So, I want to talk about photo editing software.  Almost every image I take goes through editing.  On occasion when I take a landscape photo, it doesn’t really need a lot of editing.  I really like the natural look, so I try to minimize the excessively edited look at times.  There are times where that look is preferred, but I try not to overdo it MOST of the time.

So, I use 2-3 different types of software for editing.  I like Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw, and Photoshop CS6.

These software options are rather expensive, but there’s a solution for this.  I went online and searched for some free online options.  For those who have an iMac, iPhoto works great for cataloging and editing.  Before I really got into photography I used this software.  When I was strictly a PC user, I used Picasa’s free software.  Since 2006, there have been quite a few new options.  I did an online search and I played with one option.  I played around with Pixlr.  Pixlr is a lot like Photoshop.  The set up is very similar and it has layers as well.  It also has a clone stamp which is really cool.  So, you can do quite a bit with free software.  You should just go over and start playing with it and see what you can do.

Of course, the other option is to use the apps available on your phone.  The smart phone now allows for easy transfer of media between phone and computers.  I have done that before for some of my photos for fun.  Some of the applications offer a quick and easy solution to editing on a computer.  You just have to be careful because sometimes these apps decrease the image quality.  So, if you’re using your phone apps, make sure that you check your image quality.  The phone apps I like are Camera+, Photoshop Express, and of course Instagram!  I’ve reviewed the Camera+ app here.

Photoshop Express is a nice app because you can adjust exposure.  I think that iPhone’s photo software also has the capability to do some basic editing and cropping.  I’ve taken a few screen shots so you can see what editing options are available for with the application.

So, I know this didn’t go into how to edit, but I wanted to show you that you can have a lot of editing options without spending a ton of money.  So, if you have any other software you would like to share, let me know.  Thanks for coming by this week!  If you have any requests for photography tips you would like for a future blog post, please e-mail me and I would be happy to address them!

If you want a more personalized approach, I also offer photography workshops!  Just e-mail me for more information – vicky@victoriaflowerphoto.com

So, lately I’ve been wanting to change my workouts to go from the super intense to more mellow workouts.  Years ago, I tried yoga and I actually really liked it.  I had tried it here and there, but yoga now is a lot different than it was like 10 years ago.  Also, years ago, I did it with a video.  It was crazy hard, but most of it was to work on flexibility.  This was before the world of vinyasa yoga, bikram yoga, and acro yoga had hit the main stream.  So, a yoga studio opened up in town and I decided I would check it out.  They had a great introductory deal, so, I thought I would jump in.  I was just perused their website and found this great class call Community Power Hour.  The class description reads:  ”If you are interested in starting yoga, or continuing your practice, but do not have the time or investment to commit, please join our community classes. We believe everybody should be able to practice, regardless of life’s current situation. See the difference yoga can make in your life. This is a free class, with no obligation to join.”

So, Leap Yoga is the place that I have been visiting and they are just great.  I thought it was so cool of them to offer a class that is free and gives the community a chance to experience the benefits of yoga.  It can be quite an expensive investment, but I love that it truly is a no obligation class to try out yoga.  I actually went to try out the class today!

When the class was finished, there was no obligation to join.  I just think it’s such a wonderful service they could offer!  I had a great time and the class was challenging and there were a lot of assistants around to help! I had a blast!  These folks run a great studio!  Go check them out!  :)

–

I didn’t meet little miss O until the fall of 2011.  At the time, she was about 3 months old.  She was doing a great job holding her head up and enjoyed smiling.

Fast forward 9 months and I can’t believe we were celebrating her 1st birthday!

I can’t believe how big she got in such a short amount of time.  She was still as happy as a clam.  She was running around with a huge smile all day.  I think she knew it was her special day!

The day was filled with great friends, good food, and a ton of fun.

Don’t worry, that was just for the grown ups!

Mom hired a face painter and clown and the kids just had such a blast!  I’ve been to a few of these parties with face painters and the kiddos just go crazy over it.  Some of the face painters just do such a phenomenal job!  It’s really cool to see the artists do their work.

