Well it’s been a while since I last blogged…I have been kind of lets say stuck…until this post showed up on my Facebook page by one of my children, Estella Sweet…I read this and giggled and then had to read it again aloud to my husband, Michael, and as I was reading I really started laughing and it brought out a lot of thoughts…so here we go.

Recently I had what I like to call a mega shoot.  (A mega shoot is where I have 5 or 6 people who I shoot all within a 2 to 3 hour period of time.)  Just before the shoot was to begin, my client stated that 1 or 2 people did not want to shoot with me because they said I was a terrible photographer and HATED my photos.  The client told the others that the shoot would NOT be re-scheduled and they needed to be there. At that point I actually started to question my ability and love for what I do. When all was said done, they were at the shoot & you could cut the tension with a knife but all in all got some wonderful photos and the client(s) we very pleased.  When I posted one set of photos I received a message that re-affirmed why it is I do what I do.  The message was “Once I stop crying lol I never knew I was so pretty. Really I didn’t. You did it girl you’re the best!”

Michael has always told me that it does not matter what kind of camera you use to take a photo.  You can take an amazing shot with a pinhole camera…Now that’s not to say that having the latest technology can’t and doesn’t help but as a photographer, or any artist for that matter, you must have what I call the “eye”…It’s all in what and how you see things and everyone doesn’t see things the same way, which is what makes things so exciting and not “cookie cutter”…

So the moral of the story is if someone says that you take great photos and it must be the equipment, you can just look at them and smile and say why thank you for that compliment but it’s not the equipment that you hired to take the photo or commission a work of art but me as the artist!

Photography-wise, the journey has been incredibly fulfilling.  Don’t even know where to start…Travel, meeting new people, new ventures, new clients…feel very blessed to have come thus far on this journey. 2012 promises to be an amazing journey as well.

Personally, it’s been a year of many ups and downs. Family has expanded ( & you all know who you are) and so happy for that.  Healthwise it’s a fight each and everyday but I will persevere and come out a winner!   Speaking of coming out a winner, we/ShadowCatcher Ltd. Photography made JPG’s Best of Photo Challenge: What a Gem with this photo:

With Michael retiring from the American Red Cross, we will be able to spend more time together (hopefully), expand the photography clientelle and enter into some new ventures & for that I am grateful. 

Michael & Melanie, please know that I love & appreciate you not only for what you do but for who you are!  To the rest of my friends & family…I may not always tell you but I love & appreciate each and every one of you.  I have learned from everyone and will continue to do so in 2012.

With that being said, Michael & I wish you all a very happy holiday season and the most joyous, healthiest & prosperous 2012.

So photography wise, it’s been quite busy.

Pageant season is upon us…Miss Gay Pennsylvania United States at Large, Miss Gay Maryland United States at Large,  Miss Pennsylvania Femme Fatale and Mister Gay Pennsylvania United States MI  plus many more to come within the next few weeks and months…

It’s wonderful to be the Official Photographer for the Gay United States Pageant System.  We are able to photograph so many talented entertainers. 

Thank you again to JP & Amanda Gulla of Big Daddy Productions once again.

Have also been photographing ITT Technical Institute ~ Owings Mills graduates.  It nice to see such accomplishments by all of these fine men and women.  At this last graduation in September, I was able to see and photograph an amazing thing.  A mother & son graduating together.  The pride seen on both of their and their families faces was amazing.

Have lots of shoots coming up…Graduations, senior portraits, sweet sixteens, etc.

Now on a personal note.  Things have been just as hectic.  The beginning of high school for our daughter, lots of travel, retirement is fast approaching for Michael, and health issues with me.  For those who are not aware, I am fighting breast cancer and I do mean FIGHT.  It’s been harder since I have NO insurance in Pennsylvania, I have to travel to Salt Lake City every few weeks for treatments, doctor appointments, etc.  I just want to say a HUGE Thank you to all of my family (and you know who you are and too many to name & and I know if I leave anyone out, I will never hear the end of it, lol!!!) ) in Salt Lake City for supporting me while Michael & Melanie are in Pennsylvania doing what they have to do.  I am going to be blogging more about this journey as it not only helps me but hopefully will inspire others!

Well, that’s about it for now…And to quote a friend of mine, EsQ, “When someone you care about, is going through more than you could ever imagine. You want to take the pain away. Take it on as your own, and heal them. I pray for you my love, my heart will not beat the same, until you and I are together laughing again. Please Lord, make this right, for them and for me.” 

This statement is so very true…And the 2 may not agree on what is being seen…

The last few weeks have been interesting. Had some down time but also flew back to Salt Lake City. I was the ultimate tourist…Being shown around by a friend who lives there…However, this trip was a bit different. Saw Salt Lake from a different angle.

