lot for Detra's lighting course to basically learn the same thing. :)



MCP Article on Aug. 24th

I hope you are all having a great summer! Thanks so much to so many of you who have been great blog fallowers! I am humbled by your sweet comments!!!

Big Hug to you all!!!

such a fun shoot

I've loved keeping up with your work! You all are amazing photographers... very inspiring!!!

I haven't had many shoots this summer (well, just one, but who's counting), so I thought I'd share this one of Brooks!

skater boy

xoxo

Jules

Working on it...

I'm finally posting something!!!! :)

So I'm working on the newly learned skills... I went to town on my first one, this little sweetie was so good for me! Can't wait to do more...

There's still alot I need to work on, I felt like the pics were too dark...what do you think? I did shoot manual, using my cameras meter for exposure. Does anyone use a "grey card" to get good WB? I noticed her skin color changed from shot to shot. These were shot next to a window on a very cloudy day. Any CC is welcome!

♥Melissa

MelissaLandresPhotography

*Also, I love everything that you all share, it inspires me! Thanks!

*Used Kristy's blog template, so easy!

Newborn twins!

I got to have my first newborn twin session.  Ironically they were easier than any single newborn session I've head.  They were amazing.  Here's one and there are more on my blog.  Also, if anyone is on ILP and flickr, can you post your name so I can put you as a friend.  Thanks

I have a new blog!

I just went for it and got a new blog for photography!

julestrandem.com

It's still in the beginning stages and only has a few posts, but I've had fun figuring it all out.

Thanks for all the inspiration ... this group has been wonderful!

Jules

Inspired by Cama

I took to the outdoors. BUT we don't have a garage so I set up my portable back drop, tv gray and my big girl with the setting sun as side lighting. Pleasantly pleased. 

Thank you all for the sweet comments!  I appreciate the feedback.  Looking through everyone's work, I think it's safe to say that we all have grown!

Brooke, what a stinky situation.  I don't know how I would handle it.  I might confront her or see if she'd be willing to meet and remind her there are plenty of people out there for clients and there is no reason to be so unprofessional.  

Also, your senior shoots are really great-how did you go about doing a senior spokesperson for each high school?  Great idea.

I'm sooo aggrivated...talk me off the ledge

Okay ladies, here's the deal: There is another photographer here in town who does natural light photography similar to myself. She does wonderful work and I honestly cannot say one bad thing about her...except: She is the most petty person I've ever met. She claims every shot know to man is "her" original idea and that I "copy" her. We're talking simply silhouette maternity shots, side angles the basics... Nothing too original honestly. She loves to have people leave comments on my blog with little nasty remarks. The funny thing is she took photos for a friend of mine years ago and showed up with printed pages with images from other photographers to try and duplicate! I honestly don't judge her for that since I think it's wonderful to get inspiration from other photographers. Plus, sometimes clients request shots they've seen because they love them. But she hasn't invented the wheel here.

So, my dilemma is I'm just sick of her pettiness. I think the comments are just plain juvenile and annoying. I've seen her at parks while shooting sessions and she is beyond rude. I know I should let it go, but it bugs me to no end. I totally want to just call her up and tell her to knock it off. I guess I don't KNOW for sure it's her, but I do KNOW.

This is the last post she had someone (or it could be her for all I know) make a comment about. I don't claim that's it's that original, but the client loved it and wanted to do it. I don't believe she has a shot just like this anyway, but I can show you about 2000 similar ones on flickr!

Thanks Cama and Tamara for sharing the info.  I'll definitely be trying out the garage.  That lighting is amazing!  I had an exciting shoot this weekend.  I got to do my first wedding.  I was super nervous, but I really enjoyed it.  It was fun doing something different and having cooperative subjects.  Here's one from it and there are more on my blog.

Garage Lighting

Okay so one of the great things that was talked about at the Nicole V. Workshop was how your garage has the most amazing lighting. I had heard this before and had done one quick shoot in my garage a long time ago but just kind of forgot about it. Nicole told us about Kevyn Howard and how he is a famous headshot photographer in L.A. and he shoots almost everything in his garage with natural light. So I was very inspired and decided to do a shoot with my daughter. Here are two of the images taken in my garage. I am now in love with my garage! LOL You can see more of them on my blog.

Just place your subject one to three feet from where the light falls. If you get to far back it is obviously to dark and it is best to shoot when the sun is on the opposite side of the garage.

Nicole Van Workshop

Hey Ladies, it's Cama....
I promised a few of you that I would blog about the Nicole Van Workshop I took in Salt Lake City Utah. I have to say it was incredible! I have been to two other workshops (other than online) and I have to say this was probably the best. She gave us an amazing Manuel that she wrote. She also spent a good amount of time talking about photography and art and showed several examples of why images work and why they don't work. I really appreciated this part because I think that is what I needed to learn the most. Every detail was thought out right down to the delicious food that was catered. Several of the girls at the workshop had been to others....Brianna Graham...Skye Hardwick...The Secret Workshop...Learn Fest. It was very interesting to hear what they each had to say about them. I realized how important it is to get referrals before spending the significant amount of money these workshops cost and the expensive of traveling to them. Anyway, I would highly recommend the Nicole Van workshop, it was a great experience. If anyone wants to chat with me more about it or if you are thinking about attending any of the other ones I mentioned and want to know what was said, don't hesitate to email me. I am so glad several of you are using this blog! It is so good to get on here and see activity!

Music for websites/ slideshows

Hi everyone,
Brenda passed this info on about music If you use the link below you get a free song and so do I.
Thanks, Tamara

Stock20.com creates high quality music for media production. If you create a free account using my referral link, they will give you one free song.Here's how:Click this link, then create a free account (it takes about a minute):http://www.stock20.com/gvr.php?rc=65xl2nv18209asd5v2x
Note: Stock20.com will not share, sell, or abuse your personal information.

i heart layer masks

check this out. this SOOC image was a "light tester" but i loved it, and it could NOT be more underexposed. it's a horrible shot, but her expression i just loved. ya'll might think it still doesn't look that great, i mean, really, its quite a long shot, and i think i ended up overexposing it. bottom line is that i'm just so happy to have learned about layer masks, as kia blogged earlier!

question about sharpening

hey guys.. i think we went over this, but i was a space cadet the month of april so i can't remember. i am really liking this shot, but i feel that her eyes need to be sharpened. can someone tell me how to do that without sharpening everything else? elementary, i know, but i never learned it... thanks!

New Logo & Design Site

Maybe first I should post a pic of me, but I really don't have a recent one in which I don't look like a fat elephant... So please bare with me. I just wanted to share with you my newest addition to my page/service collection. Please come and visit my site. You will recognize probably some of my work as a few of you lovely bloomies already got a logo from me. http://jeaninelinderphotography.com/logo/.

And noone likes posts without pics, here's a sample of a birth announcement:

The Layer Mask

Can I just say that I finally watched the layer mask tutorial AND then I needed to do the layer mask last night AND IT WORKED! My clients wanted pictures in the park at 10 AM in NorCal. The temp was up to 73 degrees when I parked the car! There was SUN EVERYWHERE! The picture is still a wee overexposed on the left side but I made it so the little girls face wasn't so blown out!


SOCC

Layer Mask on face of the little girl and then some TRA Warm It Up Kris.

Can I just say that I finally watched the layer mask tutorial AND then I needed to do the layer mask last night AND IT WORKED! The picture is still a wee overexposed on side but I made it so the little girls face wasn't so blown out! I will post it after I put the baby monkey down for her nap! Go me!

amy g

Hi girlies! So happy to be a part of this! This is the only pic I have of me. For real. It's fairly recent I guess, just not my fave. AND I am SO unphotogenic, that this is as good as it gets. :) We are hopefully gonna do another family session soon and get some more for the walls, but until then, here's a little snippet. I am so encouraged by ya'll and can't wait to see more of your stuff!
Amy

flickr group

Hi all, I've also created a flickr group called aprilbloomies. I figured since a lot of us are flickr members it would be another place to post pics for feedback and participate in discussions and such. If anyone wants to volunteer to be the moderator, admin, etc. please let me know. I'll be posting a family pic soon as well.

~Makia

What a great idea!

I'm so glad to be keeping in touch with you ladies. I've been really busy the last month, so I'm happy that the bloomies will live on!
This is honestly about the only picture I have of myself. It was taken by a dear friend of my husband and myself. He always thinks it so funny to put his watermark on pictures. We have shot a few times together so this is his idea of being funny.

Hi Everyone!!

Hi Everyone,
Love seeing all of your pictures. I tried to comment but it wasn't easily working for me sooo no picture comments. Jules, love your pictures. I love when I am in photos with mine considering I am usually not. We have some family ones I'll post soon. I think this will be a great place to keep in touch, and a place to help and motivate eachother. Thanks Cama for setting this up. Cheers! Tamara

Kim

Hi everyone,

Okay, so this is the first time I'm posting to a blog! I'm very excited about this and keeping in touch. I had a great time with the workshop. I just wish I could have been more involved. I was pulled away for work for 3 weeks.

Anyways, I will post a picture soon.

Jen Best

Hey Everyone I'm so glad to have this and hopefully we can all keep in touch and keep learning and encouraging one another.

Here's a somewhat recent pic of my little fam. Can't wait to see everyone's. It's fun to see more of everyone than a tiny avatar square :)

Jules

Yea!!! So excited to be here!

As I'm the one taking the pictures, I asked another SD photographer (Desiree Hayes) to take my picture with Brooks.
These are just a few that are so special to me.

Can't wait to stay connected and continue our story!

Jules

Kia Gregory in the house!

Hello my April Bloomies. I wasn't as active as you all on the board but here I be now! I need you all to still show me the WAY! So hopefully we can all continue to learn from each other!

Here is me! Amy Howe took my pictures the last time we hung out in November. And of course this was me cheesing it up.

Cama Cathrae

Hi Ladies, I thought it would be nice to actually see all your faces. Here is an image taken on mother's Day last year and then another one last October. As you know the photographer doesn't get to many images taken....very few and far between. I am so excited that we are doing this and staying in touch with one another. Great big hug to all of you! You inspire me greatly and I feel blessed to know you (even if it is just in cyber space right now). :)