Fall Package {{Valid Now thru 10/21/2011}}

The fall colors have finally arrived!! Schedule your Fall Family photo shoot within the next 2 weeks and receive a discounted package. This year’s fall package includes session fee, 1 8x10, and 5 5x7's for $64.99! 

Package only valid for the next two weeks so call or email me ASAP to take advantage!!!

 C: 740.506.0312

EmileeAnnPhoto@yahoo.com

{The Parsons Children} {Part2}

Sneak Peek {The Parsons Children}

Inspiration

Norman Rockwell used photography as subject of his paintings.

Norman Rockwell used photos, taken by a rotating cast of photographers, to make his illustrations -- and all of his models were neighbors and friends, including that little boy! Rockwell never kept it a secret, but for some reason this little fact has been neglected in recent decades. Although he may not have clicked the shutter, Rockwell directed every facet of every composition.
A new book, Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera, reveals Rockwell's use of photographs in his illustrative process. There's also a companion exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.

Out the the OLD! In with the NEW!

I feel the need to simplify things a bit. Things can't always remain the same and change is good....right? Well, atleast for this I feel it is. Moving forward, I am taking a new approach toward my photography. With softer colors and backgrounds....no longer focused on the "vividness" of my art. 
With  a new approach comes a new blog. From now on, I will be posting on my new blog which can be located at the site you are currently at now:
http://emileeannphoto.blogspot.com/
Not to worry though, my old blog which includes photos and educational resources will still be available for some time. The link to my old blog will remain the same:
http://www.vividexpressionsphotography.com/
Please be sure to let me know what you think of my new blog!

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Photographers Block? Try the The 100 step challenge.

We all need a little inspiration. So while killing time on this rainy Friday evening, I found another fun photo project that I wanted to share.

It’s easy: Grab your camera, and start walking. 

Count your steps. After 100 steps, stop where you are, and where you’re standing, you have to take a photograph.

“But there won’t be anything there,” I hear you cry. Well, yes, but that’s the point. The idea behind the 100 step challenge is to force yourself to see scenes and to create pictures even if there’s nothing there to be seen. 

It’s kind of like free association writing, where you just start writing, and keep your hand moving even if you have nothing to say – sometimes, the greatest things are created when you’ve run out of things to say.Even if you don’t get a single good photo out of your 100-step challenge, you’ll have had a nice walk out of it, right?

{{Courtesy of PixIq.com}}

Neutral Density Filters

I have had very little experience with Neutral Density lenses but do have one friend who swears by them. He shoots a lot in his beautiful garden and his goal is to get a well exposed flower with a nice blurry background. As a result he has to shoot at very large Apertures (to get the blur). The problem he faces is that on a bright sunny day this can lead to over exposed shots.The solution is a Neutral Density Filter which cuts down the light getting into your camera. You can buy them at different levels (ie 1 stop, 2 stops, 3 stops etc). 

This type of filter is useful in any setting where you want to use larger Apertures and/or slow shutter speeds in bright conditions.One work-around that you might try in an emergency is to simply use a polarizing filter in such conditions as they also cut out light getting into your lens in a similar way. Keep in mind though that they also could impact other aspects of the shot (reflections, color etc). 

Read more: Neutral Density Filters

UV Filters

The main reason that I buy UV filters the for all of my lenses is protection of the lenses. Lenses are not cheap and the thought of scratching or cracking the front glass element is enough to send shivers down most photographers backs. I’d rather have to replace a $50 filter than a $1500 lens any day. UV filters are also great at keeping salt spray, dust and grime off the front of your lens.Those still using film cameras will find UV filters handy also for cutting back the ultraviolet light. However most digital cameras have the ability to cut down UV and Infrared light.Just be aware when buying a UV filter (or an alternative for protection might be a skylight filter) that the quality varies. I tend to buy higher end professional filters for my higher end lenses. 

 Read more: UV Filters

How to Use and Buy Polarizing Filters

Does your camera have the ability to use filters?If so – one of the most useful filters to consider purchasing is a polarizing filter. Believe me – the ‘wow factor’ that it brings to many of the shots you’ll take has to be seen to be believed.A lot can be said about the technicalities of how they work but to keep this post brief let me head straight to the benefits of using one.Polarising filters change the way that your camera sees and treats light. Particularly – when using one you’ll notice a change in how your camera sees reflections and glare. As a result it also has the ability to change the vibrancy of some colors in shots. Let’s look at a few areas where polarising filters can have have the biggest impact: 

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The Garden Hose Metaphor. An Easy Explanation of How Aperture & Shutter Speed Go Hand in Hand

Aperture, shutter speed, exposure, yada yada yada. Does it all sound German?? If you answered yes, that is okay! Here is an easy analogy that will make all those confusing words a bit more understandable. 