The cake was pretty gorgeous too!  Look at the super cute giraffe topper?

One of the best things about the party is the cake!  So, little O got to dive into a (cup)cake for the first time!  It was pretty adorable!

I love that she loves to share!

Happy birthday, Miss O!  Thank you so much S family for having me at this momentous occasion!  As always, I’m honored to be a part of such wonderful memories!  I can’t wait for what else is in store for little miss O!

—-

As a wedding photographer, we’re invited to one of the most intimate moments of a couples life.  We get invited to the day they commit to each other for life.  My friends would find this a bit shocking, but deep down inside, I’m a total romantic.  I’m a sucker for a good story and I love how a groom looks at his bride.

N and M were MADE for each other.  You could see in the way they interacted.  We started off the day at the hotel with the guys as they got ready.  It was so great to see them all in there relaxed as they guided their friend to one of the biggest days of his life.

I love how he is just giddy with excitement in this image above!  :)

Our next stop was over to the ladies hotel room.  For the ladies we got to photograph them getting ready in two locations.  The first was the hotel room and the second was the wedding venue.  I feel like this wedding is like the wedding a little girl would dream about.  The venue was the bride’s father’s home.  This big beautiful gorgeous house in Yuba City on this beautiful property!  Inside the home just had magnificent light.  I’m sort of infatuated with white walls right now.  I always talk about when it’s time for me to get a studio that I get one with gorgeous white walls that just bounce light everywhere!  When you see the images, you’ll totally flip!

So, off we went to the hotel room to grab a few shots of the beautiful ladies getting ready.

Did I forget to mention that she is both gorgeous and adorable???!!  Yeah, I know!

So, once we were done at the hotel room, we headed over to the house.  When we arrived at the house, we met with the parents and heard what had happened.  So, we all know that on the wedding things happen — it’s just the way it is.  Well, on this day, the family and their backyard set up beautifully and ready for the reception and ceremony the next day.  What NO ONE expected was that over night they would have huge wind gusts.  The wind was so bad that when they came out in the morning, everything was gone.  EVERYTHING.  But, no matter.  The bride and groom’s wonderful friends and family banded together and got another set up going.  Since the winds were still gusting, they decided to change up the reception a little bit and move it closer to the home so that the wouldn’t pick everything up and relocate again.  The reception and ceremony area looked great!  Phew!  So, after all that excitement, we got to get with the girls and finish getting ready!  I can’t say it enough, but M was just stunning that day!

The light in there was just so gorgeous!!  I just loved how she was lit that day!  So beautiful!

This is one of those moments I’m so fortunate to witness.  I think we all go through this moment when we put on the dress and we’re there with our parents and closest friends.  So many things flash through your mind and you get a little emotional.  You can’t believe it’s happening and you can’t believe today is the day.

I just loved the flowers and those shoes!!

So, while the girls finished up, we went outside and grabbed some shots of the cake and reception area.

There was gorgeous light coming from everywhere!  I loved this day!!

They had great little details in their day.

So, now that is all done and taken care of, it was time for the ceremony!  There was still quite a bit of wind, but everyone did a great job and the ceremony was beautiful.

I caught this little sneak peak right before M walked down the isle.

Then two officially became one…

So, we proceeded with a little photo fun now that business was taken care of.  The ceremony is always the hardest part to get through.  After that, you feel like you can just relax!  So, we headed around the property to find some areas that were shielded from the wind.  I love getting to participate in these photos.  While I was taking these photos, I got to see how N looked at his wife.  He was just head over heals in love with his bride.  You could see in every photo that he was just lost in her eyes.  It makes me all warm and fuzzy every time I get to see this.  I think every bride dreams and imagines that their grooms will look at them like this.

How sweet is this photo above?  Right???  Isn’t he just so in love and lost in that feeling!  I just love how that looks!!!  It’s just something that naturally shows up on film.

Oh my gosh!!!  Seriously, you guys???  Just beautiful!!!

The above photo is just one of my favorites.  I just love everything that is happening there!

