To Sum It Up: The 12 Steps to Photography

In previous posts which you can find: here, we discussed the first three elements to great photography. Impact, Technical excellence, and Creativity.
There are many more categories that we have yet to cover so let's jump in!

• Style: This category describes how you make your images uniquely yours. It may be that you enjoy a particular technique such as vintage, black and white, or technicolor. The way you apply all the aspects into your images creates your style. 
• Composition: This category is how the image is made up as a whole. By putting all the elements together into one image you have created something that guides the viewer's eyes. 
• Presentation: Is the way you can give your images an extra something at the end of the process. Be it textures like a glossy finish, or a matte, or by framing your image on a canvas. 
• Color Balance: The balance of color within your photography is extremely important. It can make an image warmer or colder. It can also complement each other, by using primary and secondary colors to make things pop. It can also bring a sense of emotion to an image. 
• Center of Interest: Is the point(s) in the image that the photographer wants the audience to focus on. Similar to how the composition allows the viewer's eyes to flow through an image, the center of interest is a point where we want the viewer to stop and contemplate. There is no rule here, there could be one overall point, many points within one image, or the entire image could be the center of interest. 
• Lighting: The use and control of lighting for any photographer is a key aspect, but how a photography can change the lighting around them, be it natural or manmade, is hard. If you can master this skill it creates a new dimension and shape within the image.  
• Subject Matter: Any portrait photographer understands the main focus is the subject you are capturing, but all photographers must keep in mind the story being told. If you are capturing a wedding shot, you must try and tell the story of love within your image. 
• Technique: Similar to presentation, technique is HOW you made your image. Posing, lighting, what media you used, how large you captured your image, using RAW vs JPEG, and more can all be explained with your technique. 
• Story Telling: To me the most important aspect of photography is the Story. Story telling defines someone with a camera and a photographer. As photographers we can capture a hidden emotion, meaning, or story to express in a stilled image. It invokes imagination, creativity, and inspiration. I will forever be working on the story and evolving who I am as a photographer. 

These 12 elements are a TON to keep in mind when capturing any image. To be honest, they are all very important to creating the perfect image, but we are still human behind the camera. The last step and one of the best things to keep in mind: HAVE FUN! No matter how skilled you are in photography, you must always have fun with what you do. 

Things No One Tells You...

When running a business, any type of business and not just photography, its hard to tell yourself and your clients when you need to take a step back. Sometimes situations let you prolong the inevitable  but often you have to be blunt and say to yourself "hey, I need a break to focus on personal things".

Fellow photography bloggers, I needed some personal days. I'm grateful to have a partner during moments like this because they can often pick up the workload and the business goes on, but when you're both sick (or have sick families), going to school full time, and working another job on top of your amazing photography career, life seems way too much!

How do you manage all of that, and keep the photography business afloat?
You know the saying "blood, sweat, and tears"? Sometimes, I think this is what they meant. Honestly, some days I think that we just can't keep it going. You take your step back, you blink, and you haven't picked up your camera in 6 months and your partner resents you for doing all that work for so long. Sometimes you lose the faithful clients you once had because you just can't keep up with your now busy, crazy workload to fit in another photo shoot.

For any business owner out there, you just have to tell yourself to grin and bare it. For those of you who are considering starting up a photography business (or any business) keep these thoughts in mind. If your future changes, what will you do?

Creativity

Hey Photo-bloggers, 

We've been diving into the amazing 12 elements of a photograph based on The Photographic Exhibitions Committee's standards. We have gone over impact and technical excellence and today we will discuss one of my favorites and in my opinion, the most important, creativity!

Creativity to me is taking a form of medium mixing it together to express an idea, message, or emotion. When we talked about impact we mentioned something similar, where we intended to create a piece that gave the viewer a strong impression of emotion. Creativity is similar to that and can work hand in hand with impact because we use creativity to express impact. I have found that many of the 12 elements of a photograph can play hand and hand with each other and in fact, a photograph is only truly strong when it has all the pieces.

Here are some examples of my creativity this week:

Sometimes for me, my muse is gone on vacation but I was able find some interesting shots this week that anyone can manage in their backyard. The top is of our cat. I love this because I played with the lighting and illuminated her whiskers. In the bottom picture, I laid in the grass and angled the camera to get an almost mystical view of the yard.

