Posts made in June, 2010
Tea Collection
If you do any search for modern baby or children’s clothing, The Tea Collection will come up. Not only do they have fantastic clothing designs, but they’re functional and comfortable too! I think that I like best about them though is that you can find such a huge array of style. The folks over at Tea Collection say ‘globally inspired’ and they mean it!
Not only do they have such stunning designs, but they also put together entire mix-and-match sets to buy, which is great for someone like me who struggles to put her OWN outfits together, much less someone else’s.
Photographer Interview: Tamara Burross
Tamara Burross – Dallas, Texas – http://fromthetreetop.com/
1. How did you fall in love with photography?
I have always been in love with visual arts. As a child, I was endlessly busy creating or crafting. I took oil painting lessons at the prompting of my father, an artist himself. He often encouraged me to notice colors and composition around me and to translate that creatively. Photography is an extension of this for me and my interest in it peaked when I began shooting my own marketing ads for my children’s clothing line. I found that I enjoyed the photo sessions and the photography as much as the design process. So I decided to explore it further and fell completely in love.
2. You shoot a whole session with a mix of far and close shots. Do you switch lenses a ton, or just know how to anticipate what you want?
I shoot 95 percent of the time with my 50mm 1.4, but I do switch to my 85mm 1.8 occasionally. I think I have learned to move and flow with the subject and the location. Shooting 50mm has become second nature to me, it certainly keeps me moving, give me a workout and forces me to discover angles I may have missed without it. I use the 85mm most often for seniors, family groups or distance shots.
3. Tell us a little about what you look for in a location.
I tell every client that the single most important thing to me is light..light..light!! I judge a location based on the light it provides and I adore the romanticism of a lonely place that time has forgotten but beauty has not. This isn’t to say that you cannot find good light in any location…it’s there if you seek it out, but there are locations that provide magic!
4. What do you look for when you consider good lighting?
As a natural light shooter time of day is extremely important to me. I prefer to shoot about 1.5 hours prior to sunset, that is my absolute favorite time of day and it provides such warm, sweet lighting!! If evenings aren’t possible I try to shoot well before 11am to avoid harsh, or even hazy light..especially in the hot summer months. I generally choose a location that will provide me with shade and open areas for sunset shots. I can’t neglect to mention overcast skies, who doesn’t love a day of open shade?
5. What gear do you use and why?
I currently shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8 and my trusty reflector! . Why these items? Well, from the time I first used my original Canon 5D I was in love with the clarity, natural color and low light handling the 5D series offers. I have used zooms in the past but always come back to my beloved primes. I am completely obsessed with tack sharp images and the primes never let me down. In fact, I am so used to shooting primes I find myself fumbling with a zoom! The reflector is absolutely essential for me because I frequently shoot in difficult lighting situations.
6. These photos of your daughter with a cloak on in the snow are just amazing and look mostly spontaneous. Do you give her any direction or do you just let her do her own thing?
One thing you must know about Grace is that she is going to do her own thing even when directed! LOL She is my muse and I credit her with several of my proudest moments as a photographer. Many times her “not listening” turned into one of my favorite shots. I do offer her direction but mostly I put her in beautiful light, a gorgeous location and let her be herself. This is my philosophy when it comes to all my subjects.
7. You do a lot of siblings. Do you have any special secrets to getting them to sit still long enough to get that shot?
Oh, these two girls are so precious! I was lucky because their mommy is a very calm presence and this makes a huge difference. I don’t think I have any “secrets” except to say that staying calm and patient always pays off. As with most sibling sessions, the baby wasn’t always willing or cooperative, but by praising the older sister for her efforts and giving her positive feedback rather than focusing on what the baby was doing- I was able to keep her interested long enough to capture baby once she was ready. Kids can feel your tension and parents are usually tense enough for everyone, and understandably so! My best sibling advice-be calm, carry on, and don’t be afraid to look silly. Another tip-if the younger sibling feels ignored they are suddenly very interested in having their picture taken…well it works some of the time anyway.
8. This light in this photo almost looks like fairy dust . How do you find or create that?
That day we were in a low area near a dry creek bed on this family’s ranch. The light was literally twinkling through the leaves. I wish I could take credit for that but I think I was just in the right place at the right time. I do love to add a bit of Gaussian blur to enhance the magic, especially when i am shooting more closed down for a sibling group. I usually shoot at f/2.8 or lower but for siblings I shoot around f/3.2-3.5.
9. I know you shoot near sunset for that golden hour, but your lighting always looks super golden and warm. Is that your location or is it more in your processing?
In this case the golden grass, her reddish hair and cute freckles add so much warmth, but I find when shooting back lit at sunset the images are naturally golden. Shooting in the right light will always add rich color to your images. No amount of processing can substitute for good light and proper exposure.
10. You shoot backlit photos a lot. Do you find it hard to process or expose these?
It is a challenging process and I probably make my life as a photographer harder chasing those golden moments, but I am completely addicted. In order to achieve those back lit images I work with a reflector and try to angle my lens slightly to one side or the other of the sun’s direct light. If you turn your lens directly to the sun not only will your camera cough but you may overexpose the image and subject entirely. Working with the reflector allows me to light the subject with natural light so as to not completely blow out my background. Let me mention that this also takes the help of an experienced assistant that knows the balance of lighting the subject with the reflector without blinding the subject with the reflector, which doesn’t make for a very happy subject.
11. Your children are simply stunning, and you capture them so well. Many of us are quite familiar with the annoying and evasive antics of a photographer’s child. What is your secret to capturing such striking images of your own little ones?
Thank you! Don’t be fooled, my children are a handful!! I find them to be the most trying subjects I encounter because the don’t always want to cooperate with mom. When they were younger and I wasn’t as busy with clients they literally ran from me when they saw the camera. I can remember many sessions ending in tears on my part at not being able to capture anything but a profile shot of my daughter. Now that they are older and I am too busy to photograph them as much as I would like, they LOVE to be my subjects!! So there is hope! I think the best advice I can offer is to let them be part of the process (have them choose something they love to wear that you can both agree on), capture them being “themselves” (put them in a fun situation that also happens to be a great location) and try (and I stress try) to keep it short and sweet. After all, they are your kids..you can torture them again tomorrow if you choose to!
Birdy Dangle Necklace Review
I bought this lovely necklace from the shop PiperBlue and just loved it so much that I had to share with everyone!
It came sweetly packaged with a card.
It was taped to the padding so it would arrive looking great!
I don’t know what it’s made of, but it really glows.
TINY lobster clasp in back.
The chain is super light and very bright silver.
I darkened this one so you could see the texture of the bird. It’s so smooth to touch, it almost feels like teflon. I love wearing it because it’s like silk.
Looks great on. Only complaint is that it has a tendency to slide around and needs re-adjusting to keep it centered.
This necklace is stunning on, I’ve gotten tons of compliments on it and it’s very well made. I really love this and will be buying more from her shop. Not only was the shipping super fast, but service was great too.
Dressy cupcakes
When I was little, my mother took cake decorating classes and dis really really well in them. So well, that she was asked to make several cakes for neighbors. It also meant that we always got really fabulous cakes for our birthday parties. However, cupcakes is a different story. Making all of those is hard enough, but dressing them up for a themed party? Puh-lease.
This shop has your answer for sure. I love all the different themes!
Together in Paris
Ever been to Paris? I haven’t, but I sure feel so very chic when looking through this shop!
Photographer interview: Amanda Keeys
Amanda Keeys
Location: NSW Australia
Website: http://www.amandakeeysphotography.com/
Actions: http://www.fallintoblue.com/actions/
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mskat
1. How did you fall in love with photography?
It was a total accident. I was browsing the net for something random, and came across DeviantART (back in early 2003). I saw some photos on there and kinda went, ooh cool, I can do that, easy! For a couple of months I just went crazy with this dinky little ONE megapixel camera I borrowed from my in-laws (and soon realized it was not easy). I saved my butt off until I could afford a better point and shoot camera, went crazy with that one too, and then realized I was just deep deep in love with taking photos. Back then it was more self portraits and “things” rather than kids. So I saved and saved for some months more until I was finally able to afford my first DSLR and have never looked back.
2. You have a brilliant eye for capturing magical childhood moments. Do you keep your camera with you at all times, ready to capture a bit of everyday magic or do you set up special shoots?
Oh no, definitely don’t have it with me all the time. That thing is HEAVY! I don’t even have a point and shoot. I find if I take my camera everywhere, I forget to BE in the moment, I’m too worried about capturing it (and maybe not realistically either, I want that moment to be perfect, and so I change it, you know?). I am more of the type to plan a little something, or at least have an idea cooking, before I get the camera out. That’s not to say that at home I won’t pull it out occasionally just because, but it’s less of something I do now then when I first started out.
3. I think the vast majority of your photos are black and white. Can you tell us a little about why you love it so much and how you manage to convey that special magic without the use of color?
That actually started because I’m colourblind. I’m in the 0.1% of females that are colourblind. So I always felt like I would never be able to “see” in colour properly and was paranoid that if I tried… things would look weird! I remember actually when I started out, I hand-coloured (not selective colour, by hand) a photograph of my niece. I thought her skin was a pretty peachy pink but it was GREEN!!! I didn’t even find out until months later when someone asked me if she was meant to be a pixie or something.
More than that though, I just love the way B+W strips everything else away, and lets you just focus on the emotion of the photograph. I’ve always been drawn more to a beautiful moody B+W than I have to lovely colours.
4. You do a lot of very serious poses and faces with your kids like this one. Do you set these up this way, or are your kids more serious in nature?
Oh gosh no they are not serious at all. Madison (in that photo) is a little pro at modelling. When she was about 3 I started taking photos of her all the time because she LOVED being in front of the lens. So she kind of “learnt” through that what Mama likes to see. Sometimes it can be a bit frustrating when I want to capture her just as she is, but most of the time I really love that she gets what I want. She’s always been really good at being a total ham, and then when I say “just look at me” (or whatever) she whips out these killer expressions. For her it’s natural to be like that, even though she’s a total goober normally. With the others, I never, ever ask them to smile (or I’ll ask them to smile a specific way – but that’s my secret trick *grin*) so if I get eye contact with them, it tends to be more of a connection of them actually *looking* at me rather than, oh theres a camera let me cheese for you. I have plenty of photos of them laughing or smiling and playing about, but the moody soulful eyes contact shots are the ones that speak to me most.
5. You have five small ones! How do you keep your cameras from getting annoying to them and still manage such great shots of them all the time?
My secret is to not get it out for them too often! I don’t have it out at home all the time, and I definitely don’t push them to get in photographs. My oldest literally has a handful of photos from the past few months because he really really doesn’t like being in photographs. So although I’d LIKE to have more of him, I respect his feelings and don’t push. All the younger ones go through stages where they’ll ask me to take photos of them, or they’ll share an idea with me and ask if we can take photos of that (usually of their toys) so we’ll do maybe a couple of shots of their toys and then I’ll grab a couple of them. I try to make it fun, and I try to reward them afterwards by going out and grabbing a milkshake or whatever and let them know what a great job they did.
6. You do a lot of field and cemetery photos. Why that particular location, and what makes you love it so much?
I have always had a “thing” for cemeteries. I remember wandering through one when I was VERY little with my Nan, and being fascinated by the headstones. I moved out of home when I was 16, and had no real “me” space where I was living, and the cemetery was one of the places I used to go that would feel like “me”. I know that probably sounds weird! So anyway, I would be going to the cemetery a few times a week, so when I started out with that crappy little camera as I mentioned above, the first place I went was the cemetery! The stone and the history and the overgrown wild plants just speak to me. There is literally NOTHING around where I live. No fields, no cool buildings, no rustic, no rural, no urban, NOTHING! The cemetery is my one little spot where I can find little (and I mean little) spots that I can work with and make it LOOK like I have a cool area. That said, I have never ever taken a client there and don’t think I ever would.
7. What do you look for in a new location and lighting?
Well as I mentioned, there is nothing around here really. So when I look for somewhere, I try to find something that has a bit of a fieldish vibe, and if I can manage to get something else of interest too, I’d be incredibly happy. There is a park I use that has a couple of little spots, but it’s nothing special. Lighting wise, I want to make sure I can shoot there in the afternoon with the light coming from a nice direction for backlight, and that it has a couple of spots where I can get some shade if I need it.
