11 FROM 2011

I read about a challenge of picking your best shot from 2011. So I went forward after reading another way to do this and picked my best 11 from 2011. It was a bit difficult. Not because I had problems with the work, but because I didn't go shooting as often as I would have liked. But I found what I liked. And with each photo, I'll tell you why.

And here are my 11 from 2011.

#11 WATER LEVEL
While this isn't a particularly fascinating photo,
this was a recapture from 2008. I like the
simplicity of the image. And the age.

#10 TRAIN
While shooting along the Canal Walk in Richmond, this train came barreling
along the tracks above me. I always wanted to capture a train and the overcast
sky the heavy iron work made for a perfect black and white.

#9 ST GEORGE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
I can't tell you how many times I've captured the steeple
of St. George's Episcopal Church. It just stands out in
the middle of Fredericksburg and speaks of history. This shot
was taken from Chatham Heights. I've taken winter shots
from Chatham, and I wanted to check out spring. The red
roofs and green steeple were a pleasant surprise.

#8 GOLF?
All these years, I thought he was on the
course actually playing the game. Instead, he
was perfecting another skill. This is such a fun
photo - a very relaxed Tom in his element.

#7 BREAKING PROHIBITION
I had the opportunity to shoot at the A. Smith
Bowman distillery. It was a fabulous tour and
the barrels made for some great shots. And a lot
of fun artistic work.

#6 SKYLINE
A shot on the way to Belle Isle in Richmond.
I was walking across the suspension bridge to the island
and looking up saw all these wonderful lines. 

#5 SILVER LEAF
It's just that, a leaf. It was a cool spring day and everything had the full
color of spring. I saw the glint of silver from the light on the backside
of this leaf and gave it a shot. I really didn't expect the photo above, but
sometimes what you think you'll trash ends up being the best shot.

#4 LOVE
While shooting at the train station in Richmond (you wouldn't believe the
opportunities at the train station), I was strolling around, and for whatever
reason looked down and this was on the bricks. It was Valentine's Day.

#3 WISDOM LISTENS
Another shot from Belle Isle. It was the abandoned hydraulic plant, I think.
For graffiti, I love the message. It's just so true. But the fun part was
taking this from a boring wall and making it art. Will definitely print this
on metallic paper so all that glitters...well, glitters.

#2 THE DOOR
Okay, gotta admit, I love this piece of art. This shot
was taken at the A. Smith Bowman Distillery. And
this shot was a loss. Wrong lens, quick take,
unfocused. What can I say. Such is the power
of Photoshop. I get a lot of feedback on this shot.

#1 CROSSING THE JAMES
I don't know what it is about me and railroad bridges. Taken in Richmond,
this bridge crossing the James River spoke of timelessness. And turning
it into art changed the scope even more. This is a metallic print and
everything glimmers and shines. My favorite shot of the year.

THE DARK SIDE OF TIRED

I've been tired lately. I wanted to play today, and play for me is playing in Photoshop. But I notice that when I'm tired, my play tends to go dark. Severe contrast. Though most of my stuff has severe contrast. What can I say, I like severe contrast. An overcast day in Winchester, VA. Have a wonderful week folks.

HAPPY HOLIDAY PHOTO TIPS

With the holidays come photos and I wanted to share a few tips on how to capture great holiday photos. Some of these tips are for those of you who know their camera and some are for those who just have fun with their camera. Either way, have a wonderful holiday and don’t forget to take lots of pictures.

THE CAMERA

A few things to remember before you even take that first shot.( If you’re not sure where to find these settings, dig out your manual, do a quick flip through and get your camera ready. Of course, if you’re not comfortable with all this or don’t have time to check out the settings before hand, stick to your normal settings and get technical after the holidays.)

