Finding inspiration and elevating your art: South Shore Boston MA Family Child Newborn Photographer

I mentioned in my beginning photoshop tutorial videos that I have used videos myself along the way to help me elevate my art,  I have used both free and paid tutorials to get to where I want to be.  All of the videos I am working on are basic skill videos and will not in any way take away from the videos that I have used from other professionals.  If you are beyond the beginning stage and looking for a way to take your art to the next level, may I suggest Jinky Art Photography's annual video subscription videos.  Barb uses both Lightroom and Photoshop in her tutorials. As a person that seeks out art and inspiration as well as further learning, I have found Barb's work to be very inspiring and she is an excellent teacher when it comes to laying everything out in a clear concise manner.  Out of all the videos and tutorials I have watched this one has been the best for furthering my photoshop skills and bring out the best in my art.  I can't thank Barb enough for putting out her video series.  If you are interested, the link to her subscription based service is here: http://jinkyart.com.au/product/post-production-videos/

Here are some of the images she helped to inspire of mine:

Creative Photography: The Art of the Tattoo

I have always loved tattoos.  I didn't get one until I was 33 years old.  I also have a reverence for the fact that a tattoo is almost impossible to remove completely.  When you decide to ink your body, you want to make sure that you know you are making a permanent decision.  That said, I think the art of tattooing is beautiful and have always loved the idea of photographing someone with tattoos.  Kat, was someone I did headshot for a few months ago.  She was more than happy to come back and do a creative shoot with me.  I am in love with the results!  To see more of my work look at my galleries.

Small Business Shout out: Nosh Tavern

I am a big proponent of supporting small business especially when that business is also involved in the local food movement.  One of the things I like best about Nosh is their Sunday brunch.  Their menu is both creative and incredibly tasty.  In addition it does not break the bank.  Breakfast at Nosh has a upscale South End of Boston feel to it at local Plymouth size prices!  If you have not been enjoyed a meal there yet don't waste any more time!

Small Business Shout out: Mayflower Brewing Company: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

Long before I photographed Mayflower Brewing Company, I very much enjoyed their craft beers.  In particular I am a big fan of their porter.  It is so smooth and filling and no bitterness at the end.  I am not a big fan of the bitter after taste that sometime accompanies a darker brew. In addition to making a stellar product, Mayflower also supports other local business, in particular local farms.  They compost their hops and other organic matter with one of the local farms in the area.  This decreases their waste and also goes to support our local food. Something I am a big fan of.

If you have not had a chance to sample Mayflower's brews, there is no time like the present!

Photo Tip of the Week: Tips on Photographing Jewelry and other small items

Sometimes people will come to me to have me professionally photograph their jewelry lines or small items that they are producing.  However there are a lot of individual artisans out there that cannot afford to hire a professional and still want nice looking photos. Here are some suggestions.

1. Use poster board as a backdrop.  the white background is smooth and easy to photograph and will not detract from the look of the item.

2. Use external lighting.  For a truly professional look you want to use studio lighting but you can get away with setting up some make shift studio lighting of your own.  Go buy some silver work lights at home depot and some Halogen bulbs.  Position the lights on either side of the item and don't use the flash on the camera and I guarantee you will be happier than if you used the on camera flash.

3.Go buy a plexi-glass frame from Staples and place it under the object.  This way you get a slight reflection to add some visual interest but not to mirror the image exactly.

If you have the money, a professional has the equipment to really knock it out of the park ; If you don't these tips will help you to produce images you can be proud of and to sell more product!

Happy Shooting!

Small Business Shout out: Lobster Hut: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

Lobster Hut is one of the hidden gems of Plymouth.  When you first walk in, it looks like a chain restaurant, No frills. If you are craving good seafood at reasonable prices then this is the way to go.  Throw in the deck overlooking the water and you are golden!  Still some of the best clam chowder in town!

Small Business Shout out of the Week: Woods Seafood: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

If you have been reading my blog then you have guessed or seen by now that I am a big supporter of local business.  One of the places that I had the pleasure of photographing while I was working with Destination Plymouth is Woods Seafood.  They are part fish market and part restaurant. If you live by the water and you love seafood, It is a must to by your fish from a local fish market rather than a grocery store.  The fresh is more likely to be fresh rather than flash frozen and the quality is so much better.  I have been good to Woods Seafood for my fish since I was too little to buy it myself, I recommend you give them a try, and if you don't feel like cooking then have them cook it for you too!

Small Business Shout out: Plymouth Bay Winery: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

I have always been a fan of a nice glass of wine, especially this time of year when I can sit on my deck and enjoy the summer nights and the relaxing breeze.   On my travels with Destination Plymouth, I was fortunate enough to spend some time at Plymouth Bay Winery in Downtown Plymouth.  They were in the middle of doing a tasting for a super cute couple (with their two puppies) while I was there.  I was able to witness first hand the time and care they take with customer service.  Not only do they have wines, but they also have wine jellies.  In addition, they made suggestions about pairing wines, cooking with wine recipes.  It was a long tasting with lots of information.  It looked like such a fun time that I am planning my own date with Dave to go there and experience it for myself.  Looking for something fun for the 4th? Why not have your local winery provide you with something to celebrate!

Photo Tip of the Week: Taking pictures of Fireworks!!: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

Happy Fourth of July everyone!!! Leading up to this fun festive time of year, I wanted to give you some pointers on photographing fireworks. First, you need to use a tripod (or another stable surface like a table) to keep your camera from moving.  Otherwise you are going to show the vibration of your hand in the picture and it will come out blurry!!  We don't want that!

If your camera has a bulb setting, you want to use that and it you have a remote trigger even better.  You want to keep the shutter open for the whole time that the firework is in the air to get the most dynamic picture.  Open the shutter when the firework goes off and keep it open until it dissapates.

Use a low shutter speed for a clean shot.  The natural tendency would be to use a high ISO because it is dark out, but that also brings in all the residual light pollution from every other light source around you.  Your sky will look yellow and grainy instead of clean and crisp.

Happy Shooting!  Can't wait to see some of those firework pictures!!!

Small Business Shout out of the week: Dirty Water Distillery: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

Late last week I was hired by Destination Plymouth to photograph some of the small businesses around town related to nightlife in the area.  I met some fantastic people and business along the way and this is one of them. I spent a long time with one of the co-owners learning a lot about his life and their backgrounds.  We talked about the process and about life in general.  As with any food or drink, though the most important thing is that the product stand on its own as something amazing and I am hear to tell you that their product does just that.  I sampled the Honey Rum.  It was so smooth and the taste was truly out of this world.  I could have put it over ice in a glass and sipped it with nothing else.

They also had some great pairing suggestions too.

The tours right now are by appointment or if you happen to walk in while they are there.  The tastings are free and the price point is totally reasonable.  I will definitely be going back!  What a great addition to the South Shore.

Their products are currently available at the following locations:

Bars/Restaurants (Plymouth) Nosh Tavern Driftwood Publick House New World Tavern KKaties Burger Bar Blue Eyed Crab Speed Well Tavern Bars/Restaurants (Outside of Plymouth) Atwood's Tavern (Cambridge) C Salt Wine Bar and Grill (Falmouth) DJ's Family Sports Pub (Hyannis) Orta Restaurant (Pembroke) The Public House (Brookline) Solstice (Kingston) Liquor Stores/Retail Piopi's (North Plymouth) Empire Wine and Spirits (Kingston) Pilgrim Wine and Spirits (Plymouth, by Home Depot) East-Side Market and Wine Shop (South Boston) Bay State Foods and Liquor (Brookline) Blanchard's (Marshfield) Cotuit Liquors (Marstons Mills) Liquor 'N More (Dennis) Moonshine Liquors (Hyannis) Village Vinyards (Plymouth)

