Why I'm a Photographer: Reason #937 and counting

It was almost three years ago when we set up his crib. I was still pregnant, so it didn't seem real yet. How could I possibly know at that point, what placing my baby in that crib would feel like?

But now, night after night he's slept (mostly) peacefully in that crib. I do know how it feels to rub his back as his eyes close, say good night, and tell him I love him.

You know the saying. All good things must... right?

This. Is. Why. I. Take. Pictures.

Because tomorrow we'll put him to bed in a "big boy bed" for the first time. I blinked a few dozen times and he again changed before my eyes.

No, I didn't miss any of it - I was there the whole time. But now, that particular feeling of him as "a baby" will begin to fade. As time passes, my pictures of him will remind me of that feeling. They will become even more invaluable.

Nothing in this life stays the same for long, right? I know more changes are on the horizon for us. I may not know exactly when, but when it does, I'll have this moment captured forever.

Change is inevitable, for you and for me. It's sometimes hard to accept, but it's a natural progression in life.

What changes are coming your way? What do you want to capture before it does?

This is why I take your pictures.

~ Erin

Award Winning Photographer: PPSNYS 2017

It's exciting to win ... anything really... but this is an award I am especially fond of. And it's all because of the subject matter. First I'll tell you a little about Liam, and then about the award.

"The Prodigy" | PPSNYS 2017 Judges Choice Award

About Liam

I have known Liam and his family for over five years now. They are very special to me. They are one of those families that start out as clients and end up becoming great friends. At their family portrait session last year, I remember playing with Liam and his siblings in the backyard. He ran around like a typical three year old.

But, when we went inside, that changed quickly. He got out his tiny violin and, with dad by his side, played for me. I was floored by how much talent this little boy has. 

That wild three year old boy transformed. He was focused and proud with instrument in hand. I made many photographs of the moment, and many months later, decided to enter this one into a print competition.

About the Award

As part of the New York State Professional Photographers Society, Erin and I regularly attend the annual convention, which this year took place in Buffalo. Part of the convention includes an image competition, where photographers can test their skills against other professionals in several categories. Prizes are awarded based on overall scores, category wins and more. I entered four images into the competition, all of which were judged "Above Average".

After scoring, each of the judges then selected their favorite overall image from the 100+ entries. This image received the "Judges Choice Award". I was able to speak to the judge who selected my image. They loved the moment that it captured and also how the composition fit the rule of thirds in addition to the golden ratio.

Thank you

I want to thank Liam and his whole family for the honor of being your photographer. I love you guys!

I also want to thank the other members of PPSNYS who encouraged me to submit, helped me select my final images and provided guidance with editing and titling. Specifically John Aiken, Pat Luke, Deb Woodard, Erin Perrotta (of course) and so many more!

~ Lori

These images all received the white ribbon for above average.

This is why we shoot RAW... always.

Some photographers shoot RAW. Some shoot JPG. Some hop back and forth depending on the day/job/requirements.

If this is gibberish to you, I'm going to show you the difference right now. But first, let me explain the situation. 

My husband and I were on a remote hiking trail in Hawaii. 4,000+ miles by plane, an hour of driving, and then 6 hours of strenuous backpacking to get to this spot. The trail was narrow, muddy and shaded by trees. At the head of the valley was the Hanakoa Falls that I had been dreaming about for days... weeks maybe. It was my goal to swim at that waterfall, come hell or high water.

We made it there, and into the icy water I went. My husband was on shore to take the photo, but as he grabbed the camera it started to rain, which quickly turned into a downpour. He pressed the shutter without a chance to glance at the settings, which I had set before the clouds came over us. The resulting image on the left is what we got... and as you see, it is incredibly underexposed.

We scrambled to get the camera and our towels under cover, but the rain didn't pass. It continued on for the rest of the night. 

This moment -- me swimming at the base of a 440 foot waterfall... by myself... in the rain... 4,000+ miles from home-- almost didn't turn out. This is one of the only photos we have from what is honestly the highlight of the entire trip!  A once-in-a-lifetime kind of moment, if you will.

But when I got home, I used Lightroom plus that RAW file, and was able to bump it up 3.15 stops to get the image on the right. 

Swimming in Hanakoa Falls

This right here is why I will always shoot RAW. Because there are moments too important to lose to a bad camera setting, and this memory is priceless.

If this image had been shot JPG, it would have been basically useless and ruined. 

In our line of work, we find ourselves quite often capturing once-in-a-lifetime-moments. So rest assured, we will protect your memories.

Cheers,
Lori

Guest Post: Why You Need to Print Your Photos, Rochester NY Photography

In today's world, there are more pictures taken every minute than ever before. Yet, a very small percentage of them will ever be printed. They'll live in a digital world, on a phone or a computer until that technology becomes obsolete and they'll then sadly disappear forever.

So today we're sharing another guest post, provided by Design Aglow that we hope opens your eyes to why we believe in the power of prints.

Shared from Design Aglow: 
It’s been a hard day. You’re tired--and let’s face it--a little cranky. OK, a lot cranky. So to cheer yourself up, you walk over to your computer and fire up the DVD of your recent family portrait session so that you can flip through the images. After seeing the slideshow playing on your tiny laptop, you can’t wait until the rest of the family comes over so that you can pass the computer around the dinner table. 

Here’s another scenario, similar to the first, except for one crucial point: those incredible, indelible images are hanging on your walls. You see them every time you walk by; you smile every time you walk by. In each room of your home, the heirloom photographic art makes your heart swell, overflowing with the investment you’ve made in your family, the investment in adding permanence to your memories.

The impulse to purchase images on a disc instead of a canvas or a print is strong. We feel as if we don’t actually own something until we possess every image from our shoot, as if the only way to experience our family is by being able to make as many reprints of them as we want.

But images on disc sit around. They become stuffed into a desk drawer, until their media is rendered obsolete and the images cannot be accessed anymore. They remain untouched, until that day when we’ll have enough time to put them in an album or print them ourselves. Finished products, on the other hand, are just that. They are ready to hang, ready to enjoy. They are instant--and constant--gratification. They are objects that can be passed down to your children, and your children’s children. The tangible nature of fine art--that it is an actual object, hanging on your wall or sitting on your coffee table--is meant for enjoyment, for experience, not to be archived on a shelf in a plastic media case. A CD of all of your images is not fine art. And the creation of fine art cannot be cheap. Crafting memories and creating personalized products that can be enjoyed for generations is a job that carries a lot of responsibility and weight, and demands finesse and skill. With professional photography, as with so much of life, you get what you pay for. Photographic art is an investment, to be sure, but it’s one that you’ll never regret.

Every day, we stress the importance of printing your photographs. We don't care if it's in a book or on the wall. We don't care if you forget our name in 20 years, as long as your pictures are printed for your children, and their children. We cannot say it enough.

To the client who wants us to take off 20 years and 40 pounds

Today's message is about self-love, confidence, and not taking ourselves too seriously. It's applicable for teenagers and grandmothers; men and women; introverts and extroverts; one and all. 

Erin and I both love the uniqueness of humans. Physical traits do not define who we are. How we love, how we laugh, how we interact... this is what matters. And it's what we cherish. 

This is important!

So please read, share, and comment below. 

[Today, we're featuring a guest post originally written and published on the Design Aglow blog. When I first read this, I wanted to shout "Exactly!" So we're reposting it, with permission, here.]

LETTERS FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER

To the client who wants me to take off 20 years and 40 pounds,

I want you to know I understand. I think every single one of us can relate to wishing we looked different somehow. I think my arms are flabby, you think your belly is too squishy and your friend hates her wrinkles. I get it. Having family photos taken is tough.

And somewhere along the way, some idiot photographer started using the liquify tool to “magically” make a client look 20, 30, even 40 pounds thinner. And that same guy magically erased all her wrinkles in Photoshop too. He used the cloning tool to add a little more hair to her husband’s head. And voila! A perfect picture! At least, that’s what we’re supposed to think.

Well, don’t expect that crap from me. I won’t turn you into a 90 pound supermodel or edit in a thick head of hair over a bald spot. I don’t take off 20 years in Photoshop. It’s insulting to me as a photographer and it’s insulting to you as a person. We’ve conditioned ourselves to see our “flaws” when we look at photos of ourselves.

But here’s the thing… I don’t take photographs of the way people look. I take photographs of the way people love. Take a closer look at your photos and you’ll see the way your husband looks at you. It’s not hard to tell that he thinks you’re hot stuff, even after all these years. Take a closer look and you’ll see how your kids love you. Their laughter, how they hold your hand, the way they snuggle up against you.

These photos are treasures… picture proof that you loved and were loved. And listen, you’re beautiful without all that extra editing. Your husband thinks so, your kids think so. The sooner you realize that, the happier you’ll be.

So no, I won’t give your photos an extreme makeover in Photoshop. It’s my job to create authentic images that show the way your family loves and I think if you look through your gallery again with that in mind, you’ll see that I did a pretty damn good job.

Sincerely,
the photographer who thinks you’re beautiful without a major Photoshop intervention

Letters From a Photographer is an original series by Design Aglow. Articles are meant to spark thought and conversation and be shared within our industry.