• Red Eye Reduction – Don’t forget to turn it on.
• Batteries – Have extra batteries available. If you use rechargeable batteries, make sure they’re charged before the big event.
• Memory Cards – Make sure you have plenty of memory for all the photos you want and remember to clear them before the event so they’re ready when you need them.
• ISO Setting – Adjust your ISO setting for faster shutter speeds and fewer blurry shots.
• White Balance – Properly set your white balance setting. If you’re shooting indoors, set to incandescent or indoor lighting. If you shooting outdoors, set for sunny or cloudy days.
• Exposure compensation – This one here is all about snow. If you believe you’ll have a white Christmas and you want photos of everyone playing in the snow, use exposure compensation or a manual exposure to force a stop or two of more light to reach the sensor. Otherwise, your snow will have a blue cast and we all know snow is white.

THE SHOT

Now that your camera’s ready, here are a few hints on how to get the perfect shot.

• Stay Eye Level with Kids – When shooting the kids opening their presents, get down on the floor with them. Get the full feel of the moment. Shooting from above often makes an interesting image, but if you’re just getting the heads, you lost the moment.
• Backgrounds – Beware of cluttered backgrounds. Find an empty area to take semi-formal shots of family and friends or use the Christmas tree as your background.
• Posing – Go natural. Forced posed images can make your subject uneasy. Keep your eyes open for warming embraces, fun family antics and Mom and Dad sitting next to each other on the sofa smiling about having all the kids home again.
• Go Off Center – It isn’t necessary to center your subject in every photo. Try catching bits of the holiday spirit by taking you’re subject off center using the gifts or the tree as a backdrop.
• Fill the Frame – Otherwise known as the close-up.  Whether you’re aiming at people or the decorations, don’t stand so far back so that when you see the photo, you can’t find the subject.
• Lighting – Lighting during the holidays can be tricky. Use as much natural light as possible. Turn on the lamps. Use flash if necessary, but soften the glaring effect either by bouncing the flash off of another surface (ceiling or wall) or use fill flash.
• Don’t Make Them Look – Often times, the best shots are the one’s no one knows you’re taking. Go for candids. When you’re dealing with the opening of presents (especially with children), just shoot. When you have the kids look at you for every shot, you might be disappointed at some of the looks (glares, scowls, funny faces) you get.

THE FUN

And make sure you and your subjects have fun.

• Pass the Camera Around – If you have a high dollar camera and don’t want to do this, grab a point and shoot or disposable camera and leave it on a table with a note for everyone to take photos. Why should you have all the fun?
• The Photo Booth – Create a photo booth or corner where you can gather your subjects for individual or group photos, for crazy shots like a real photo booth or for those who prefer to have a more formal picture from the event.
• The Food – Don’t forget to shoot the food. You’ll want to remember that feast before it’s gone. Also capture shots of serving and eating. You could end up with some fun images. My favorite is the guest whose fork is almost in his mouth and he suddenly sees he’s being photographed.
• The Gifts – Capture a before and after of the gifts; whether they’re under the tree, on a table or in a corner of the room. These are wonderful photos filled with color. And don’t forget to shoot the presenting of gifts and the unwrapping.
• The Decorations – Decorations can make for some fun and artistic shots. This is a great area to fill the frame for close-ups.
• The Group Photo – Don’t forget the group shot. As you’re part of the group, for a group photo you’ll need a tripod and you’ll need to know how to use the timer on your camera (see your manual). Group shots can be formal or fun (or both). Take group shots around the tree, at the table, wherever you want and have fun with posing. If you’re fortunate enough to have a white Christmas, take the group outside and have a blast.

Most important, don't forget to have fun!

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO BLACK FRIDAY

Black Friday seems more of a holiday than Thanksgiving itself. It has the power of Christmas Eve vs Christmas Day. Every media outlet spouts about Black Friday. Forget the family traditions of Thanksgiving.

I mention this because I hate Black Friday. You’ll never catch me standing in line at 10pm to catch a midnight sale that may be a bargain now, but guess what, as Christmas nears, you’ll get pretty much that same bargain (so I’ve found in the past). And the crowd madness? For me, it’s just not worth the savings. Therefore, I stay safely in my home on Black Friday.

