We are so excited to announce the addition of photo videos to our product line! From web video to high-quality DVD, these will be available to all our clients, but are particularly wonderful for seniors and wedding mementos!
Here's a sample I put together to advertise our senior portrait division, Muse Crüe.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Stacey Answers
The studio is coming up on its one-year mark, and in that time, I've gotten a lot of the same questions from clients and from other photographers. So this is sort of a FAQ post--I'll add to it as I get more questions :)
How old ARE you?
I get this question a lot, though not usually so directly worded. Let's just say I was in grade school when MTV aired its very first video. I remember the death of John Lennon, though the Beatles had gone their separate ways before I was born. I first used an SLR camera (a Leica owned by the school) as a sophomore in high school in the late 80's and have been a shutterbug ever since, though I didn't buy my own SLR until 2000.
Canon, Nikon, Olympus?
I'm of the firm opinion that it's the skill of the artist, not the tools used, that makes a masterpiece. But I'm a Canon girl :) Not because Canon is necessarily any better, but because it's what I know. My first SLR was a Canon EOS Elan 7e, and I stuck with Canon each time I upgraded mostly so I didn't have to buy all new lenses.
What does 'SLR' mean?
Single Lens Reflex--what you see in the viewfinder is the lens view reflected up to your eye with a mirror. SLR's have detachable and interchangeable lenses, and digital SLRs still have an actual mechanical shutter like a film camera.
Where do you get your backgrounds and props and stuff?
We are, at our very core, do-it-yourselfers. Most of what we use is handcrafted in house. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on a single mass-produced backdrop or prop that might be in any number of other studios, we choose to craft one-of-a-kind items ourselves and spend a lot less money. We hand-paint and/or hand-dye our backdrops and floor cloths. We hand-make our hats and tutus and hair clips. Not only does that make our product that much more unique, it allows us to charge YOU less money for it.
Do you make hats, backdrops, etc. for sale?
Not at this time.
How come you don't sell images on CD or DVD?
It's a quality thing. So much effort and care goes into each image that I can't fathom allowing them to be mass-printed with snapshot-worthy ink on snapshot-worthy paper at Walmart or CVS. The quality of my work is not defined merely by the image itself, but also the quality of the finished product. We do make exceptions for business headshots and such, which will be printed on business cards, billboards, etc., but in general, the Facebook images are the only digital files we release.
Did you have to go to school to learn how to do this?
This one's a tough one. The only photography-specific course I ever took was that photography class in high school where I learned how to use the camera, process film, darkroom stuff, etc. More useful for what I currently do were all the design classes I took getting certified in interior design, and spending 10+ years in the publishing industry experimenting with styles and refining my skills while crafting book covers.
I get this question a lot, though not usually so directly worded. Let's just say I was in grade school when MTV aired its very first video. I remember the death of John Lennon, though the Beatles had gone their separate ways before I was born. I first used an SLR camera (a Leica owned by the school) as a sophomore in high school in the late 80's and have been a shutterbug ever since, though I didn't buy my own SLR until 2000.
Canon, Nikon, Olympus?
I'm of the firm opinion that it's the skill of the artist, not the tools used, that makes a masterpiece. But I'm a Canon girl :) Not because Canon is necessarily any better, but because it's what I know. My first SLR was a Canon EOS Elan 7e, and I stuck with Canon each time I upgraded mostly so I didn't have to buy all new lenses.
What does 'SLR' mean?
Single Lens Reflex--what you see in the viewfinder is the lens view reflected up to your eye with a mirror. SLR's have detachable and interchangeable lenses, and digital SLRs still have an actual mechanical shutter like a film camera.
Where do you get your backgrounds and props and stuff?
We are, at our very core, do-it-yourselfers. Most of what we use is handcrafted in house. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars on a single mass-produced backdrop or prop that might be in any number of other studios, we choose to craft one-of-a-kind items ourselves and spend a lot less money. We hand-paint and/or hand-dye our backdrops and floor cloths. We hand-make our hats and tutus and hair clips. Not only does that make our product that much more unique, it allows us to charge YOU less money for it.
Do you make hats, backdrops, etc. for sale?
Not at this time.
How come you don't sell images on CD or DVD?
