Photo Tip of the week: Take better pictures with your IPhone or My favorite photo app!: Professional Photographer Plymouth South Shore

So many people are thrilled about the new release of the iPhone 6.  I am one of them.  I am also very disappointed that I won't get an upgrade to my phone for another year.  Most of my disappointment has to do with the changes that Apple has made to their camera and the fact that I desperately want to get my hands on that! If you are like me and won't be getting a new iPhone any time soon, let me help!  Here are just a few helpful tips that have made my picture taking much better with my current IPhone:

1. Camera+ :  this is probably the best app that I have found for gaining control over your pictures.  You can control your many facets of your overall frame as well as the different components of your picture.

2. Use the little box: You have all seen this; the square that pops up in the middle of your frame.  Did you know that when you tap in the middle of that box, your phone selects your exposure?  Also, you can move that box, I suggest moving it to the darkest part of your image and seeing if this helps to give you something that is more evenly exposed.

3. Pay attention to the light:  If you are posing people, and I have said this about taking pictures with a camera as well, move them to a place with good light.  The easiest way to take a well exposed picture is to put people in the shade.  That way no one has weird shadows on their faces and you can expose for a even lighting source.  If you are comfortable with being a little more advanced, play with light.  Look for highlighting on hair or other neat accents to your photo.

4. Keep your finger on the trigger and steady yourself:  The iPhone won't take a picture until you let go of the capture button so hold your figure on the button to set the frame and make sure you are happy, then release your finger.

Good luck with all of this and I hope it helps.  Happy Shooting!

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!!!

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?

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Photo Tip of the day!: Dealing with Harsh Lighting

One of the biggest issues that I have come across is how to deal with less than ideal lighting situations, especially direct sunlight.  Direct sunlight creates a bunch of unflattering shadows on your face. Over exposes details so you have odd highlights and a multitude of other problems that just don't add up to a good picture!  Here are a few tips on how to deal with that: 1. If you can, photography in the shade.  Put people under a tree or under the shade of a building if it is at all possible.  Granted this is not always possible.  Sometimes you can't change the position you are taking the picture from and you just have to deal with it.

2. Another great way to deal with the sun is to use your flash to even out the shadows.  Fill-Flash will fill in the shadows and even out the tones on your subject.

3. If you have one, another really good option is a reflector.  You can use some different DIY reflectors on the fly to reflect the sun back at you.  You can make a reflector if you want to keep it really inexpensive.  (Glueing aluminum foil to poster board).  Most reflectors are affordable and easier to transport.  If you have photos coming up or you are in a pinch then the DIY method is a good one.

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Photography Tip of the Day: Taking good family photos

I find one of the toughest things for people is to make a family photo look interesting.  When you go on vacation someplace nice you want to take a photo of yourself there to capture the moment.  However, lining everyone up in a line is usually not that interesting looking.  One of the easiest things you can do is to have people at different heights.  Even with just a few people it adds more visual interest.  Use something available like stairs at a famous building or rocks at the beach and have people interspersed at different levels so that you are filling the frame with interesting content or making it more interesting. With kids, another good thing is to provide snacks and drinks and time to run around.  If kids are grumpy and don't want to take a picture then give them 10 minutes to goof off and/ or have a snack.  It usually changes the mood right away.  I almost always have snacks and waters on hand a family photo shoots just to make life easier for people.  If you are planning a big trip, consider hiring a professional where you are going to take a photo while you are there.  It makes a once in a lifetime trip even more memorable. Happy Shooting!

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Introduction to Digital Photography Class

I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of the cold wet dreary weather and so ready for the warm sun! It has been one hell of a winter.  Too many snowstorms and to much yuckiness! I know that’s my own word.  I am so happy to be looking forward to the nice weather.  In anticipation of that I scheduled my first “Introduction to Digital Photography” Class.  I am hoping it will be a nice day and we can walk around Brewster Gardens for part of the class and put our skills to use!

We will start out at Middle Street School of Music, located at 12 Middle Street in Plymouth for a lecture on basics in their big room and then move outdoors to test some skills and then back inside for follow up.  If you are interested the class is only $35.00 a person.  You can either pay here by card:  https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=L3VMXCX735KLL or pay at the door by cash, check, or card.  Looking forward to celebrating spring with all of you!

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: The Mirrored Image Photography introduces Photo Workshops for 2014!

Happy 2014 Everyone!  I hope you are having a fantastic year so far! We are starting off 2014 with some new exciting projects!  This year we are introducing Workshops!  We are excited about the kickoff one during Mardi Gras week with Alden Park Restaurant.  Alden Park is located in Colony Place located in Plymouth, MA.  This is not your typical Photography 101 type class; Learn some tips and tricks, have some drinks and fun! Come have fun and join us!  If you are interested in some more technical type classes we will be posting some of those coming up in the spring!

Click the link below to sign up! 

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=L3VMXCX735KLL

Plymouth South Shore Professional Photographer: Beach with the Sanfords

I had the wonderful opportunity on Friday to enjoy some sand and sun with the Sanfords.  Sadie is a particularly easy subject to shoot because she enjoys life so much.  She can entertain herself and she is so sweet and fun that she makes the day so enjoyable.  We had fun building sandcastles and surfing, snapping some pictures in between.  Hope you enjoy these as much as I had fun taking them!