Not so this year. My original plans for Black Friday consisted of editing a file of photos and working on the 2012 budget for the Studio. But alas, on Thanksgiving Day, my computer decided to spit and moan and begin its slow death of old age. You see, in computer age, my machine is about 109 years old (that’s six years old in real age). I’ve been putting off updating my machine because I just love XP and have heard mixed reviews on Windows 7. Now, I could convert to a Mac, which is my dream, but when I think about all the programs I’d also have to convert, well, the Mac just isn’t going to happen.

So I spent Thanksgiving Day browsing the Black Friday newspaper ads and the online ads and found a machine or two that I wanted to check out. Thank goodness for office supply stores, because there was no way I was going into Best Buy, etc to battle the masses.

On Black Friday, I had a client appointment and decided to stop at my store of choice and check out the machine (after much discussion with my computer guru about what I needed). On a side note here, my computer guru said my dying machine needs a good cleanout (hey, I blew it out at the first cough) and a format. Well, I started backing up at that first cough so everything was good on that end, but I wasn’t quite ready to wipe it clean. So back to my store of choice. I did find a computer that gave me all the things I needed (except for XP – but that’s okay; so far I like Windows 7). Not a Black Friday advertised special, but it was on sale.

Then the problems began. Loading all the software. It’s the curse of computer buying. What was and wasn’t compatible with Windows 7. Turns out, my lifeblood, Adobe Creative Suite, wasn’t compatible. I have an older version that I planned on upgrading in the 2012 budget. Well, it got slipped into the 2011 budget. Again, thank goodness for Black Friday Specials (and I also got a 

great deal on Norton’s that day).

Now I patiently wait for Amazon to deliver the goods (Adobe). I’m at a mild standstill, but nothing is at the moment classified as URGENT, so by the end of the week, it’ll all be good. In the meantime, I’ll take my Black Friday chore of the 2012 budget and throw it all together while I wait. Seems Office loaded just fine.

As for Black Friday itself, I’ll still opt to stay at home. There’s always Cyber Monday.

CREATIVE VULTURES

Lately, I’ve been hearing stories of these mythical creatures. Trust me, they really do exist. I’ve seen them with my own eyes. I’ve seen them swoop down on friends and business associates. I’ve seen them tear apart marketing materials without so much as a nod forward. I’ve seen them instill fear into the most confident of beings with the simple drone of their voice.

These are the creatures that will tell you everything that is wrong with your marketing materials without you asking, and in too many cases make you believe it. They live on your doubt and fear of business success.

So with that said, I’ve devised a list on how to spot creative vultures and how to dismiss them (as many of my friends and business associates have practiced).

HABITS OF A CREATIVE VULTURE:

• Creative vultures lurk on the outskirts of networking meetings (they’re not regular guests at these gatherings, but pop in on occasion - usually late).
• They introduce themselves with a great deal of over-confidence (while their samples provide limited creative ability).
• During the social aspects of the gathering, they’ll swoop in and tell you everything that’s wrong with your business card (brochure, flier, photos, etc).
• When you inquire about their business, they’re evasive as to their core business (ie: will share nothing more than a business card, website always under construction, etc).
• Their thought process is SELL, SELL, SELL (they have no interest in building relationships).
• Their SELL process is fear (you can’t be successful without their services).
• They promise you the best product for the least amount of money (don’t forget to ask about the fine print).

HOW TO DISMISS A CREATIVE VULTURE:

• Listen politely and smile (and move away as quickly as you can).
• Tell them how you really feel about your creative materials (especially if they’ve insulted your creative ability).
• Ask them for further information (and see if they can supply it).
• Tell them you’ll be in touch (whether you have any intention of doing so or not).
• Kindly excuse yourself (and quickly find someone else you’d rather talk with).
• Tell them you already have a designer/photographer (whether you do or not – though this will no doubt lead to questions of pricing).

HOW TO AVOID A CREATIVE VULTURE:

• This simply isn’t going to happen. Just except that they exist in our world of business and follow the cues above.

