Brenda Landrum Photographer

Today I watched the first portion of the Escalate Live conference and am so happy that I tuned in.  It is a live conference being held in California but for those of us who could not go we can watch live online.  I learned about utilizing social media from Jasmine Star and realizing that it is ok to be ME online.  Something I tend to protect because I feel vulnerable and think that you may not want to read about ME.   My brain exploded while watching Julieanne Kost talk about all these amazing things to do in Photoshop!  Literally EXPLODED!!

Photographers if you did not tune in today I suggest you go and register RIGHT NOW for tomorrow’s speakers!!  Starts at 9:30am MST.

contact brenda by using the far left menu Connect with Brenda    ::    brenda@brendalandrum.net

I wanted to share with everyone some before and after images of retouched files.  This is something that most clients or people in general do not even notice because you don’t see the images side by side.  Some images need a lot of retouching and some do not.  The biggest factor is light, how it is hiting my subject.  Light can be quite harsh on our appearance and because I shoot everything on location I do not always have complete control over the light, especially at weddings.  So I wanted to show you what I do to an image after it is taken.

The Before (left or top) and the After (right or bottom)

I just read an article on Seattle Bride magazine’s website about how one of their writers shot along side a pro at a wedding.  She is also a bride planning her wedding and after spending the day photographing has a new found respect for professional wedding photographers.  She has had some experience photographing for the magazine but not a full time wedding photographer.

I think sometimes many think that if you have a nice camera that you are a professional photographer.  This is not true!  We spend countless hours with our equipment and computers learning everything we possibly can until they almost become part of us.  It becomes second nature to set shutter speeds, apertures, lights, and lenses.  Aside from that it is also the details of what is going on and capturing them in a moments notice.  Our investment is high as well, anyone that calls it a hobby knows that it is an expensive one.  It’s not just the camera but all the accessories that are needed to get the shot!

It is a great aricle and you can find it here:

This is a great turtorial on how to shoot fireworks this Saturday!!!  Give it a try this weekend!

PopPhoto.com – How to Photograph Fireworks

Photo taken July 2008

In this digital world where we go from camera to monitor to printer/lab we are always trying to make sure our color and tone look just the way our eye would like for it to be.  That is right, each person see’s things differently!  In the film days there wasn’t much latitude to play with, as my daughter would say “Take what you get and don’t throw a fit!”.  That was pretty much the way it was with film  Different types of film gave you different color and tones and so each person used the film that was ‘right’ for them.  Well with our digital files we can adjust to our hearts content and have it ‘perfect’ but then you send it to a lab who then adjusts to their ‘perfect’.  Yes, I have had this happen many times when I used a lab that automatically adjusted my files to what they thought was ‘right’.  (sorry about all the quotes but I hope it stresses what I am trying to say)  I now use a lab that doesn’t touch my digital files so when I send them I need to make sure that what I see on my screen is what I am going to get back in print.

Monitor Calibration!  It is so important to calibrate your monitor for your lighting situation around your work area.  I try to make sure my lighting is somewhat consistent by using the same light on while I work and I have some window light coming in from my left and behind me.  My work area is in the basement so it is much darker and the window light is always bouncing off my neighbors white house so it doesn’t vary a whole lot.  Well of course when it gets DARK!

I purchased a very inexpensive calibration unit for my iMac and it has worked wonderfully for me.  I hardly ever have to have prints redone because of color!  The unit I use is the ColorVision Spyder Express2.  I try to calibrate once a month and the software reminds me when it is time again.  I have gone a few months between but I wouldn’t recommend this for an older monitor.  You simply hang the devise on your monitor and let it run!  I love this because with a 4 yo I can be doing something with her while my monitor is being made ‘perfect’.  So if you do a lot of photography and having troubles with your prints……click the link above and buy this little guy!