Paulding Photographer

BLOG IS MOVING

2008-08-12T09:40:00.004-04:00

I've moved my blog! Click here to visit!

Kayla will be placed on the transplant list tomorrow

2008-07-15T20:02:00.002-04:00

Oh and here we go again!! For those who don't know I met Eve and her family last year when they asked me to build a website for them to help raise funds for her daughter's liver transplant. Eve has 3 kids, two of which have GSD which is a rare metabolic condition that mainly affects the liver. Last year her youngest, Liberty, had a liver transplant and so far things are great for Liberty!!! Now, Kayla will be going through the same thing! This is very hard on the family for obvious reasons. Please keep this family in your prayers. For more information visit GiveLibertyLife.com

Happy Belated 4th of July!

2008-07-15T08:37:00.002-04:00

OK, so I'm a little late posting this but....:)! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! We spent ours enjoying the fireworks at Taylor Farm Park. Our church was there handing out water, glow sticks and playing cornhole!! A great time was had by all & enjoy some of the fireworks pictures. I actually used a tripod something I don't do often but when you are doing 45 second exposures...you need to use a tripod :) ! Enjoy!!!

I'll be at the Dallas Bridal Expo This Saturday!

2008-07-10T08:57:00.003-04:00

This Saturday I will be attending my very first bridal expo show at the Dallas Civic Center or the old theatre downtown Dallas across from the fountain/courthouse!! I'm very excited about this show & hope to meet many new people! If you are considering using my services, please stop by and visit. You'll be able to view samples of my work as well as references from previous clients!! The show will be from 10AM to 5PM & I hope to see you all there!!!

I'll actually be shooting a wedding at the old Dallas Theatre next weekend which I'm so excited about. The photo opps are just endless and this will be a very unique place to hold your wedding & I can't wait for the wedding next weekend there....it will be awesome!!!!

Click here for more information/directions to the show!

I've been tagged

2008-07-03T17:27:00.003-04:00

OK, Kerri tagged me in this little game of tag....I had to search for people who haven't been tagged yet...well as far as I could see.....Either way, here we go....

Rules
Post the rules at the beginning
Answer the questions only about yourself
At the end of the post, tag five people and post their names, then go to their blogs and leave them a comment so they know they’ve been tagged. Ask them to read the sender’s blog.
Let the person who tagged you know you’ve posted your answer

What were you doing five years ago?
Five years ago I was taking care of a new born (my son..Charlie) living down in Florida along with my 2 daughters. I was working as a security screener at the airport in Orlando (don't hold that against me) and pursuing my bachelors in healthcare administration.

What are five things on your “to-do” list for today?
1) Process the pictures...:)
2) Down load my first video interview & pictures for hospice...lady is 92 and just sweet:)
3) Do this....
4) Put together some marketing materials...don't think that one's going to happen today
5) Love on my children....

What are five snacks you enjoy? (most of which I hardly have)
1) Twizzlers (love those things)
2) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
3) Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
4) Taco dip
5) Spinach/Artichoke Dip

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1) Pay off all my debt & my mother's debt
2) Pay off CATR debt & build a place for the church to gather(and Canvas as well)
3) Set up funds for my children that they would earn by doing charitable deeds
4) Fund missions both here and abroad....really would want to help people and spread the love:)
5) Finally go to Ireland & England and meet most of my husband's family for the first time and have my kiddies meet their Aunts & Uncles & cousins and so on and so on....:)

What are five of your bad habits?
1) Smoke...yup...trying to quit...
2) Don't exercise (need to change that)
3) Disorganized (well....I kinda like the feeling of organized chaos which is what I've got but others call it disorganized...:)
4) Procrastinate
5) Spend too much time on this computer thing...

What are five places where you have lived?
1) Wisconsin (born and raised)
2) Key West, FL (were I met John & were 2 of my 3 kids were born)
3) Hawaii (I loved it there...)
4) Misawa Japan
5) Dallas, Georgia:)

What are five jobs you’ve had?
1) Aerospace Med Tech in the Air Force
2) CNA
3) Photo Lab Technician
4) Contract Coordinator
5) Photographer

People I’m tagging:
Mikey
Shelly
Jo Lynn
Chris
Jared

Congratulations to Yvonne & Craig

2008-06-26T10:10:00.002-04:00

Yvonne and Craig were married back in April as well....I'll say it again...I told you I was behind:)! They were married at The Legacy which is were they live. Their family went all out in doing up a real nice wedding for them & Yvonne looked beautiful. I decided to post some pages from their album which ended up being a 50 page album. I use Graphi Studios to print my albums but I do design the layout myself. Graphi Studio's albums are just so awesome and truly become a family heirloom......enjoy the pictures!

Happy Birthday Charlie

2008-06-24T14:51:00.003-04:00

My son turns 5 today so here's a little montage to celebrate that:)! I'm sad though because he says I can't call him "my baby boy" anymore:(!! For all those who do know him, you will get a glimpse of his crazy side that we see all the time but very few outside the home have seen it:)!

Happy Birthday Charlie....you'll always be my baby boy:)!

Congratulations to Bill & Kelly!

2008-06-21T10:13:00.002-04:00

Bill and Kelly were married back in April....I told you I was behind in my blogging:)! They were married at the West Metro Church of Christ in Hiram and this is also were they had there reception. It was a small but beautiful ceremony with some beautiful music! Please enjoy some of my favorites from their wedding & congratulations again to Bill & Kelly....may God bless you both:)!

Waiting for the bride.

I was determined to catch this guy smiling...which I did, you'll see.

The littlest flower girl hammed it up for the camera the entire way.

One request from the bride was to catch her mother smiling...there you go Kelly!

I love catching the moment when the groom sees his bride for the first time.

Doesn't she look beautiful! She was just glowing.

I love capturing these intimate moments between the bride & groom. You can just see the love!

She was just beaming!

Don't drop the rings!

Instead of lighting unity candles, they mixed dirt together from their home towns. I felt that was a very unique & beautiful idea!

And now for some detail shots......

And some formals....

OK, our ring bearer was just very shy but I was determined to catch him smiling and here you go.....

On Father's Day for My Husband

2008-06-15T15:37:00.002-04:00

Me with my family....

Normally I don't blog or do anything on Sundays except at the church but it's father's day today and I have this overwhelming need to say what is in my heart. My husband and I met about 11 1/2 years ago....he was a lunch cook & I was a waitress:). He is my best friend & the BEST father....when I go to sleep at night and I lay down next to him I have this overwhelming feeling of peace & oh...how can I say it....I honestly can't find the words. I then think about him & my family and just can't help but thank God for my wonderful family. We may not have much, but God's gifts and blessings mean more to me than all the money in the world.

I know there are some people that wonder if they will ever have that feeling & they are looking and searching for what my husband and I have. I just want to scream...STOP!! When I stopped "looking" and stopped doing what I felt I needed to do to find the man of MY dreams, God's plan was able to unfold and I was able to discover His match for me.

If you would ever hear the story of how I came to be where I met John (my hubby), you would say we were "destined" to meet. Destiny is such a comfortable word to use..One I use to use all the time and is the way I use to describe John and I meeting. But what is "destiny"? Destiny is defined as "a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency "....so who is that "irresistible power or agency"? Why is it that society has become so comfortable with a vague entity instead of saying it was God's plan?? Isn't that "irresistible power or agency" God? So why don't we start calling "destiny" for what it really is? God's Plan . I strongly believe when we fight his plan and try to do things our way, that's when things just go astray. I know....I've been there....I've done it. When I finally just sat there in a really dark period in my life I just said "I'm done....if you're there, I'm leaving it to you". I remember that like it was yestarday and here I am better than I've ever been.

Many people think God's blessings come in monetary form but His blessings are the kind of blessings that you can't live without. The kind that really pulls at your heart and makes you totally feel utterly blessed. These are the blessings God has given me. Money can't buy what I have and I pray that everyone can find the peace and blessings that God has given me and my family. So to my husband who I love more than he'll ever know....Happy Father's Day and thank you God for blessing my life with him:)!

Congratulations to Jonathan & Christina

2008-06-14T08:44:00.002-04:00

I have several weddings I need to post but I just haven't had the time!! Jonathan & Christina were married in the beginning of May. Jonathan's father did the ceremony...what a special time for a father to be the minister to marry their child!!! The weather wasn't cooperating with us but it was a beautiful ceremony anyways. They had their wedding at the Cascade Club in southern Atlanta. I truly wish Jonathan and Christina a very long and happy life together....I'm sure God will bless them! Here are a few of my favorites from this wedding & trust me there were many more but I only have so much room:)!

Congratulations to Brian & Rebecca

2008-05-14T12:52:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I've posted anything, my apologies but I've been busy processing pictures! In April I had 4 weddings in a row!

Another professional photographer friend of mine requested my assistance for Rebecca and Brian's wedding which was in April. They were married at the Taylor Grady House in Athens. What a beautiful place.....so many places to photograph and so little time. I stayed for the ceremony only and below are some of my favorites!

Until next time, God Bless

Congratulations to Aries & Katara!!!

2008-04-22T11:49:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Aries & Katara who were married on March 29th, 2008 in Lithonia! It was a beautifull ceremony held at Brownsmill Recreation Center. I had plans to do many portraits outside but the weather was not cooperating that day. As a matter of fact, my daughter, who works as my assistant, and I had never ran so much!! At one point, we were setting up to do a shot of the bride & image bride's dresses when I looked over my shoulder and saw a sheet of rain coming right towards us. I looked at my daughter and said run....so she ran leaving the dresses:)! It was funny! Katara looked absolutely beautiful and her husband looked very handsome:)!

I do wish Aries & Katara the best of luck and may they live a long and full filling life together! Below are a few of my favorites from this ceremony & I'll try to keep it to a few!

Laminin....the glue that holds us together.

2008-04-20T16:33:00.001-04:00

OK, just a quick break from wedding postings....I actually have 2 that I need to post. I just want to share this with everyone....watch the whole thing:) Thank you to Kim for finding this!

Got Hope? Then Get Soaked!!!

2008-04-17T08:06:00.003-04:00

On March 30th, our church did spontaneous baptisms! I was requested to photograph this event and my nerves were there for 2 reasons. One, photography with stage lighting is challenging to say the least. You have mixed colored lights which can create some issues especially with the way this was set up. The standard tungsten colored spot lights were on as high as they would go but wasn't that strong were the actual baptisms were taking place. In the back, we had blue lights so it created this mixture. Needless to say, Pastor Steve is not a red neck but a BLUE neck (LOL)! Also, I didn't shoot this with a flash since I wanted to be able to do sequence shooting...we can watch every single person get baptized over and over again:):)! The main reason why my nerves were kicking in is simply the event. I do weddings which is a once in a life time event but this just felt different & emotions were high! I felt truly honored that the church requested me to photograph this event for them. You can read what Pastor Steve wrote (he does a much better job) by clicking here.

A couple of the collages that I put together for CATR below. Each person will be receiving these.

Next post we'll be regarding a couple who got married on March 29th until then take care and God Bless!

Engagement of Yvonne & Craig

2008-04-16T12:04:00.003-04:00

A very special engagement announcement that proves that love has no limits. Yvonne and Craig will be married this Saturday & I'm very honored to be a part of this special day! Below are my favorites from their engagement session...enjoy!

Happy Birthday Kira (a little late)

2008-04-16T11:20:00.002-04:00

OK, so I've been neglecting this but I have been a little busy:)! I'll be posting some things regarding weddings and engagements completed recently but first and foremost.....

My oldest turned 17 recently and she may think this is embarrasing but wait until she turns 18......oh do we have some dandy pictures:):). So below is just a short little slide show for her.....no matter what she is still our little girl (actually...she's a big time Daddy's girl thus the song)! Enjoy until next time:)!

"It's Friday..... But Sunday Is Coming!"

2008-03-21T10:21:00.002-04:00

"It's Friday,but Sunday's coming!" is a quote I heard at our church on Sunday. Today is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and paid the ultimate price for us. A sad day but yet the hope of Sunday is coming.....at the time, they didn't know but we do. That's what that quote references......

It's Friday But Sunday Is Coming!

