Interested in Guest Blogging?

As you might have noticed May is the start of our busiest season here at Verte. So we have been sharing some people and products we love... and several of them have been kind enough to help out with some guests posts! I love it when other people stop by and share with you... and I hope you do as well!

So I wanted to put out an open call for help this summer. While I still plan to hold true to my plans and give you solid advice and photography tips... I also thought it would be fun to share some of your memories, and stories along the way! It helps give me a break (and you!) from those very long thought out technical posts!

To that end, I am asking for some additional guest posts... perhaps you want to share YOUR best camera secret, or maybe simply some wordless stories. I also would LOVE some Road Trippin posts for July's series! Your best tips, advice, places to go, what to see.... travel stories! (I personally want to bring you a vacation Anthony Bordain style... but I lack his finesse).

If your interested in guest blogging - please contact me! Leave a message, drop me a line on Twitter, or email me direct! We would love to have you!

Feature: Yarn Mama

 I was really surprised when I sent out the call for prize donations that Jessica from Yarn Mama, who I didn't know at all jumped on board! She was SO sweet in offering - not one little hat... but 3.. CUSTOM hats! That was awesome!

I have had a chance to get to know her a little better and I would love for you to have that same opportunity! 

Jessica has just opened her shop on Storenvy this year. After having so many people asking her, and her family where they had purchased the items they were wearing! It turned out to be much easier to hand them a business card, with her website then to explain over and over how she had made it and then write down or tell them all the information! (I've been there!)

Jessica prides herself on making 100% handmade items, and she doesn't put it in her store, sell it or ship it if it's not to her own personal standards and something she would be proud to let her own family wear! She LOVES spending her time crocheting and knitting since its her relaxing time as well as well as her creative outlet. She thrives off of making the ideas in her head come into something that everyone can enjoy!

Jessica draws inspiration from just about everything, ideas seem to just pop into her head all the time! Her husband and son also do a great job of offering their suggestions! 

While her business is new, and exciting Jessica is most proud of the fact that even though she was a young mom, she has been able to make a great life for her son who is becoming a wonderful young man. I often say my biggest accomplishment in life is my daughter as well! 

So welcome Yarn Mama to my little world! Be sure to check out her products and maybe find something new for yourself or a loved one along the way! Here are all the links you need!

http://www.storenvy.com/stores/92086-yarnmama84

http://yarnmama84.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/YarnMama84

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crochet-and-Knit-items-for-sale-by-Yarnmama84/549910355039845?ref=hl

A Bow For Mama and MORE!

First, let me introduce Shirley, from A Bow for Mama. Shirley makes amazing decorations and bows that are used for all occasions. Baby showers, weddings, holidays, etc. ABFM provides your home, business, or event with the beautiful decor it deserves!

Each of her bows are handmade, they are packaged and shipped with LOVE and CARE, so that they arrive to you fluffed and beautiful! When Shirley contacted me and asked if I would take her product images for a new "super secret" product line! I almost died! I LOVE a good secret! I was fall out of my chair excited!!!!

 I received her boxes of goodies, and I could hardly wait to open them! I had an "idea" of what was inside, but to put my hands on these little gems - AMAZING!

As I unpacked the box, I was very impressed with the time Shirley had put in to separate the bows, and make sure they all floated so nothing got squished. While I did fluff a few as I was styling for her images, I didn't really "need" to! They arrived beautifully!  Now, these are not her regular bows... no this is something TOTALLY new for her! I am so excited that I finally get to share them with you! It was SO hard keeping this a secret!

These little prizes are her message board bows... or as I like to call them Little Bits from Heaven! They have 2 clips, one on the back and a smaller one on the front. I found SO many uses for them around the office as I was creating her "in use" images.

 On my pencil holder - perfect for holding reminder sticky notes or business cards I need to update in my client list...

Clipping recipe cards, or marking pages in my book.... 

As a housewarming, birthday or any celebration gift! It adds just the right bit of glam, who needs a bag! PLUS this is RE-USEABLE so the person receiving it can use it around their house again! I LOVE THAT!

I love the extra touch on top of gift boxes and bags... since they clip to message boards and can be ordered with magnets for magnet boards they make AWESOME additions to teacher gifts!

