Christmas Portraits

Christmas portrait studio, December 7th-9th, at the Spiro Library,
to benefit the library!

There will be no sitting fee.
If you're interested in setting up an appointment,
contact Glenda at 918-962-3461.

What Makes a Great Photographer?

My opinions about really good photographers of people:

They spend time with people

I spend time with my clients. I like to know something about them
and I think that creates relaxation and the freedom to "be real".
No "deer-in-the-headlights" smiles.

They know the secret of "seeing"
"Great camera" doesn't equal "great photos". Artists know about "seeing". Seeing what is in front of you and capturing it interestingly is the most important part of photography.
A really good photo is a piece of artwork. All the training and technical skill in the world won't help if you don't have the eye for it.

They are creative, but not too trendy
I'll try almost any neat shot or photo treatment once. I'll even leave your flowers color and the make rest of you black and white, if you really want me to. (I'll have to say that I'm not crazy about leaving only the eyes colored. It's sometimes a little scary looking.)
I'm always thinking about a new angle or interesting shot. When I watch old movies I get ideas that I only hope I get to use someday.

They believe in Post-processing
I've seen comments by young ones about how they think a truly good photographer should get a good shot and NEVER really need any program to edit photos. I'm sorry, but that is just ignorance.
No woman wants to buy a photo of herself that doesn't make her look her very best. Think "maternity, aging, sunspots, yellowed teeth, forgot my lipstick"-type photos. All of us over 30 need a little help. Maybe under the eye, maybe nothing at all, but there should at least be color correction, cropping, and such going on. Capturing the photos is only half of the work.
I spend hours working on wedding photos after the big day is over.
Here's a look at my workflow after I take the photos home with me:

• Load onto the computer
• Make back-up copies
• Color correct all photos, if needed
  
• Take anything out of each photo that doesn't belong by way of cropping or editing: tape which was on the stage, makeup off groom's jacket, pimples, trash, clutter, other people....you get the idea.
• Then comes the fine editing: smiles, smoothing, fine tuning....other stuff I cant tell. ;)
• Hours and hours of burning final disks, setting up orders, album design, delivering.

Andria and Jake Got Hitched

They were married in Howe and had their reception
at the Kerr Mansion

For their first dance they did a surprise fun dance
after a few seconds of their slow dance.
It was really cute.


I hope they put it online like this couple did.

Someone please tell me if I ever get in the way of the videographer.
I don't want my posterior immortalized on film.