Erin and Jimmy E-Shoot

Ok, so it's been awhile! I want to share my very first professional shoot results with you guys here - even though "professional" may mean with our good friends and it was really only practice. Shhh! It was a good first dip into the world of directing photo sessions, and I must admit I was hesitant that I would be able to do it. Even though Erin is our close friend, I still had worries of feeling like I wouldn't be able to direct well enough to get good shots, not be able to strike the balance between bossy and indecisive. :)

See, dogs and kids - especially your own - you just kind of... follow. And take shots here and there - more candid. Truly candid. Adults... you direct to make it look candid! A whole different ball game! But, I feel good about this one, I got through it and now know that I can do it - and want to do more of it! I want this to be my true following, and I think this was another sign along that path.

Thanks again, Erin and Jimmy for letting me find that out on you guys!

They got married a week and a half ago, and I wanted them to be comfortable with me posting these pictures....since they had a lot on their plates - I waited until this week to ask, after coming home from their honeymoon - hope you had a great time, Mr. and Mrs P!

This will be a first in many posts, check back every day for more... I have a lot I need to share!

We started out on the steps:

One of my favorites: You can see so much of one's personality in their shoes - I LOVE shoe shots!

Then we moved to the open grass to try for some with a cute picnic feel - I was forever chasing the light - I didn't want to miss the warm sun setting, but we were a tad too early. Great light anyway, though still bright, so we improvised with an umbrella. :)

And in color - the POP of the umbrella and her gorgeous eyes were too much not to include!

eternal dilemma once again: I liked this one in color too:

More tomorrow!

Storyboard - The Bouquet

As I was prepping the pictures of what I did to emphasize out a bouquet shot yesterday, I was overwhelmed with the urge to make a storyboard out of the many (and I mean, MANY) variations I did with this picture.  I went saturated, closer, grainy, sepia, black and white, soft focus...I couldn't stop modifying them! Since so many pretty ones resulted, I decided to choose three and put them together, and here is the end result.  Simpler than my recent posts, which is why I love it - and since I love these flowers, the cobblestone texture - and I have been having a hard time choosing which finish to present, this is perfect for my obsessions. 

I am a flower junkie, and that's probably one of the reasons I love weddings so much! And, the more, the better! I remember my sister's wedding ceremony just brimming with flowers everywhere- they filled up the room in every corner and nook and cranny - and they provided such a romantic, overindulgent - yet fresh - ambiance. Perfect feel for a wedding. The color, the smell, the softness - ahhhhh! It was incredible. Not to say I don't love the look of a perfectly placed, modern display of singular blooms, but if I had to pick for my own wedding, the room would be ab.so.lute.ly. full of every kind and color imaginable. ;)

So, I hope you like this, Paige, but I guess you could say I did this one for the flower addict in me!

Disclaimer:  I did not take these pictures!  They are here for a "makeover". Go here to find out the whole story.

Remember, here's the original:

And now, the storyboard:

The Bouquet

One quick post before bed tonight - I have been extremely busy today for some reason!

Y'all know by now that I just loved these gorgeous flowers, but there were really no close ups...believe me, it was the first thing I looked for!....so I made my own!  Since they are high quality, large images, I was able to crop closely and still maintain the picture integrity. I zoomed in and Wa-la! I love how you get the texture of the cobblestone in the lower left corner. Here is the super quickie... 

Disclaimer:  I did not take these pictures!  They are here for a "makeover". Go here to find out the whole story.

Original:

Zoomed in and saturated, grainy:

Sepia tone:

One of the reasons I am so busy tonight is because I decide to make these variations into a storyboard at the last minute - I am still working, so I will finish in the morning and post it then - it shaping up to be super simple and elegant!

Storyboard - The Ring Shot

Disclaimer:  I did not take these pictures!  They are here for a "makeover". Go here to find out the whole story.

I'm not sure if you can consider this a storyboard if I didn't place it on a background, but the work that goes into these is just the same...so I am making the Executive Decision here.  Yes, they are.  ;)

Anyway, this was one of those super disappointing pics in my opinion, and I wanted to give them better!  Too much clutter and a harsh exposure make for a difficult-to-like picture. So, I chose to chop out as much extra as I could and soften the picture with a sepia or a black and white tone, since the color was just way too harsh.  I can't decide which of the final two I like better - vote now! :)

This was really great practice at using the clone stamp tool, so it was a worthy subject to set my sights on. I am happy to have learned the skill! Hopefully, Paige - you are happier with the end result.  :)

Original picture.  Fluorescent light is a photographer's worst enemy.

I cloned out Casey's other arm and fingers (that were trying to hide underneath!) and added a few more flowers to blend.  Then, I added some texture to soften the background.

Then, I added one word; short and sweet!  Next, I converted to sepia, and also to black and white. I really liked this end result! But I still can't choose which one I like better...

My favorite part about both of these is how it makes their rings just pop! Final results: