My first 2 photo shoots with my new camera!!

I'm so excited to announce that I've had not one, but two, count em'...two photo shoots, since last Friday!! Not only that, but I have two other potential photo shoot requests stemming directly from these ones. I've just about finished editing, and am hoping to have them done very soon. I had so much fun, I can hardly wait to show you what great clients I had to work with!

Here's a sneak peek...

The first is a young married couple that just announced they were expecting, so I was able to incorporate that in some of the shots...



The second is for the wife and 2 small children of a brave soldier who's in Iraq as we speak!




I hope they are as pleased as I am of the end results. I will post some more soon.

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

Another Practice Shoot!!

Well, this was actually my third practice shoot. I couldn't obtain permission by the parents to post my 2nd practice shoot which took place that same year. I so appreciated the practice anyhow.

It was an outdoor shoot at a local park with a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I am so excited! I had so much fun! What an adrenaline rush!! They are such a sweet couple and were such a pleasure to work with.

The lighting was not that great that morning though in some of the pictures, but I think they will like them nonetheless. I met them at 9am and the shoot lasted about an hour and a half. I think in the future I will probably try at 8am and see if that might avoid strong sun spots and shadows.

As my thank you for them letting me practice on them, I had an 8x10 and a wallet size of the best shot, made for them, as well as a collage of my favorites, also an 8x10.

I dream of someday owning a Nikon D80, but for now, please excuse the point and shoot(Nikon L11 Coolpix). In the meantime, I am focusing on my composition. CC welcome!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Edited to add correction suggested by helpful comment...

Before (with green sign post)























After (removed sign)

This is soooo much fun!!! I'm having a ball!!

Here are some that I've had the chance to clean up a little. I hope her parents like them.

I did my first practice photo shoot yesterday!

I am still floating! It was so much fun! Of course there are things I wish I could have done differently, but for the most part, I am very pleased with the results.

Here's my favorite (unedited)

Destiny is such a beautiful baby and her parents were so sweet to work with.

Their apartment was too dark, so we did the shoot in the lobby at my church since the entrance is all large windows and normally lets in tons of daylight. We met at 9:30am, hoping to take advantage of it, however it was overcast. Not ideal, I know. Shooting without the flash just wasn't looking great, so that's why I had to use it. We were hot and sweaty because we only had ceiling fans, and some shots, the dad's head and nose got pretty shiny. I hope that I can adjust for these with the editing programs that I do have. Also, my drop cloth was not quite big enough, so I kept getting the tile floor and the walls in the shots. So I will have to crop to cut that out. So that's why the shots will be so tight in some. The fabric kept falling off the cardboard or totally falling over so that was annoying. I am hoping little by little to be able to afford better equipment, i.e. not homemade.

Other than the obvious problems that go along with a first shoot, the couple was really nice to work with. It took about 2-1/2 hours with the baby sliding around on the fabric, rolling over, having to nurse twice and 3 pee accidents including one on mom! Dad had to run home and get a clean shirt for her! It can only get better right????????? Tee Hee.

I am so grateful Destiny's parents allowed me to do this for them. So if they are reading this, again, a big thank you!

As soon as I do some clean up of the others, I will put a few more on. I'm so excited!!

My "Toolbox" Is Getting Fuller...

Last night, I found some great fabrics for backdrops at Wal*mart for a dollar per yard! I got a nice creamy satin-like fabric and also beautiful pale purple to go with the little purple flowered head wreath for the baby's photo shoot I am hoping to do very soon. I also found the cutest metal bucket with wooden handles that I hope I can use too.

Now I just need to go to the library and check out a recommended book called, 'Understanding Exposure' by Brian Peterson. While I'm there, I'll take a look at what else they might have that would give me some good ideas and pointers.

Since I last wrote, I've been able to get permission from a few of the parents of whom I'd taken a picture of their child. I would like to add their children's pictures to my portfolio. So, after I have them sign the release form, I can share those pictures on here as well.

I have thought of a few families to practice on for family shoots, I hope they'll agree.

I can hardly wait!

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

My First Request For A Photo Shoot!!!

I'm so excited right now, I just had to blog about it! I got an email this afternoon from someone I used to work with and she let me know that she saw my blog site here and that she was interested in having me take some outdoor pictures of her and her family. She has a son that just turned 3 in the last few weeks. Of course I wrote her back immediately accepting. I was so excited that my hands were shaking while I wrote my response.

It's one thing to ask others if you can do pictures of them and their family and quite another when they ask you. I will be sure and keep posting as these opportunities develop into reality.

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

For My Toolbox...

This afternoon, I was able to get a few things to add to my "toolbox". I bought some ivory tulle, ivory fabric for a backdrop, soft pink baby knit blanket fabric, soft pink to line it underneath. A single long stemmed pink rose and 2 tiny flower wreaths in pink and lilac, and a large wooden basket. Not much to start, but it's a start! One step closer to my first shoot! Now I just need to get all my ducks in a row and I'm off and running. I couldn't be more excited!

I got to see the baby last night that I'm hoping to do a shoot of and she is just so beautiful and tiny. She is just weeks old! I'm still studying up on poses and such that is necessary for this to be a successful session and have gotten some great tips from someone that is already an accomplished photographer. I'm so excited!! (did I say that already?)

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise

Is Opportunity Knocking?

So much has happened since the last time I wrote. Both good and bad. I got the PSE 5.0 program in the mail on Saturday. I was so excited. However, when I went to install it on my computer, it wouldn't take it because we didn't have Windows xp. I'm so disappointed! I don't want to send it back though because if we get another computer in the next couple of years, I know I'd wish I'd have kept it. So I must put it aside for now. I was so looking forward to using it with my first photo shoot.

Well, now to the good news. I may have 2 potential clients for future shoots! I'm really hoping they work out. It was so encouraging to me. I was approached by 2 families at church on Sunday after telling them about my deciding to pursue photography. The first for a Christmas shoot and the other a potential wedding!

Wow! I'd better pray really hard that we can save up to get the Windows xp program since we can't get a new computer right now.

Leaning On His Everlasting Arms,
Denise