If, unfortunately, you’re stuck with a creative vulture lurking in your shadows (they either won’t accept that you’re not interested or they just can’t take no for an answer), you may have to swoop down on your own and tell them to shove off. Be brave my fellow business people. These creatures do exist, but remember, you have the final word as to their staying power. They’re actually quite harmless as they usually don’t have the ability to provide what they promise.

NOTE #1: While these creatures do exist, this article is written tongue in cheek (can’t take life too seriously, you know).

NOTE #2: If any of my business associates ever observe me acting as a creative vulture, please, please, please just tell me to stop (eventually, I’ll thank you for it).

$4.3M - I JUST DON'T GET IT

Seriously? $4.3 million? I just don't get it.

I'm playing art critic today. Now, I'll be the first to admit that art is way too subjective to be judged, but really, $4.3M for this?

This photo, taken in 1999 and titled Rhein II by Andreas Gursky, a famed German photographer, 81" x 140" and mounted on plexiglass sold at Christie's auction house for $4.3M. Christie's expected the photo to sell for $2.5-$3.5M.

Copyright 1999 Andreas Gusky

I'll just simply take you to the Wikipedia overview of Gursky and his work.

Personally, I can't say I'm impressed. I see the scope of this image, the simplicity, the color scheme. I even get the whole subject content. Not something I'd go for. It's just to.... I'm not even sure what. It's all a matter of style and it's just not my style. I love the green and silver mix of the grass and river, as well as the blue-gray of the sky. Okay, I like the colors. But I'm not at all impressed with the composition. Subject matter is kind of bland. I'm not even sure that the horizon is straight. I think it is, but I'm not sure (and maybe it's not supposed to be straight and maybe it's just the way my computer is angled - who knows).

But is this really worth $4.3M?

Am I jealous? Shoot yeah! What photographer wouldn't want her photo selling for $4.3M? Do I think it's worth it? No. Do I think the artist's name is worth it? Maybe (but then again, who knows).

$4.3M? I just don't get it.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

...AND SPEAKING OF LANDSCAPES

Aloha. I found my Hawaii disk. I love my Hawaii disk. It disappears, then reappears when I least expect it. The photos are not on the computer, but on this precious little disk. The photos were created long before I had any inclinations of becoming a photographer. They were shot with a simple point and shoot. An old point and shoot, not one of these super megapixel point and shoots you can buy these days.

But I reviewed the disk again because I love the landscape of Hawaii. Or I should say the seascape of Hawaii. The photos were shot in 2004 on the island of Oahu. The reason I’m bringing them out is because I stated in my previous post that I don’t have the photographic talent to shoot landscapes (or something of that sort). When the Hawaii disk does show up, I realize I underestimate my own talents. And this before I took the whole photographic thing seriously.

Now to be fair, I did do a little touch up on these photos, added some contrast, pulled the color for a sharper image. But the skies and the sea are real. That’s why I love Hawaii. The skies and the sea are absolutely beautiful.

So maybe I do landscapes (or seascapes or cityscapes or riverscapes). To me a landscape is rolling hills, but I do know there's more to it than that. Rolling hills bore me. But the sea and the city and the river, just my style. And black and white (yeah, that's a style thing too).

Aloha!

THE COLOR OF WINTER

Birds are circling nearby my house. I’m reading a dark comedy about the Apocalypse and the trees are close to bare. The death of fall is upon us, the coming of winter approaches. But these are not the signs I generally look for to signal winter’s grand entrance. How do I know winter is so close? I start pulling color from my photos.

Now, you could say, “Whoa, slow down Kerri. There’re still plenty of leaves on the trees and there’s a brilliance of orange and yellow and red in the air.” Yeah. I know. I see it. But as I believe that I lack the artistic view of a landscape photographer, this does me no good. So yeah, if you’re big on landscapes, the land is still stunning. Fact is, every time I drive North on I-95, I marvel at the light dancing across the color of the leaves (okay, that’s really more when I’m a passenger than when I’m driving – on I-95, you just don’t take that chance).

