30 Day Photo Challenge

I am going to be doing a 30 day photo challenge in January 2013.  What it is, is there is a theme for each day.  You are to take a photo with that theme and then post.  I would love to see a few people join me in it.  Here is the list for January 2013.

2013 Prices!!!

After polling clients and family I have decided to add packages back into my pricing structure.  Not alot else has changed.  Please feel free to let me know what you think.  I hope you book a session soon!!!  More prices available for specialty items and specialty session.  Please contact me with any questions.  Thanks!!!

How to get those perfect Christmas Tree Star Light Photos

Who doesnt want the perfect christmas tree photo?  Well here is a quick guide on how to get those "star" light photos.  Hope you enjoy!

Here is what you need:

-camera
-lens
-christmas tree
-tripod (or something steady)
-patience* (This is most important)

Step #1 Set up your tripod

Don’t worry if you don’t have a tripod. You can use any stable item! The most important aspect is a long shutter speed time, hence the tripod. This is our first line of defense against any movement obstructing the pretty starbursts we are aiming to achieve.

Step #2  Set your Baseline Settings

To get the starburst light effect you need to have a high F/stop number which means a slow shutter speed.  Here are some examples of the different settings.  I used ISO 800 as I had no other light source on.  You can do this with additional lights and lower your ISO but the starbursts will be less apparent.

F/22 at ISO 800 is my favorite.  Try your own out and let me know how it works for you!

New Year New You January 2013 Special

Join us in celebrating the New Year with a photo shoot just for you.  Use this special to get a new headshot, a new online profile photo, show off your new winter gear, or just to have some fun.  We all know  as the person taking the photos we usually do not have many of ourselves.  Here's your chance to have some fun professional photos taken just for you of you.  Bring a friend and you will both receive a special gift from KRP Photography.

Getting it Right in Camera

There always talk about how auto settings are so bad.  Well I say go for it for a while until you learn the feel of your camera.  Then venture out and try the manual setting and find what works for you.  Here is a great chart to show you all about the different settings.

Here is some information on all the different parts of this chart.

Exposure:  In Photography, exposure is the amount of light allowed to fall on each area unit of a photographic medium (photograpic film or image sensor) during the process of taking photograph.   To get a properly exposed image you must have the right settings for your aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and white balance.

Aperture:  Aperture is referred to the lens diaphragm opening inside a photographic lens. The size of the diaphragm opening in a camera lens REGULATES amount of light passes through onto the film inside the camera the moment when the shutter curtain in camera opens during an exposure process. The size of an aperture in a lens can either be a fixed or the most popular form in an adjustable type (like an SLR camera). Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers or f-stops. i.e. those little numbers engraved on the lens barrel like f22 (f/22),16 (f/16), f/11, f/8.0, f/5.6, f/4.0, f/2.8, f/2.0, f/1.8 etc. Each of this value represents one time the amount of light either more or less in quantity. Meaning to say, f/16 will let in 1X the amount of light than a diaphragm opening of f/22 and so forth; while on the other hand, an aperture of f/4.0 will let in 1X lesser than that of f/2.8 etc.   Just remember the smaller the F/Stop the more light it lets in and the larger the F/Stop the less light, see above photo.

Shutter Speed:  In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open.^[1] The total exposure is proportional to this exposure time, or duration of light reaching the film or image sensor.

ISO:  ISO indicates your digital camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the number, the less light is needed to take a photo that is correctly exposed (not too dark or too light).  Here is a little guide to help you choose the correct ISO.

White Balance:    White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account the "color temperature" of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great difficulty with auto white balance (AWB) — and can create unsightly blue, orange, or even green color casts. Understanding digital white balance can help you avoid these color casts, thereby improving your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions.

Here are some of the basic White Balance settings you’ll find on cameras:

• Auto – this is where the camera makes a best guess on a shot by shot basis. You’ll find it works in many situations but it’s worth venturing out of it for trickier lighting.
• Tungsten – this mode is usually symbolized with a little bulb and is for shooting indoors, especially under tungsten (incandescent) lighting (such as bulb lighting). It generally cools down the colors in photos.
• Fluorescent – this compensates for the ‘cool’ light of fluorescent light and will warm up your shots.
• Daylight/Sunny – not all cameras have this setting because it sets things as fairly ‘normal’ white balance settings.
• Cloudy – this setting generally warms things up a touch more than ‘daylight’ mode.
• Flash – the flash of a camera can be quite a cool light so in Flash WB mode you’ll find it warms up your shots a touch.
• Shade – the light in shade is generally cooler (bluer) than shooting in direct sunlight so this mode will warm things up a little.

Hope this article helped clear up a few questions, if not feel free to contact me.

Baby "P" Merry Christmas

This little cutie is always all smiles.  Its so fun to photograph him and he makes it so easy!  Enjoy!

Whats in my camera bag???

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is what camera and lenses I use. So let me start by saying I really love my camera and lenses. They are amazing tools that help me make the images I see in my head a reality. But I’d like to state for the record what you already know. The camera, lenses and gear are not what make a great image – the person using it does. There are so many things that you need to pair with that great gear to realize a fabulous photograph … knowing how to compose your image and create unique art, how to capture true emotions, how to achieve proper exposure, how to nail your focus, how to process your images well, etc., etc. I do believe, however, that having the right tools to do your job as a photographer will definitely improve your final results and in some instances give you more creative freedom to get the shots you are dreaming of. I think there is a balance between “the camera doesn’t matter at all – an artist can create beauty from absolutely any gear” and “you must have the latest and greatest expensive gear to take good photographs.”

This is definately not all of my camera equipment I own, just what I carry with me on a daily basis (minus a few things) Now, with all that said … let me introduce you to my large family of tools that do such a splendid job in helping me create my images. ;)

I also usually have gum, candy, a little toy & bubbles if photographing a small child.  Sometimes I take a color checker with me and a reflector also.  (none shown above) 

My bag was getting way to heavy with all my gear so I had to cull and decide what I really needed when I went out on a shoot, even then I do not carry my entire bag with me, I take what I need and come back for items if needed.

Included in my bag is:
1.  My Jill-E Bag - this was a great investment, it is stylish, fits everything I need, yet restricts me
     enough that i do not carry everything all the time.
2.  My Canon T2i camera body with a Tamron 28-75mm lens - this is my goto setup for almost all
     my shoots.
3.  My Flash - hardly ever use it, I prefer natural light but I carry just in case.
4.  Canon Shutter Release - This handly little tool is a life saver for when I want to be in a picture and
     do not have an assistant to push the shutter button.
5.  Battery Charge (not marked) - I carry this just in case i need to charge up my batteries.
6.  Business Cards - Always need to have your contact information on hand
7.  Pen - Sounds simple but is great for the contracts that need signed, notes to remember for later, etc
8.  Canon 50mm lens - This is my backup lens, mainly due to being small and light weight
9.  Light Meter - Used to ensure proper exposure on location

So there you have it.  If you have any questions about anything in my bag please feel free to ask.