Spring Cleaning

So I'm finally doing it!

SPRING CLEANING of my COMPUTER.

This is something that I have been wanting to do but dreading for months. And this morning I just found myself doing it. And I'm doing great. I am speeding right along here. Maria and Cheryl, you will be so proud of me. :)

And among my many photos from 2007 I found this one. I took this during a class and submitted it for a bokeh shot taken with a new lens, one of my very favorite lenses ever! I didn't process this one, just sized and sharpened for web. Oh, and this was taken in beloved Maine in spring of 2007. :)

Ok, back to cleaning.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Israel Kamakawiwo Ole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"


I woke up this morning to a beautiful blue sky and listened to this. It made me smile and I hope it does you too. What a sweet lulling song. And the images in the video make me long for the beach. :)

Have a sunny day!

Us in Studio

So, yesterday the kiddos and I went to our new photog friends in-home studio to play. I am interested in learning about studio portraiture and it was great to see her setup. We had fun playing and posing. I didn't take any pictures as I was in the shots and helping to move the kiddos in and out of the set. I was happy that she got to use some of my lenses and test them out. She helped me to realize that my 24-105mm lens is a "soft copy" meaning the images are not sharply in focus. So, I called Canon yesterday and will be mailing the lens in for calibration today. Nice to know it isn't me. ;) Anyway, here is the link to her blog where she has some "sneak peeks" from our play session. So cute huh! Thanks so much Crystal!
http://cmbcphotography.blogspot.com/2008/03/s-family-sneak-peek.html

Brown Eyes

"Don't'cha make my brown eyes blue!" da da da.... (me singing a song) *ahem*

(Ok mom, so this one's for you. Brown eyes -- no blue! But I still love the blue wash in the background so I left it there. )

My daughter loved the pic I took of her brother (the blue one a few posts ago). So, she wanted me to recreate the shot for her. And this is what I got this morning.

Mom

Meet.... my mom!

Yesterday, she was willing to sit for an impromptu session while I tested some new equipment. No primping for this shoot just the everyday mom that I love so very much. Thank you for sitting for me mom! I hope you like these. Your hair is so much fun and playful in these pics.


and mom, I know you're not a fan of black and whites but you know me ... I love em. And I think you look timeless in black and white. :)




Mom, pondering the "now".


And of course, I had to post a doggy pic of Mr. Placer. Nearly 12 mos old now and almost ready for guide dog college. My parents have been training him since June '06 I believe. Wow, almost a year has gone by. That was sure fast. They are doing a wonderful job with him and he is a delightful dog. Very handsome taboot! I think he will do them proud and much to my father's joy and sweet sorrow (this dog holds his heart in his paw!). Thanks for posing Placer.




Thanks for stopping by! :)

Dreamy Blue

I am working on a new cool blue processing.... so tada!!! What do you think? :)

And a clean process of the original.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

C-W-B!

What does CWB stand for? Custom White Balance. My focus of the week is using my new calibration target in trying to get perfect true color while watching my exposure. So, today I took the kids to a local lakeside where we like to feed the ducks. I found that setting my CWB using the target created very warm images and using AWB created very cool. I'm stumped. Why? I must work at this more and figure it out. I should be getting clean perfect images using the target but uh, tis not working... I'm still figuring it out. Anyway, I brought todays images up in Lightroom (So, Karly, if you're reading this I'm trying giving it another chance. :) ) Found my exposure to be good in the lighting I was in...high noon total light (no shade). I purposely shot into the sunlight for the backlighting effects and sky blowouts. It was mostly cloudy with occasional sunbreaks and then a big downpour just after I finished shooting!

Here is the last shot of the day. I love my little girls freckles on her nose and cheeks. This shot was CWB and appeared warm to me so I cooled it down a touch. I'm not sure the color is correct but I'm in a funky color mood tonight so I'm pushing the color casts to creative limits. :)


This one I didn't mess with the color so you can see the CWB. See how warm it is? Warmer than I usually like to go with him. He looks kinda wonky in the skin tone...a little say, jaundice? Hm..?


Ok, so this duck is perhaps cross with a turkey? Has a funny red something on his nose/beak. My daughter has taken to befriending this odd brown duck. It followed her all over on the dock and pecked at her begging for more food. She personally fed him an entire slice of bread. She named him "Cocoa" and wanted to take him home. She has already asked when we will go to visit him again. I had a little fun processing this one. Turned the colors a little wild but the bird is pretty much that color.

Here is another shot of our little guy. He is just getting into the habit of putting his hands into his pants pockets. Such a "big boy" thing to do. ;) And he is looking up at an airplane that is just passing overhead and wouldn't you know it I chop off the top of his head?! Otherwise, great shot and focus. I just had to post it anyway. So, I also decided to play with a different style of processing... a light fog/blue haze. Trying for something coastal. :)

Ok, so I was loving the lighting and after I chopped off his head I realized I had to use my foot zoom and back myself up to get my big boy in the frame! Yeah, I was using my prime 135. Here I was about 15 feet from him. It was sure hard to do considering he kept creaping closer and closer to me! I was worried that I would back myself right into the lake.

Now this is something I am working on...shooting wide open with various lenses while on the move and getting both eyes in focus. Um... yah.... need more practice. This one didn't quite make it but was a cute shot nevertheless. Sometimes, you just gotta show your outtakes. So, here's an outtake. Also, CWB color here. Still warm to me. hm...

Alright, I decided to try for a high key image shooting using the main light as sun backlight and the lake as a fill. I used the target for CWB and watched for my exposure. The exposure was pushing to the right side of the histogram. Anyway... I don't think it worked out as the sun started coming out just then and likely the lighting changed from my settings. Grr.. Anyway, I turned this image to more high key and did a fog over it for fun. Trying for a weathered coastal look. yah.. um... time for bed.

Alrighty, that was fun today. Sometimes you just gotta go out and play and see what new things you can learn to do. My mission - master CWB! :)

Brand New Faces - Capturing in April!

It's time to freshen up my website with some brand new faces! I am looking for 10 models. That's right 10! For these 10 on-location sessions I offer to you NO sitting fee and a FREE 8x10 print from the pose of your choice with a signed model release. Proofs from your session will be available for viewing in your private online viewing gallery for two-weeks. You may order additional prints as well if you desire. And, if your face is chosen as the new splash page image (the first page you see when you type in my website) then I will gift you another FREE session and 1/2 off discount on a gallery wrap 16x20 canvas of an image of your choice! Website image will be chosen and displayed by June 1, 2008 and you will be notified! All images are the copyright of Angela Schwartz Photography.

I am looking for 10 new faces - capturing in April!

NEW SPLASH PAGE IMAGE - WIN a FREE SESSION & discounted 16x20 gallery wrap canvas!




Ten On-Location Session Dates: (Time & Location: TBD) All sessions will be outdoors so weather is a consideration for these dates. I will be in contact with you to reschedule should the weather be unfavorable on your shoot date.

1. April 4th - closed {shoot in Hood}
2. April 5th - closed {shoot in Hood}
3. April 6th - closed {shoot in Hood}
4. April 11th - open
5. April 12th - open {shoot in tulip festival}
6. April 13th - open
7. April 18th - closed {shoot in oregon}
8. April 20th - closed {shoot in oregon}
9. April 26th -open
10. April 27th - open


These are the dates I have selected for these special shoots. If you would like to model for me, please send me an email at schwartzja@peoplepc.com and include:

1. Date(s) desired - from the ones listed above.
2. Name and age of model along with a brief discription. (This will help me to determine the location of the shoot.)
3. Phone number - so that I may call you to firm up a plan for your session.
4. Your location - some locations may be too far and this will also help me to determine a session location convenient to you and myself. Some travel on your part may be necessary, depending on your location.


I look forward to capturing you!
~Angela

ILP Meetup!

Today some local WA photogs and myself met up for the very first time from our ILP group! Yay! We had 6 photogs and 9 kids (our lovely models). It was so much fun to meet everyone and to see other photog kids. I know my kids were thrilled to see that they are not alone with having a photographer mom! And it was so much fun to talk camera talk and be shooting alongside another photog. It was great and I look forward to many more get togethers. It was a busy day for me so I just had time to upload my pics and proof one. This one jumped out among all the others so it got first dibs. Meet one of the local ILP kiddos. Here he was explaining something to us adults on how to do something. He was smiling and moving around and was just so cute and sweet. I fired away hoping to capture him in his moment and YAY... I think I did. I'm so thrilled with this one. I just love it. Minimal pp work here as it was a quick play to get it up to show you. Nice! Clean. Yum. Love it.

Thanks for the meet up gals! {Edited to add more pics 3-6-08}

Photogs in action. Stephanie and Karly. They were shooting and I saw them and thought I'd capture them in action and just them Karly looks up and laughs because she realizes she's being shot herself. :) I think this is so candid and sweet. It was great to meet you gals!

One of the lovely models and her talented photog mommy Crystal captured in a moment of sharing camera tips. :)

And finally a quick snapshot of my daughter and a new friend (not in pic) run quickly down the dock in petti's while local photog Kathryn takes her pics. My daughter really enjoyed playing with yours. She was so sad to leave and say goodbye. We will have to get them together again soon. It was nice to meet you Kathryn.

