80’s Rockstar Dog | Kirkland, WA Photographer

Not many dogs can claim to have such cool hair!

Summertime | Kirkland, WA Photographer

What do feet have to do with summertime?  Well, thank you for asking!  To me, bare feet represent the essence of childhood and summertime.  I remember running around with no shoes, even to Circle K for treats after getting leaves out of my neighbors pool (Thanks for that by the way!).  The dirt, the grime, the constant wading into the pool, lake, beach, etc.  Who needs clean feet when shoes and shocks won’t be on them and chances are the water will clean them!  Who needs shoes in the summertime? It’s a sign- ready for fun, ready for the water, the heat…  The special thing about these feet is those cute little freckles on the bottom.  Have you ever looked at the bottoms of your feet?  I wonder if she even knows she has these?  :)

How much is that doggie… | Queen Creek Photographer

Oscar is the nicest dog I know.  I used to be a dog lover/owner myself but since then I have grown away from my love of dogs-weird, I know.  I suppose when you live with them and serve them by feeding and cleaning up poo, you can’t help but be a dog lover.  Anyhow, I do love a cute puppy and I love to play with them but I am not dying to own a dog again (unlike my daughter who is begging for a dog for her birthday…  she says she doesn’t want anything but a dog, not even a cake).  Back to Oscar.  He is kind, gentle and obedient.  You can’t ask for much more from a dog!  I will call myself the dog grandparent because I can play and enjoy their companionship but I can walk away without the responsibility of raising it and caring for it.  Yep, that is the type of dog relationship I enjoy.  Even Oscar can’t change my opinion (today).

Changes for those summertime pictures

You will just have to watch this!  I found this a bit ago and then was reminded of its awesomeness this morning on one of the photography forums I participate in. It is a great tutorial about several Photoshop tools BUT it is hilarious too.  Who needs to diet anymore?  Sorry that the picture for the page is a picture of ummm, well her backside but maybe it draws your attention a bit more?  All I can think about is how this woman feels with her picture being used as the example?  Maybe she is completely unaware and was just out for a fun day at the beach?  Go. Watch. Learn!

This ‘ol car | AZ Photography

Discovering other parts of AZ can be so fun, especially when you realize that it is totally normal (in other smaller cities) to leave old cars that don’t run on the side of the building.  This city-Miami, AZ, had so much character and texture.  I am sure the residents wondered what I was up to taking pictures of alley ways, buildings, old cars, signs, etc.  It was an adventure!  Time for me to take some more adventures in AZ!

A little graffiti | Queen Creek, AZ Photographer

What says, “I am proud of you!” more than a little graffiti on a  home?  Yes, this was a home.  The other side was obviously the entrance (or maybe the entrance was plastered in addition to the graffiti to REALLY make a point?  : )

Studio for sale

Just in case you have been looking… this is for sale in Superior, AZ- right where you want to be, I’m sure!  Nevermind that the backyard is close to falling off a little edge-they have filled some holes with mortar, everything should be fine.  : )

Learning about straight out of the camera (sooc) | Queen Creek Photographer

After a conversation yesterday with Kelli of France Photography we were both pretty determined to get our custom functions just the way we want them.  In the process we got curious about picture styles in our 5D Mark II.  Today, I put it to the test so I could know what changes when I select a different picture styles and what happens when I adjust the contrast, color, saturation, etc. in the camera.  The results…

This type of conversation (what is considered sooc) was also being discussed on a forum lead by the awesome Wendy Schultz and the recommendation was given to shoot raw+jpg and then compare side by side.  Turns out that those adjustments, changing the picture style, ONLY affect jpg images.  If you shoot in RAW, you won’t see different picture styles (as far as I can see- wouldn’t you agree though?), but you do have the power to make those adjustments in Lightroom, ACR, etc.  If you shoot in jpg, you will see the difference. For the images above, I chose the standard style, boosted the contrast to +3 and boosted the saturation to +3 and changed the color tone to +2.  I obviously boosted the saturation a bit on the ridiculous side of things but I wanted to make sure I could clearly see a difference.  Check out that turquoise sky.  : )  Oh and btw, how about the name of the business!!??  If you are wanting to shop at this store, which I don’t blame you if you do, you simply need to visit Superior, AZ. 

Love to learn!  So, the morale of my story is… if shooting in jpg, registering different picture styles is worthwhile!

Gilbert Photography

This was a Friday adventure!  If you take a class from Wendy Schultz then you have the privilege of becoming part of her “alumni” and she arranges an adventure once a month with any students that are here in the valley.  So, this is what we discovered and it was cool.  VERY COOL.  It was nice to meet others that have taken the class and officially meet Wendy too.  I have “talked” with her in many ways except in person until Friday!  I look forward to many more Friday adventures!

Photoshop it

Ever said or heard the term, “…just photoshop it!” !  I hear it daily and when doing a photo session, I hear it at least three times in an hour.  It is a common term because of a misconception. I am here to tell the truth about Photoshop…  everything takes thought, time and talent (and money). The world has turned to Photoshop (PS), our culture depends on it.  If we didn’t have PS, how could cosmetics sell, how could print ads/beauty articles make money?  PS is used to make the plain and simple look amazingly beautiful.  Watch this from YouTube and you will see what I mean… (pay particular attention to the second half)  Dove Evolution

So you noticed that the first part is all about hair and make-up and lighting, then came the photo session.  It is after the photo session that PS was put to work…  Her eyebrows were changed, her neck grew, her lips became fuller, eyes wider/larger and her hair darker and thicker.  There in lies the misconception-everything can be done, created/changed in Photoshop.  While that may hold true, somehow the value has been diminished.  What exactly does that mean when somebody says those three words?  Does our world know PS as a “fix” so we all start to use the term, “Photoshop it” meaning fix it… make me look thinner, make me look beautiful, make that not so green grass look lush and scenic, etc.?  As you saw in the movie, things were fixed but were they ever broken?  What was wrong with her real beauty?  What is wrong with real beauty?  (topic for another day, I suppose)

In PS, there are layers upon layers upon layers…  actions and more actions.  PS is amazing and the things that can be done are amazing.  Creating is something photographers love to do-its why we are behind the camera, whether we work with PS or not.  Some PS users complete their style with PS, adding textures, colors, etc.  What I am talking about is the reliance on PS as a means to create/complete a photo.  Nowadays, those simple words, “just Photoshop it” are said as if it is a simple change, a click on the mouse or a moment in time.  The assumption is that PS will make XYZ better…  PS is still a skill, a learned process with many errors and mistakes.  Photoshop takes a lifetime to learn and while you are spending your lifetime learning it, things are changing behind and ahead of you.  : )  PS is truly an wondrous tool and it can add so much (or take away so much if you don’t know what you are doing ) to an image.  Those using PS will agree that if you are working on an image you truly care about, it takes time and more time!

So, what am I ranting and raving about?  Good question!  : )  I want the term “Photoshop it” to be used less often or the realization of what it means.  I want the non-PS users to know that everything in PS is not easy, just open it up and you will see.  I want all to value true beauty.  I want others to value the time it takes to “just Photoshop it.”   Here is what comes to mind when I think of “just photoshop it”-a quick fix or change.  : )  This poor girl, if she only knew what I just did to her picture.  ; )  Actually, in the second photo, it looks like she might know…