Model Photography - Raleigh Photographer

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do something totally different. I was approached by a personal trainer, Andre, to take some photos of him for his modeling portfolio. We met yesterday on the campus of Meredith College. This was the first time I have ever been to Meredith and I was surprised by how beautiful the grounds were. So many interesting places to shoot. I will definitely be doing more photography sessions there in the fall.
Anyway it was a fun 3 hours working together. It seemed strange to be taking photos of such a big person, and not having to sing and dance for smiles was a nice break.
So because adult modeling photography is not my specialty, and because I am really out of shape these days, Andre & I worked out a deal photos for personal training. Seems like a win/win, however I must admit I'm a little nervous about the payback! Training to start next week. Watch his videos on facebook, I am dead!











>

Anneke Six Months - Raleigh Baby Photographer

Little Ms.Anneke came over for her second shoot of the baby plan. You can see how much she has changed since her newborn photos were taken. We started her session outdoors, however she wasnt too crazy about the grass. Inside she seemed much happier. We shot her in natural light and placed her close to the window to pick up these great catchlights in her eyes.

Raleigh Rose Garden - Raleigh Baby Photography

Some photos of the Raleigh Rose Garden I took while waiting for a family to arrive for their session.
There were many prom goers in the garden so I wasn't able to get the whole garden but it is quite impressive.

Becoming a Mom - Raleigh Newborn Photographer

Just read this full article and had to share some with all you moms. So true!
Dont Lose Yourself When You Become Mom

The First Time Mom



While you're thrilled to have a baby of your own, you'll be shocked by how this tiny being will consume every moment of your life. The realization will make you kick yourself for never having fully appreciated the freedom you once had. Other changes: Your childless friends won't understand why you don't return their calls and emails. Your home will become less tidy. You'll neglect the beloved pet you once doted upon. You'll continue to wear maternity clothes for a while -- since your real clothes don't fit and, besides, you're getting spit-up on so often.
Some advice: Try, as best you can, to live in and enjoy the moment. Your first child's first year is a fascinating journey. Take pictures on his or her monthly birthdays and you'll be awed by the changes occurring so quickly before your eyes. Try not to agonize too much about your career, your body, your social life, your "To Do List." At least once in a while, nap when the baby naps, and enjoy cuddling your sleeping son or daughter in your quiet home.

JJ and Family - Durham Baby Photographer

Was so happy the weekend rain finally stopped so we could get this session in. Introducing JJ the most mellow baby in the world. We tried everything from singing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, to bubbles, to peek a boo, nothing worked except mom tickling her behind the legs. But even that didn't last long. So she doesn't smile much but she doesn't cry either so I'd say her parents have lucked out. I personally just had fun photographing her and those chubby cheeks and dancing around like a crazy person trying to get a rise out of her. I'm sure everyone at the Raleigh Rose Garden thought I was nuts.
Speaking of which what a beautiful time for photos in the Garden. If you've never been you should go. The place is gorgeous. Lots of great places to shoot, benches, stone arches, fish pond, & rows and rows of roses in bloom.




the cheeks! the lips!


I love this one, Mom was super photogenic. I don't think she ever blinked or made a funny face in any of the many photos I took of her. Wish I had a little of that.

ok so i got really desperate for a smiley shot and I picked a rose for her. Hopefully there are no fines coming my way. I was feeling guilty about it for awhile however after seeing this shot I soon got over it.

Waiting on a girl - Durham Maternity Photography

This super cool couple came over the other day for the first session of their Baby Plan Package (Maternity,Newborn,6mths,1yr). They are expecting a baby girl in June and Mama had lots of great ideas/props for the maternity session. Dad won brownie points with me from the get go as he showed me the Canon camera he bought for his wife, her "push present." Unfortunately I was not up on such term when I delivered my little girls, no exciting gifts from my hubby.

Lets hope the baby gets dad's eyes/eyelashes!