There is a beautiful park in Salt Lake, called Memory Grove. I love to shoot there. This time, my friend Larry and I were sitting in Memory Grove and I looked up and saw people.  I looked at Larry and said, I didn’t know you could get up there.  Well, not 5 minutes later we were there…

What an amazing view…

We then explored the Capitol and it’s grounds, which were equally as beautiful…

What an amazing day, and I got lucky because I had a few ah-ha moments.

The next few weeks I go back to shoot what I really love…people.  Can’t wait to travel and shoot the pageants, the head shots, and graduation portraits!!!

By the way, you can see the rest of our photos from Salt Lake City at :  http://shadowcatcherltd.zenfolio.com/f554782708

Well the time has come for us to upgrade equipment.  Ugh…I just sit and think oh how much is this going to cost?  I know it needs to be done but the thought of it scares me.  Scares me for two reasons. One is the money aspect.  But I do realize you have to spend money to make money.  The second reason is a fear of failure.  The fear is the fact that spending money and putting money into a small business is risky, especially in this economy.  However, this is what we LOVE to do and apparently our clients love what we do despite a comment which was made that “your work is only good enough for free!”  I took that comment and ran with it.  My response to that was “Well I guess that’s why  we are being hired nationally and internationally.”

With all of that being said, of course the first thing we do is go look on our favorite camera website, aka The Candy store (B&H Photo), and then its decision time…What do we need…A new lens specifically for portraits, a wide-angle, another fish-eye…decisions, decisions…

Well when those decisions are made, I will be sure to let you know.

The only decision that has been made is that New lenses are in our very near future!!!

So I have been traveling quite a bit here of late.  DC, Maryland, Salt Lake City just to name a few places.  I have been photographing a lot of Pride Events, Drag Queens & Kings, Graduate Portraits, family portraits & headshots.  All very different but very much the same.  In order to get those great shots that everyone wants, you must have those ah-ha moments…

All I am saying today is in order to get great shots, take a step back, breathe and wait, because the shot will happen!

]]> http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/look-for-the-ah-ha-moment/feed/ 0 shadowcatcherltd Grad Utah Pride Gracie copy http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/family-isnt-always-blood/ http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/family-isnt-always-blood/#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 00:36:53 +0000 ShadowCatcher Ltd. Photography http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/?p=99 Continue reading →]]> ●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●
Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you
in your life;  the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who
would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.
●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬▬●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

We are all born into a mishpacha (family)…whatever that may consist of…mother, father, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc…We may get married and inherit a new family… But I do remember being told a long time ago, we can pick our friends but we cannot pick our family.

Now at this point in my life, I disagree with that statement…I have learned, especially recently, that indeed, we can pick our family, and my friend, Melanie E. just said to me “we find our true family in the most interesting unexpected places”  and how true that statement is…friends can be your family more than your biological family.

Now I am not saying I am perfect, because I have screwed up royally in my life and family did not always stand behind me (which I cannot and will not blame them for). But, I have grown tremendously from what I have done and my husband & friends have stood by me through thick & thin…Now that’s family…They love you for who you are, the good, the bad (& the ugly.)

To all of our families (& you know who you are), Thank you for your love!!!

***A special Thank you to Melanie E. for her inspirational ideas and for helping me proof this latest blog!  Follow her journey at: http://reversewrongchoices.blogspot.com

When Melanie was born, I began my  adventures to the big chain store portrait studios (before Michael & I  started our studio). I’d make the appointment, buy a cute outfit, schedule naps  accordingly and then drag Melanie to one of the big chain studios (I think we  visited them all). Most of my photography studio adventures went like this: I’d  arrive just on time, rushing in with tot in tow and a bag full of goodies. I’d  check in and then begin my usually very long wait period. One particular studio  was always backed up & we would wait over an hour for our 15 minute  session. By the time our wait period was over, Melanie and I would both be  cranky, frustrated and tired; her face and clothes would be dirty from the  snacks that she consumed while waiting. Most of the time we were rushed in and  the photographer didn’t really seem to care what I wanted. Some were fairly  good and did a decent job of getting some posed pictures of Melanie smiling and  looking at the camera, but some just snapped away, clearly bored with their job  and seemed uninterested in what I wanted and not very motivated to get the  pictures of Melanie for which I was hoping. After our short session, we would  have to walk around the store or mall for anywhere from 45-90 min while they  “processed” her images. I usually settled for the package, which seemed to be a  million prints of just one or two poses at the most. (I still have most of  these prints in a box.) These images were slightly better than what I could  take with my point and shoot camera at the time, but none of them were  spectacular and none of them were retouched in an artistic way.

Fast forward eight years…

Michael & I re-vamped his original concept of ShadowCatcher Ltd. Photography and poof we became a “Custom Photography Studio.”  Custom photography is a luxury. Unlike department stores or chain studios, custom photography affords you the complete luxury of customizing your session to your family’s needs. Working with a custom photographer means that you are workingwith someone who is invested in taking the time to ensure you get the very best from your portrait experience.

Many people have no qualms about spending $150 on jeans or sneakers or spending thousands of dollars on a vacation. Custom photography, while more expensive than some chain studios, is an investment. Quality images whether printed on paper or canvas will last for generations. You will be able to pass down your professional photographs to your children, your grandchildren, your great- grandchildren, etc., but a pair of jeans will not
last beyond a few years. In this dwindling economy, a $300 photo session exceeds  MOST people’s budget for photography, however, if you forgo a few visits to the  chain studios to save for 1 custom photography session you will hopefully get  the photos that you hoped and dreamed of. This is also the reason that we  currently offer Mini-Sessions for only $75. Mini-sessions allow those who are  on a budget, the opportunity to invest in custom photography without breaking  the bank.

Custom photography is an investment in preserving your family’s personalities and  memories. The money that you spend now on custom portrait art and prints will  increase in value as the years pass and will become a priceless piece of  history that you can hand down through the generations.

]]> http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/custom-photography-vs-chain-studios/feed/ 0 shadowcatcherltd Baby photo Jody, Sam & Matthew Yael Melanie 8-2005 http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/friends-family-acquaintances/ http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/friends-family-acquaintances/#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:49:02 +0000 ShadowCatcher Ltd. Photography http://wbshadowcatcherltd.wordpress.com/?p=54 Continue reading →]]>

You meet people who forget you…You forget people you meet… But sometimes you meet those people you can’t forget…

My mother and grandmother had a saying, if you have one true friend, consider yourself very lucky.  Well I do…

It has been a hell of a year for me, both good and bad; between health issues, work, family & friends. At this point in my life, I need to sit back and not sweat the small stuff… but you truly find out when things get bad, who your true friends are.  This past week I found out just that & boy was a surprised (good and bad).   I felt very blessed to be able to spend my birthday with an amazing group of friends (sorry to say that my husband and daughter could not be there) who I now consider family…You all know who you are & I love you all.

But before my wonderful celebration I had to work…2 shoots…

The first shoot was at The Miss DC Regional Entertainer of the Year.  Such talented entertainers/performers!

The second shoot was with the most inspiring, entertaining & thoughtful person I have met, Miss Nova Starr, who is the reigning Miss Gay United States at Large 2011.

At that shoot as well & having some fun, were 2 of the best promoters I know & love, JP & Amanda Gulla of Big Daddy Productions. 

Oh and one other person, an amazingly talented makeup artist & entertainer in his own right, Prodigy Artistry, who was a huge help to me!!!

Ok…work is done and now it’s off to Party…I was able to spend it with my DC/Maryland family and boy what a night it was…Food (TONS), fun & Entertainment…  I have to say a HUGE thank you to the most talented baker/party planner in DC I know,  Tony Melvern, owner of Tasty Temptations.  He made me the most spectacular & delicious cake & helped me plan the best party ever…

So at this point all I want to say is that I have met people & have people in my life  that        I CAN & WILL NEVER FORGET!

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Photography is a form of art, an expression of the photographer (artist) that can convey a deeper meaning even to the simplest of situations. Talented photographers in search of creativity try various options in different genres of photography. Portrait photography, fashion photography, underwater photography, nature photography, etc are some of the limitless options one can specialize in. To be a successful photographer takes more than just the latest equipment. A creative photographer should have an eye for detail and knowledge about lighting. Photography lighting techniques play a very important role in the final output. A subject can be transformed altogether and given different effects simply with the play of light and shadow.

Photography lighting techniques are learned through practice. Professional lighting techniques bring out subtle details. Using light the right way cuts down on unwanted light and dark spots and helps the camera to focus on the subject. If you become familiar with these basic photography lighting techniques, you’ll notice a sharp improvement in your own photos.

The way you use light will change whether you’re taking photos indoors or outdoors. Indoor lighting may be under your control, such as in a studio, or it may be out of your control, such as when you’re at an event like a wedding. If possible, try to turn on all of the lights in an area; this will provide even lighting and reduce the chance that there are shadows in your photos.

You can also take great photographs indoors by using daylight. Try opening all of the curtains in a room and letting the natural light fall on your subjects’ faces. This creates a soft look that is flattering to most people.

Outdoor lighting is always out of your control and it’s often changing. As the sun moves, clouds float by and nighttime falls, you will have to constantly adjust. Sunlight may be considered hard when it’s directly overhead with no obstructions. Hard sunlight produces strong shadows and well-defined bright colors. At the same time, it mutes lighter colors even more, so a pale yellow dress may appear faded or dull in a photograph. On the opposite side, you have soft lighting, which has reverse effects; soft shadows and better-defined background colors.

A lot of photographers keep the sun at their back, called front lighting. This is a good way to avoid glare and make sure you can see your subject in the photograph. It’s not ideal for taking high-quality photographs though. To do that, you want to keep the sun to your side. This is called side lighting. Side lighting will place the shadow on the other side of your subject (away from the camera), making lines appear sharper. Side lighting works exceptionally well in black and white photography, which heavily relies on the distinction between lines.

This is what I learned this week…