Treasure Hunting

So, I went to a garage sale at a used photography store in Indianapolis.  It was pretty fun! They had lots of things that I am not well educated on, and lots of things I did not recognize.  Lots of old film cameras. I regret not picking one of those up just to try out.  But at least if I have the need to use film, I have my Diana F Lomography camera.  Ooo, maybe I will use that soon and blog about it! Anyhow, I did pick up a couple of old lenses.  The first one is a Hanimex 28mm f2.8 lens.  It is not a fancy lens.  In fact, it is credited with being the worst lens ever! Hanimex was an Australian distributor that produced several lens mounts to many different camera systems around the 60’s or 70’s.  (The time was a tough one to find so take that with a grain of salt.) But I wanted something that I could freelens with that would be super cheap. I have found that when you close down the aperture you get a really fun hexagonal lens flare! It’s a manual lens which is good, so that I don’t have to tape open the shutter when freelensing.  (Which you have to with Nikon lenses as the shutter is usually automatically closed on an automatic lens.)  So worst lens ever? Meh! I like it to get me out of a creative slump.  Sometimes just trying something new can help me get into a more creative mind set. 

I also got a Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm Macro lens. It is also known as the “stovepipe” due to its long profile with a wide front end.  Makes perfect sense.  It really does look like a stovepipe, and it is heavy!
This one is kind of in rough shape.  The aperture gets stuck, and I end up having to completely guess on my exposure.  I might have to take it apart and see if I can repair it.  It was not costly, so it is very low risk working on it. It also has a fun lens flare.  You can see in my photos that there are several little orbs.  So, this was a fun experiment as well!   

These two lenses are very different from what I have! I just thought I would share some of my fun experimentation’s with them.  Do you have any vintage lenses? Feel free to share some photos with me if you do!  

Thanks for reading.  

Why should I book a full session?

There are many reasons to book a full session.  Here are some thoughts you might be struggling with.

Opposing thought 1: “Hey, I only need one nice family picture!” Honestly, said no one ever.  It never works this way! By the time you’ve put all that work into hiring the right photographer, picking out clothes, getting yourself ready and your family ready, getting to that perfect location on time, you’re not going to want just one photo! You will want cute pictures of the children, and fun family shots!  This takes time, and you have already invested so much!

Opposing thought 2: “It doesn’t take that long to get a good picture.”  That might be right for older children who will look at the camera and smile for that perfect traditional portrait.  But what about all those interactions in between that perfect shot?! What about your actual real-life family dynamics? I am telling you that it takes time to get used to being in front of the camera.  A quick 15-minute session is going to deprive you of genuine reactions and interactions. And just like you need warm up time, so does your photographer.  Sure, we can do everything to get those perfect shots quickly, but the more time you allow the more time the photographer can get those creative and emotionally deep shots! 

Opposing thought 3: “I don’t have the time for a full session.”  Look, you’ve spent a ton of time getting ready. Getting your family ready.  You’ve bought the outfits, you’ve done your make up, and hair, you showed up on time.  This is no small feat! Make it worth it!

Opposing thought 4: “A whole hour of taking pictures sounds so painful.”  Oh man, I hear you on this one! I would hate to spend a whole hour in front of the camera forcing smiles and poses.  However, full sessions aren’t like this.  Of course, I want to capture that one perfect, over the mantle, everyone looking and smiling photo.  But sometimes the best ones come from forgetting the camera is there. With a full session you will have time to do an activity together.  Genuine real-life moments only come with time.  While mini sessions are great for getting that one perfect traditional photo, full sessions are invaluable for the candid moments.  If you or your children need time to warm up to the camera, a full session might be for you!

Opposing thought 5: “I don’t have the money for a full session”.  I get that, photography is an investment. But honestly, it all depends on what is important to you.  If you want an awesome experience and timeless photos that you will remember and love, then I would encourage you to make it a priority.  You can book as far in advance as you need. For me, I require 50% at the time of booking, so if you pay half now, you can pay the rest when your session is.  If that is a full year out, then you can start saving and getting excited for this important day! For example, you know you will want fall family photos or maybe you go pick out your own tree every Christmas.  Maybe there is a tradition you will want to document so that you can be fully present! If so, then I would encourage you to make a photo session your goal!     

Opposing thought 6: “I don’t need a full session, it’s just not necessary.”  Honestly, I am going to just encourage you to think about it! There is a lot of value in a full session.  It is an experience! The time, attention, details and storytelling are going to be that much better in a full session!  Artful photography is an investment. To book your session go to my contact page and reach out to me today! Thanks for reading!