She was still small at 37 weeks


I feel privileged as I'm the only one who knows what those initials stand for : ) We did another pose with blocks and the baby's full first name, but my lips are sealed. I will say though I love the name.

the girl already has a bunch of shoes! cute ones.

playing around with my new wall templates.

Photography Lesson - Raleigh Photography Class

Yesterday I spent the afternoon teaching Tim G how to improve his photography. Tim was the first winner in our photography question/answer contest. He submitted a great question here
and was randomly selected in the drawing for a one on one lesson.

We had such a good time. Our first lesson was on how to work his camera (first I had to teach myself as he shoots with a Nikon and I'm a Canon girl). Once we mastered all the buttons on his camera we went over some basic photography tips and his biggest feat of the day getting out of Program mode (automatic mode). We got him away from using his in-camera flash and by the end of the two hours he was taking GREAT photos.
Here's a few I snapped with my camera during the session.

Tim practicing on baby Jackson. I set Jackson up 45 degrees to the windows in their sunroom to explain how to get away from using the flash



We went over shooting from different angles


Shooting by the rule of thirds (positioning your subject)


Catchlights! How to make the eyes sparkle



And filling the frame, zooming in.

Baby Nora - Raleigh's Newborn Photographer

Oh how I love newborns. Baby Nora was such a doll. Her thick lock of curls was absolutely adorable. She was a good sleeper and easy to pose. Just perfect.

Bailey - Cary,Raleigh, NC Infant Photographer

The most easy going baby ever. Can't believe how many different shots we got of her. Such a sweetie

Avery & Wilson - Child Photography Raleigh NC

These two little cuties were full of spunk & personality! Boy did they wear us out but we got some great shots of them in action.

Little Man Walker - Raleigh, Cary, NC baby photographer

This little guy had the prettiest blue eyes, soft, silky hair and an easy going personality. He came over to the studio with his mom & Grandma and boy did we have a lot of fun playing around with him.

Wall Displays - Infant Photos Raleigh NC

So excited to feature my new Wall Display templates. A variety of different sizes displayed in various rooms is sure to make ordering easier. This is the nursery wall with 3 portraits or canvases.



And the modern living room with pink couch!

Flash is not always your friend - Raleigh,NC Infant photography

As part of our recent photo question contest Jen H submitted this excellent question with attached photo.


How do you keep from getting "Shadow Head and Body" in photos. See the attached baptism photo for an example. All of our photos had this shadow which I assume is from the flash on the wall. But if lighting is not good enough, and we are indoors, what are the options to avoid this? Someone suggested holding a notecard above the flash to angle the light down.



Yes Jen the shadows are a result of the flash directed straight on at your family. There are a few different things you can do to try to get around these shadows.

1st - see if you can get away with shooting without a flash. Disable your flash and up your ISO setting on your camera. Your ISO setting is probably currently set between 100-400. See how high your camera allows you to up it. With my DSLR I can up the ISO as high as 6400. See if your camera can be set to 1600. Usually at this setting you can shoot in low light with minimal noise.
Noise or grain gives your photos that look somewhat similar to the "snowy" appearance of a bad TV signal. Digital images shot in low light or with a high ISO setting often exhibit this undesirable noise. Much of today's photo editing software offers tools for reducing noise in digital photos so many photographers choose to shoot at high ISOs in lowlight and then run noiseware to filter out the noise.

2nd - when an in-camera flash is necessary, make sure to position your subjects away from walls,fences,etc. For instance instead of shooting this shot against the wall you can have positioned yourselves in the aisle so that the flash won't have anything to bounce off of. This will eliminate the shadows behind you and really improve your photo.

3rd- you could tape a piece of parchment paper over the flash to diffuse the flash power or as suggested find a way to bounce the flash up towards the ceiling, preferably if the ceiling is white. however if you are fumbling around trying to hold note cards etc, it may be hard to capture the shot with a steady hand.

Hope these tips help! And remember if you have a photography related question of any sort email it to me at christa@mycreativeclicks.com and be eligible to win a one on one photography lesson with me.