Or contact them directly at http://www.dirtywaterdistillery.com

TBT: Me and my sister: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

So clearly this is not a picture I took but I just love having fun Throwback Thursday Posts! My sister and I are twins.  We are very close which is not true of all twins or all siblings unfortunately.  When she gets pinched I don't feel it.  I can't read her mind.  Often though we are on the same wavelength.  You can call it a twin thing or just chalk it up to being raised in the same family.  I am very proud of my sister and all that she has accomplished.  You probably so my previous post about her business, Archiplicity.  She has been designing residential and commercial buildings for 18 years.  She also rock climbs and scuba dives.  She works hard to make sure that her friends are taken care of and gives a lot of herself away to make sure that others are happy.  Today I celebrate my twin!  I also would love to give a shout out to my friend Ed Nute who took this picture of Jenny and I when we were little.  I won't call any of us out by saying how long ago this was!

Photography Tip of The Week: Pay attention to your background: Professional Photographer South Shore Plymouth

There are certain things you start to pay attention to when you take lots of pictures.  When you feel like you have gotten the aperture right and the shutter speed right.  Your exposure is good.  Now how does a good photo become a great photo?  It's attention to detail.  If you want your subject to stand out you pick simple but picturesque backgrounds.  If you are taking snapshots on the fly and you can't control the background then you shift your subjects to make sure that there is no tree growing out of their head or a pole!  Seems simple right? But if you don't pay attention to the small details you pictures look cluttered and your subjects get lost.  Or worse, they look laughable because some object is protruding at just the wrong angle!  I try to pick simple backgrounds; a row of tall bushes, a brick wall, the beach when no one is there.  When you have control over your environment it eliminates anything that might get in the way. Happy Shooting!

Throwback Thursday: The first day of the rest of my life

So last Thursday was my 4 year anniversary with Dave.  So technically this post should have happened last week, but my dad took precedence :)  This is the first picture Dave and I ever had taken of the two of us by my very good friend Laurence when we were with her in Metz, France.  The funny thing is that I knew then that we were meant to be together.  So did Dave.  He went back to Colorado and told everyone that he was moving to Boston.. her didn't know when but he was.  This was the beginning of many of the great things that have come my way..Dave and Lucy..the two best things that ever happened to me!

Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore: The best cheap investment for photography gear

Okay, so as photographers we all want lots of big fancy things to help us do our job better.  What I have come to realize is this.  The person behind the camera is more important than what equipment you have.  Its what you do with what you have.  Also, when you finally go out and buy a lens that you have been yearning for, you need to protect your investment.  I make it a rule of thumb to put a UV Filter on every lens I own.  The cost is 10-15 dollars more.  The most important thing to remember is this..if you scratch your filter you are out $10-15 and if you are scratch your lenses you can loose anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars.  Which choice would you rather make?

Creative Photo Shoot: The Elements with C'mor Color Lush MUA

So every once in a while, about 4 times a year, I try and do a creative photo shoot that has nothing to do with anything other than remembering why I love photography.  Cynthia Morales, owner of C'mor Color Lush was introduced to me by a friend and we set out to showcase our talents!  Here is our result!

Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore: TBT: My Dad #ThrowbackThursday

So anyone who knows me knows that I have a very tight family.  My father is one of the closest people to me.  I could always count on him to be there for me to help in any way and he was always present.  One of my favorite memories growing up was sitting with my father at night and having him read to us.  Not only did that help to instill a love of reading that is strong to this day but it also gave me something special to remember when he spent much of his time commuting to and from Boston each day. Tomorrow my father will be retiring and moving on to another chapter in his life.  It's amazing how quickly time passes.  So today I want to wish my father well and celebrate the man that he is and how lucky I am to have him for my Dad!

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Small Business of the Week: Martha's

So I am working on getting the word out there about some local businesses that I really appreciate having around.  Local Business is so important to me.  It keeps our communities thriving!  Another thing that is really important to me is the environment and the local food movement.  I believe that this is so important that I choose to put my money where my mouth is and spend more to support the local farmers and other local vendors in the area who also support this movement.  With all the environmental toxins, all the health hazards and environmental repercussions of mass produced meat and pesticides, we need to think about what we are putting in our bodies for food and what we are putting on our bodies the clean, moisturizes, etc... The list goes on.  

