New direction

So, this blog has mostly been about rantings and ravings.  Since my last post, eons ago, I have let go of several things and embraced different things.  To put it plainly, I've given up the whining. 

The name of the blog intrigues me and is pulling me to blog in a new direction.  While I believe we grow and change and cyberworld sites such as FB and Blogger make it easy to "erase" the past (to some degree) I've decided to keep the 15 original post already here that deal with my studio. 

But the New Directions of "The Path Less Traveled" is going to be about my journey of faith and other such topics as I feel inclined to enter them.  In other words, if I feel the need to blog, I will.

So this first blog on this First Day of Winter is a copy from my Facebook post a couple days ago.  It's not about me, but it is my story and as good a place as any to start a New Direction.

August 3rd, 1994. We all cope differently and if it weren't for being in a totally wonderful place in my life and marriage, I wouldn't be able to post this. Eighteen years ago, the man I was married to, my husband of 5 years, was killed on a motorcycle, in a "motocycle accident", that for some reason, got way too much "air" time. It was the worst day of my life, the world refused to stand still... for my grief...my. grief. I blamed everyone, the motorcycle manufactures, how dare you make something so deadly. The helmut company, how could you make something that can't protect. God, how could you do this too me, it should be my choice if my marriage is to end. I was blamed, I didn't love him enough, so he died. "What if" was blamed, what if he had cancer and this was God's way of protecting him. You know what? It wasn't the motorcycle, the motorcycle company, the helmut company, the helmut. It wasn't the lack of love, an unknown illness. It wasn't God...He never left my side. When we start playing the "Blame Game" and pointing fingers, we lose focus of what is really important in life. Stop pointing fingers, start parenting, being a neighbor, be a friend (even when you don't like that person), be a teacher to your children, a role model for those around you. Don't believe everything the media reports, Facebook posts and someone blogs about, instead search your own soul for morals and values and re-evaluate them. Say "no" to your kids (they will survive). Forgive (it doesn't mean forget). As we approach the end of the Myan calendar (I'm kidding!) As we move closer to Christmas, say a prayer for healing and peace for the families from last Friday's tragedy and all families who have lost loved ones. Celebrate your family and spread the JOY that we selfishly keep to ourself because we think the timing is not right. As my mom used to tell me, don't point, because you have 3 fingers are point back at you. Merry Christmas.

The degree

I just read (or for today's world) mostly scanned the better part of an article whether having a photography degree is worth it or not.

As a photographer with a degree, and having done a lot of soul searching over the last few months, I'm sad to say, "no" it's not worth it.

Would I change the fact I have it?  Absolutely not!

Would I change the fact I drove my husband nuts for 48 hours 20 years later over my Certification exam.  OMG, NO!

I have a degree in portrait photography from the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology, now Kaplan college.  My framed diploma says December 20th, 1996.  It was an awesome 2 years that a tragedy in my life helped pay for.  I do not regret it.  I do regret the commercials asking if you would like a career in the exciting world of photography.  Exciting world = work for someone else, willing to travel, work hard and learn how to do it the right way in the real world.  I have some regrets...

I have a diploma that says  I graduated from Edison State Community College with a degree in Business Management May 1994.  That one took 7 years and was my answer to my parent's not supporting a degree in photography....maybe our parents know something we don't.

No, I do not regret the photography degree.

What I regret is that I burned out those 2 years at school and let my camera sit for almost 3 years as a professional.  When my daughter was born in 1997, I took lots and lots and lots of mommy pics of her...THEY DID NOT INSPIRE ME TO BE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER!  THAT WAS ALREDY THERE!  It did not make me want to pursue a business in photography, yet.  It was almost 3 years later before I would decided it was time  By then I had a 10 year old, 3 year old, 2 year old and 1 year old.  I didn't have time...I didnt' have time! 12 years later, I have time along with every other mom and dad who think it's a fast buck to offer a cd full of photos or charge a dollar more than what they paid for the print. Twelve years later, it's about sitting on your butt in front of the computer only meeting the client to take the pictures in their backyard or local park in full sunlight.   I can't do that.  I'm about creating a portrait, not 500 in a 3 hour session AND having my grocery bill paid for the week.

I've been watching Revolution on Monday nights.  The second episode really struck me (the whole show strikes me as not quite right) but the second episode especially.  One of the characters carries a cell phone around that has not worked for 10 years?  The day the power went away.  She said she had the only photos of her children' she hadn't see in all that time on that phone.  My first thought was "wow"  it's real, we really are a digital world.  We put the images on our phone, our ipad, ipod, tablet, laptop assume that's where they will stay for eternity....

This is where photography is...a cluster of pixels safe by faith in technology.

Is a degree important?

Ironically my graduating class was taught how to interview for a JOB working FOR someone else.
We were told you take whatever work comes along to survive, then when you can pay the bills, you do the work you want.

Hello out there.....do you feel the least bit guilty?

That's what I thought.

Using photo software

Wow, 2 in 1 day.  The severe headache from this morning has subsided to a dull throb.  Love spring time in Ohio.

After I wrote the previous blog, I found an email from a fave wedding photography team.  They shared how to do actions in Lightroom V4, unfortunately, I still use v2.  But I'm a quick study.  As I was looking at the images taken of my daughter, I knew that though they were acceptable right from the camera for the blog post, they needed a little work for print.  Now, I do not mean they needed fixed.  My camera and light meter are apparently not calibrated and I'm sure my monitor needs re-calibrated, I can not remember if it was done this week or not, so probably not.

The image are over exposed slightly, not a lot, but the highlight side is more than I really wanted.  It's over exposed.

Watching the video by the wedding team, It made me take a more objective view of the images I had taken...they are a lot over exposed.  The and my ratio is closer to 4:1 than 3:1.  For portraits I prefer 3:1....I like shadow/highlight and that soft wrap of light I get when I use a lower ratio.

After a few minutes of playing in Lightroom, I had a nice preset for my studio work that put the highlights in place, showing the detail of the face that was getting lost in the over exposure....apparently not much over exposure because the freckles are all there!  I brought the shadow side out a little more without getting funny color looking....seems to happen with underexposed, it's trying to fill in pixel info that does not exist...so shadows weren't overly underexposed.  No funny colors, no pixels filling in lost info, no dayglow highlights.  Just nice.

Then they talked about adding grain!  I LOVE FILM.  I can't add grain with LR2, but I can in CS4.  It was just a matter of playing around.  OMG, that reminds me, I LOVE well exposed black and white images....So with an image that is now ready for print, I can take it to CS4 and change it to black and white.
A correctly exposed black and white with details in the highlight as well as the shadows.  Add a little grain and it's ready for the lab.

I love when I learn something new!

No education required

I'm going to be fair with this blog post.  It wasn't very nice the way it sat in my drafts, but I feel that there are photographers out there really trying....but there is a difference and I'm going to share that today.

This was HARD for me to do...and no, even the professional image is not perfect, but the difference is mega!

So, you think you take nice pictures,? Or so you've been told.  Someone,or you bought a nice expensive camera from Walmart, the $600 camera.  And you bought a few backgrounds off Ebay, bought some of those fancy lights on stands with an umbrella or you are "all natural" light.  You're set!  How hard can it be, you already take nice pictures....

This is where it gets hard for me, maybe me 20 years ago?  Before hours and hours of books, practice, education, more practice and lots of experience.

In ALL fairness, all the equipment, lighting etc is exactly the same in both images.  Same camera, same light (just one in both), same pose - kinda. And exactly the same distance off the background.  I'll explain the differences at the end.  I should mention, I had to learn to use a lightmeter and do not know how to use A or P in the studio, so these are metered using M.

So, you are hiring a photographer or you are ready to go into business, you can have/do this,

Cute, that's my daughter.

"What a cutie, but I could have done that at home in front of the fireplace using my husbands point and shoot" 

Or

You can hire a professional who has experience.  Or learn before you hang out your shingle and start charging or calling yourself a professional photographer or photographer for hire.

What a great tween portrait! 

