Ballet mini sessions are coming April 12th and 13th in Memphis. This is a great chance to treat your little girl to a special time, or to get classic portraits of your little ballet student. The sessions are about 20 minutes long. We will have slippers and tutus and leotards and some basic props on hand. If your little girl is in a class, you are welcome to bring her in her own recital outfit if you prefer. The setup will be a wooden "stage" floor with a gray hand-painted backdrop, and a "stage" curtain.  Appointments will be reserved upon receipt of the session fee ($35). A single pose package starts at $55. Feel free to request more pricing info-Limited Edition pricing will be in effect. (Somewhat lower than regular session prices.) 

This little ballerina photograph won an editor's recognition on a photo site last month. It makes me even more excited about my upcoming Ballerina Babies sessions in April! Saturday is filling up-call if you are interested in having your little one dance for a day! 901.878.9308

IHF has another editing challenge going. It's Fix it Friday! Here's my try at it:

To offset the focus issues, I sharpened the subject and increased the general contrast in levels. I also found some of the leaves that were in focus to be distracting, so I blurred them a little to even things out a bit. I also took the green haze off of the dress a little by desaturating the green and cyan in just that area. In all, I think it was a pretty good improvement!
What do you think?
Want to join in the fun? Take a look over at www.iheartfaces.com

Here is a view of the infamous cake smash birthday session from start to finish. So messy, but so worth it! He had a ball!

Just had to share a little photoshop fun! I was going through some old skyline and Memphis photographs yesterday. I couldn't help working up a little fun scene with a vintage airplane (and baby pilot.) But this would be so fun in a little plane themed nursery! Don't you think?

People are often unsure about what they need to provide for a newborn session. All of the cute props and backdrops you see (Pinterest, anyone?) can be overwhelming when planning your baby's big day. While some people do choose to purchase special items, I have a large selection of props and backgrounds for you to use! If you bring it up in our consultation appointment, I will be happy to help style a set-up for your session.

Let's start with the basics. Bring your regular diaper bag items (diapers, bottles if used, pacifiers if used, etc.) The diaper your baby wears just before the photo session should have the tabs removed or unfastened. This will prevent red creases and lines. If you are nursing, you may want a blanket or cover-up if that makes you more comfortable.

Clothing? My personal preference is none! This is one of the times that clothing can be a distraction. I like to see that fresh skin and little tiny baby wrinkles.  That said, if you have a special outfit that you would like to use for your newborn portraits, bring it along. If you prefer to have a diaper cover-up or a blanket or wrap, we can accomodate those wishes as well.  My favorite accessory is a little hat or a tiny headband for girls.

The black and white relationship poses work best with an unclothed baby and black or dark clothing for mom and dad.  So, a dark shirt or dress is a good thing to wear or bring along. If Dad will be going back to work, a change of clothes is necessary. Everyone should have extra clothes, as it will likely get a little messy!
This is also the best time to bring those heirloom or sentimental items that you would like use. Grandma's jewelry, antique rattles, hand-knit blankets, ball gloves, stuffed animals -I have incorporated many keepsake items in baby portraits. I love being able to make the artwork personal for you.

Some of the items I keep on-hand at my home studio:
baby wipes, hand sanitizer, space heater, burp cloths, lap pads, antique baby buggy, lots of backdrops, fabrics, hats, headbands with flowers, blocks, baskets, bowls, blankets, and more!
Just mention any ideas you have before our session so we can have the right items available for you. We will also discuss colors and themes at our consultation appointment.

Spring is in the air! And I have a couple of new portrait events coming your way. Spring/Easter portraits and Ballet Babies.

I will have baby chicks again this year for Easter  and Spring photos with the kiddos. These events will be at various homes this year. One weekend session is  filled, but there are still a couple of available dates. If you are interested in hosting, just give me a call at 901.878.9308 to get more details.  Invite a few friends over for photos and your session is free! Plus you get print credits for every person you invite!

Ballet Babies is a Limited Edition Event with special pricing, and a custom set and props. Roses, tutus, and a hand-painted set will help make a beautiful setting for a fine-art portrait for you to treasure. And your little girl will treasure the memory of her special day as a princess ballerina! This Limited Edieion event will be coming up in March.  Let me know if you are interested in booking a slot!

Black and white conversion. It's more than just removing the color from a photo. What makes a good black and white? How can you tell the difference? Here are some things to look for when you are looking for a photographer for your black and white portraits. Or even if you are working on some black and whites of your own photos.
For an example, I have a photo that I took this summer that I just used in a recent photo contest. (I won a judges recognition award for contrast--woo hoo!) The photo on the left shows the original color image. In the middle picture, I have simply removed the color.  The far right shows my final edited black and white portrait. (My final edit included removing some water droplets and sharpening also.)

Hopefully, you can see and feel the difference in the two examples. Neither has color; but the final photo has a spark and energy that is missing from number two. It feels more interactive and alive. Her eyes are more engaging.
Sometimes people will print a color photo in "grayscale" or just take the saturation all the way down to zero. The middle picture is that result.  It is sometimes described as 'muddy,' meaning the lights and darks mix together without as much contrast. In a black and white photo, there should be black-blacks and white-whites with different tonalities in between.  A quickie conversion is usually gray, gray and more gray.
That being said, there are all different types of images with different styles of black and white.  A low-key image might be very dark and moody. Dramatic photos will have a lot of contrast with dark blacks and bright whites and less gray. Sometimes an artist wants a softer, lighter look with less contrast (I sometimes prefer this look for newborns, as it can seem gentle and sweet.) There is no hard and fast rule concerning someone's choice in creating a black and white photograph. 
However, not many people would want to see their loved ones in a sickly gray light. Skin is one of my main concerns when creating a black and white portrait-possibly second to eyes.  The last thing I want to do is to give some sweet child a zombie-like pallor. I want to showcase the intensity, or joy, or whatever emotion we have captured that day. I want to be sure that the subject isn't blending into the background, also. A crisp black and white will usually go a long way toward these goals.
So, how to convert to black and white?

Just a quick share of a birthday cake smash from beginning to the grand finale. So messy, but so worth it!  He had a ball!