Happy Birthday!

Here are some sample pictures taken at a birthday party for two year-old twins last weekend. In addition to cake and ice cream, there was a bounce house in the backyard. The best place to get pictures was inside the bounce house itself, and it was a fun challenge to get pictures without camera shake!

This was my first shoot trying out a new toy: a Stroboframe Quick Flip 360 Flash Bracket. This gadget worked wonders to minimize shadows behind subjects' heads. It was a little awkward to use at first, but I quickly got used to it. And I loved the results.

This is the fourth time I have been hired to photograph this wonderful family, including the twins' first birthday party last year. Thanks to Mom and Dad for having me back again; it is always so fun to see how kids grow and change so quickly. Time really does fly!

Views of the Quail Hollow Championship

I was lucky enough to get tickets to the practice round of the Quail Hollow Championship, a stop on the PGA tour right here in Charlotte. I love going to this tournament at the beginning of the week long event, because cameras are allowed and crowds are thinner.

The weather was nothing short of beautiful this morning (we left before the rain). I went with a super good girlfriend, and had club tickets which meant some nice amenities. I got a little more lucky photographing star power the last time I went (the 2008 ProAm portion of the tournament), but this year I focused more on scenic shots. What fun!


View looking toward 18th hole and Quail Hollow Clubhouse


14th and 17th holes


Stuart Appleby tees off


Golfer at 14th hole



Photography buddies and official QHC photographers, Brian and Len

Two Year-Old Twins

Here is a sample of pictures that I took last week. It was a beautiful spring morning. The picturesque setting was a lovely home on a quiet lake. The azaleas were blooming, and there was even a sailboat on the lake in the background.

When a family gets together for portraits, the parents often focus on the kids, trying to keep the kids happy or grabbing their attention long enough to get a good picture. When the kids need a break from the camera - and the young ones always do - it is a great time to get the parents together for a portrait. Let's not forget the hard-working, loving parents! I'm so glad we got this nice picture of the twins' parents below.

These children were sweet, and the parents were patient and fun, and it all made for a very good photo session!

Stopping to Smell the Azaleas

The azaleas are blooming! A transplant from the great state of Michigan, I've lived in the Southeast enough to almost take them for granted. But every April, when the blooms come alive, I'm reminded of their beauty.

We have a very modest azalea bush in our new backyard. Some yards have many of them, and the colors are rich and wonderful. A few of my customer pictures that I'll share in the near future may have azaleas in the background.

Charlotte is one beautiful city in the spring and summer. I'll have to photograph some of the flowers for my northern family and friends. In March the dogwoods bloom, in April come the azaleas, June the hydrangeas (my favorite), and July the crepe myrtles. Of course, there are lots of other beautiful flowers and trees. Spring is a wonderful time of year to take pictures of blooms, wherever you live.

Just wanted to share a point of admiration for this city. :-)

Customer pictures to be posted soon...

Gallery Show Downtown / Great Cause

I took a trip tonight to see the important work of a local artist who was being featured at a studio downtown. The images of Elizabeth Marx draw attention to the plight of trafficked women and children in Southeast Asia. It was a moving collection of photographs.

I learned about the show because of my connection with the owner of the studio. Back in my corporate marketing days, I hired Ken Beebe to take professional photos of my company's executives. Little did I know at the time that I had hired someone very well-known, connected, and with deep roots in local historic photography.

Ken owns one of Charlotte's oldest photography studios, located in the historic and beautiful Latta Pavilion building downtown. Kugler Studio, and its archive of historic photographs, dates back to 1947.

Ken is a talented photographer - to say the least. He clients include some of the largest business names in town, including Bank of America, Duke Energy and Wachovia. He recently took a wonderful portrait of Ken Lewis and Brian Moynihan, just as one was figuratively passing the reins of Bank of America to the other.

Photo by Ken Beebe, Kugler Studio
He also takes personal photographs, and I had him take pictures of my sweet babies on four different occasions (see above). It was a fun experience to be in front of the camera, even as my dreams of being behind the camera had yet to be realized. And yes, Ken waited patiently while my babies were fed or had their diapers changed. One of them even pottied on his hardwood floor, if I remember correctly. As a new mother, I was horrified, but Ken only laughed and threw me a towel.

What is even bigger than Ken's impressive portfolio is his heart. His studio hosts open houses and shows to feature the work of budding photographers or a collection that promotes a specific cause, like Elizabeth's.

Thanks to Ken and Elizabeth, the gallery owner and photographer, for doing their part in reminding us about such a great injustice that is done to so many women and children throughout the world. I wish Elizabeth continued success in her efforts to document this sad reality.

Twin week

This week I am taking pictures of two sets of boy/girl twins. The toddlers are all celebrating their second birthdays! And both families are repeat customers, which I am thankful for. I look forward to sharing some of their pictures soon.

More Living History Pics

To follow my last post on pictures of the people and places at living history museums, below are some images that I took last summer at a museum near my childhood home.

Historic Sauder Village in Archbold, OH celebrates local "rural life in the 19th and early 20th centuries." The first European settlers had to drain the swampy land, known as the Great Black Swamp, in order to farm it. The settlers and their decendants have farmed the rich land ever since.

This is a wonderful, family-friendly museum, and if you are ever in rural Northwest Ohio, be sure to stop by. :-)

Spinning. The museum has a lot of hand-made artwork for sale, including items woven from yarn made from this spinning wheel.


Dreamy window

Windmill and entrance to the museum

Big cow advertising local dairy outside the park. That's me holding one of my cuties.

This one is just funny. The picture was NOT posed! I am definitely raising city girls.

Silversmith

Cute junior historian

This man told me that some tourists assume he is Amish and that he doesn't want his picture taken.

Barber shop. This man is the successor to a popular barber who gave me a pretend shave when I was on a field trip in first grade. I still remember it though it was ages ago!

Thoughts on Mathew Brady and Living History @ Historic Brattonsville

My dad is a history lover. In my experience, history lovers usually have a lot of big, heavy books, and one of my dad's favorites was a huge hardcover book about Mathew Brady's photography.

Mathew Brady was one of the first photojournalists ever. He was a presidential photographer (Abraham Lincoln's favorite) and he also thoroughly documented the Civil War, including the graphic aftermath of battles. If the person made history or news in America in the mid- to late-1800's, there is a good chance that Mathew Brady photographed him or her. Matthew Brady is quoted as saying, "My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history." And he did just that.

Fast forward to little ole' me as a Michigan farm kid in the 1970s and 80s. We didn't have much to do in wintertime in the cold rural north, and I read a lot. I pored over that Mathew Brady book. I learned a lot about American history, including the Civil War, through the eyes of Mr. Brady's camera.

Perhaps it was this influence that helped spur my interest in "living history" photography. One of my favorite subjects to photograph is a person in historical costume. Here are a few examples of pictures taken at Historic Brattonsville, a wonderful living history museum, farm and Revolutionary War site in York County, South Carolina.

Woman as Slave @ Brattonsville


And with the magic of Photoshop, the same picture kind of looks like one that may have been taken during Mathew Brady's time...


I loved this boy's red curls and I just had to have a picture of them.


Woman Spinning Wool


Slave Quarters, one of the many authentic buildings at the museum


Historic Brattonsville is well worth the trip from Charlotte, and is a wonderful educational experience. Check out the events on the web site - there are some special activities that even small children will enjoy.

Spring Break Fun @ Lazy 5

My little sweeties are on Spring Break from Kindergarten and preschool this week. In lieu of a weeklong vacation, we are taking short afternoon trips to family-friendly sites in the Charlotte area.

Yesterday we went to Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC. We go every spring, and each year - as the kids get a little older - the trip seems more and more fun. I highly recommend this trip for any family. This is the closest thing to a safari that most of us will ever get! I had near visions of being a wildlife photographer, and of all the fun (and hard work) that could be had.

If you go, bring your camera and your best telephoto lens if you have one. Here are some of the cute creatures that we saw up close and personal:

The peacocks were beautiful


The Emus were not afraid to say hi


Water buffalo like water - no surprises there, ha ha


Tortoise

Two bulls saying howdy


Zebra and Pig - where else would you see these two animals feeding together?


Luther the Rhino


Curious Giraffe



A few tips about Lazy 5 Ranch if you are interested. They do not take check or credit card, so stop at the ATM before you get there. Admission is $8.50 for adults and $5.50 for kids ($5.50 for seniors too!). Buckets of feed are $3 each. If you can, plan for at least two hours. In addition to the drive-thru tour, there is also a walking tour and a playground. For kids that love animals, this is a fabulous trip!

Elements of Composition

I participated in an in-depth composition class last night. It is easy to identify a good photograph, and yet another thing to define why it is a good photograph. What are the consistent elements that make up the composition of good images?

One mark of a good photo is that it holds the viewer's attention for longer than a quick glimpse. The eye actually moves around the photograph, taking it all in, noticing detail after detail.

Each photograph has a message to communicate, and that image can be composed to best represent that message. The trick is to train yourself as a photographer to compose the shot in the viewfinder instinctively.

Here are a few photos that might qualify for interesting composition.

Rule of Thirds, Framing

Texture, Lines

Perspective, Depth of Field, Color

Framing