Pictures, rants and randomness!
As a working photographer in mid-Michigan it is a lot easier to get female models than male models. Last summer I met and worked with Brian. He is up for almost anything especially if it is edgy. He also had a great collection of props. As with the last time we shot together we have to use the gas mask!
This picture was taken at the Defoe Photography studio in Bay City, Michigan.
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I love photography. There isn’t a day that goes by without me looking for ideas and inspiration. I have photographers on my Facebook and Google+ (especially Google+) that I follow and trade tips with. Like most photographers I’m always on the lookout for new places to share my work and perhaps get that ego boost of having my image win a contest or be a featured “picture of the day”. So this week I came across a site that offers anyone, pro, amateur, hobbyist or whatever to be seen by thousands of image lovers. And the name of the site seems very fitting – Today’s Photo.
This site not only features Today’s Photo but has reviews, tips and more. One of the great features offered by Today’s Photo is the Cameras for Kids Program. I don’t know why I had never heard or thought of this before. The program takes used photography equipment – of any type or age – and gives it to kids. Kids love pictures even more than adults (so it seems) and this is a fantastic way to allow kids to get involved. After reading this part of the website I went through all my gear that I haven’t touched in years and figured I’d box some up and send it to the program in Meadowview, VA.
So if you have any interest in photography at all and want to see if your image can become the picture of the day be sure to check out Today’s Photo – what have you got to loose?
I love magazines and have for as long as I can remember. And being a photographer I love photography magazines. There is just something about holding the glossy paper in my hands, reading the articles and seeing the high quality graphic images. Plus having worked in the magazine industry for over 7 years got me hooked me on magazines even more. Recently I’ve tried to cut back on my budget and one of the areas is magazines. This will not make the local Barnes and Noble happy but it will save the pocket book and shelf space. There are a few magazine that I really enjoy to keep me up to date with trends and educated with my photography obsession. Two of my favorites are Digital Photo Pro and Professional Photographer.
Being a member of the PPA for many years Professional Photographer was included as a membership perk. When stopped shooting a ton of weddings I felt that I didn’t need the benefits of the PPA any more and to cut expenses canceled my membership. I didn’t realize that one can get a subscription to Professional Photographer magazine without being a member of the PPA. I have not seen this magazine on a newsstand so I decided to get the subscription. For $19.95 per year this is a fantastic resource and has a lot of business ideas.
Digital Photo Pro is a little commercial but also contains great articles. They have a lot of technical articles about how stuff works as well as highlighting photographers and tips on image editing. I don’t do a lot of landscape photography so this magazine fits my needs better than most mass market photography magazines. They do focus a lot on new gear and cool stuff which makes me drool and wish I had thousands of dollars to spend on equipment. But every issue gives me new ideas and inspires me with the printed images. Looking at how much I was spending on buying this magazine at the newsstand made me purchase a subscription to this mag also.
(picture taken with hTC EVO 4G and edited in Lightroom 3.3)
Photography is huge. High quality cameras are available for cheap and digital processing makes sharing instant. People have always loved pictures and now with social media we consume images like never before. So does this mean we should take a picture of anything and everything? Why not! It is amazing that there are fantastic images of everyday normal stuff all over the internet. Lots of the images are modified to make the more interesting. It is a great time to be a photographer . . . even if it is nothing more than an expensive hobby or obsession.
I agree that photographing anything and everything can help develop your eye and your skills as a photographer – but does that mean that it needs to be posted on the Internet?
This image was taken with an HTC 4G cell phone and modified in Adobe Lightroom 3.3
Are you a photographer or have a photography related website? Get it listed on the new photography directory click here!
I had the pleasure of working with Ashley over the weekend. Ashley was a teen beauty queen and is a dancer. There are a few things here that could either make the photo shoot great or difficult. A lot of beauty queens have a hard time making the transition from beauty pageant to modeling. I believe that it is easier for a beauty queen to transition into being a tv spokesperson. The reason is that if you have won a beauty title the girl/woman has to be great at interview and has to present themselves well. While the pageant smile looks great on stage and in an interview is often does not do well in fashion or advertising images. So a beauty queen needs to break the habit of the one face smile look. One advantage I have found from working with pageant participants is that they know how to “smile with their eyes” or put a “sparkle” in the eye.
I enjoy working with dancers because they are usually limber and used to being able to hold uncomfortable positions. We joke sometimes that a model needs to be like a human pretzel and sometimes this isn’t far from the truth.
Are you a Michigan beauty queen or dancer that would like to try modeling or just get some pictures to add to your portfolio? Contact me at Defoe Photography. I’m based out of Saginaw and have opened a new studio in Bay City.
Every woman loves to look beautiful. And it is the photographers job to make sure that no matter the person and location that the personality and beauty of the subject comes out. I had a client ask for some glamour pictures with a guitar. She is really into music and has wanted to do this type of photo shoot for a long time. In order to feel comfortable and get the best images we decided to take the pictures at her house instead of in the studio. I packed up my gear in Saginaw and drove to Bay City. The photo shoot went well and we were able to get some fantastic images.
Need a Saginaw photographer for your picture concept? contact me
Like most hobbies photography can be expensive. There are many things on my wish list and only a few that are really affordable. Strobes are a necessity for any studio shot and I love the quality and price of the Flashpoint II strobes. So when I got some extra money for Christmas I decided it was time to get another strobe. I already have a battery back and beauty dish so I decided on the Flashpoint II 320M Monolight Kit, 150 Watt Second, One Monolight Kit with 9.5′ Black Light Stand and 24" x 36" Softbox
Softboxes are not always the easiest things to assemble the first time and this day was no exception. The first time I put it together the poles didn’t line up and what should have been a rectangle looked like an oddly bulging square. Second attempt was a charm. Not so bad really it just takes a little bit of muscle to pull the box into shape. Once the softbox was assembled it was easy to twist onto the strobe and within 30 minutes I was flashing pictures.
Above is one of my first test shots with the new strobe and softbox. Special thanks to my son for being a test model!
Moving into a new photo studio. Getting ready for my first photo shoot my photographer friend Joe showed up to help me paint a wall. A few hours later when everything was done a few other friends stopped by. We hung out for a while and . . . of course . . . they became my first subjects – even if they didn’t want to. This is what happens when you just stop by to say “hi” to a photographer at his studio.
The new Defoe Photography studio is open for business!
www.Defoe-Photography.com | www.facebook.com/defoephoto
I had a blast at the 2011 Rock The Runway Detroit that took place on Saturday, December 10th at the Emerald Theater. The event benefiting Wigs 4 Kids featured four live bands, many Detroit area designers and hundreds of models. For more info check out the Rock The Runway Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/RockTheRunway
Following are a few images from the night:
For more visit my Defoe Photography Facebook page.
Last weekend I met with two new photographers to work on some lighting techniques. One of the photographers had just purchased a lighting setup from a mid-Michigan photographer that was getting out of the business and selling their equipment. Having had the equipment gathering dust in the basement for a few months they figured it was time to figure out how to use it a little better. Being honored to be asked to give them a private workshop we gathered in a basement on a Saturday morning. We had a lot of fun playing with the lights and working with one experienced model and one nub.
The following picture was taken with 2 soft boxes. Both lights were behind the model at about a 45 deg angle pointing at her shoulders.