8. I think a lot of us struggle with Black and white photos. Can you tell me how you ‘see’ a photo in B+W? How do you know it’ll look good in B+W when you shoot it and set it up?
It’s kind of just instinct for me at this stage. Second nature, whatever you want to call it. I just…. see it that way! I can generally tell if the lighting conditions and location are going to give me a nice bw or whether I’m going to be better off sticking with colour. Sometimes I’ll shoot with the intention of making something bw. It pays to pay attention to the colours around you (for instance, red for me looks muddy and blah in black and white unless you edit it in certain ways) so I plan things like wardrobe with bw in mind and background in mind too. While in colour I like things to be a bit brighter, in black and white I really want something with a bit more richness I can work with, so if I’m shooting with a bw in mind I’m more likely to underexpose slightly to allow me to have richer tones to work with in my black and white conversion.
9. Your processing has a lot of deep colors. Can you tell us a little about how you get those?
Well I sell an action for that 
Haha. In photoshop I use a couple of layers to bring the richness into the midtones especially. I tend to shoot pretty bang-on exposure wise, so I rarely touch the light tones much at all, but the mids and darks I’ll work with. I do everything pretty much exclusively with curves layers.
10. You do a fair amount of backlighting. How do you set up and properly expose those shots?
Expose for the skin!! When I’m shooting backlight, I rarely if ever watch the light on the background. I ALWAYS watch the face (and I move *myself* rather than the child) and skin so that I know where the light is falling, to avoid as many hotspots as possible (some I don’t mind, that is the nature of strong backlight) and expose for that skin. Unless you want something darker or a silhouette, what you want to see is the child (especially the eyes, if they’re looking at you) so forget everything else, and get that exposure on their skin tones right. You’ll soon learn how to see and shoot with backlight without even thinking about it.
11. Your children are simply stunning, and you capture them so well. Many of us are quite familiar with the annoying and evasive antics of a photographer’s child. What is your secret to capturing such striking images of your own little ones?
Thank you so much! My kids have their days (and weeks, and in the case of my oldest, years) when they don’t want to have their photographs taken. I get the camera out of the face for the most part, and when I do take photos of them, I try to make it more like I’m playing with them or they’re helping me out (and I LAVISH on the praise when they do a good job). I know some people who have their cameras out all the time and take amazing day-to-day photos of their kids, but that just would not work for me. One, I would get burnt out!!! and 2, my kids wouldn’t stand for it. So when I take a photo, I have the outcome in mind, and thats what we aim for. I might only get one or two shots, but they’ll be the exact ones I’m after.
12. The light in your photographs could be described as pure magic. What is your favorite time of day to shoot?
In the summer, very late afternoon (5pm onwards) and in autumn/winter 1.30pm onwards. The light in Australia is very harsh and strong, so afternoon when things get a little softer and warmer is definitely better. If I was a morning person maybe I’d like mornings too, but I’m definitely not
xox Amanda
Photographer interview: Jorja
Meet Jorja!
Location: Cincinatti, OH
Website: http://www.inmyprimephotography.com
1. How did you fall in love with photography?
This is the hardest question and I had to come back to it. I have always loved photography and art in general for as long as I can remember. But like any good relationship, it is the constant falling in love with it that makes the relationship a lasting one. Everytime I get that image that I have been craving, I fall in love all over again. So I guess to answer the questions, I am STILL falling in love with it!
2. You have a brilliant eye for capturing magical childhood moments. Do you keep your camera with you at all times, ready to capture a bit of everyday magic or do you set up special shoots?
I do both. My camera is always at the ready so I can catch a moment as it is happening. Kids tend to be spontanious, so to capture that, I also have to be spontaneous. But I also do get visions for an image that I have to set up and wait for just the right moment and light to pull off.
3. In this photo, the location makes the photo. Tell us a little about what you look for in a location.
Well, that location I have to wait all year for! I like natural locations, so I tend to look for forests, paths, fields, and little pockets of wildness. I like locations that help to complete the telling of a story. For example, if I am doing a shoot in the fall, I like the fall colors and leaves to be incorporated in the image as much as possible.