What I want to highlight is a local chef that has been doing it right from the very beginning and providing the community with amazing food to boot.

Martha Stone of Martha's in Benny's plaza in Plymouth has been providing fresh, local delicious food to the community for quite sometime and never ceases to amaze me with what she can cook up.  Martha can do more with a hot plate than most people could do with a state of the art kitchen!  If you haven't had a chance to try her cooking you will not be disappointed.  I have been sampling her delectable dishes since she had Martha's Galley and I was still in high school.  I won't call either of us out by saying how long ago that was.

Martha's is located in Benny's Plaza on Court St in Plymouth MA.

Read more about her and her business her!  Nice Job Martha!

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Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Throwback Thursday: Baby Lucy

So I planned on doing more photo restoration projects for Throwback Thursday, but my little baby who is no longer a tiny baby is feeling under the weather today.  This is actually day 3 of her cold and she is bouncing back, tired and sniffling but otherwise good.  Of course that made me digress to think of my cute little baby when she was a cute little baby and then start looking through some of the cute little pictures that I have loved the best of her.  Here is just a selection of Little Lucy thus far!

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Small Business Shout out of the Week: Smilin' Mike's Dojo of Champions

So by now if you read my posts you can see that I am sort of making it my thing to give a shout out to all the great businesses in town that I frequent.  Nothing is better than a personal recommendation to grow your business. So I am making it part of my mission to let people know of all the deserving businesses that I know.  We all definitely need to support local business.  It is great to have the convenience of shopping online, I know I do it a lot as well, but if we want to see our communities thrive we also have to support the places that we live and work. I met Mike from Smilin' Mike's Dojo of Champions before he started his newest Dojo location in Plymouth.  He was teaching in Randolph and a few other places and he was a stay at home dad.  Since I am growing my business the same way, I can tell you that it is not easy to spend all of your "down" time make a business work, but Mike has done it with finesse.  He has such a great way with people and his business is taking off like a rocket.  I can't think of someone that deserves it more.  I have seen Mike in action with kids and he is fantastic, so involved and engaging.  Once Lucy is old enough for Karate instruction she is definitely going here!

Mike has been teaching since 1997 and if what I see is any indication he's going to go a lot farther.  If you are interested take a look at his business.  His website is http://www.randolphkarate.com and his contact info is: dojoofchampions@yahoo.com or 781-963-9600.  Smilin' Mike's Dojo of Champions is located at  739 State Rd, Plymouth, MA 02360.

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Shout out to Local Business: Second Nature Social Skills

FYI, I like this business so much we are doing a Cameras and Cocktails Fundraiser with them on June 19, 2014 at 7pm.  Ask me for more details on that too! I went to Notre Dame Academy in Hingham. I love the fact that so many of the women I went to school with are doing great things with their lives and in their communities. Amy Gordon is a great example of that. She started Second Nature Social Skills on a shoestring budget with no office to speak of. She had an idea that would make a difference in the lives of those around her. I am so happy to say that it has taken off and she is making great things happen along with her team.

I love the way Amy talks about her own business on her website so I am going to put her words here to explain exactly what she does:

Imagine how much easier life would be for people if they had specifically designed navigational tools showing them how to get to through the next social challenge: at school, at work, in life, with their peers.

If they had someone that could just tell them what the answers were in social situations as they learn in school?

Second Nature Social Skills aims to make this possible by using a highly visual, direct and explicit teaching approach in making the abstract and "hidden" rules concrete. This makes way to increase social mindfulness for you and your family.

Our approach is always customized to you and family. Everyone is unique and our teaching is individualized for you and your family learning needs. Second Nature Social Skills embraces this because we understand how you need to learn. We provide individualized social life maps so you and your family can confidently navigate your own journey.

Amy specializes in Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Nonverbal Learning Disorders and Anxiety. She is highly skilled and involved in her community. I cannot think of a better person to talk about for this week. Keep up the good work Amy! I love what you are doing!

You can check out her business at http://www.secondnaturesocialskills.com or contact her and her team at 508.747.2663 or info@secondnaturesocialskills.com.