But I digress. Where were we? Oh yeah, pulling color from photos. You see, I like the lay of shadows this time of year. I like the bare limbs. I like the dark side of winter. I look at a scene now and I know if the final result will be color or black and white before I even shoot. Used to be I stayed inside all winter, plopped down in front of the computer or TV, but since my ventures into black and white and tints, winter brings out the dark side of my artistic pallet. I know, it’s not to everyone’s taste, but that’s art.

So let me share a few shots from my latest fall excursion (I actually was looking for color). Don’t worry; I popped in a bit of color so as not to rush the season.

And that book – the dark comedy about the Apocalypse - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. A lovely read for winter. When you get into your own black and white winter doldrums, this book will put a smile on your face (if it doesn’t make you laugh out loud).

IS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Stock photography comes in all different shapes and sizes, but first, let’s define stock. Stock photos are licensed images designed for specific use. They come from either macro stock agencies or micro stock agencies. They’re either rights-managed or royalty-free. They have their pros and cons.

When it comes to stock photos, as a business professional, you need to know the difference between a macro stock agency and micro stock agency.

A macro stock agency deals in images that are often styled down and natural looking. The subject matter usually has a distinct cultural style and feel. Macro stock deals in niche and newsworthy images. These images are created by professional photographers. Macro stock agencies include Getty and Corbis. Pricing ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars for use.

A micro stock agency produces a wide range of images sourced exclusively through the internet. A wide range of photographers shoot micro stock images, including amateurs and hobbyists. Micro stock often sells at low rates. Micro stock agencies include I-Stock, Shutterstock and Dreamstime. Pricing can range from $1 on up, depending on the image, the agency and the use of the image.

Now, let’s take at look at the difference between rights-managed and royalty-free stock.

Rights-managed stock is purchased per use incorporating such factors as duration of use (1 month, 2 years, ect), print runs (the number of times the image can be printed), size (billboard vs report) and use location (territories where the image may be used) being factored into the licensing agreement.  These images are licensed to not be used by another company in a conflicting manner.

Royalty-free stock is a one-time purchase that allows multiple uses of the image (though print runs are limited). The buyer can use the image at any time and the photographer can sell the image as often as he likes to a variety of buyers. Sometimes royalty-free stock is free, but often, this free stock requires a link back to the photographer’s website or a credit to the photographer. Free stock often limits the user to a low resolution photo (not practical for print use).

There are times when stock photography is more beneficial than hiring a photographer and there are times when it’s not beneficial and a photographer should be hired.

I recently conferred with a client looking for images for their website. The images they were seeking were pretty general and could easily be found through a stock agency. The problem - they were also looking to buy the full rights to the images, ensuring that the images could be used exclusively by their company. That is not the profession of a stock agency. A stock agency, whether rights managed or royalty free, intends to use their images time and time again to make their profit.

This is a hard decision for many companies. The cost variables must be considered, as well as the usage rights. While hiring a photographer may cost more upfront, the end result could be a savings. The company will own their own stock, often customized to their needs, and if they buy out the copyright, they own the images with no constraints on their use. They also have the right to share or sell the images to another division of their company or anyone within their industry.

This article by ASMP (American Society of Media Photographer) points out the pros and cons of stock photography and explains the issues of rights-managed versus royalty-free images. As a business owner, it’s simply a matter of how you want to represent your business. Stock photography can be an affordable solution to business representation as long as you understand what it is you’re purchasing and how that purchase can be used.

Kerri Williams owns and operates Magpi Studios, a creative studio specializing in photography, graphic design and fine art to meet your businesses marketing needs.

Whether you hire a professional photographer or use stock images for your business, Magpi Studios can help. We can photograph your business to create your own private stock or work as your stock consultant to help you choose and manage your stock photography from an outside agency.

THE HUNT FOR THE BLUE HERON (Part 1)

I was out shooting last week, trekking along the muddy banks of the Rappahannock. Not looking for anything particular. Just wanted to take some nature shots. A flock of four geese (do four geese make a flock?) settled in the water and I quickly changed my lens to get closer shots (it was cold and I wasn't about to wade through the water). They moved upstream (maybe downstream) and I started to follow.