4. What do you look for when you consider good lighting?
I like interesting lighting. All lighting; front lit, side lit, back lit, has it’s place. I like lighting that adds depth and mood in an image, like this….
I love shadows and working with light and shadow to complete an image.
5. What gear do you use and why?
I have the classic 5d, 30d, 135 2.0L, 50 1.2L 15mm 2.8 fish eye, plus the 85 1.8 and a 430ex flash, both of which I never use. My favorite combo and the one I use about 80% of the time is the 5d with the 135mm lens. That combo does the best job of creating the images I see in my head. Plus, I like the longer focal length because it give me enough distance from my subjects so that they can be more spontanious and less aware of the camera pointed at them.
6. This backlit photo of your littlest blowing bubbles really captures what it feels like to be a child. Do you direct your kids at all, or anticipate them?
A little of both. I put the kids in the light I want and then I give them something they would want to be doing anyhow, blowing bubbles holding a bunny or chicken, jumping, dancing, or twirling. I know they will be happy and I will get natural expressions.
7. You shoot a LOT of backlit photos in many different locations. How do you get proper exposure with the changing light?
I tend to like to expose to the right, and basically, spot metering the light bouncing off of faces gives me the exposure read that I need to accomplish that. If I am not getting a good read off the face, I will spot meter the shadow and expose a stop higher and that give me a good base for what I need. I shoot in RAW exclusively, since that gives me the range I need for creative exposures.
8. You catch a lot of seemingly spontaneous moments like this one. How do you set those up or are they really spontaneous?
That shot was pretty spontaneous. She had just received that trike for her birthday, so just setting her on it I got happy, spontaneous shots. Again, this goes back to the fact that I do always have my camera at the ready, so it takes me ten seconds to get a shot like this.
9. Could you share the three photos that you are proudest of, and feel best represent your style?
Shoot, this constantly changes. But I will give it a shot;
This one, cuz it embodies Spring, from her dress to her wishes to the light to the new leaves on the trees.
This one is a little older, but it has all the elements that I truly love, circles of confusion, bare feet, whimsy, a pony and backlighting.
And this one for the pure happy emotion.
10. Your children are simply stunning, and you capture them so well. Many of us are quite familiar with the annoying and evasive antics of a photographer’s child. What is your secret to capturing such striking images of your own little ones?
I try not to push them. Limiting “sessions” with them to ten minutes or less. Often just one or two frames, since I can set the shot in my head for days, wait for just the right light and mood, and then shot for 30 seconds. Plus, again, I like to shoot them doing what they want to do anyway, playing with the animals, jumping the the creek. And, since I have three kids, I can use whichever one is in the happiest mood.
11. The light in your photographs could be described as pure magic. What is your favorite time of day to shoot?
Awww, thanks! I like shooting at all times of the day. Evening for great catchlights, in the sun for colorful, fun, playful shots, window light fro drama and shadows. But when I schedule sessions with clients, I like to shoot in the morning or in the evening, so that the light is softer.
If you are a photographer or a vendor wanthing to be featured, please email heather@modernmagical.com
A whole universe
Etsy is going to make me go broke, I’m telling you! I found some wonderful new jewelry at this shop. Be sure to check out her galaxy items!
Add interest by getting CLOSE
Human eyes see wide. We’re used to looking at things one way and that’s it. By getting a whole lot CLOSER to your subject, it changes your angle of view and makes your photo more intersting because it’s not what you see everyday! If you have a macro lens for your DSLR, use that.
Rain drops on leaves. Taken with a Sigma 50mm Macro lens on a D700.
Ice on leaves. Taken with a Sigma 50mm Macro lens on a D700.
Coneflower. Taken with a Sigma 50mm Macro lens on a 5D
Hydrangea flowers in winter. Taken with a Sigma 50mm Macro lens on a 5D
Cat eye. Taken with a Sigma 50mm Macro lens on a D700.
If you have a point-and-shoot camera, change your camera’s focal setting to the macro setting, usually a tiny flower!
Contacts, hairpins, toilet paper and a brush, all made more interesting and all taken with a Canon Powershot SD1100.
Dew on rose leaves, also taken with a Canon Powershot SD1100.