And a little shot of the rings!

All right!  Now that’s done, it’s time to eat and boogie.  Once we got with photos, the reception began.  We had a beautiful first dance and some touching moments with the parent dances.  These parts bring me to tears sometimes.  I just love how these families come together and embrace everyone.  It really is just so touching!

They’re just having such a blast!  I LOVE it!

A mother and her son.  I think this picture just speaks for itself!

After some cake, we did the bouquet and garter toss.  This is always a fun event to watch because it’s the wild card.  You truly never know what will happen!

The night ended with some cigars and dancing.

M and N, wow, what a beautifully planned day!  Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the festivities!  I just can’t express how grateful I am to witness this special day in your lives!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Special Thanks:

Lead Photographer:  Amber Felts of Shoop’s Photography

—

A photographer’s best friend and worst enemy can be light.  You just have to know how to deal with the circumstances you’re provided. So, this week’s tip is…

This takes time.  I am still learning a lot about light and lighting situations.  You may hear from folks that the sun can be a photographer’s mortal enemy — well, direct sunlight.  To be honest, it doesn’t have to be this way.  We can use the sunlight to create really amazing gorgeous images.  There are still a few techniques I’m really trying to master with the addition of flashes and such, but if I’m shooting without any light modifiers or anything, I can still get by in direct sunlight.  Does it make me uncomfortable to shoot in direct sunlight?  You bet cha.  It’s not my ideal shooting situation, but I can have a good time and make it work.

So, it’s a little embarrassing, but I’m going have to dig through my “outtakes” in my archives to share with you some of my own mistakes!  So…let’s begin!

So, what’s so bad about shooting in direct sun????

Well, there are several things that make shooting in direct sunlight difficult.  when you’re photographing people, you get the squint affect.  When people in the sun or looking toward the sun, they start squinting and this doesn’t make for a great photo.

 This fella is a handsome man (my friend’s hubby at their vow renewal), but I didn’t do him any justice by placing him head on into the sun.  You can’t see his eyes and he’s squinting.  Luckily, his shirt isn’t completely blown out which can happen as well.  Another issue you can have is that the skin can be completely overexposed.

Another thing that happens is you get harsh shadows that aren’t flattering to your subject.  I’ve got proof that I’ve made this mistake too!

This was not a strong choice in the placement of my subjects.  I have funky harsh shadows and overexposed skin/blown highlights.  I wanted to capture a moment, but I distracted from the moment with poor lighting.  Imagine if the subjects were turned around and facing the camera.  Their faces would be completely blown out.  Some shadows you get when the sun is right above someone is the raccoon eye effect.  They get these dark shadows under their eyes that doesn’t do your subject any justice.  So, you really have to watch for the position of the sun in relation to your subjects.

When should I shoot?

The sun is strongest at around 12-3 or 4 depending on the time of year and region you live in.  Sometimes you can’t avoid the sun!  Sometimes Suzie Q’s softball game has to be at 2:00 or little Johnny’s soccer game starts at 12:00.  What then???  What should you do?  Well, there are several things you can do.  The easiest thing for me is to FIND SOME SHADE!!  :).  If that’s not an option, just be mindful of the position of the sun and what effects it has on your subject.  If it’s your child’s soccer game, maybe find a different seat/angle to shoot from if the sun is going to be a big issue.  I don’t use modifiers or anything like that too often.  Sometimes I will diffuse the light, but honestly, I only really do that when I’m indoors and light is coming through a window.

If the sun is behind your subject and your camera is on automatic, your flash will likely go off.  This happens because the camera is noticing that the subject is so dark and we need a little pop of light.  You can test this out, buy placing a subject in front of you with the sun behind them.  You can see that their faces are darker.  Once you get comfortable outside of shooting automatic, you can play a little with camera settings to provide a little more light to the subject.  In my Intro to DSLR workshop we discuss how we can adjust our cameras to overcome some lighting issues.  The other thing to consider is that the flash probably won’t make it to the soccer field if you’re shoot from the bleachers — well, I guess it depends where on the bleachers..:).  So, you may have to move or make some camera adjustments.  In my Intro to DSLR workshop we discuss how we can adjust our cameras to overcome some lighting issues.

Here is an example where you can see where having the light source in the back looks like form a side angle.

This image doesn’t bother me only because I’m shooting from the side.  I can still make out their faces.  I just like that it shows the lake and the beach.  :).  But you can gather from this image that if you were standing in front of the subjects they would definitely be darker.  So, try moving around your subject.  You may find a perspective with the light that you can work with.

Another one image from when I first started.  I really like the Weeping Willow Trees, so I had to get this gorgeous couple underneath one.  The sun was to camera right.  They were sort of in the shade, but not really.  Notice the gentleman’s face.  Sun directly in his eyes – sorry!  :).  We probably could have and should have rotated them a little.  Another thing that could have been a problem is a shadow in his face or if her face was too dark.  Sometimes shooting in the sun causes these issues.  Since this was taken so long ago, I have no idea if I corrected for any of these potential errors in Photoshop already.

This image below is also from when I first started.  Isn’t this little monkey having a blast?  You have to be mindful of some children who have fair skin as the sun will just washout the color and you’ll have a completely blown out face.

So for this senior portrait session, this gorgeous young lady and I set out at about 12:00 to shoot, I believe.  We headed out to this little area by the tracks and I had no idea where the sun would be at that point.  I had been shooting in the shade for the majority of the shoot thus far.  This photo was shot at 1:36 in the afternoon.  I didn’t use flash and I didn’t use any reflectors or other modifiers.  I actually really like some of the hair light she is getting.  You can tell by the light that the sun was high!

Yes, she is adorable, isn’t she?

This is one of my favorites.  So, the sun here is a little to the right of the subject or camera left.  Some of that light bounced around and was able to light her face!

The image below was a session I did in June with an awesome family.  I just love this image!  It was taken at 5:56 pm.  The sun was behind this sweet little girl and I love how this image turned out!

This photo is one of my all time favorites!!  The sun is high and behind my subjects.

I love the light at sunset.  It’s one of my most favorite times to photography people and families.  The sunlight is so much softer.  In the fall the light isn’t as strong as summer, but summer sunset shoots are amazing too!

This image is from a fall session I did in September in Washington.  I didn’t set the time on the camera, so I wasn’t sure when this was taken.  I want to say it was around 5:00 or so.  The sun is obviously directly in front of them, but can you see how it isn’t as strong as some of the earlier photos?  It seems to be a little more forgiving.  I just love, love, love this image.  It’s so free and relaxing.  It catches this family truly in their element!

Sometimes, if you shoot into the sun, you get haze.  Some people don’t care for this haze, but I enjoy some haze and sun flare!  Remember, this is art!  It’s totally okay if you don’t like it.  You can certainly omit these images from your keepers!

 I just love the sheer joy in the following photo!!  Everyone is having a blast!!!!

 The sun in the image above was behind the subjects – you can tell by the reflection on the water.

Well, I hope this helps you tackle some issues with the sun!  As I said earlier, I’m still learning the best ways to shoot in the sun, so I challenge myself, so I keep putting myself in these situations.   I usually avoid the sun when it is the strongest, but sometimes I just can’t and I have to rely on some of these techniques to get through the shoot.

If you want to learn more and take an introductory DSLR class, please feel free to contact me (vicky@victoriaflowerphoto.com)!  Make sure you come back in 2 weeks for another tip – better yet, submit to me a question or topic you want covered!  Thanks so much for hanging out with me!

To kick off my return to blogging, I want to share with you a beautiful senior portrait session I did last summer!  You know, one of the best things I get to do is document families and children growing.  Sometimes, I’m lucky enough to watch a child become an adult.  I remember when I met T.  It was about 3 years ago.  I met her and her mother at the gym.  T was 14 at the time, I believe.  She was this awesome rockstar 14 year old who was doing a great job at smoking some of us older folks in our workouts.  Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know her a lot more.  She’s really become like family to me as her mother and I are rather close.  It has been such a pleasure to watch her grow from this shy teenager to this assured adult.  She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to work for it!  Over last summer, I had the honor of photographing her senior portraits!  It really was an honor for me!  We got to go out and play and she got her hair and make-up done and –gasp — even put on a dress for me!