Ok so I took only a few pics of the photogs and this one is my favorite. I just love the bokeh I got here. Stephanie, you look awesome here. And you know after looking at how you all shoot, I'm the only left-eye shooter in the bunch! It was great meeting you and I'm glad you're in the group now. :)

This little guy was on a mission to get a closer look at some balloons that one of the photogs brought for the shoot. I thought he looked so handsome in this light and quickly grabbed this shot with shivering hands. It was a cold shoot and I had a hard time keeping myself steady.





So of course we met up at a local lake and that is where you would find me 99% of the time when given the opportunity. I'm a coastal gal! Any of the models that went to venture at the waters edge were eye candy for me. And who could pass up on this little cutie pie! So cute. And wouldn't you know it as I was just talking about the lighting in this yummy location that she did this turn around bit! Like a pro model. :)






One of the props that I brought to the shoot today was my daughter's violin. She's been taking lessons for two months now and has just recently graduated from plucking to learning the bow. She was very excited to perform some for the photogs in the woods by the lakeside and as she did the sound of the voilin seemed to call several others. Before a few shots were fired my daughter looked up to her own paparazzi. Of course, she loved it. My vantage for the shot wasn't ideal as I was one of the ones who came running up from the lake to capture and by then she was so goofy and playful that she got out of the pose and went running away. I hope one of the other photogs had a better view. Anyway, Maria, this shot is for you. One of three that I got of her that day. She's sitting on a wishing well, a cool spot located in this park. I never noticed it there before. I'll have to remember it for next time.

And oh, I just love backlight by waterside. My photog friends, I had to do two exposes in RAW to get this and keep the whites from blowing on the extreme. Then I merged the two together and erased back where necessary. I think it works.

This guy was so cute and friendly and my daughter enjoyed running around and looking at marked trees with him. The trees had tags and they were on a mission to discover which trees were tagged and which weren't. Why the tags? I don't know. Anyway, he has amazing eyes so blue with dark thick lashes. He came peaking around a tree just after my daughter and they came to tell me about the markings. I really wanted to photograph him so I asked if they could stay for a few shots as I was asking I was shooting and good thing too because my daughter quickly suggested they run up to the park and this was the only shot I could get. He really isn't this blue or pale but I am struggling with processing this image. He does have fair skin and in this shaded spot the lighting was more blue so when I add warmth to the image in PP it just looks muddy. Any ideas?

Color Test

I found a color test on a photog forum I visit yesterday and so decided to take the test in my favorite proofing time, dark in the AM! All lights out I took this test via my uncalibrated monitor (I know, I know.. I need to calibrate). Much to my surprise and delight my test scored 100%, perfect color vision! OMG! My jaw is still on the floor in amazement. I had to do a print/screen and save this lovely score to show and tell.

If you would like to take the same test and see what your colorvision is here is the test link:

http://color.xrite.com/Producer.aspx?sid=17&sky=XBIOKOM7&pgi=15&pgk=LPWN7EOM&rid=4310&rky=15JT9Z6O&tky=128490646794756954

Angie-Pangie Meeze

My daughter and I built our meeze's today thanks to Aunti K's suggestion. My meeze is above. I tried to make it as close to my likeness as possible. Little M is to come....

And then of course we had to do son... after his beloved dressup attire. Here he is flexing his stuff!

Pocket Full of Sunshine

I heard this song for the first time recently and I just love it! The energy and I love the "pocket full of sunshine" line.. So, here's the song, sorry no video just a pic. I couldn't find one for it. Enjoy!

Song by Natasha Bedingfield

Birthday Shoot

My daughter asked me to take a picture of her wearing her new dress that she got the other day. It came with a doll dress so we had to get it. She was very pleased that it fit her most special little doll. So I took her to the beach yesterday in the gorgeous sun that we had to get some birthday pictures (she has a birthday coming up!). I got there at mid-day and headed into a parking garage because the beach was closed. There was some fun light in there but a little bright for her, see her squinting. Evenso, I couldn't pass it up.


Here I asked her to look off into the parking lot while standing up beside the building.

And here she gives me her classic smile with the squinty eyes.

And this one is for Auntie Kiley.... see, still biting strong. I don't know what it is but she has made nail-biting a very popular past-time activity. The more I tell her to stop or draw focus to it the more she does it. I see her do this when she watches a movie, is listening to me read at storytime, or just at any idol moment.

I didn't get the shot I was after that day but these were fun to process.

Thanks for stopping by and for leaving me your wonderful comments. :)