It's a quality thing. So much effort and care goes into each image that I can't fathom allowing them to be mass-printed with snapshot-worthy ink on snapshot-worthy paper at Walmart or CVS. The quality of my work is not defined merely by the image itself, but also the quality of the finished product. We do make exceptions for business headshots and such, which will be printed on business cards, billboards, etc., but in general, the Facebook images are the only digital files we release.
Did you have to go to school to learn how to do this?
This one's a tough one. The only photography-specific course I ever took was that photography class in high school where I learned how to use the camera, process film, darkroom stuff, etc. More useful for what I currently do were all the design classes I took getting certified in interior design, and spending 10+ years in the publishing industry experimenting with styles and refining my skills while crafting book covers.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Cool Creepies
In general, I love creepy crawlies as long as they're outside, and aren't roaches, mosquitoes, or termites. Or on my face.
This beauty spun her web on the back garage a few weeks ago. There were two egg sacs nearby, protected by her massive web. She herself was pretty big, nearly the size of my hand from the tips of her back legs to the tips of her front legs. She's a garden spider, probably argiope aurantia. Interestingly, a male of the same species built a web over our front door and hung out for a week. He'd angled the web in such a way as to not be disturbed by the opening and closing of the storm door, nor by humans coming and going. I didn't photograph him, but it was cool to watch him wrap up his prey (moths), feed, then carefully unwrap them and let the carcasses drop to the porch, apparently recycling his silk. When he moved on, he dismantled his web completely and left no trace except for the pile of moth carcasses.
This critter has left the building, so to speak. A carolina mantis (stagmomantis carolina) molted and left her former exterior on the window screen. (I say 'her' because there's an egg deposit about three feet away.) I exaggerated the lens flare a little bit in photoshop.
This beauty spun her web on the back garage a few weeks ago. There were two egg sacs nearby, protected by her massive web. She herself was pretty big, nearly the size of my hand from the tips of her back legs to the tips of her front legs. She's a garden spider, probably argiope aurantia. Interestingly, a male of the same species built a web over our front door and hung out for a week. He'd angled the web in such a way as to not be disturbed by the opening and closing of the storm door, nor by humans coming and going. I didn't photograph him, but it was cool to watch him wrap up his prey (moths), feed, then carefully unwrap them and let the carcasses drop to the porch, apparently recycling his silk. When he moved on, he dismantled his web completely and left no trace except for the pile of moth carcasses.
This critter has left the building, so to speak. A carolina mantis (stagmomantis carolina) molted and left her former exterior on the window screen. (I say 'her' because there's an egg deposit about three feet away.) I exaggerated the lens flare a little bit in photoshop.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Miss A
This little one arrived at our studio asleep in her carrier. Mom got her out, woke her up, and she immediately gave me a big grin. No fusses, no sleepy eyes. Just smiles. It was a great shoot! Her mom is taking advantage of our Baby Faces First Year program, so she'll be coming to see me again soon.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Taylor Senior Pics
Heinously remiss once again with updating this blog. (It's Facebook's fault! :D )
This is Taylor, a member of our Muse Crue. She's a senior rep for the studio, and so beautiful. These senior portraits turned out wonderfully!
This is Taylor, a member of our Muse Crue. She's a senior rep for the studio, and so beautiful. These senior portraits turned out wonderfully!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Wee T
This little one was not particularly happy to be deviating from normal routine. This is why our free newborn sessions typically go about two hours... adults just can't predict the mood of a week(s)-old baby. We work with whatever mood we get, though, and eventually sleep comes. Even the mad faces are adorable at this age.
*Note to parents: I purposely don't offer any identity information to protect your privacy.
*Note to parents: I purposely don't offer any identity information to protect your privacy.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Painted Faces
In April, we ran a 'Fantasy Face' special, and not everyone who wanted to do the photos was able to do so. So yesterday I brought out the makeup and paintbrushes (a bonus to hosting a Brush and a Beverage in our studio is having suitable fantasy face paint always on hand), and did a Fantasy Face session featuring a pair of beautiful best friends.
I'VE DELETED THESE PHOTOS (they were being downloaded to hard drives several times a day)
I'VE DELETED THESE PHOTOS (they were being downloaded to hard drives several times a day)
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