---

What DO we photoshop? This is a question we get asked a lot, and generally the only thing we remove without asking is acne. No one wants to remember that.

And electrical outlets. Those bug the bejeezus out of me in backgrounds! 

What do you think? Do you agree? Be part of the conversation by adding a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!
-Lori

April in Pictures: Erin's 365 project

Spring! Or so we thought.

April has come and gone, and my 365 project is still going strong. I'm starting to get to the point where I'm waking up at night just to think about what tomorrow's image might be. Yikes!

I still love photographing my son, and this month I had the joy of photographing a lot of other family time as well. Easter, bridal showers, birthday parties, and just time with family and friends were all among the images. But also, the beginning of Spring - which is my favorite season. A few of the days were about breaking out the flip flops (yay!), the daffodils, the green grass and yes... a touch of snow, unbelievable at this point, but still happened. Ew.

Next month, our engagement sessions and weddings for the year begin. I'm looking forward to photographing these moments for our awesome clients, as well as continuing to capture my own life as it unfolds. Thanks for following it all with me! ~ Erin

Senior Portrait Flashback : Sam in 2004/2014

Hey there, it's Lori. Guess what I just realized? It's been ten years since I made my first high school senior portrait. Sam reminded me of this fact when she volunteered to help me with my 365 project earlier this month. Wow, ten years ago... I had just finished high school myself when Sam asked if I would make her portraits. We had so much fun in my backyard, using my moms gardens as our backdrop. I had to dig to find these images, but thought it would be fun to share a little then and now.

The funny thing is, everyone has said the same thing after seeing these two images: She looks exactly the same, yet so different. Well Sam, let's make an appointment for 2024 and make this a tradition. :)

Have a great day everyone!

Fun Portrait Outtakes from 2013

This time of the year is a time of reflection for us. It was when I was looking back at all of our sessions from 2013 and picking some favorites for our portfolio, that I found myself laughing. Some moments are sweet, some are beautiful, and some are just downright funny. Here are a few of my favorites that just make me smile, or giggle, or laugh out loud. I hope they bring a smile to your face as well! Thank you again to all of our awesome clients for the memories of all kinds!

Wishing you many laughs, Lori

Lori's 365 Photo a Day : January Recap

Normally, I'm not one for new years resolutions. I haven't made them since I was a kid, as I would get really into it for a few weeks, and then move on. Well, I'm challenging myself this year to push my creativity with a photo-a-day project. Your job is to hold me to it! Just kidding, but you are invited along for the ride! It may not seem like such a tough task... make and share one photo everyday. I am a professional after all, this is what I do for a living. However, in the winter (aka slow time) it's easy to get caught up working on the business side of things. Days could go by where I'm absorbed in the computer, avoiding the snow and cold. By taking on this goal, I'll have to pick up a camera, any camera, at least once a day. It'll force me to think creatively and never be far from the photographer's mindset.

My plan is to have a theme for each month, and the first month was simply life. You'll see a variety of things that separately don't seem related, but together form a pretty decent overview of me. From my dogs and family, to workouts and work, things around the house, Wegmans, friends, food, comments on the weather and more.

I'm excited about this! I have decided to share my photo each day on my brand new Instagram account. (Yeah, I know I'm late to the Instagram party, but I am loving it!) So join me there for the daily updates, or check back on the blog for next months' recap.

Keep Clicking, Lori

Rooftop Portraits Rochester NY: Behind the Scenes

If you've worked with us recently, you may have noticed we often use flash, even when we are outside. This extra light is often times what makes all the difference in an image - taking it from good to great! If you haven't been on a session with us recently and have just looked through our portfolio, you may not realize that we even use flash. No, we're not trying to trick you - but we do want you to think it's a natural light image. Our use of flash is intended to enhance and work with the existing (sun) light - resulting in a natural looking image.

Here is an example:

Objective: Create a unique portrait of The Rochestariat co-founders, utilizing the city skyline.

Setting: Rooftop in downtown Rochester, about 7 pm in July. Sun setting behind camera, gorgeous blue sky behind subjects.

Problem: Exposing for the people results in a washed out sky. Exposing for the sky results in dark faced people. Dun dun dun...

natural light only

Solution: Use off camera flash to fill in faces, while keeping that brilliant blue sky dark.

with flash

Result: A properly balanced, natural looking image that rocks!

Headshots, Rochester NY portrait session downtown, parking garage

Special thank you to my lovely VAL/assistant Erin, and my set designer, God.

For our next trick, we'll show an exception to the rule, how we do fun things with the flash that may not look so natural... Stay tuned!