Congratulations to Bill & Kelly

2008-03-20T12:09:00.001-04:00

Bill and Kelly had their engagement session on March 8th. We had plans to go to Cauble Park but of course the weather wasn't cooperating:)! So we did the session mainly in the studio with a quick run out to the Silver Comet Trail in Hiram. We made that location by the hair of our chinny chin chin:)! The sun was setting and it was a rush to get the shots we wanted before it went away completely but we did it. Bill had wanted a portrait by the old train at the park to the trail and my husband contributed with a great idea. My husband's training is coming along and he will be a great asset. If you aren't aware, he is being trained to be my second shooter. He has a great eye (very hard to teach that) but needs to learn how to shoot manually (easy to teach that). I had fun with Bill and Kelly of course and can't wait to capture their wedding in April! Enjoy my favorites from their session:)!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T18:20:00.003-04:00

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

On a personal note...Daughter's Birthday & Baptism.......& Don't GO to church, BE the church...

2008-03-13T14:13:00.003-04:00

OK, I've been meaning to post a more personal post here for awhile now but I've been a little busy:)!

First, this past Sunday Church At The Ridge (CATR) showed me once again why we are a part of this church. DON'T GO TO CHURCH BUT.....

You may or may not have seen people walking around with these shirts on:

Instead of going to church, we gathered at the school and then all dispatched to different areas all doing different things & we WERE the church. Some people cooked meals for a Vet who recently came back from Iraq, others cleaned yards & parks, some were at Kroger just giving a helping hand in the parking lot, and still others stationed at different places on Silver Comet Trail handing out water. That's what my family did....although I think hot chocolate would've been nice:)! It was cold:):)! But seriously, isn't this what Christians are suppose to be about...helping others and bringing some light to their life...spreading the joy:)! Even if you aren't a believer, it's still nice to have someone giving you a helping hand just to be nice. Just another person just doing something nice & giving a helping hand! I LOVE our church & how God is working through the great, awesome people in this church!

Now my daughter will shoot me for posting this pic but here's a good one for you

He was taking a picture of my son....get it...shooting through her head...HA:):)! Took a little for her to catch that one:)LOL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHANNON!!

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now but been busy.... My youngest daughter turned 9 last month and was baptized. Enjoy the video below & now it's back to editing engagement pictures for Kelly and Bill....that'll be the next post!

God Bless!

Johnathan & Christina Engagement & Madoca Album Release

2008-03-07T10:53:00.003-05:00

OK, so I realized I have a bunch of stuff that has been going on that I need to post about!!!

First, congrats to Johnathan & Christina who will be getting married in May. We had a blast at their engagement session which got split into 2 days due to the weather. Unfortunately, neigher day produced the blue skies I wanted for Cauble Park but a little digital work and we have something interesting!

I'm sure these two will grow old together and live a joyful life.....I just can't wait for their wedding! We will have so much fun!!!

MADOCA & COMPANY Release new album Amythest

I had so much fun doing their photography for their new album which was just released today!!! I heard the preview of this album & the music is just awesome! I've also completed some design work for them which you'll see below. To check out their new CD click here!

Image used for album cover.

OK, I had gotten way ahead of myself & designed this but once I get something in my head it's hard to get rid of it! Madoca had hired another company to do their album design but maybe next time I'll do it:)!

Poster design for venue.

Another poster design for a different venue.

Until next time, God bless!

It's The Camera That Makes The Difference....

2008-01-24T08:21:00.001-05:00

OK, finally let's get back to this:)! If you aren't aware of this, I also do web design...thus McKee Photography & Web Design. I've been working on a custom site for a client...sigh.....I have a love hate relationship with web design. Some days I can't stand it while other days I love it (typically those days happen when everything is working the way it's suppose to:)! Either way, photography has always been a passion & true love for me so back to that!!!

It's the camera, not the photographer!
So, let's address this issue. Camera manufacturers market their cameras making people believe that technology has been able to replace the need for a professional. They don't say that in those exact words but I think that many people get that impression. I bolded the word market above for a reason. What is marketing? Let's look at the definition (I have a method to my madness...hang in there):

Marketing: is a societal process that is needed to discern consumers' wants; focusing on a product/service to those wants, and to mould the consumers towards the products/services. Marketing is fundamental to any businesses growth. The marketing teams (Marketers) have the task to create the consumer awareness of the products/services through marketing techniques; unless it pays due attention to its products/services and consumers' demographics and desires, a business will not usually prosper long-term. (Wikipedia)

So what do most people want from a camera? Something easy to use that takes great pictures...right? That's it in a nutshell. So you take that desire and market the camera towards the consumers wants thus you get "With a Nikon in your hand, anyone can take great pictures." How true is that? Is Nikon really saying that technology is replacing the need for a professional? Hmmm.....the term marketing....see what's bolded up top in that definition. Marketing in a nutshell is showing consumers how their product can meet their needs & wants. People have always wanted a way to take great pictures without having to study all the technical aspects of photography. Without having to know what the heck an f-stop is! With today's technology, does knowing how to shoot manual mean anything anymore?

Sorry, but technology has not and probably never will be able to replace the photographer's skill. I met with a great family the other day (wedding consult) who are into photography. The bride's mother told me about a survey that showed most "professionals" don't shoot in manual mode anymore. I find that very disturbing and is one reason why when people are looking to hire a photographer to document their wedding, the photographer not shooting in manual can create some issues. Take a wedding I did in November....technically speaking very difficult due to the lighting scenario. Shooting in any of the programmed modes would've resulted in some pretty icky images & not a happy bride! But I want to illustrate my point. I don't shoot in any programmed modes but I will just for you:)! Now these pictures will lack all creative stuff since I'm just taking quick snap shots to illustrate the difference between programmed & manual:)! I'm going to use my puppy (yes, he's my puppy...just a big puppy). His name is Buddy & since he is mostly black he will illustrate my point very well!! The only thing I will do to these pictures is resize them...taken on my Canon 40D by the way. I won't do anything else to the pics!

The first picture was taken on the portrait programmed mode as a JPG since that's what most people take them as. That flash popping up scared me to death:)! I don't use that flash!!! Results below & yes, I cringed!!

And now mine, shot in RAW (that's what I shoot in), manual settings. I used that pop up flash just to make it a little more fair but adjusted the settings & I don't think Buddy liked the flash either!!!

Hmm...see the difference? Let's make this easier....put the images together for you!

First thing that just jumps at me...the white balance wasn't right which caused the couch to have a reddish/magenta hue along with Buddy & you see that in his beige color. Also, it's over-exposed...it has that flashed look to it...we also see the beginnings of red eye. Just in general icky....so now why? Why didn't that programmed mode in portrait setting produce a properly exposed image??

First, one must understand the digital metering. It sees dark colors as being shadow for a lack of a better word (yes, I know....I could get into some other reasons but I just want to keep this simple). It sees whites/light toned colors as bright light. So, if you have a subject, like Buddy, where the scene is taken up by alot of dark tones, the camera isn't going to read the light correctly and over-expose the image. I know this and over the years know how to compensate for it. I also know how to manipulate the camera's settings. Interesting to note on the exposure settings of Buddy's picture:
Programmed Mode: Shutter: 1/60th of a second, Aperture: F5, ISO: 400
Manual Mode: Shutter: 1/60th of a second, Aperture: 4.6, ISO: 1600
Now, I adjusted that flash's power to not shoot off so strong (-1 for those who know)...why it doesn't look flashed. The programmed mode allowed the flash to compensate for the dimly lit scene and also had it fire off too strong since it thought Buddy was a shadow!! Now the color is off because of the white balance. I had it set at the adjusted white balance which is what most people use. This setting, the camera guesses what the white balance is. I don't guess, I know....the color in the second picture where Buddy is hiding is correct....that's the color of my couch.

Now, depending on your monitor...you may see the colors different or even see the brightness of the image different. This creates the other issue that people have....the picture looked one way on the monitor but when it printed it didn't look right. Professionals always calibrate their monitors!!! This way, when they do editing, what they are seeing on the monitor is how it will actually print:)!

I think those pictures proved my point between programmed modes & manual. It's not just the camera...there is skill behind photography. Much of this skill comes from experience & education! I'm going to close with this statement: For the amateur photographer, the CAMERA can improve his/her pictures due to the CAMERA'S better reading of the scene AND the IMAGE can be limited by the PHOTOGRAPHER'S ABILITY AND CAMERA. For the professional, the PHOTOGRAPHER can improve his/her pictures due to THEIR understanding of the scene AND the resulting IMAGE can be limited by the CAMERA!

Until next time, God Bless!

IT SNOWED!!!

2008-01-17T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so pathetic....you would think growing up in Wisconsin that I wouldn't get so excited about the snow that fell yestarday but what can I say!!!

IT SNOWED!!!

I'll continue with what I started the other day here in the next couple days!!!

It's the camera that makes the difference, not the photographer.

2008-01-16T07:31:00.002-05:00

It's the camera that makes the difference, not the photographer.

On my last post I cited Nikon's tag line "Anyone can take amazing digital pictures with a Nikon in their hand". Another photographer was quoted "The camera has nothing to do with the outcome & great photography lies in the skill of the photographer." So which is it? The camera or the photographer?

I believe years ago, back before the digital era this question was simple, the photographer made the difference. In this new digital era, camera manufacturers will tell you that with the technology today anyone can take a great picture but how true is that? But like any tool, if you don't know how to use it properly nothing else matters. For example, give me a canvas & oil paints, simple directions, & have me paint a mountain scene. I might do a half way decent job but it won't compare to that of someone who does this for a living who has the true skill & talent to do it. You can give me the most expensive brushes & the best paint & the best canvas but it won't change the outcome. With practice, I might get a little better but it still won't compare to that of a professional artist. The professional artist will know how to use the oil paints and different techniques that I simply don't have a clue about.

Let's look at another comparison, web design. Technology has made it easier than ever to create your own web site. Many companies help make it easier to design personal pages etc. Let's say you have Dreamweaver, a web design software. You study it a bit & can design a basic site. Will the person who has the education/experience be able to design the site better? Of course. Why? They know how to use the software.

Photography is no different than any other art or skill. I can give someone my equipment and tell them to go take pictures. Give them instructions on how to use the equipment & I guarantee you that the results might be OK but it won't compare to what I can do. A wedding I did back in November the formal portraits were being accomplished outside under an overcast sky. Easy shooting conditions for me and of course there were people all around taking pictures of the formal portraits I was doing. When I went to drop off the couple's CD of images she was showing me these pictures. To be completely honest, I thought the pictures that everyone else was taking will look just as good as mine since some of them had really nice cameras & we weren't in tricky lighting conditions, right? WRONG!! The bride was just amazed at how much better my images were than all the others! Why? Because I know how to use my equipment.

This concept is very simple, the tool is only as good as the person holding the tool. But the artist is only as good as their tools. You give me a crappy digital camera & I will make the best possible pictures with the limitations of the equipment. Will my pictures look better still on that camera than the Uncle Sam? Probably. Any photographer will tell you, equipment selection, especially in this digital era, is extremely important. One reason why when you see me at a wedding, I have at least $3,000 worth of equipment hanging around my neck & I'm looking to upgrade my system to have even more than that!! Some photographers will easily have $10,000 to $15,000 worth of equipment around their necks to photograph a wedding. Hard to believe? No, not when you look at some camera bodies cost $5,000 & then you need to spend at least $1,500 for a lens! One may say that you don't need to spend that much and the cheaper DSLR's are just as good. Well, let's take a look. The below images come from a site I referance frequently when making equipment purchases. It's called Digital Photography Review and you can access it by going to www.dpreview.com. Now one must remember, the below pictures are ones taken by a professional photographer

The first image is actually the general layout of their testing:

Art is not dead in photography!!! Let's not forget that not only do you hire a photographer for their skill but for their artistry as well. This digital era has seemed to take the artistry out of photography but to those who are skilled it actually added a whole new dimension to it. Take the artist again, they make their money not only because of their skill but also because of their vision. Photography is no different. It has changed over the years but it is still no different than the artist. Not only are you looking at the artistry in composing the image & creating dramatic lighting but in the digital rendition of the image afterwards. It all starts with a picture that even if nothing else was done to it, it would still be a beautiful picture.

Why hire a professional photographer?

2008-01-15T07:45:00.000-05:00

I know I'm not the first photographer to address this and certainly won't be the last. Many photographers have addressed education & the thousands of dollars spent on equipment. These are very valid points and much of what I'm going to talk about does come from my education as well as experience but let's look beyond this. Over the next couple days, I'm going to address 3 key areas:

1) Why hire a professional photographer?
2) Its the camera that makes the difference.
3) Why use a professional printer?