"OMG, grab the tissue, I'm going to cry...I LOVE it" 

Remember, exact same light, camera, soft box, meter, background, kid, camera setting, etc. Even the crop is the same.  Heck, I didn't even move the tripod (yes, I use one of those)

So, you say "All you did was turn her to the side."
... in a Contra Pose.  I also moved the light to create a loop light form, turned her head to create Short lighting and that Loop.  Put the weight on the correct foot, pulled down her sleeves, created a catchlight in the 11 o'clock position, used a 3:1 ratio to create depth.
AND NO PHOTOSHOP.
 No photoshop was used on this image except to put the logo in the corner.  Is it perfect?  No, her eyes are on the same plane.  She's 12, she's my kid, sometimes you do get what you can, but if you know what you are doing, it's easier to get most of it right....in the camera and camera room.  And present a professional portrait that would look awesome printed 20x24 framed and hanging over the fireplace.

"Why yes, I will take that printed as a 20x24 framed....will you come hang it for me?"

Yes I will!  

And did I mention, no photoshop, no enhancing, no fixing, no making it better and OMG, no fake background pasted in. The focus is dead on (I'd be happy to show you on my 90" projection screen), the expression is great, I'm even good with the perspective.

Oh, what the heck, here's the eyes....

As a professional photographer who can create portraits like the second one you can charge accordingly and actually have time to spend with your family since you didnt' spend all your time in photoshop adding actions, borders or overlays to make it look cool or "fix it".   No need, it already is.

Cool.

And yes, I absolutely use photoshop to enhance a photo, just like I would have in the darkroom on film. Enhance, not fix.

Oh, don't forget in the state of Ohio if you are selling something to someone, even at your cost, you are in business and need a business license and you need to collect sales tax....cheaters suck. (JMO)

Lately I have been accused of not being very couth in how I express my opinions.  But, if it's good enough to do as a hobby and collect some money on the side, isnt' it good enough to do as a legal business and do the right way?  I thought so.

 You can check out her other poses on my Facebook page.

Whiney Wednesday

Good morning and welcome to my Whiney Wednesday blog post (which I have affectionally come to call today).
First, I have to point out, Blogger changed things over the last week, since I blog weekly here, I know it was in the last week.  Not that I'm opposed to change, but it's a shock and now I'm learning something new, to navigate the new blogger.

I've been blogging for almost 3 months, wow this will be blog post 11 (there is one draft that I need to finish and post).  These 3 months of blogging have been the best therapy ever!  The changes and understanding of my own business as a studio and as a business owner have been awesome!  I can only hope other photographers who read this blog have benefitted as well.

I know the blog gets read, it doesn't get comments left, but I get questions and comments about it all the time by people who could be potential customers--local people, real people, not someone in Asia.
They get it.
I'm not preaching to the choir!
How awesome!

This blog has changed the way I see my business.  I don't feel bad about my prices anymore (or too much) I completely understand what I have been raving and ranting about and with what I thought I was comfortable with.  Pricing to make a living.
I wasn't.
Priced to make a living, or comfortable with the idea.
I am much more comfortable with it now....it's still scary and my husband does somewhat disagree, but he gets it more and more.  Food costs money, pictures cost money to print....somewhere there has to be a mark up so both can be covered, plus I like new shoes too, just not enough to give away the digital files....ever!

So three months of therapy in the guise of ranting and raving and it hasn't cost me one dime.
I spent enough of those last year through some expensive business coaching online....the book is less expensive.
For my pro photographer readers, you can find it below.

So I will continue to vent, rant and rave (both in a good way and bad) about life as it is.  Trying to make a living doing something I love.  Something I have wanted to do forever (15 years old is forever when you are my age).
Maybe it's time to put it in full gear, I know a couple extremely successful photographers around me who are making it.  There's room for one more
Successful is a personal term....everyone's idea of success is different.
Making it is also a personal term, and I see them living off their business, that is both successful and making it in my world.
Here's one more ready for a piece of the pie....Welcome to me and my studio!


That book I mentioned.  Written by Sarah Petty.  "Worth Every Penny" went on sale yesterday.  I received a surprise copy in the mail yesterday.  UPS deliveries are always exciting, they mean pictures to deliver.  Surprise UPS deliveries with my name are especially exciting!