Think of your garden water hose that you are using to fill a bucket with water. 

• The diameter of the hose can be thought of as the aperture: the larger the diameter, the more water flows through. 
• The length of time you leave the tap open can be thought of as the shutter speed: the longer you leave the tap open, the more water flows through. 
• The speed of water flow can be thought of as the ISO: the faster the water flows through the hose, the more water flows through. 
• The amount of water that collects into the bucket is the exposure.

Let's also pretend that you have two water hoses.

                                  One with a small diameter (F8 aperture)

                                  The second with a larger diameter (F2.8 aperture)

To fill our bucket, we experiment with the smaller of the two hoses and find that we need to leave the tap open for 10 min (our shutter speed of 1/30 sec.).

 So, here we have the following 'exposure setting':

• Small hose & long time of 10 min.
• small aperture (F8) & slow shutter speed of 1/30 sec.

OK, so what happens if you use the same small hose but close the tap after, let's say, 3 min? Of course, it's clear that the bucket won't be full.

That is exactly what you did when you kept the same aperture and used a faster shutter speed. Not enough light came in to properly expose the image sensor ('the bucket is not full'). What do you have to do to fill up the bucket? Use the bigger hose! Aha, now with more water gushing out of your bigger hose, you can now close the tap earlier and still obtain a full bucket.

Similarly, to use a faster shutter speed, you need to use a larger aperture. Dial in F2.8 at 1/250 sec. and presto! you've just taken a perfectly exposed picture 

Here is your new 'exposure setting':

• big hose & short time of 3 min
• large aperture (F2.8) & fast shutter speed of 1/250 sec.

Photograph What Matters To You!

I saw this article and thought it was great so I wanted to share. A lot of times I look at other photographers photos and theirs are so much different than mine. But I always try to keep in mind that is what makes photography so great. Showing people how the world looks through my eyes is what makes this industry so amazing!

"It might seem an obvious question but it still seems like I should ask it. If you don’t care about the subjects you photograph, what makes you think your audience will?

You don’t need to be concerned with changing the world with your photographs. You need to be concerned with telling a story about the things that really, truly matter to you. It doesn’t matter what they are. If the way the light falls on a fire hydrant matters to you – photograph it. If the relationship between your sisters is truly beautiful and it matters to you photograph it.

You don’t have to understand it or be an expert at it – although subject knowledge always helps. But you do have to be passionate about it – really.

Don’t be swayed by anyone else. There is only one you. And only you know what is important to you deep down. Don’t photograph what you THINK everyone else wants you to. Photograph what YOU want to. Period. That’s where your best images will come from."

Courtesy of PhotoFocus.com

http://photofocus.com/2011/01/28/photograph-what-matters-to-you/

The Lowdown on MegaPixels

Is bigger always better? In some cases.....yes. But in this case No! 

What is a pixel or megapixel and why does it affect your decision when buying a new camera when you don't even know what it is??

The megapixel myth was started by camera makers and swallowed hook, line, and sinker by camera buyer enthusiasts. Camera makers use the number of megapixels a camera has to hoodwink you into thinking it has something to do with camera quality. This gimmick is used by salespeople and manufacturers to make you feel as if your current camera is inadequate and needs to be replaced even if the new cameras each year are only slightly better.

Read more »

The LowDown on ISO

ISO is the number signifying the light sensitivity of an imaging sensor; it is measured in numbers (like 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). Sometimes, this number is also known as an "ISO number", or, more commonly, the "film speed". 

Historically, the lower the ISO number, the lower the sensitivity of the film and the finer the grain in the pictures or shots you are taking. This has translated pretty well into digital photography, too: Higher ISO gives you higher sensitivity, but at the cost of a larger amount of digital noise.

• You obtain the best image quality by using the lowest ISO possible on your digital camera. If you want to ensure your digital camera always uses the lowest ISO setting, switch the ISO setting from the default "Auto ISO" (this setting is usually found in the Menu) to the lowest possible on the camera, say ISO 50.

• If you mostly take pictures where there is enough light for a correct exposure, i.e. sunny outdoors, then using the lowest ISO on your digital camera will give you the best image quality your digital camera is capable of.

• If you want to take pictures indoors where light may not be sufficient and in other low-light situations, then you would need to supplement existing light with flash or studio lights. Either that, or select a higher ISO. Of course, depending on your digital camera, a higher ISO may mean a noisy image.

• If you leave your camera on "Auto ISO" and if you find that most of your images are noisy, then perhaps you are taking most of your pictures in low-light situations where the camera has automatically selected a higher ISO.

100 Step Photo Challenge

Wanna take photos of something but not sure what? Try this challenge!

The 100 step challenge. It’s easy: Grab your camera, and start walking. Count your steps. After 100 steps, stop where you are, and where you’re standing, you have to take a photograph. 

“But there won’t be anything there”, I hear you cry. Well, yes, but that’s the point. The idea behind the 100 step challenge is to force yourself to see scenes and to create pictures even if there’s nothing there to be seen. It’s kind of like free association writing, where you just start writing, and keep your hand moving even if you have nothing to say – sometimes, the greatest things are created when you’ve run out of things to say.Even if you don’t get a single good photo out of your 100-step challenge, you’ll have had a nice walk out of it, right? 

Things I Love. A Long Term Photo Project.

So I stumbled upon this project idea while searching the net for creative projects that I could start. When I saw this I though "how cool would this be?!" This isn't just a photo project that I could begin and then stop that day or the next. This could be a long term photo project spanning years and possibly even decades!

Where the Idea Came From

Professional photographer Diego Goldberg, who lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina began this project in 1976 and it continues into the future. Like many long-term projects, the individual photos, taken out of context don’t mean much individually, but placed together, they are a powerful visual story.

 His concept and photos are simple. Every June 17^th, rain or shine, at home or elsewhere, healthy or sick, he takes a self-portrait, head and shoulders looking straight into the camera. Also, his brave wife Susy. And as the years went on, he added his three sons.

It’s really a wonderful story of a family, told through the universal language of photography. There is also a video of an ABC News piece done on Mr. Goldberg. The video can be viewed here:  Diego Goldberg Video

Have a look at this Link to see the photos on Pedro Meyer's ZeroZero.com website, I think you’ll love it as much as I do. After all, it’s a universal story.

Photo Composition -A Guide For Beginners

The most important part of taking a picture, aside from lighting, is absolutely positively the photo composition. It drives me COMPLETELY bonkers when I see pictures with bad composition. I guess that's one thing that separates a good photographer from a really really bad one. When I see people on FaceBook page post photo's that are really really bad I have to just stop looking. I get SO embarrassed for that person. I wish I could post one to show you but I'm not that cruel. Now I'm not saying that I'm perfect or EVEN close to being perfect. There's no such thing. I've made many, many, many of my own mistakes......but I've learned from each "bad" mistake. But when people keep making the same mistake over and over again, it just makes me nuts!

Most people don't understand that when you take a picture, you DON'T need to see 3/4 of the ceiling or 3/4 of the sky!! Come on People!! That has been my #1 pet peeve for as long as I can remember. Whenever I have someone shoot a photo of me, I always have to tell them "head closer to the top of the frame please." I can't begin to tell you how many "bad" photos could be "good" if the one taking the photo understood the correct composition of a photo.

Read more »

Reasons to Upgrade to a DSLR

Reasons to Upgrade to a DSLR

Growing up, my Mom took A LOT of photos and she always had them printed. I can say that is where I initially got my inspiration. I can recall she had an SLR camera (single lens reflex) that she used to use quite often. Around the age of 6 or 7, I still remember looking at the prints she had taken with her SLR and being completely mesmerized by the image quality. I didn’t know at the time what made those prints different than the prints she had taken with a regular 35mm camera but I knew something was different. Ya see, even a 6 year old can tell the difference between good prints!

So why upgrade to a dslr (digital single lens reflex) camera? Well there are many reasons. Several of those reasons I have provided with you below:

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JPEG vs. RAW

If you've been doing your digital SLR homework, you've probably read some debate about the merits of RAW vs. JPG.

While it sounds like it might be the final match in an evening of professional wrestling, it really describes the two different ways you can capture photos with a digital SLR.

Let's simplify the issue for a moment.

There's really only one basic question you need to answer: do you want the camera to process your images or not?

In the paragraphs that follow, I'll explain why having an answer to this question will help you select the right format to use.

Read more »

The First Steps in Learning Photography.

A great thought to live by…….Always challenge yourself and always aim to discover something new. It not only makes you feel more confident in yourself, but it also keeps your brain sharp and can also help that old age dementia from setting in as early. You apparently like photography otherwise you would’nt be reading this blog. So why not learn photography? Who doesn’t like to snap photos? I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like to!


The first step in learning photography is not how to hold the camera, or focus, or training your eye to find the perfect background. It’s learning the basics. You might think that photography is a simple thing to learn. Wrong. If it were that easy, every where you turned you would find stunning photos taken by every one and their brother. Finding out how to take these photos as perfectly as possible does take some training. The place to start combines a firm knowledge of Apeture, Shutter Speed, & ISO.

http://www.photo.net/ provides beginners and advanced users a great location to not only learn but to also challege themselves as artisits. Bryan F. Peterson explains in easiest terms how to learn how Apeture, Shutter Speed, & ISO all work together to create amazing photographs. He describes it as “The Photographic Triangle.”

Read more »

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