The one thing I love the most about being creative is that anyone and everyone has a creative flare and each person brings something different to their art. You can not go wrong with your creativity and no matter how young or how old you may be you can always be creative.

************ 

Hey guy,
For those of you that check in every week I apologize for this week's post being pushed back a week, I was actually dealing with some health issues and could not get to the computer in time to upload these amazing pictures.
Next week we will be diving into Style and how it can affect your photo!
I have decided to switch my uploading days from Fridays to Saturdays. I hope this works out for everyone so no one misses out!
Hope to see you next week!
~Amanda

Technical Excellence

The second element in The Photographic Exhibitions Committee (PEC) of PPA's 12 elements of being an amazing photographer is Technical excellence. This usually means the print quality of the photo. Some think this is the physical quality of the print (such as those who deal in film and develop their own photographs). I deal strictly in digital so we do post production editing such as touch ups, getting all the imperfections out of the image, and creating sharpness. Some even go as far as photo manipulation by using programs such as photoshop that allow them to artificially create amazing and crazy scenes. 

At R.E.A.L. Photography we try to keep our images as realistic as possible and try to stay away from photo manipulation. That being said, we do touch up our photos and get the images as sharp as possible. I use lightroom first and then transition to photoshop if there is any big projects to fix. 

Two of my favorite ways of getting a sharper picture without using sharpness is to bump up the clarity and vibrance. Clarity can sometimes make the image darker without meaning too but it also clears up the image, and vibrancy enhances the color without over saturating the color.

Sometimes you need to bump up the sharpness because there is no other way to get fine details. Sharpness is great in small doses but be careful. It can cause a lot of grain in the background that you wouldn't noticed until after you print or blog up the picture. 

Try to fiddle with the luminance instead. This feature is a god send in my opinion. It reduces background noise that causes the graininess and blurs just enough while also sharpening the features of the subject. 

Fixing up the images isn't the only steps to make the images technically perfect. You have to print them properly. Some people think that going to Sears or Walmart is the cheapest way to go but sometimes this can cause your print quality to start lacking. As a photographer I do not recommend going to places like this. However, if you are starting up and need a place that is cheap but also has a good quality I would recommend Shutterfly. They have many more options than other places and allow for full customizations. 

Hope these tips helped up your photography game and maybe your Photography Technical Excellence will reach a 10 out of 10!

Check back next Saturday for Element 3: Creativity!

Impact

To have impact according to Dictonary.com is "to have an impact or effect on; influence; alter", but for a photographer impact is more of a strong impression on the viewer. Some type of emotion, be it happiness, anger, sadness, loneliness, joy, pride, etc. According to the Photographic Exhibitions Committee (PEC) of PPA, impact is one of the 12 elements that creates a successful piece of art, even photography. There can also be impact within the other 12 elements of photography as well.

Anyone can take a successful photograph, but capturing an impactful photo can be quite a challenge. My version of impact (keeping in mind my low budget, time frame, and space) is actually one I took a few years ago. It doesn't have the best quality but the impact for me is huge.

To me this image expresses a sense of loneliness but yet a light in the darkness. Hope when all may be lost. From an aesthetic point of view I found that focusing on the bright part of the wick and allowing only the top part of the candle to shine brought about this emotion.

Another wonderful aspect of impact is that each viewer sees the image differently. Some may not see my image as impactful like I do, but maybe this image:

Missouri Capitol Building- 2016

is more impactful bringing a sense of pride or wonderment. I took this picture for a school photography class a year ago. The nightshot light from all angles gives an odd look many don't see. Another image that spoke to me was this one:

Old barn from Fulton State Hospital

A sense of sadness, due to the buildings old exterior comes to mind.

All these images have a different impact for different people. You do not have to go far or be a super professional photographer to capture something impactful. Let me know what you guys think about how impactful my photos are, what I could change, some creative ideas, and maybe add some of your own.

Next weekend I will talk about Technical excellence and what that means for your photography.

impact. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 6, 2017 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/impact

12 Step Project

Hey guys,

So recently I have been focusing the blog in a more educational/ How to do photography kind of way and I wanted to switch it up a bit by also challenging myself. I recently read in this Article about the standards of a great photo. I challenge you and myself to come up with a photo that represents each of the elements mentioned in the article.