Depending on friends and family

I don't.  I know we start out depending on friends to help build up a portfolio, but the cheaper you are and the more you give away; it just defines you and your business.  I never left the area I grew up in, I had a small graduating class, you'd think small town, people would support each other, nope.  Now, if you give it away, probably.   But, it does hurt to see people who were friends in high school, class mates etc, take their kids someplace else for their senior pictures, I won't lie, it hurts.   Now, if my work sucked, if I hadn't earned that Certification, if I was a nasty uncaring person, well, I wouldn't care.  But I do care.   I also know that to the majority of the population, it's just a picture and the cheaper they can get it the better...doesn't even have to be good.  I just remind myself, you just got what you paid for.  But, someone out there is going to appreciate a good professional portrait created just for them and about them.  Those are the people in my business who really matter.


So, as I grow even thicker skinned, I remember, I own a business, it's not a hobby and as a business owner, I can actually pick who I want to do business with.  I do it by pricing myself to make a living and offering customer service that is all about my customers.  So, while that CD and online pics look great now, I'll let you explain to your kids why there aren't any portraits of them to show their kids or share at the 25 year class reunion walk down memory lane.

"P" is for....

You know, that little "P" on the dial of your camera (Creative control dial).  The one between the square and TV on my Canon 10D. (yeah, I shoot the old stuff....still looks incredible - so that blows the camera theory out of the water)

Back to the letter "P".  Now, I'm not here to bash anyone, I'm here to educate...e d u c a t e.  I recently read that several photographers on a professional page, thought the "P" stood for Portrait mode or Professional mode.  Were they serious?  I don't have a clue, but they appeared to be serious or at the very least, confused.   It came from reading that someone decided it stood for Passion, as in Photography is my Passion.  -  I'm so not going there in this blog post.

Honestly, I forget it exists, probably because my Big Girl camera I use in the studio does not have a letter "P" As a matter of fact it doesn't have a control dial at all. {gasp, but Kelly how can you take pictures without the letter "P"?}

The letter M.









"P" on the creative dial of your camera stands for "Programmable"  It lets you make a couple decisions and change a few things the camera has decided for you based on light and lens choices.  It may let you change  aperture or shutter speed.  But not both at once as in "M", but more than in "A" which gives you no control.  Basically, if you are a professional aspiring professional, charging at all, "P" stands for "Poor Choice"

How did I learn this?  That big fat book that came with 2 of my 3 used cameras.  And a class in digital photography from a real college, not a "workshop" online where you are charged outrageous amounts of money and never even get to raise your hand for q&a.  I paid less to learn the switch to digital than most of you did online through these "workshops" with "professional photographers" who no longer take picture or have been a "photographer" for 6 months.  The big names, I pay for, they count towards continued education for my CPP.  But again, that's another blog.

So, what have we learned?  If you are calling yourself an aspiring professional photographer or professional photographers, there is no room for "P" on your cmaera.   It's like using A (or that little green square on the Canon 10 and 20d).  Take a sharpie and black them out!  I don't care if you are just staring out.  Learn to do it the right way, then you can occasionally use "P" for your children's birthdays "P"arties.  If you are a novice, just take pics of your kids for your own personal use, that "P" can most definitely stand for "P"ersonal.

For  my local readers, I will be teaching a photography class at the AB Graham Center April 28th at 10am.  It will be followed up with a workshop learning to use your digital camera, advanced point and shoot to dslr, sometime in the summer.  If it has a camera with a shutter, I can teach you to use it....and the camera's book will be required. I will also teach you how to use "TV" and "AV".  This class is for people who just want to learn to take better pictures and use all those controls, it is not a professional class and absolutely not geared for those who are aspiring to be professional photographers.  I am not qualified to teach a class like that....yet.   But the rest of you, I do hope you will join me.  The class is $15, the workshop will be more.  The money helps the AB Graham keep it's doors open to the public.

Oh, BTW, If "P" stands for "Poor choice Mode", then "A" stands for "Amateur  Mode".  But "M" stands for Master Mode....kind of like, you are what you eat.