I love Fall!!

The weather seems to have changed quickly here in the south. It got pretty cool here just in the last week. I hear it's getting cold sooner than normal here and apparently that means there's going to be a lot of snow this winter. So they say.
I'm headed to the mountains of North Carolina this weekend and looking forward to taking some pictures of the fall leaves and mountain scenery! I hope my camera holds out. I've been having major issues with my Nikon D70. An issue that's going to cost $240 just to have someone look at it! I haven't even picked up my Nikon in weeks. Maybe even months thanks to the problem. I've been using my small point and shoot Nikon. It's just not the same! So I'm hoping that my D70 will work long enough to get some good shots this weekend. I'll have my baby Nikon on hand just in case. I could break out my Canon EOS Rebel film camera. I have a great zoom lens for that one, but of course it's film. Film has to be developed and printed which costs money so I probably won't. But I'll have it with me just in case! I'll have my fall photos posted here shortly!!

Time for a great portrait to be made...

So are you ready for your great portrait? Now's a great time. The fresh air, the sunshine, the beautiful setting. The free 5x7. What? Yes, a free 5x7. You can have your portrait made at one of two locations~ Finlay Park or under the Gervais Street Bridge by the river, both beautiful locations~ for $25 and receive a free
5x7. Just leave me a comment or email me at pricelessimages@yahoo.com to find out more and set up an appointment.

What Makes a Portrait Great?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We've all heard it and we know it's true. So, that said, what makes a portrait great? You could ask ten people this question and you could get ten different answers. Every one has their own taste and styles. Therefore, their idea of a great portrait may be different. In my eyes what makes a portrait great is capturing the person. Not just an image of the person but everything about that person. Don't get me wrong....lighting, composition, all that stuff is important in the making of a great portrait. However, a mom and her point-and-shoot camera can capture a great portrait of her child. A great portrait goes beyond the lighting and composition. It's the split second decision to snap the photo right when you see their personality shine through. It's not a pose. It's the subject being himself. It's that smile you only see when she's doing something she loves. It's the expression that makes him look just like his grandmother. That is what makes a portrait great.

The Importance of Portraits

Every family should have their portraits made at least once a year. A matter of fact, I think all families should have their own personal photographer (you know, like the President and his family) to follow them on vacations, field trips, promotions and just hanging out in the back yard. To capture those quiet moments. A little toddler closely inspecting a bug. Teenage siblings getting along and sharing a quiet moment. A brand new baby taking a nap. A dad showing his child how to hold a baseball. Life is full of moments that you don't even realize are happening.
So how often do you take photos of your family? Every day? Once a week? Only during special occasions? Some of you may be saying "I don't even own a camera". If you're that person please contact me! We've got a lot of talking to do!! So anyway, how often does your family have a formal portrait done? And I use the term formal loosely. Some folks only have their portrait done when they add a new family member. Others every 5 years or whatever increment of time suits them. I feel that it's very important to have a portrait done at least once a year. Portraits are a great way to chronicle our lives. It documents the funky hairstyles (and possibly changing colors), the fashions, and growth (whether it's a child growing up or an adult growing out). It's also great to leave photos behind for our great-great-great grandkids to look through and laugh at the hairstyles and fashions. Or maybe say "Hey, you've got her nose".
No matter how often you have your formal portrait done, it should be done at least once in your lifetime. And guess what....a great portrait doesn't have to be expensive!

Why I take pictures

Photography…..well, it's pretty much a part of me. If you know me you know I love it and anything having to do with it. I don't know what it is about photography that I love so much. I guess no one really knows why they do the things they do. For as long as I can remember I've loved taking pictures. When I was a kid I took tons of pictures… of nothing really, had them developed then looked at them and said "what else can I take a picture of?" Then I took that photography class my freshman year in high school. I will never forget…I won an honorable mention in the art show at the mall for a photo of my little cousin Glenn and his cat sitting on a picnic table. I was so excited and disappointed at the same time! I was grateful to have the honorable mention…but why wasn't it good enough for a ribbon? Well, I believe that was the start of it all right there!

I've never seen myself as a talented person. I still to this day don't really know of anything that I'm really great at. I can do a lot of things well. Play first base in softball…I'm pretty good but I'm not great. I can ski…I'm pretty good but I'm not great. I play tennis…and the list goes on. I especially have never seen myself as an artistic person. I'm sure, as it is with everyone else, I am my own worst critic. I never see myself as good as everyone else does…in many aspects of my life. I don't know the reason for that. I suppose I don't like to boast or make myself appear to be something I'm not. I do know that I am not the best and even if I come up with an awesome photo once in a while, there are others out there that are that much better than mine. I'm not sure. But one thing I am sure of is this: no matter what anyone else thinks, I love my photographs.

I decided one year that I was going to submit a photo to The State Fair. I have always loved looking at all the photos in the Fair each year and decided I wanted to be a part of it. I painstakingly chose my two photos that I thought were acceptable and my mom and I framed them ourselves. Now, I didn't have high expectations. I keep my hopes low so that should anything good happen it's just a great surprise rather than a big let down when nothing happens. Well, I received word that one of my two photos were accepted to hang in the Fair! I was elated!! I didn't need to win a prize…getting my photo hung in the Fair for who knows how many people to look at was enough for me!! Of course, I didn't win anything, but like I said, I didn't need to. The following year I repeated the process. The only difference was this time I had my photographs professionally framed. That year both of my photographs were accepted. Again, I kept my hopes low. I wasn't expecting to win anything but, man, wouldn't it be awesome if I did! As me and my family walked around the exhibit I thought to myself "wow, mine's pretty good compared to all the other's here, I may have a chance". I never dared utter these words out loud of course. However, friends and family were telling me that I was going to win something. "You have to" they kept saying. Well, I didn't. Again, that was fine with me! This year I had TWO photos accepted. That's better than last year already!! I did learn something that year however. That old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is true. The judge that year chose a picture that, well, let's just say we were all a little surprised to see the famous Blue Ribbon hanging from it. After the fair that year I set my thoughts to the next year's entries. What other photographs do I have that I can enter? Maybe I will take the one this year! My mom had some suggestions for me. She always does and I am so thankful that she supports me and my photography the way she does. She's my biggest fan I think. Next to my daddy of course! Her suggestion was to look at the photo that won and take some photos like that one to cater to the judges. I nodded in agreement but only to be polite. I decided that day that if I had to take a photograph that I didn't like to win, then I didn't want to win.

If you ask me what I like to take photographs of I will tell you nature. Then I would add people, then landscapes. I would not be able to completely answer that question actually. My photography does not have a set style or look to it. I have some semi-abstract, some traditional…I guess you could say that I'm well rounded when it comes to a photographic style. I just like taking photographs. If it looks one way this day and another way the next day, then so be it. The reason for that is that I truly love to take photographs of anything! It may change daily, or even hourly! If I see something that I think would make a great picture….I take a picture of it! If it's a rose, a cute baby or a bag of potato chips…if I see something beautiful in it…I will take a photograph of it!of it I get teased quite a bit about the things that I take photographs of. "There she goes taking the artistic look at a insert name of ordinary object here". But they can laugh all they want. Because I will have the last laugh when they see a beautiful photograph they were never expecting!

My favorite quote comes from Diane Arbus. She said "I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them". I believe the same thing! I believe that people don't see things like I do. That, I think, is why I take pictures. To show everyone what I see.