Never in a million years would I have even thought about starting to take Senior Portraits. I LOVE portraits, but for some odd reason, I've always liked the emotion of two people in a portrait. In any case, here's a few pics of a a session that I did this past weekend...
Photoshop is SO MUCH FUN. But I do have to say, that I have to learn to go back to the basics. Simple vignettes, isolating color, using the lighting to emphasize features.
Yep, I'm back! I forget how much fun it is to take self-portraits. The only bad thing - I can already see laugh lines at the corners of my eyes and of course, my poor French nose and Finnish eyebrows. Man, the European in me comes out in close-ups!
After playing around with my camera, I've decided that I'm going to get one of those clicker thingys (excuse me for the non-camera term) so I don't always have to hold a pose for 10 seconds. And so the camera can focus on the correct object.
Me!
]]>I've been super slack on my photography blog. For months. Oops. I've been doing a ton lately - like blogging about food, trying to be sane without my husband and learning more about the ISO settings on my camera. Oh, for those that want to see my food blog - it's www.theorganizedmctatty.blogspot.com. So check it out!
As usual I've been trying to market - putting ads in the local paper, getting online ads into different areas, etc, etc, etc... It's hard to market in a small area - there are so many differen't photographers out there, that I'm sure most people really decide by price in the market here.
I would honestly love to do photography full time, but with the insurance that work provides for cheap, I just can't quit now!
If possible, when my hubby is done with school and has a job, I'm definitely going to do photography full time. I just can't wait!
Oh, and I'm also the newest member of:
The National Association of Photoshop Professionals
Woo hoo!
PSH
]]>So I've discovered Picassa and absolutely love how public you can make your photos. I have a few albums on there, but I'm still exploring possibilities of what I can do.
I've decided to start offering pictures of letters so people can create their own words. For example, I'll be the creative one and find pictures of the letter "A" in nature, architecture, etc... and then people can order the photos from me and frame their words themselves. I haven't found a good frame supplier yet that I like. Plus they're kinda expensive - but people can go to Target, get a long frame and mat them pretty easily!
I've also posted a new discount too -
PSH
Ugh, let me tell you - after taking photos since 9 am on Homecoming Day, this is me around 5 pm (I think).... And I still wasn't done!
As enjoyable as photography is these days... I think I worked close to 65 hours two weeks ago doing photography for the Indiana University Alumni Association.
I LOVE being around fun people and fun stuff. These are just a small example of what I've been working on the past few days.
I'm not the best photographer when it comes to quick thinking for changing my shutterspeeds and aperature settings. I usually have to take about 20 pictures and bracket them ALL to find ONE that I absolutely love. That's what I had to do at the Pep Rally... oh well!!! What fun would be if you knew EVERYTHING about the love of your life anyway???
]]>I've been thinking about starting to sell photo cards for the past month. But I do have to admit a few things, I'm not a "pretty" photographer, especially when it comes to photography for my personal enjoyment. I like dirty, noisy, black & white pictures that have something to say about society.
So in essence, my theory of selling dirty photos won't exactly work so well, so I have a new goal. Become knowledgable of being a "pretty" photographer. I plan on going to Nashville, Indiana and taking photos this weekend - CJ's not in town, so it means that I don't have to watch football every day, yea!
Things that I need to photograph:
Ok, I really can't photograph the above anymore... I just can't think of pretty things. I want homeless people, trash, graffiti, dirty people, drunks, the bars, the gross sidewalks... Those things are fun because you're seeing a photo of something you see in everyday life that you don't want to see.
So now my new goal is: photograph pretty things, seriously. Oh, and to enjoy it!!!
]]>Woo hoo! I finally did it, I caved in and I created my own domain and website. I only have one gallery up right now, but as time goes on I will add more and more images and web pages to it. I'm very proud of it (I know, it's not as snazzy as others, but I'm learning HTML) because I did do it myself. So, enjoy!
Patty
]]>I've been thinking about it for awhile now - if I do go full-time, it means that I will have more available time for photography. I will have more flexibility with hours for weddings and families. I will be able to work during the day for stay-at-home-moms who would like their children's pictures taken and that also means that I will have more time to be with families. I can also have more time for manipulating images, but with going full-time it does mean that I do have to start charging more. And so here are my new prices, which will start January 1st.
Weddings:
$100 per hour - this does NOT include a photo CD.
$150 per hour - this DOES include a photo CD.
Families, Babies, Children, etc...
$175 - this includes a photo CD where you may print the pictures yourself
Extras:
Photo CD - $75
12x12 Photo album - $75
Please ask about: Photo cards, mousepads, etc...
I do post pictures online, I've used ShutterflyPro for years and so I've decided to use them for posting my professional pictures as well. All prices if you would like to order online are listed as well as several photo extras. If you would like to see examples of full weddings that I have done, please send me an e-mail at patty.harayda@gmail.com for a link and a password to several different weddings.
PSH
]]>As I think back to my wedding on June 9th, I realize that I missed out on a lot of things that day, so my wedding has made me a better photographer. I haven't yet received my proofs, as I do not expect them for another week or so, but I can't wait to see what my photographer captured that I missed.
That's why being a photographer at a wedding is very important. Your photographer is there not only to capture you on your day but also your family, your husband or wife and your friends. Your smiles and nervous looks are incredibly important, but also the look on your mother's face as you walk down the aisle and on your new in-laws faces as they see how incredibly in love you are as you say your vows. We got married in botanical gardens underneath a tent - the gardens were absolutely gorgeous, but one thing that bothers me - I don't remember seeing the photographer taking pictures. I was too absorbed in the moment.
And that was a very good thing. I was too focused on my new husband to really even care about what she was taking pictures of - which is really what I was supposed to be focused on.
So, as I anxiously await my photos, I'm also anxiously awaiting the wedding that I'm photographing tomorrow night. I'm so excited and happy and can't wait to get their pictures finished (all the technical stuff after the wedding) so the bride can see all the fun that everyone was having while she was busy being a bride.
And that's the way it's supposed to be...
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