OH! Not to be outdone... but I found the BEST use for these babies! Clip them onto your napkin rings to hold a place card... TAKE THAT SANDRA LEE! Oh, and by the way.. you can stock up on the Eco-friendly napkin rings shown here... that's right with A Bow For Mama also! This makes the perfect gathering a little more special! Each guest can take the bow home with them, or you can use them yourself over and over!

Phone vs Camera

What is the difference? 

Does it matter?

How does this topic play into product photography?

I am so glad you asked!

I will start this post by saying I did not purchase my phone for its camera... nor do I shoot any images that are important to me with it. I don't have an I-phone, I did borrow one for the sake of being fair while posting this.  I admit the I-phones do have better specs... but they are still so limited that I still feel that I can group them in with all the other camera phones and give you a solid understanding of why I feel the way I do about the use of camera phones for product photography. 

First, do you remember our sensor size handy chart?

See that small grey square - that's your sensor size compared to all the other camera sensors... now this image is obviously NOT showing you "real" size... but you can see by reading 3mm x 4mm is like smaller then your pinky nail... so no matter how many pixels are on it - they are SUPER tiny! It simply can not grab the same amount of information that even the most basic Point and Shoot (being twice as large) can. When you compare it to a DSLR  or Pro Camera well... come on! I have said before I don't consider them to be "real" camera's for a this  reason alone! Let's not even start on the quality of lens, light gathering abilities or anything else that makes a great image!

However, I know looking at this you still might not understand how a sensor with 5 or 8 mega Pixels can really be all the different in a phone, compared to a camera.. so I thought I would put it to the test for you. In the interest of fairness and full disclosure -

For the this series of images  I used my Pantech 4G LTE phone with a 5mp Camera and no flash
The DSLR I used for this shoot was my trusty (but old) D80 (only a 10mp) and 35mm 1.4 lens, however I used it in Program mode, with auto WB, and no flash unless noted.

Here are my sample images, I like many of you I shot next to a window, rather then with studio lighting, as well as with a simple piece of tag board for a background, so you can get a solid comparison.

I have done no photo shop editing, and only changed the file name.

So you can see  where I was shooting - it was roughly 8am for the first round

Cell Phone Image - Natural Light 8 am

SLR Image - Natural Light 8am No edits

SLR Image - Natural Light from Window, along with a low powered, bounced flash (pointed straight up so only reflected light from the ceiling was captured)

Cell Phone Image - Natural Light 8 am- close up

SLR Image - Natural light - Close up - 35mm fixed lens.

 

 Ok. So this is as close as I can get since this isn't a "macro" lens... however.....Because the larger sensor size, better lens, and more clear image... I can crop in using Photoshop. Cropped to 4x6 at 300ppi - still without any other color balance, or editing done to the image.

Cropped Image - Here you can see the texture of the paper its so close!

 While if I take a similar image off the phone and crop the same way and crop the same distance out... we end up with

cropped image - Can YOU see the pixels?

Now.. it doesn't really matter that my camera phone says it is 8 mp. The size of the chip, the poor lens (which is plastic) along with the poor light gathering capabilities is what is causing the difference in quality for these images. You can see that the image with the bounced flash is honestly the BEST, with the truest colors, and the most pleasant to look at because it is sharper, and the light bouncing around creates a solid clean background. You can see details even though it is not a "detail" shot. This is the difference you get with better equipment and some basic knowlage of how to use it.

Now just to be perfectly fair, I wanted to give the phone a fighting chance and try it with some bright sunlight, because we know that LIGHT does MATTER! So at 10am this morning when the sun comes in my office window at it's brightest, I took these. I used the same set up. Despite the fact that the window panes cause a very distracting shadow here are the results.

Phone - Bright Sunny Day 10 am

Camera - Bright sunny day- Program Mode, No flash, No WB

 Even with the shadows from my window pane the clarity and quality are clear.

Now, I understand that I didn't have a point and shoot camera to be able to compare in the mix for you, however... depending on camera, lens options and what settings you can do with it - You can expect the results to be (not surprisingly) somewhere in the middle.




