What I've Been Up To...

Things have been quite busy and I apologize the blog has been so neglected lately.  Friday just graduated from Puppy School and we've been enjoying a lovely Indian Summer.  Still, that's no excuse, so here are a couple other updates on what's going on with us and the studio!

- I'm obsessed with Pinterest!  Those of you that know me probably have seen the stacks of magazines and clippings I keep around as inspiration for shoots or things I love.  Pinterest allows me to keep this up, minus the clutter, plus share/stalk others' boards for inspiration as well.  If you'd like to follow each other, please leave your link in the Comments section. 

- One of the things I'm looking at on Pinterest and Etsy are inspirations for fall photo shoots and newborn shoots.  There must be something in the water; tons of ladies I know are pregnant or just gave birth, so I am super excited about some newborn and baby shoots coming up!  How adorable is this Aspen Leaf Mobile?  I love the idea of incorporated leaves or acorns into a photo shoot!

- When we moved to Chicago, we were dismayed to find the lack of fresh, organic produce especially in the winter months.  (True story: Scott once paid $6 for a tomato at Whole Foods - lesson learned, check the prices before you buy and don't go to Whole Foods in the dead of winter when the produce is terrible everywhere else.  He claims he was mesmerized by all the gorgeous looking produce and I'm inclined to believe him).  This summer, we decided to make use of our balcony and grow a mini-garden.  Not wanting to get too ambitious we planted several tomato plants and a variety of herbs.  The herbs have been doing fabulously.  The tomatoes, however are another story.  This summer was very late to warm up, so this is our bumper crop (minus two cherry tomatoes that Friday ate):





I think there's enough for exactly two celebratory bruschetta, what do you think?

- I bought the 100mm Macro lens and I simply adore it!  It's an amazing portrait lens but beyond that playing with that 1:1 macro capability is astounding.  I walk around and take pictures of ordinary things that are simply beautiful through this amazing lens.  Here are some I took just yesterday:












You can get even closer...


And closer still!



That's all for now!

Reflection and Favorites: 2010

I'm not sure what it is about this time of year, but I've gone from really disliking to kind of loving the end of the year.  It's a sentimental time, after all the wrapping paper has been put away and winter has really set in.  Maybe it's because of the movie When Harry Met Sally when New Year's Eve plays such a pivotal role in their love story or the fact that I love Auld Lang Syne (and Robert Burns, the poet who authored the piece that became the song).

The lyrics of Auld Lang Syne remind us to remember old times and cherish relationships.  A photographer who I really admire (and am honored to have taken her workshop) repeatedly reminds us photographers to do this as well.  It's easy to get tied up in creating, in the artistic side of this business and forget how important the brand and relationships we've built are.  Reflection also allows us to constantly grow and learn.  I'm proud of the photographer I've become, but even more proud that I've gotten so much better over time and constantly am seeking ways to improve.

Below, I'm sharing some of my favorite moments from this past year at For the Love Photography.  How blessed I am to capture these special moments and help people turn their memories into works of art!  Thank you for sharing in and supporting my journey.

To my mostly silent readers, please feel free to comment on this one.  :)



Happy New Year!

Chicago Product Photographer: Caitlin Greene Collection

This session was a real fun, challenging departure for me from my regular portrait or event sessions.  Caitlin is a new friend in Chicago and a seriously talented artist who makes jewelry as one of her really amazing creative outlets.  She needed some better photos to showcase her beautiful pieces and so I tried my hand at product photography.

I can't pretend to be an expert in this area, but if you're interested in photography let me share some of what I learned.  If you're not, you can skip the next two paragraphs!  I hope this can help those out there who would like to take better photos of products for something you want to list (for example on Etsy or Ebay).

People are becoming more and more sophisticated in taking photos of their products, so you can't get away with posting blurry snapshots anymore.  To start, you can find lots of tips in books and online forums.  Some of my best advice came from the Strobist blog (tons of DIY and budget ideas) and Scott Kelby, who also sells books with a range of camera advice.

Since the backdrop was so simple, I ended up lighting these with just an off-camera flash in a softbox and a couple Cyber Syncs (a great alternative to Pocket Wizards if you're using them only occasionally like me).  I learned about Cyber Syncs through a photographer friend who uses them at weddings and for shooting real estate photos.  These were just so much better than using Canon's built in infrared to trigger my remote flash.

But enough about photography!  Here is a small sampling of some of Caitlin's gorgeous pieces, and if you like what you see you should head on over to her website to see more and for information about purchasing items.



Enjoy!