So we all have those family photos that are great and we would like to keep but they degrade over time. This is one of my favorite photos of my family but it is yellow and starting to show signs of wear. You can see though that there is a lot that I can do with Photoshop to make photos like that better. What about choosing a selection of family photos and create a new album of digital images for an anniversary or a birthday gift. That would truly be something that would be remembered!
So this week is a week for tributes I guess. I am making this throwback Thursday post about my grandmother. She was really the linchpin that held together the family. She was one of the most giving and most outspoken women that I knew. She passed in 2012 and is still greatly missed. Even at 93 we would talk every day and she was sharp as a tack. I used to call her in the middle of the night and on my way home from work just when I wanted someone to talk to. She was a seamstress by trade, she took care of her family with love and grace and lots of Italian cooking. This was her photo on her wedding day. I restored the image and I am posting the before and after of the restoration. I miss her everyday and I love her with all my heart!
So last week I chronicled on of the entrepreneurs in my family and this week I am going to talk about the other; my sister. My sister (unlike me) knew what she wanted to do since she was in high school. She spent long hours and gave up countless opportunities to socialize to build herself a thriving business in the field of architecture. She founded her own company Archiplicity, Inc. in 2001 and has never looked back. To her, exceeding her clients expectations is what she strives for. She has a meticulous eye for detail and a impeccable taste when it comes to design. In her own words, "Our philosophy is to create architecture that is simple and elegant. We believe design should be based on good proportion, simple, well placed details and a thoughtful response to existing surroundings." I am inspired and encouraged by her efforts and how far it has taken her. For more information on her business go to archiplicity.com, email her at info@archiplicity.com or call 508-789-7184. I have had the benefit of photographing a few of her projects. Here is just one of them:
So I would say that pretty much all of us, me included, have something that they don't love about their appearance. As a photographer, you are trying to not only take a technically good photo, but also capture people in their best light so that the results show the best of who they really are. This doesn't mean that your photographer needs to know how to make you loose 25 pounds in photoshop or how to erase age lines to make you look 10 years younger. You just need to know something about light and positioning. The best angle I have found for almost every body type is to sit your subject sideways looking at you slightly over their shoulder with you taking the photo at eye level or slightly about. Also when it comes to lighting avoid harsh sunlight or shadows. Stand you subjects in the shade or wait for a partly cloudy day. If you can't avoid the shadows, use your flash outside and in bright sunlight. The flash will help to fill in the shadows that are cast at weird angles so that people are more evenly lit. Here is an example:
As the Christmas season for sending cards is wrapping up, I thought I would post some of the cards that we designed and photographed for! And yes we did do the studio work for the sock monkeys as well. They were a blast to work with!
Christmas Photos and Christmas Photo Cards are well under way now..I finally sat down to design my own and I thought I would share so that you can see some of the things we have been designing for people! Lucy loved playing with the lights and we made sure they didn't get put in her mouth. Overall it was a fun and east photo shoot because the christmas lights kept her happy!
Let me know what you think! They go to the printer tomorrow :)
...and here is one of the other photos that I loved from that shoot. Dave's grandmother knit the sweater and hat before she passed away, what I nice way to keep that memory forever...to put it up in the house or on a card.