I did also have a chance to shoot my husbands brand new Iphone 5 that he has for work - unfortunately he doesn't keep it on the weekends, so the only chance I had to test was after work one afternoon. The window itself was in the shade of the overhang, still there was a solid amount of strong light coming in... not that you could really tell.

Iphone No Flash, Sunny Day 3pm

Yes, thats still the white background....

Using the built in Flash - Same window light

Still the white background. Plus, since there is no way to direct the flash, it creates a harsh shadow behind the subject. It also created a very odd line where the paper bent along the wall, and should have been seamless - it looks like a horizon line but the paper was one long slope.. so thats very odd to me.

No Flash - Macro shot with available sunlight 3pm

Macro with flash

I admit the images were more clear then I expected the lens appears more sharper then I expected. However, without the flash (which you can't bounce or control in any way other then on or off) the images were still very poor. They were better with flash, but still not great, the color was off DRASTICALLY and the flash created harsh shadows you couldn't control. So, I wouldn't tell you to go off and buy one for your imaging needs - ever! However, I admit if you already have one, it is probably as good as what you could expect from a simple point and shoot from a few years ago. Not great, or even what I would say was "good", but better then my android phone.


With the way the shadows fall, and the look of "interpretation" with the creation of the horizon line and the color differences I would be shocked if the processor (sensor) didn't have some sort of programing to help improve images. Since I am not a phone sells person I have no idea if this is true - but it certainly didn't act like a normal camera under the same conditions. If anyone is really curious let me know and I will find the answer.

The results:

If your phone is the only option you have - I suggest you visit your local used camera store and see what is out there for a year or two old point and shoot or mid range camera - I have seen some good ones  online like on  Adorama for $50- $80 - it would be a whole lot easier then investing in a phone tripod, and imaging apps/software to edit, maybe lighting, or product tent kits, or even a new phone. Many of them would have fantastic white balancing, macro and even the possibility to work with additional flash!

There was a day when used digital (especially point and shoot) wasn't worth it - but not any more. For core imaging needs you can pick up a good quality used or refurbished camera if you don't have money for a new one and feel good about your purchase! I recently picked up a used DSLR for my nephews digital photo class - all in we spent $400 to set him up with cards, basic lens, Nikon entry level body, bag, battery and charger. Really a solid investment, as long as he doesn't skateboard with it.

Plus, once you have solid product images selling your items becomes SO much easier! The more you sell the faster you pay off the camera (oh and yes - it would be a business write off for taxes!)


Again the Phone Charm featured in these images was created by Crafty Gal Creations. Please do not pin those images without adding her information! If you wish to purchase similar items please visit her shop!

This and That

This week I put my daughter's lunch in the freezer instead of in her bag...
I know I know... sometimes my auto pilot would crash me into a mountain if I would let it!
That I recovered and was like "what the heck am I doing" was simply amazing!

Luckliy for me its time for




I love my stamped business cards... but I am working on establishing myself with some commercial clients and wanted to offer something a little more "standard" for them... so I created this...

I am not really sure if its the style / look I am going for yet... so there is that.

What do you think? Do you really love one design, or should I start over? I totally love the retro camera look... and I am thinking of making other designs similar... maybe some retro glasses or martini glasses or something? ooooh! Scissors for crafters, or old sewing machines!

This week I am also offering a SUPER huge sale... mostly because I am so close to a business cash goal so I can purchase a new item... I just want to get there a little faster... So I am offering $25 for 1 full year of watermarking services... I mean.. for $25 (that wont even come close to covering my time for a client) you get unlimited images watermarked and returned to you typically within 24 hours...

Store Envy Link

THINK of all the time most shop owners spend on this! I know so many people who don't watermark at all.. and every time I see a pin or tweet go up of the product... I can't help but think they are not going to get any credit or sales from it! That sale ends Saturday... so I really hope a few more people take me up on this crazy deal!

This week I also had complete contact fail so to the eye Dr I go today! WHOOP That is a part of my day I would be happy to pass on! I would much rather sit here and chat with you!

Q and A, Verte Style

I reached out to some bloggers, crafters, shop owners, clients, friends... you know my Peeps and asked... "What don't you know?" then I clarified... about weddings, photography and such! Then I took the most popular, or uncommon and stuffed them into this post! Ok, some are paraphrased, or changed to protect the innocent.  But still... Enjoy!


Why are all my images blue?
If ALL the images are blue, outside, inside, with and without a flash then your sensor may not be working correctly. More likely you mean "why are my indoor" photos blue. Reason, you have lights where the color temperature is in that 4000-7500 K range... sometimes you find that in the "daylight" or "soft" balanced bulbs. Solution: Shoot with a flash, or find the WB mode and adjust it to balance your whites back to white! (by the way... this also answers the questions "why are my images red, yellow, orange, or green" it all has to do with the light your shooting in. More Help

Why do photographers charge so much?
1. Time.
2. Education
3. Equipment
4. Everything else.

Let's face it, we talked enough about why those big professional SLR's look better, but a "good" portrait lens can run easily 500-900$ and that's not even the "Better" or "Best". A professional photographer can have thousands of dollars in basic camera gear, not to mention bags, backgrounds, lights, props, rental space, advertising, oh and the computer and processing... not to mention having to stay on the frontier of an ever changing digital field now. Where do you expect that money to come from?

Since you don't do weddings... who would you recommended?
Let's just clarify.... I don't advertise for weddings... I don't want to tote around an assistant and deal with the choas anymore, I have done my time! However, if your throwing a party in Houston or Denver, I would totally talk to you about it! Small backyard or informal occasions are totally where my heart is right now.

However, if you want to go all out and really do it up in style. Nationally, hands down book Theresa J Photography. She and her husband Tim shoot as a team, they travel to you.. and they are the sweetest, goofiest most amazing people ever... oh yea.... and crazy talented! If I needed a photographer for myself - that's who I would call.

My daughter wants to be a photographer, where should she start?
In business school.
It is the best advice I can give anyone wanted to run their own business. You can pick up a minor in arts or photography, but the money you put in on a solid business education will hands down do you better then anything else! Most of running your own photography business is marketing, advertising and accounting!

I need help with my shop photography, what would you recommend?

1. Turn off your "camera shake" mode (that little hand with the shake marks) despite what the salesman told you it DOES not make your photos more clear. It has NOTHING to do with focus.
2. Add more light- I don't care - you need more I promise.
3. White balance is your friend. Use it.
4. INVEST in your products and just let me do them. (ok shameless plug) But, seriously up your prices $2 to cover the extra photography cost and stop spending time doing something you don't enjoy, are not good at, or are just plain frustrated with! Your clients, and new clients will buy more because they can see the quality of the product.
5. Stay tuned... I will be having many more posts on this subject coming up soon!


What do the numbers on my lens mean?
When you purchase a lens you will see numbers or the type of lens listed something like this:

AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

16-35mm is the Focal Length (the smaller number the wider view you will get. 50mm is considered "prime" or what your eye would see kinda like if you held your arms in a v in front of you. Everything over 50mm is telephoto. The Larger that number 100, 200, 300... the closer your lens can bring subjects to you or "zoom in" on them, if you will. 

Image from Digital Camera World

   

f/4G: This lens has max aperture of 4/f. That means that the aperture will not open more then that with this lens... so no matter what you do you wont be able to shoot at 2.8f with this lens.

Some show this as f3.5-5.6 which means the max aperture will vary depending on what focal length the lens is at... at its max telephoto it will only go down to 5.6 where at its widest focal legth (smallest number no zoom) it is capable of 3.5

You also might notice a number on your lens cap like 72mm or 68mm... that is the size needed for filters, or additional lens caps... good to know in case you lose yours! 

Clears that right up. 

Right?

 ok... that was a pretty tech answer... so here it is if you didn't understand the above

The first set 16-35mm control how much you can see zooming in and out. I suggest everyone start with a lens like 18-200 its a starter lens and all encompassing with wide angle, and good telephoto. 

The second set tells you how much control you will have over your depth of field. The smaller the number (or the first number if there is two) the more control you will have.

Easier huh! Now for my favorite question...

How many times can you get married and still justify paying for "amazing portraits"?

HA! As many times as you need to "get it right"! While in a perfect world this would mean getting married over and over to the same wonderful person (without the divorce)...  but well...
I do totally think you have to spend the money each time... because if you have to ask...well maybe the this time will be the one that sticks!

