Thursday, April 1, 2010

iheartfaces Fix-It Friday #49

Original



Fix #1: Cropped, Rotated, Saturated



Fix #2: Sepia-ized



All edits done in LR.

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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

iheartfaces Week 13:
Dramatic B&W


This is one of my favorite shots of our first foster daughter. This was taken during the first of the six months that she was a part of our lives. While I think other color shots best highlight her contagious smile, I think the B/W brings attention to the eyes that show so much of her emotion.


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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Why I want to go to Amy Wenzel’s Workshop

Photography has been a hobby of mine for a number of years. Only in the past six months has it become my profession. Currently, I am shooting portrait and group shots for local high school sports teams. The mission of my company is to produce a physical memory that these students can pull out of their drawer 10 years from now and recall their memories of playing sports in school. My long-term goal for the company is to be able to give picture packages away for free (through sponsorship, advertising, whatever it takes) to every student. Right now, anything above a 50% order rate is financially "good." Financially? The reality is that half of the athletes aren't taking home those memories. After a shoot, I feel a rush knowing that I will soon be able to give these students a package of professional photographs that they can hold in their hands. But those 50% get left behind. But if every student could get free photos? The local businesses get to give back to the children in their community, I can still put food on the table, and (most importantly) 100% of the students get to take home a memory. Everybody wins.

As I add more school districts next school year, that business will be able to subsidize another dream of mine: to offer professional studio and portrait sessions to families who can't afford them. So far, I have gone as far as turning my dining room into a home studio. The next step is to provide affordable, professional sittings for those who might not be able to afford a higher-priced photographer. I get enough joy out of the session itself...I don't need to charge the client an arm and a leg. As a foster parent myself, I first want to target fostered and adopted children and their families, as well as single-parent and low-income families. Just because they can't afford the luxury of a professional studio session, why should they miss out on owning a family portrait, senior picture, or infant collage? I don't think they should, and I'm setting out to make sure they have those memories to cherish.

Attending Amy's workshop would allow me to improve my portrait skills and, as a result, offer more beautiful memories to those who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them.

Thanks Amy!

Friday, February 26, 2010

iheartfaces Fix-It_Friday #45

Original

Fix #1: Soft Focus

Fix #2: Water Color

Crops and color adjustments in LR. Filters in PS.

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submit your own photo at iheartfaces.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

iheartfaces Week 8:
"Hands-On Fun"


Shower time!


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Monday, February 15, 2010

iheartfaces Week 7:
"I Wanna Dance!"


Showing her moves at her granddaughter's wedding!


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Monday, February 8, 2010

iheartfaces Week 6:
"We Heart Kisses"


One of my favorite early snapshots of our two kids. This was taken the day we brought our daughter home from the hospital...she's just two days old. If only they got along that well now, almost six years later.

Minor color tweaks done on Lightroom, focus effect in Photoshop CS4.



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submit your own photo at iheartfaces.