I'm watching them, watching the slim path ahead of me, when I see him (or her). The beautiful curved neck of a crane hiding in the brush along the bank. Maybe 10' away. I moved slowly, quietly, telepathically telling this majestic bird to wait, to stay still. Suddenly his neck stiffened. He became cautious, tense. He took flight.

The elusive blue heron had eluded me again. All I got was a continual blur across the sky.

The hunt continues.

EVOLUTION OF A HEAD SHOT

I'm putting myself out there today. Way out there. With a before and after shot. And not just any before and after shot, but the before and after shot of my head shot.

To give you the short run down, I hate having my picture taken (I'll point out the obvious reasons why in the before shot). There's a reason I stay behind the camera. But despite my own dislike at getting my picture taken, I needed a descent head shot. I had been (like most people) relying on random shots taken that were somewhat okay but quite iffy. The obvious shot was hiding my face behind the camera. Not very professional if you ask me and not something I would recommend. Then I tried the self portrait, but I realized that I have no knack for taking self portraits. Just not my thing. Short of hiring a professional, I engaged my assistant (my husband). I set up the tripod, adjusted the settings, told him how to focus, then handed him the remote trigger and told him where to aim. It wasn't too bad.

Though, I did take a deep breath as the pics loaded into the computer. We took a few series of shots and the worst that could happen was to reshoot. But I had to keep in mind that what showed up in the RAW file wasn't going to be the final image.

So with that, let's go to the before shot and I'll be more than happy to show you why I hate having my picture taken.

Okay, so I think that's all pretty valid for not wanting to have my picture taken.


And those are just the major problems. While I also fixed the minor problems, in my eyes, there were too many to list.

I look at this face in the mirror more than once a day (it's not vanity - but rather brushing teeth, make-up, hair styling). I see all these things in the mirror, but the camera, bless its little sensor, tends to show it more obviously than the mirror.

Now, my friends, if you're looking for a Photoshop lesson, you've come to the wrong place. You can find that elsewhere on the web with no problem. This little scenario has more to do with photo fear and how it's best resolved. The resolution? Those wonderful folks at Adobe who invented Photoshop.

If you look at the after picture, you'll see color adjustment, no dark circles (okay, there's still a hint of it under the right eye), the chin scaring is gone, along with the double chin, the highlights are toned down and the blotchy skin is now matched with the other tones. There's also a necklace chain that I took out of the photo as the necklace wasn't really part of the shot. And, I softened the shot to take away some of the hard edges.

Is it perfect? No. Are there still things I would (probably will at some point) change on this shot? You bet. I'd get rid of the watch on the right wrist and I'd do something about the hair (there are a few blending issues that bug me - but when you have natural curl, you never have the same hair day twice). I'd also tone down the highlights a bit more in the sweater. And really, I'd probably reshoot and do something about the left hand (don't ask - I was trying to relax and wasn't paying attention to the hand). As a photographer, there is always something I'll find on a photo that "needs" changing (whether it really does or not). But all in all, the after picture is acceptable. I can live with it.

So there you have it, the evolution of a head shot (and a simple cure for photo fear).

FREDERICKSBURG DOWNTOWN DOG FAIR

This past weekend I took my camera downtown and photographed the Fredericksburg Downtown Dog Fair. So many people and their dogs (and no cats allowed - I think). I saw a lot of beautiful creatures and much love and affection between animal and human. People love their dogs. And I'm no exception. We even brought Mags to the fair and she took her first run on the lure course (her natural hunting instincts took over - Mama was so proud).

The Fredericksburg Downtown Dog Fair is a yearly event provided by Gone to the Dogs charity. Money raised from the event goes to local animal welfare. This group of local business men and women put a lot of effort and heart into the project for local dog lovers to spend a day of fun with their best friends (their dogs, of course) and to promote awareness of local animal welfare.

With that, this week's post is simply a compilation of some of my favorite shots from the day.