Each Friday when I update the blog, I will go over one of the elements in detail and discuss my process and reveal my Photos for that week. I have limited time, money, space, and other resources so this will be a huge challenge for me. I really hope that you, my readers, will also participate in this challenging project! Comment with your images (even if they are from your phone!) and give me advice, professional critique, or just say hi! :)

~Amanda
R.E.A.L. Photography

Here are the elements:

1.) Impact 

2.) Technical excellence 

3.) Creativity 

4.) Style

5.) Composition 

6.) Presentation 

7.) Color Balance 

8.) Center of Interest 

9.) Lighting 

10.) Subject Matter 

11.) Technique 

12.) Storytelling 

Also here is a picture of one of my cats: 

Lara

How to Photograph in Direct Light

Sometimes we have to pick our battles. As photographers some locations and shoots end up with direct, harsh light. Knowing how to work around such conditions is easy, so I will show you the different ways to capture a subject and work around the sun.

When you start out at your location, observe your surroundings. If the sun is above you or mostly above you, you and your subject will be under direct light. My subject for this blog: My unwilling, annoying, prince charming of a fiance. All the images I took are completely unedited with the exception of the watermark.

I started out with my subject facing the sun. In the image to the right, his eyes became more squinty and harsh shadows crossed his face in unpleasant ways. I had to adjust the aperture a lot to overcompensate and it still came out extremely bright.

So I moved my subject to the side where the sun was to the right of us. The image to the left was just a little better with aperture, but cast very unpleasant shadows.


The last  photo I took, the image to the right, I moved my subject to where I was facing the sun. Although it was hard to see for me, my subject was angled properly. The sun wrapped around his shoulders just enough but did not disfigure his face and make the colors funky.


IF you have the option of capturing your subjects in the shade, I highly recommend it. Even then, be aware of the sun's location. In the image to the left, my subject is shaded, but the sun is so bright it comes through the leaves in spots and still casts a shadow.

As a rule when shooting in direct sunlight, always face your subject with the sun behind them, like in the image to the right.

The Challenge

Sometimes as photographers we deal with clients or situations that force us to deal with unexpected or challenging shoots. This blog post will share one of R.E.A.L. Photography's first challenging photoshoots.

A Wedding to Die For: 

One of R.E.A.L. Photography's first wedding shoots was the most challenging and creatively demanding. The clients were extremely flexible because of all the challenges we were faced with: a sunset cosplay wedding, on a boat in the middle of a lake, with three different photographic locations, with three different times in the day with no posed shots. An 11 hour day was daunting to plan out and let's just say, Rhi and I were very nervous.

How did we get through it?

We did a ton of research months in advance: what type of equipment we needed, how to capture images in different (and changing) lighting, how to get the sharpest images in low light. All of the research we did really gave us an idea of what to expect throughout the shoot.

We also ordered the right equipment. Having two photographers we pride ourselves on capturing everything to our strengths. Rhiannon handled up close and I handled distance shots. Therefore we used two different lenses during the shoot that helped get a variety of images. We ordered through a company called Lumoid.com that rents lenses that starting photographers might not be able to afford yet. This was a major help but also a major expense.

We also decided to dress up for the cosplay aspect of the wedding. This is in hindsight a bad idea, specifically because it got in the way and created yet another barrier to get past during the shoot.

Don't get me wrong, Rhi and I got annoyed at each other, frustrated at points, weren't sure how to capture certain things, and ran around like chickens with no pants. We did manage to get through it though with some amazing photos!

Color Vs. Monochrome

The impact of using color photography versus using black and white is situational and brings different elements to your photographs. We see in color so it's our first choice when taking a photo, but photography first started out in black and white. Color photography is based on hues, and can guide your eyes to the subject, such as a woman wearing a bright dress. Monochrome can be striking, and gives off a classic vibe inferring emotion into your images. 

Dodeca Convention- 2016. Nightmare Jack Skellington and Sally cosplay.

I love to love color:

Colors exist all around us but knowing when to use it instead of monochrome can be hard. Color can be contrasting, it can set a mood such as warm or cold tones, and it can bring loads of emotion to an image. If the color in your photos does not pull the eye to the subject or there is too much color, such as a flushed face in summer, trying monochrome might engage your viewers in a better way.

Weaver cosplay wedding-2016. 

Black and white shows the soul:

Black and white photography can be emotional and incorporate a depth to your photographs. Basically you use black and white when the light, form, or texture is more intriguing than the hue. Due to seeing colors constantly in everyday life, changing an image into black and white causes our minds to look deeper into the image itself. Playing around with contrast and light is a fun adventure, but you’ll never know what looks the best in each image until you try it out.