T – I can honestly say, I see nothing but success for you!!  I can’t wait to see what is coming up next for you!  Thanks for giving me this chance to show you just for a moment what a beautiful young lady you have become!  Get after it!!  Congratulations!!!  The world has no idea what they’re in for!

Now, I understand it’s a pain, it’s long, and the material is dry.  You’re talking to a person who NEVER reads the manual.  I gave into this rule when I was getting frustrated with not knowing how my camera worked and what certain buttons were for.  So, I pulled it out and reviewed it.  Now, I’m not saying you need to sit and read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting.  Just have it close by when you’re practicing photography.  Sometimes you can find the solution to your problem really quickly.

Had I not familiarized myself with portions of my manual, I would not have been able to take these vacation photos:

This photo has also been edited with Photoshop

Just a little adjustment with exposure in Photoshop.  Thank goodness for telephoto lenses!!

One of my favorites

These performers were amazing!!!  No editing done on this photo.  This was my first luau!!!

As always, this is just my approach to photography.  If you find the tips work for you, I’m so glad that I’m able to help!  If not, than continue doing what works for you.  The awesome thing about photography is that it is an art and subject to varying opinions of beauty.  You most certainly can get great photos without doing some of these tips.  If you want to share some of your own tips, please feel free to do so in the comments.  If you are interested in attending a workshop, please feel free to contact me at vicky@victoriaflowerphoto.com.  See you next time!

This year marked a year of firsts!!!  I went to my first workshops, photographed my first set of seniors, photographed a bunch of new and growing families, completed my very first wedding season, and taught my very own Intro to DSLR workshop!  I’m looking forward to many more firsts next year.  This next year I will be bringing even more amazing and high quality products to my clients and brand new packages with more options to choose from!  Stay tuned for all the exciting stuff.  Oh, and you’re probably going to get a few more catch up blog posts from 2012!  ;)  I just have so many more photos to share with you!!

These are just a few of the fabulous people that helped me through this year!  Thank you so much for your support!!!

Thank you again everyone!  I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!!!  May 2013 be even more amazing than 2012!!!

First, I want to share with you this great session I had with Miss LK.  She was such a blast to photograph.  We went to various locations to shoot in Folsom.  Miss LK is a really bright and confident young lady!  I have no doubts that as she heads into adulthood, she’ll find herself to be extremely successful and driven.

Make up by:  NorCal Performance Tanning - http://www.norcalperformancetanning.com

Thank you to Miss LK, for choosing to have her photos done with me!  I understand this is an important time in a young person’s life and I’m so honored to be a part of it!  Thank you!!!  Read her testimonial here.

I arrived at the house and I was warmly welcomed by a stunning mama.  No way this lady just gave birth a week ago – no way.  She looked great.  Anyway, I came in to meet this sweet little peanut.  She is one of the mellowest babies I have come across.  She just hung out and enjoyed the photo shoot.

Isn’t she so sweet and gorgeous?  Big brother was around to help and he was so helpful.  I think that helped little C remain calm too!!  :)

She pretty much stayed like this the whole time I was there.  I think she really liked being wrapped.  I LOVE those sweet cheeks!!  :)

This is one of my most favorite backdrops to use with newborns of a certain age!  :)  She was perfect for this!  And it just screams girly girl!  It’s kind of fun!

I just love how peaceful this one is!

Crazy cute, right?  I had to just through this one in!  :)

No, wait.  I love this one too!

Just a little smile/laugh for us!  I love when kiddos do this during a shoot!

After a snack, she was right back to sleep..  So sweet and that’s an adorable face!!

The L Family, thank you so much for having me over and meet the little one!  She’s absolutely gorgeous and adorable! I can’t wait to come hang again soon!  :)!!