Why hire a professional photographer?
So what is the difference between a professional & Uncle Sam who has an expensive camera? You hire a professional photographer so that you can have beautiful images. That's it in a nutshell right? But sometimes, Uncle Sam captures some really great images! First, I recognize that everyone can take a great picture every now and again & today's technology helps that. But the real question becomes, do they know why it looked so great that time & can they do it again? A professional captures beautiful images every time. With weddings, the question is do you want to chance that Uncle Sam might capture the important moments during the wedding? Or do you want to rely on a professional that has captured these important moments for other couples & will capture those moments for you?

I'm sure it has happened to every reader out there that they took a picture and it looked so awesome but when they tried to do it again, they couldn't do it! A professional knows why a picture looked so awesome AND they know how to do it again! In a formal portrait setting, this means the photographer understands composition & lighting. There are several rules of composition that all professional photographers know...Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines,etc. They also are trained in posing techniques that can help reduce the appearance of certain things the subject does not like about their body. For example, say you are like me and have huge thighs (yes, I admit it) & you are taking a picture sitting in a chair. There is a certain posing technique that will help in diminishing the size of my thighs. Professionals know this....Uncle Sam more than likely not.

Outside of posing/composition, lighting is critical to photography. A professional understands how lighting affects the final picture & this extends way beyond the studio session. The studio is the easiest place for a photographer to take pictures. Why? The lighting is in the photographer's control. In studio, I create the ideal lighting situation along with artistic lighting. Not only can posing help hide those imperfections, lighting also has a big impact. Take a headshot for example. Let's say your face is naturally wide & it's something that has always bugged you. How I light that person's face can either accentuate the wideness of his/her face or we can actually give the appearance of a face that isn't as wide. Uncle Sam probably isn't familiar with how to do that!

When a professional photographs a wedding, for a majority of the time they are in an uncontrolled lighting environment & actually most people take pictures this way. When taking pictures outside the studio whether in a church or outside in a park at high noon (a time all professionals hate on a sunny day), I know what to do to help the current lighting situation so that you have great pictures! A professional controls his/her camera to create a beautiful image. Non-professionals allow the camera to control the situation and create the image. This leads me to my final difference.

Finally, the main difference between Uncle Sam & a professional is that most professionals shoot in manual mode. Hmmmm....what's manual mode? I control the F-stop/aperature, shutter speed, & ISO settings to provide the best image I can in the lighting situation I find myself in!! This is the key reason why Uncle Sam can sometimes take a great picture & then in other situations, can't! I understand how lighting will affect the final image. I know when to use flash or bounce flash & how to do this in situations where the camera in one of those lovely programmed modes won't! F-stop/aperature can be used to create lovely images with a real depth to it. Hmmmm.....what do I mean by that and what the heck is an f-stop? All lenses have a "diaphragm" that lets light into the camera & exposes the digital sensor (or the film if you have that). Depending on how wide this "diaphragm" is will control how much of the image appears in focus!

Some non-professionals know this which is one reason why they sometimes use the aperature priority mode on their DSLR. But what happens when you shoot in aperature priority mode is the camera will set the other settings (shutter speed & ISO) to properly expose the image according to its internal reading. So? Well many times 3things will happen. First, the shutter speed will drop so low that the people moving in the picture will create a blurry image. Or you may have a nice hot shoe flash that will then fire off so strongly that even though there is no wall behind the person, there will be this big ugly shadow behind them and I absolutely can't stand seeing that (it's my biggest pet peeve...I would rather see red eye since that can be fixed). The second thing that many times occur with slower shutter speeds (and digital cameras are much more sensitive to this than the film cameras were), the person taking the picture is moving ever so slightly which will create a blurry image. Finally, if the shutter speed is slow enough, the simple motion of the mirror moving out of the way to expose the sensor can create a blurry image. The professional knows how to control all the camera settings to achieve beautiful images & to create special effects like dragging the shutter.

This actually leads me into the next topic. Nikon has a lovely commercial out there about how they gave a community a camera & they all took great pictures. Their tag line is "Anyone can take amazing digital pictures with a Nikon in their hand". Another photographer I know insists that the camera has nothing to do with the outcome & that great photography lies in the skill of the person holding the camera. So, which is it? Is it the camera? Or is it the photographer? We will talk about this tomorrow!

Feel free to post to this; I would love to hear your thoughts!

God bless!