Mixing color and black and white:

Sometimes we get super crazy and decide that we only want the red of her dress to stand out, or the “something blue” in a wedding picture. That is when mixing the two forms of photography gets really fun and challenging.

How?

Some DSLR cameras have a built in black and white feature that allows you to experience lack of color before post production. This feature is useful to some and bothersome to others. Personally I like post production black and white better because I can make sure the image doesn’t become too grainy or have odd lighting that you might not realize was there in the colored photographs. Another tip that I learned the hard way was ALWAYS shoot in RAW or RAW and JPEG format. RAW files give you the flexibility of changing back and forth from color to black and white without losing clarity. In the end whichever way you take the photo is up to the photographer and there is no right way or wrong way. Each image is unique and tells a story.


Photos taken by : Rhiannon Evans

Shout out to bethadilly for the inspiration, here is a link to her blog: http://bethadilly.com/100-photography-blog-post-ideas/

How I Learned to Shoot in Manual Mode

How I Learned to Shoot in Manual Mode:

Starting out in the photography world, manual mode photography seemed so daunting and overwhelming that If I could avoid it, I was going to try. Then I came to the realization that my photography would never become great until I learned this mode of shooting. The three basics of Manual photography is: Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Learning these aspects of your photography allows you to become in complete control of the image you want to capture. 

Aperture: 

The Aperture is the hole in the lens of the camera that constricts or opens. The aperture of your image deals with the depth of field. Depth of field deals with how much of your image is in focus. When capturing portraits for example, using depth of field is valuable because you can get your subject in sharp focus, but blur the background by creating a larger aperture.  Similarly you can blur your subject but keep your background in focus by creating a smaller aperture. 

Shutter Speed: 

The shutter of your camera is what determines how much light reaches your camera sensor and for how long. This is an important part of Manual mode because you are able to creatively capture motion and low light images. A slower shutter speed will bring a more blurred aspect to images of motion or low light. A faster shutter speed will do basically the opposite, freezing time in a sharp image. 

ISO: 

The ISO of your image determines how bright or dark your images become. This is extremely helpful because you can put your own swing on how bright or dark you usually capture images. I have found that the ISO does not change often between each image you take unless you change locations. Checking your ISO often is a good method because you want to make sure you are not getting too dark as the sun gets lower in the sky. Creating silhouette or backlit subjects are popular images and also need a skillful understand of ISO use.

Confused yet? There is a ton of information on the main three aspects of manual photography, and getting them confused off the bat was one of my biggest problems. Looking up a cheat sheet of these three aspects really helped to have on hand. I also moved up gradually to manual mode instead of jumping in head first. 

Program Mode: or "P" on the camera, is one of the easier modes to start with and still have a bit of creative control. Program mode is like the AUTO mode but gives you access to the ISO (exposure). As you change the ISO, everything else stays on auto. 

The last bit of advice I can give is this: JUST DO IT!

Experimentation is key to all photography. Finding out what works and what doesn't is how I learned the most about Manual mode. Once the three aspects of Manual mode come easier to you, you can go wild! Create the images you always wanted to take! Be the photographer you always knew you were! 

~Amanda

Thanks to bethadilly for the inspiration, here is a link to her blog: http://bethadilly.com/100-photography-blog-post-ideas/

What to do with the Kids at a Photoshoot

What to do with the kids at a photoshoot: 

Most of the time wrangling your little one before a photoshoot becomes a crazy, tiresome adventure that ends in mom or dad becoming exhausted before the pictures even start. So if it is a family photography session or individual photographs of your children, we want you to know that we understand and we have a few tips that might help. 

• Let the children be, well... Children: Try not to coach your child. Many times children see photographers as strangers with odd boxes looking at them. They clam up and get shy, or cranky, or even act out. As photographers we want parents to know that this is completely ok. In fact we enjoy when children can express themselves and be as natural as if they were at home. 
• The key word is FUN: Kids just wanna have fun. They will move a ton because they want to explore, play, and experience this odd day out with mom and dad. This is completely ok! 
• Timing is key: Young children get cranky when they get tired. We recommend scheduling your session early in the day before they wear themselves out or after a nap that way they are refreshed for the adventure ahead. (That is unless we are photographing sleeping infants, then I suggest a time when the child usually sleeps the hardest).
• Just be prepared: Cranky kids can become inconsolable, especially when they become thirsty or hungry. Be prepared by bringing small snack foods that are not messy, and some water. Also prepare for the unexpected such as muddy hands, dirt on the clothes, and stuff in the hair. Baby wipes are a god send!
• Sometimes Toys just help: When children become shy or closed off, especially if they are younger, bringing one of their favorite toys/blankets can cheer them up and get their attention. 
• A Change of clothes, just in case: As parents we all know the doomed moment before the big day... a poop-tastrophy! A change of clothes is always welcomed. 

Tip: Pastels and happy colors work great for kids. Try to avoid solid whites, blacks, stripes, and strong patterns. This lets the eye color pop and brings out the hair color of your beautiful child.

We hope that these tips and tricks will help during your next photography session. Put all your worries aside and just have fun!
Next weekend we'll be reviewing indoor locations Vs outdoor locations and how to choose the best one for your perfect pictures. Hope you'll join us!
Like, Comment, Share and as always, Subscribe!

~Amanda
R.E.A.L. Photography

The Photoshoot Checklist

Tips and Tricks from a Photographer to the Client!

We have many friends, family, and clients that have never had their portrait taken and have no idea what to expect from a photoshoot. In this post we'll go over the tips for clients to make each photoshoot go as smoothly as possible. 

Working with your budget and style you can prepare yourself to look the best you can before a photoshoot. There are four main fields that we focus on before a shoot even begins: Face, Hair, Skin, and Clothes.

Face: 

• Whiten Teeth: There are many teeth whitening strips that you can get from the store that will boost your smile and confidence within a week. You can also go to your local dentist and get a whitening if your budget allows. 
• Stop the picking: Pimples are easier to hide with makeup then peeling skin or scabs. Resist the urge to pick or pop! 
• Exfoliate: The skin on your face needs just as much attention and care as the skin on your body. A week before the shoot give your face some extra attention with facials, scrubs, or moisturizers. 
• Remove unwanted hair:  When focusing on the up close and personal any hair out of place stands out. It is better to remove the hair using wax or other methods, than to cover it up with makeup. 

Hair:

• Touch up your color: If you color your hair you want to touch up any roots or grey spots showing a week before the shoot. Men if you want a younger look sometimes a touch up on the beard helps. 
• Change it up with a Trim: Sometimes getting a haircut or restyling boosts a person's confidence and makes the hair look more healthy.
• Don't forget deep conditioning: Salons can do many different deep conditioning treatments that can volumize and shine your hair making it look healthy and full.

Skin:

• Shave: Take the time to shave legs, armpits, and any other exposed area with unwanted hair. 
• Consider a Tan: If you already self tan, a touch up should be considered. If it's in the middle of summer and you burn when the sun touches you, perhaps consider lessening your time in the sun before your photoshoot. Red skin is hard to hide and peeling skin is even worse.

Clothes:

• 5-6 outfits: There are four types of clothes you should keep in mind: Dark, Light, Fun/whimsy, and Sexy. Changing your outfits allows many different sides of your personality to come out in the photoshoot. 
• Always consider neckline and your height: We recommend wearing form fitting clothes that are freshly washed and ironed if necessary. If you are a shorter person, do not wear capris. This makes anyone shorter than 5'9" look even shorter. Also keep in mind low cut necklines. We want natural photos not nude photos. 
• What to avoid: Avoid picking clothes that have textures, patterns, prints, or florals. Clothing like that distracts from our main focus: YOU! We recommend simple solid colors that are not too bold. 
• Forget about the shoes: Unless shoes define your personality, or your favorite shoes need to be in a full body shot, shoes are basically dress casual. Keep it simple and comfortable. 

If you use this advice to the fullest and prepare accordingly your next photoshoot should have you looking absolutely amazing!

Thank you to Emily Miller for the ideas and tips included in this post.

Next Friday we will be talking about what to expect with kids at a photoshoot. 

We hope to see you there! Like, comment, share and, as always, subscribe!

~Amanda

Happy New Year!!

The New Year is finally here!!

We are so glad that 2016 is gone and 2017 is upon us with promises of exciting adventures and crazy fun! Starting a new business was a challenge but we met some amazing people and did some crazy events. 

Check out some of the awesome photos we collected in 2016:

Happy New Years!

~Amanda & Rhi