Aug 26, 2015

Happy National Dog Day!


Dogs are such an important part of my clients' and my own life! I really didn't know how much a pet could love you until I got a dog. Turns out, dogs can teach you a lot about how to live a better life too.

Here's our sweet 3-year-old cockapoo, Jack. Love you, boy!

Aug 20, 2015

When to Have Your Family Portraits Taken | Alpharetta GA Family Photographer

When is the last time you had your family portraits taken? My rule of thumb for young families is  every 1-2 years, and the best times of year are usually the spring and the fall, but if you do early morning or late evening in the summer, that's also a great way to go. If you have adult children who are out of the home, take portraits whenever you have the chance to get together! As your family gets older, those times will be fewer and farther between.

I recently talked to a client who booked a session for her family because her son would be home from college for a short window of time. She thought about going with a discount photographer, but picked me because she didn't want to risk having less-than-professional portraits taken. Her words were, "They're family pictures. They're important! It's worth hiring you to make sure they are done right." (I'm blushing now.)

If you need your family portraits taken and live near Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, or Johns Creek, now is the time to schedule your session for holiday cards, presents, and wall portraits before I am booked for the season.

Enjoy some darling portraits taken this summer!


Aug 19, 2015

Retouching Time Lapse Video | Three Sisters

It's about time I put together my own YouTube channel. (I've been a YouTube fan for years.) My son is drooling over having his own YouTube channel for Minecraft videos, so I know I'm going to be busy learning the ins and outs for both of us!

Here's my first official video: a time lapse of my editing process of a portrait I took of three sisters. They were adorable and this image that I edited was a result of a last minute decision to do some studio-style black and whites outside.

What I hope you'll notice about my retouching process is its similarity to painting. Yes, it's pixels I'm working with, but building up layers, adding contrast, shadow, and painting details is something any fine artist does. Enjoy the video--it's only 2 minutes!


The finished image: