11 Months - Christina || Lifestyle

New Year means new things! I hope you all have had an amazing Christmas season and Happy New Year! It has been a crazy and busy couple of weeks for me so I am FINALLY able to post some photos from before Christmas.
I was able to take little Miss Christina's 11 month photos right before Christmas and I LOVE how they turned out :) We were able to use the Christmas tree as the background and I just love how her little dress coordinates with the colors.
I am SUPER excited for this year and I CAN'T WAIT to see what new things the year will bring.
Until next time…

~Clarissa~

~ Christina 11 months ~

The Better Christmas 5 {tips and ideas}

Cookies. Hot chocolate. Peppermint mochas. Candy canes. Boots. Cold weather. Christmas.

That's right folks! Christmas is almost here, and with Christmas, comes photos of the glorious joy.

Year after year we take thousands of photos of red and green. Photos of the tree, and ornaments all around. Outside lights, and stockings that are hung. Candy canes, and cookies in abundance.

We love this season for it's photographic opportunities, but one thing is missing. Creativity.
We all (including myself) have taken the same photo each year. The photo of the tree, our favorite ornament, candy canes in our favorite jar, and don't forget the dreaded photo of the annual fruit cake making. Even though we love to take photos during this Christmas season, creativity is something that is definitely lacking. Today, I have decided to share with you all 5 different fun tips and ideas that will help you get out of the same old holiday photo rut, and guaranties your photos will look better and keep your creative mind working. Hope this helps you take better photos this Christmas season!

~Clarissa~

1.  Shoot an ornament at an unique angle

Everyone has seen the “photo of the ornaments” that people post each year, and honestly, it gets old. Find a new angle to shoot at. Use the “50%” approach and only shoot half of the subject to keep everyones creative eye intrigued.

2.  Go crazy with the bokeh.

Bokeh has always been a favorite for me when taking christmas photos. Bokeh is the blurred circles or octagons in the background of a photo that has really shallow depth of field. When taking photos of the tree, look at how the lights, pine needles, and other ornaments create bokeh in the background. You can get some really cool effects so experiment and have fun!

3.  Find an interesting subject to use in the foreground.

Using a unique subject in the foreground of your photo can give you so many excellent photos. For instance, pick an item that is eye catching and shoot with a shallow depth of field to pull all the attention to the subject.

4.  Don't forget the outdoor decor.

A lot of people think that the only way to get good Christmas photos is to take photos of the inside decorations, but outside decorations are equally fun to photograph. Take photos of the lights and the outdoor garland. It’s so much fun to show everyone you outdoor skills in decorating ;)

5.  Last but not least, take a photo of the tree through a window.

I cannot tell you how many people have told me that my photos look like something from a hallmark card. Alas, tis true. You can get some super cool shots of the tree when taken at the right time, preferably at night. The inside glow of the overhead lights, along with the shining of the tree lights, could possibly be my most favorite photo to take. It’s super fun!

Why I only "shoot" in B&W - My B&W "Experience"

First off, let me explain the title of this post. I do not ONLY shoot in B&W. I love color! Color is my thing :) But, I do take all my photos with a "mindset" of shooting in B&W. Still don't get it, keep reading…

Through the eyes of some, Black and White poses an emotion. Sadness. Loneliness. Depression. For me, I choose to embrace the emotion of Excitement! Insight! Adventure! These are what true Black and White should be about. I have always loved B&W Photography. For as long as I can remember B&W has captured my creative being to explore the unknown. Capture photos through my camera with a mindset to see the surroundings differently. For example… What would a tree look like in B&W? Would the persons skin tone be to over-exposed in the shot if it had no color? Would the grass still look "green" if I posed that object a certain way? These questions are what makes for the perfect photo. The composing. The exposing. The focus point. The white balance. The question we should always ask when taking a photo "Is this shot going to capture the persons eye?" Oh sure, it might stand out with some contrast and a little exposure, but will it CAPTURE the persons eye?
Next time you go to press the trigger think to yourself, "Is this really the perfect shot?" Will you, as the artist, capture the hearts of the individual looking into the photo. Will those same people forever remember the depth of detail that was taken to get that shot? Think about it.

~Clarissa W.

Oh yah and here are just some of my fav photos from times past. Enjoy!!! <3

Feature Photo Friday :: Exposure

Well Hello there again my friends! Sorry I have not been able to post these past couple of weeks. It has been crazy busy around here with the new season approaching, and getting stuff ready for fall!
Ok... so last time we talked about the importance of 'Contrast' in a photo to help with clarity and enhancement of the colors. {If you missed last times post, click here} This week, we are going to learn about by far the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of photography; "Exposure" So let's get started...

"Feature Photo Friday : Exposure"

As a primarily portrait photographer, I am always striving to get the best picture I can in camera as much as possible. Because of the complexity of the human features, the more you edit, the more distorted the photo becomes. For instance... brown hair becomes black, blue eyes become purple, and the teeth... let's not even get into that. The key to a good portrait it to capture the individual in the most natural way possible, and the same goes for editing. Clean, simple edits are what makes a portrait worth looking at. When I look at a photo, I don't want the persons eyes looking like Dracula's pupils. Simple editing is all it takes to make a photo pop, especially with portraits. So, looking at the above image you might be thinking to yourself... "Clean, simple editing...hmm, looks easy enough". Well I'm here to tell you that IT IS SIMPLE! But, before you can take the reigns, there are a few rules...

1. The eyes must be in focus.

     - If the eyes are not in focus, it is not a portrait.

2. CATCH LIGHTS ARE ESSENTIAL

     -If there are no catch lights, it might as well be a portrait of a dead zombie.

3. Always use composition.

     - Composition is key to making portraits eye catching. The Rule of Thirds goes a long way here.

Alrighty, since we got those out of the way... let's talk editing!

So, since this photo was in the shade, I over-exposed a little to retain a good focus. But, notice I didn't over-expose to much as to loose the detail in the photo. This way, in post I can edit the photo using the exposure slider to maintain a natural looking contrast as opposed to over contrasted shadows. Here are my settings...

Temp: 6010

Tint: 3

Exposure: -.25

Recovery: 50

Contrast: 100

Post-Crop Vignetting: -20

As you can tell I did bring the exposure down -.25 points. This is to confiscate for the overexposing of the portrait which created a natural contrast for the photo. Recovery is to tone down the highlights in the photo, or the whites that are just a little to much over exposed.

Well, there you have it. Clean, Simple edit, using the approach of over-expossing just a bit, which creates a more eye popping, more colorful portrait. My moto is, "Never over-edit a portrait". And, "Never go anywhere without a reflector". That helps out with catchlights.

So, it looks like I am out of time today. Don't forget to follow me and check back every week for new post. Until then...

     ~ Clarissa - {Just an ordinary girl who lives photography}

Summer Sessions 2012

Here is a quick look at some of the photo session I have been doing lately...

Family - The McCoskeys

Riley Carpenter - 9 Months

David - 4 Months