Tis the season!

I can't believe it but it's that time of the year again! Everyone in the holiday spirit (or should be) and children getting excited about Santa and Christmas. I took a short break from assignments for school to go over to a friend's house and take some portraits of her beautiful family. Pictured to the left is her daughter looking up at the tree and decorating. For most families, it's a big deal to finally put up the tree and decorate it. It's the sign that's it finally the Christmas holiday. I think that's what holiday portraits should be all about. I went over to their house in their element and shot candids and a few posed. I shot a few on BW film and I can't wait to see how they turn out. It was a nice break from the chaos of getting all of my assignments in for school.

Tuesday my "Word" assignment is due for Chuck's class. We were given a list of words and we had to shoot a picture that immediately demonstrates the word. I picked the word "tight" and the word "loud". For my tight shot, I had my niece pretend to try to put on a tight pair of jeans. For the loud shot I had my son holding his ears while Charlie screamed at him. I have to print those tomorrow. Shooting my depth of field assignment today.

So on that note, I wish everyone happy shooting for the holidays and remember to capture the holidays as they should be: happy, joyful, and loving.

Switching to film? hmmm...maybe

I've been attending RCC for a semester now and one of the great things I've learned about is film photography. I come from the age of digital. Until this program, I had never shot with a film camera other than the throw away kind. I have a canon rebel xsi and I've taken thousands of pictures with it, but there's just something about the magic of shooting with film. Kind of like a family that decides not to find out what the sex of their baby is until it's born. Everytime I processed my negatives and hung them up there was this a-ha! moment and then when I go to the darkroom to print I can see the beauty and detail in each image. I have to SLOW down...a lot to set up the shot I want and decide how I want it to look, meter, and hold my breath because I know that once I click that shutter release I can't just go look at an LCD screen to see if I got the shot or not. It's a done deal. But I love it! I've been checking out film cameras online because I think I may just revert back and appreciate photography as the art it is for a while. I'm looking at the Nikon f100 but I really want the MF of the Mamiya 6 rangefinder. They don't have this camera to check out at school but I have shot with the Mamiya 645, Bronica, and this weekend I had the Mamiya C220. I bought a roll of color film and took my kids out in a field to play with this airplane and just shot. Can't wait to see how those turn out. But I shot a roll of B&W at Charles B Aycock birthplace recently for my portfolio and I'm going to school to print today and finish up an assignment.

The sad part is that I will most likely have to part with this great program at RCC in favor of a closer school like Mount Olive College. The pros to this are that the school is closer which is more practical for my family sharing one vehicle and the program at MOC is visual comm so I will be learning just as much about graphic design, however, no film is used for the photography classes. I just love the look of traditional B&W film and it's so breathtaking and beautiful. I know ECU still has a darkroom but that's still 45 minutes I don't want to drive to go to school. The Nikon f100 is pretty darn cheap on ebay so if I have to I'll go with 35mm since the Mamiya 6 is still expensive, for me anyway. We'll see. I'll post some pics when I print my Aycock photos so you can see the difference. The picture above is one I shot for a "negative space" project. It was shot at Waynesboro Park in Goldsboro.

The adventure of processing film at home!

This is my first semester at Randolph Community College and I'm majoring in photographic technology with an intended major of portrait studio management. One of the things I love about this program is that we start out learning how to shoot on medium format film cameras and we learned how to process our own film. Since I live 2.5 hours away from school I decided it would be better to buy the supplies to process at home and so far it's working great. I've processed 3 rolls of film so far. I went to Peace Camera in Raleigh and purchased a Paterson Universal Tank with reel, a photographic thermometer, a changing bag, and some hypoclear and wetting agent. The school provided me with the developer D76, stop bath, and fixer. I was nervous at first because it is so time and temperature specific. But that's what I like about doing it at home. I don't feel rushed, I can take my time and do it right the first time without ruining film.

The first thing I did was place my tank, reel, and unprocessed film in the changing bag and zipped the bag close. Inside the bag I unrolled the film and placed it on the reel. Then I placed it in the tank and opened the bag. I poured some presoak in a container and placed the thermometer to get it to 68 degrees and poured it in the tank to sit for 15 minutes. While the film was soaking I poured the developer into its container and temped to 68 degrees. After the pre-soak I poured out the purple kool-aid and set the kitchen timer to 6.5 minutes. I poured in the developer at an angle and tapped the bottom of the tank twice. Then I inverted the container 4 times, tapped the bottom again and let it sit until 30 seconds passed and repeated, then poured the developer out to drain the remaining 15 seconds.

Next, I poured in the stop bath agitating for 15 seconds and then draining for 15 for a total of 30 seconds. I set the timer for 5 minutes and poured the fixer, inverting 4 times and letting it sit for the remaining 30 seconds then repeating. I drained the last 15 seconds.

Once I poured out the fixer I filled the tank with water, inverted the tank 5 times and then drained. I poured in my hypoclear after setting the timer for 2 minutes, agitating for 10 seconds and letting it sit for the remaining 30 seconds. I drained the final 15 seconds.

For my final rinse I poured in the water, inverted 5 times and drained it. Then I refilled it with water and inverted the tank 10 times and drained. Poured in water and inverted 20 times then drained. I poured in some wetting agent and let it sit for 15 seconds and then drained.

Finally, I removed the film from the reel and removed excess water and hung it up to dry in my bathroom. I can't wait to make some prints from my photo safaris at the fair, acid park, and my school assignments!

Becoming a certified photographer

The competition is getting fierce in the world of photography. With so many self-taught photographers out there, clients expecting top notch work may be more selective about who they choose to take their cherished portraits and events. There are a few ways to make yourself more marketable and more authoritative in your field. I'm going to tell a little bit about what steps I'm taking to have a step up on my competition.

The first thing I did was enroll in a photographic technology program at Randolph Community College. I was very lucky to have such a great well rounded program close by. It starts with the nuts and bolts of photography, starting with the fundamentals and building on that. We have started out with film photography so we learn to slow down and think about what we're shooting, how we're composing it, and we're learning how to process and print our film. We're also learning the design elements that are so important in photography. Anyone can pick up a point and shoot but as a professional you have to learn to exercise your artistic eye and the technical aspects such as aperture and shutter speed. You may not have this kind of program close, but I'm sure your local community college has digital photography classes you can take. Do anything you can to learn to use your camera beyond the automatic and program modes.

Perhaps you already know a lot about photography and you're happy with your work but you want to differentiate yourself from your competition. If that's the case you should become a professional certified photographer. The website is www.certifiedphotographer.com and this goes more in depth about the process and how to get started. There are basically two steps to this process. You can do these steps in any order you wish. You take a written exam and you submit 20 images. These images can not be of the same subject and they must be images taken for clients. As far as the written exam, there are so many resources to help but I think the most valuable right now is www.sandypuctours.com. Right now Sandy has committed to helping 1000 photographers become certified and she is providing a lot of help. Her website provides webinars, flashcards you can download to study, and study groups in your area.

Another way to distinguish yourself is to become an award winning photographer. It helps with advertisement and lets your clients know you are good enough to win print competitions. I live in NC and the PPNC is an incredible resource to help get involved in print competitions, as well as, helping make connections with other photographers in the state. PPA is the nation's resource but I think it's better to get involved more locally.

Hope these suggestions help and that you become certified soon.

Marketing Yourself as a Photographer

As a student photographer, I'm already looking for ways to get myself and my business "out there" when I graduate. I've already started my website, www.kimjo.smugmug.com and I'm tweaking it to help it rank better. I'm going to Randolph Community College majoring in photographic technology.

Education alone is something that many photographers don't have. Some will probably say that if they're making money as a professional photographer that's all they need but that is not true. Professionals are constantly learning more about their study and passion and want to learn.

I also plan on becoming a certified photographer by the Professional Photographic Certification Commission. If you would like more information on this please visit www.certifiedphotographer.com. Certification sets you a part from others and shows that you have the technical and design skills to produce quality images.

Being a resident in the state of NC, I plan on becoming a member of PPNC(Professional Photographers of NC). This does a few things for photographers. It helps you network with other photographers and will hopefully get you involved in print competitions, which is another thing that is important to set you a part. Become an "award winning" photographer! Can you imagine what that will do for your advertising to be able to add "Award winning photographer" to your business cards and newsletters? It proves that you're competent as a photographer and it assures the client that you're capable of giving them the best quality photographs.

Finally, you need to learn how to effectively market! All of the things mentioned above are great things to add to your resume but now that you have the education and experience you need to get the word out! What good is it to have all these great qualities and not have the customers? I got involved with www.nobsphotosuccess.com and they have helped me out tremendously in understanding marketing and show you all the steps to get your name out there. I joined this site, but they still have a free newsletter that you can receive to see if you like their strategies. It will take some work, but their marketing helps you give that personal touch that is absent from so many marketing skills now. Making the client feel like you know them on a personal level and knowing they're not just a number will keep them coming back and using your services over and over again. I will go into some of these things in more detail in future blogs, but for now check out the sites I mentioned and keep these things in mind. You may not have the time to go back to school for a degree, but you can still become certified and compete in print competitions so make it happen!

How to Choose a Photographer

How to Choose a Photographer

Did your boyfriend just pop the big question? Perhaps you're welcoming a new edition to the family. These are all big moments in your life and you don't want to trust your cherished memories to just anyone.

For example, when my niece got married in Florida she paid for her friend to go and take pictures. When the pictures were ready she wasn't happy. Although it was a beautiful ceremony on the beach, the photos don't translate that.

The last thing you want to do is try to save money on your photographer. What good is it to spend thousands of dollars on a wedding or the family beach house if your photographs are under or overexposed, shadows under the eyes and look like a mud sucking gray color?

Here are some tips when choosing a photographer for your big event.

1. Don't look for a deal- Your photographs are what you have when everything is over and the dust has settled. Every detail is recorded in your pictures and you want them to remind you of the most important events of your life in a positive way. Don't pay your cousin or best friend $25 to save some money. You will regret it later!

2. Do your research- There are probably several photographers in your vicinity and it would benefit you to visit each studio and interview the photographers. Find out about their unique styles, products, and general attitude. You may love someone's work but if you don't like their personality it may be a good idea to find a different photographer with a similar style. Another thing to point out is what will happen if the photographer gets sick. Do they have a backup photographer with the same credentials? Do they have a second shooter, especially for weddings? Do they go the extra mile to provide you with as much information as possible? A good photographer will have packets with samples and pricing.

3. Education/Experience- Many photographers are self taught. Photographers who take the extra steps to get a degree or become certified photographers are showing their dedication and passion to the art. For example, I am currently attending Randolph Community College for their program in photographic technology. This program requires an internship and all of the assignments are hands on learning. I also plan on taking the exam to become a certified photographer. