Early Morning Family photos At Muscatatuck Wild Life Refuge

So it was early in the morning and the weather was perfect!! No Really. It was perfect. It had been soooo hot the week before, even in the morning. But this special morning the temperature was in the high 60’s low 70’s. And you guys, I cannot say enough good things about this family. They are so sweet!! They drove out of their way to come and get their pictures done, and it was such a treat! Being from Missouri they trusted me with the location. They are the type of people that are just seem so laid back. Billie is a photographer as well, so that’s like a super honor for another photographer to trust you with their own family photos. Hope you enjoy these!

Thanks for looking!!

When to Turn an Image to Black and White

Black and white images are classic! I always include black and white versions in my packages. Sometimes changing an image is a gut feeling for me, and at other times I visualize it first in black and white.  There are good reasons to try it out, and here are some of the things I consider when converting an image to black and white. 

Contrast

Light plays a huge part in creating depth to your black and white photo.  Having a strong contrast can help your image come to life rather than staying flat. I always increase my contrast when working in black and white.  If you are shooting in hard light, or very high or low-key light, black and white might be a good option.

Simplify

Sometimes you want your focus to be on your subject, but you’ve had a hard time separating them from your background.  In this case it may be a good option to convert to a black and white image.  Changing to black and white can simplify your image and make your point of view easier to understand.  Sometimes the color is just not that interesting, especially if your children are wearing neon! A conversion can really help that situation.

Mood

You can help make an image feel more dramatic and moodier by converting it to black and white. Someone who I think does this really well is Helen Whittle.  She takes images of children and emphasizes their mood and feelings in a way that is just so phenomenal. Lee Jeffries takes photos of homeless people and his black and white images have a very powerful and dramatic feel.  Black and white images are also very timeless.    

Light

A way to really showcase light and texture is by converting it to black and white. Clipping your blacks intentionally will also help add depth.  With hard light color casts can be difficult to deal with. Sometimes it is too hard to get rid of color casts, but you can save a photo by converting it to black and white.  You should try your best to take care of those things first in Photoshop. Correct your white balance and then convert it to see if perhaps it looks better in black and white. This might save you some time.  

Thanks so much for reading!

5 Things I wish I considered when starting out with photography

Take a lesson from my early mistakes! When I first started out, I was like many others, full of passion and eager to try everything.  I still love learning new skills and I am still very much a student of learning this trade.  However, there are things that I wish I had simply taken the time to consider. 

1.       Photoshop will not fix everything

Photoshop can only enhance a photo.  It is no substitute for a poor photograph straight out of camera.  It is ALWAYS better to get a good technically strong photograph in Photoshop.  Honestly, when I first started out, I loved editing more than shooting.  (I still kind of do).  While this natural bent of mine helped me learn a ton in Photoshop it did not help become a better photographer.  While I still believe editing is so important and it can really make a photograph sing, it is still more important to get a good photograph straight out of camera.  So, take the time to learn proper white balance, the exposure triangle, focus, depth of field, and start taking photos in raw.

2.       Visualize your shot beforehand

Story telling is a huge part of photography.  Think about what you want to convey and how to best convey that motive. What has helped me with this is looking at cinematography.  Think about composition and color.  With composition, do you want it to be peaceful or uncomfortable? How do colors make you feel?  How do you want people to feel when they look at your photograph? How can you separate and highlight your subject? Do you want this photo to be moody or light and airy? Think about your light. When I do this it instantly creates a better photograph.  When I first started, I got lucky often, but I was so busy trying things that I didn’t really consider these elements.  Just this idea will take your photography to a new level.   

3.       Light matters

Look at your subject.  Are they well lit? If they are not, there is no saving their skin tone in Photoshop. I often look at the position of the sun and use the palm of my hand to find the best light. Catch lights in your subjects’ eyes can really help bring life to your subject.  Shadows can add dimension.  Light can add to the mood or it can be flat and boring.  If it is flat and boring, you’re going to have to rely on things like interesting composition and color to help bring life and interest to your photos. When I first started out, I used midday sun a lot.  While yes, it is very convenient to take photos in the middle of the day. However, hard light is difficult to work with well.  It also saturates colors and casts colors on skin that is hard to get rid of.  

4.       Slow down

You’re nervous and your subjects are impatient and twitchy (well the little kids usually are).  You know what’s more important than being super-efficient?  Good technical skills and getting a good photo right out of the camera.  If this takes a little longer to get your settings right, then take the time and do it!  I was in such a hurry, and always felt rushed and out of control.  It is ok to slow down, or to say “oh no I missed that, can we redo it! I think it is worth getting right.” Take your time to look at the whole picture fully.  Take in the details, and the light.  Is your client’s hair out of place? Would this photograph look better if this branch wasn’t going through your client’s head? Would it be a better story if you took off this child’s shoes?  

5.       Do not be afraid to step up the ISO

A grainy photograph is still better than a blurry one.  Let that sink in.  If you must crank up your ISO to keep your shutter speed up, then do it!  Don’t be afraid of a high ISO.  It might be worth it, and Photoshop and lightroom can help clean up some of the grain.  I prefer lightroom to take care of noise in a photo.  I use the Luminance slider on the Detail panel.  When I first started, I was afraid to go above 400.  Now I use a pretty high ISO when necessary.  Noise is a sacrifice I’m willing to make to avoid a blurry photo.  

Essentially there is no substitute for a strong photo straight out of the camera.  Take time and learn all that you can. I hope this was useful. Thanks for reading!