Now, there are a lot of other things we could dive into... on any of these topics! I will certainly cover more with lenses and aperture, along with product photography in the not to distant future.

I thought I would knock out some random ones on a Q and A format and see if you all liked it! So now it's your turn... let me know if I should make this a monthly / weekly post! Would you like to see it again? What questions would you ask!?

   

 

Wedding Photography Sessions Explained!

Since February is the month of love I thought I would spend some time talking about wedding, and couple photography! Today, I want to share with you some "hot" terms that you will be seeing as you start shopping for wedding photographers!

First, what kind of photography are you wanting? You should sit down and decide how much of your wedding photography budget should be spent on "other" sessions! Or, decide if other sessions can be budgeted out of your every day account! Here are some additional sessions, some photographers include in packages with your Wedding Day, some offer in addition, and some you will have to find someone else to do entirely depending on your photographer choices. Not every wedding photographer does, or should do it all!

 Different kinds of photography sessions:

Engagement Session: In this photo session photographers typically highlight  the couple’s personality. Locations can vary from the photographer’s studio to popular tourist spots in their hometown, back yards, or a special location that sets the tone.  The dress is  more casual than other wedding-related photo sessions. While the engagement sessions have been used for newspaper announcements, photo-wedding invitations and the popular photo guest book in the past, many are now choosing to use this photo-op to do "save the date" images. You can do an engagement session at any time during your engagement, and for any end purpose. It is a really good idea to schedule this session with your photographer for your wedding since it will give you a good idea of how well your personalities and styles work together. If you don't have a good experience with this session you may want to consider a different photographer for your wedding!

Bridal Portraits:  In this formal affair it is ALL about the dress. While this is typically done in a studio setting, some brides may opt for a 'clean" outdoor scene as well. While the formal name leans towards tradition it is perfectly acceptable to have some fun with it as well! For brides who want tons of pictures of their PERFECT gown that was chosen after careful and laborious consideration, this is a non-negotiable. This is also very popular with traditional brides, and traditional parents!

©Verte Photography / Image of Theresa J. of Theresa J Photography.com

The Wedding Day: You will want to be sure your contract includes times and addresses of where your photographer will be, and exactly what will be covered on this day.
Pre-Ceremony: This is everything that happens prior to the ceremony itself. Be specific in your needs here. It can include the bride getting hair and make up done, getting into the dress, to informal shots with attendants and family, for large weddings I have even suggested doing all the formal shots of the bride and groom separately that can be done, so any formals done after would include them both. Of course some couples will even see each other prior allowing all the formal shots to be done prior.
Ceremony: These are the images taken during the ceremony itself. You should check with your church or venue for rules regarding flash, and access the photographer will have.

©Verte Photography

Formals Bridal Party and Family: Even if your a non-traditional bride, you will find yourself doing some sort of images with your bridal party, and family members. The poses and scene will set the tone for how formal these images come out, but I suggest you do some just for the traditional family members and keepsake images.

©Verte Photography

Informal Portraits: These would be the crazy fun images, more for the bride and groom they can include anyone they wish, but it is kept low key and less posed (or at least less formally posed).



Reception Images: This is pretty much anything that happens at the reception. Typically I suggest the standard cake, toasts, first dance, etc... and maybe an hour or so of dancing... it is not necessary to have your photographer there for the "whole" party, one dancing shot looks much like the other. However, it depends on your day and if you have a "big send off" planned, how long the reception is etc.

Photo Booth: This is a HOT gig right now. Many people are using photo-booths as entertainment for guests, others are using it to put together a photo guest book. Some photographers will offer this as part of their service, some wont allow it at all. You really need to check with them if you are thinking this will be an option for you!

Day After: Shot the “day after” the wedding (although some are after the honeymoon) this is a great time saver if you don’t want to spend the majority of the wedding day taking pictures.  The bride and the groom are more relaxed, and it shows! This can be done at a family brunch, or for more casual family or private couple images. The "newest" trend is to do them as sexy, boudoir style images in a hotel room, just for the couple to enjoy.

Trash the Dress: Another type of day after session.  This varies from aggressive “trashing” with brides engaging in paintball or mud wrestling, to the more genteel trashing of walking through ocean surf or swimming in a lake. Since today it is becoming increasingly uncommon to pass a dress from generation to generation, this lets the bride have "one more day" in it and do something unexpected.

Boudoir: Typically this is just of the bride who wants to give her husband-to-be something private to commemorate the occasion, or even to celebrate the first Valentines day or Christmas together.

Additional Event Photography: Many couples want the wedding events captured with equal skill and talent as their wedding portraits.  While most photographers do not include these optional type of photo sessions, most photographers can and will  cover bridal showers, wedding rehearsal dinners, bachelor parties, etc.



It is really up to you to figure out what style, and how many sessions you will want. Work with your photographer, if they will be doing multiple sessions for you. Some will include an engagement shoot, or if you don't want that, they may offer a holiday session, or 1 yr anniversary session or something else instead!

You really have to balance your budget, with all the cool ideas and everything you want!

Time to Click: Composition

Did you know there are basic rules that photographers follow... it's not all technical and functional!

Composition from Wikipedia is described as:  the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.
The term composition means 'putting together,' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged or put together using conscious thought.


So to kick off our "putting it all together" week... I thought what better place to start then the real down and dirty... core element of photography... Composition. 

There are several "rules of composition" that photographers commonly follow. Here are some of my fav's! 

(I have posted some of this prior, if it seems familiar... this is a much more in depth and inclusive list)

1. Fill the Frame with your subject. (imagine if Dad was shown... it would really limit what you could see of baby! Plus it would make him look HUGE because she is SO small!)

 #2 If your subject is TALLER then they are WIDE, shoot VERTICAL

#3 If your subject is WIDER then they are TALL shoot horizontally

Note: If you cant get what you need with your camera's zoom or lens, use your physical zoom... YOUR LEGS! Move yourself closer or farther to be able to fit your subject!

Leading Lines: When we look at an image our eye is naturally drawn along lines. These lines can be made from a background such as a road, bricks, steps, as well as using people and your pose to create it!  Look for lines within your image to create interest and tell the viewer where to look! Check out your favorite scenic shot... I bet you find a leading line in it!

Lines from the elbows up to the topmost head

Perspective or Viewpoint: Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Rather than shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, change it up!

Angled Down

Rule of 3rd's: Imagine you have a tic-tac-toe board over your frame. It is separated into 9 equal parts with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. This rule says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Filling either 1/3rd or 2/3s of your frame to do so.

NOTE! Some cameras even offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen! This is EXTRA handy when shooting anything with a horizon line so you can keep your perspective and horizon straight!

Balancing Elements: Sometimes having a subject on one side of the frame, may leave a lot of empty space on the other, and it may feel unbalanced especially in scenic photography. You can balance the "weight" of your subject my including another object of lesser importance to fill that space.

Symmetry and Patterns: Capturing a pattern, or symmetry in your image can make for breath taking views and amazing scenic photography. This image is framed amazingly, with a full square shown around the border, patterns in the windows and symmetry on both sides. Sometimes adding an item of interest or (in portrait photography) your subject into this will break the symmetry but create more interest.  I am hard pressed to find a better example of Symmetry and Pattern for you, however I wish the bucket was larger (or more preferred it was a little girl playing on the side of the steps) to better showcase the broken effect.

The symmetry of this chapel is broken by the bucket in the bottom right corner. Image by Fabio Montalto.

Framing Your Subject: While the above image does create it's own frame along the edge... Framing your subject typically applies to using things to highlight your subject. Utilizing natural elements or props to "frame" out your subject. Trees, holes, archways, shadows, grass, door frames... even real "frames"!

©VertePhotography

Background: The human eye is great at distinguishing between subjects and backgrounds. Your camera however does tend to flatten the image, and subjects tend to "get lost" into busy backgrounds. Creating images that are not as dramatic or engaging as the could be. You can control your background with aperture, backdrops, or even light placement to create the perfect image.

Example of a "lost" background opportunity.

Clean backgrounds make products pop!

Amazing baby... distracting background.

Priceless

Well there you go... a more in-depth look at composition and how it will effect, change and improve your photography! Keep in mind, several of these images have more then one technique being used... besides the baby who's image I used twice, can you find some? Be sure to comment below and let me know!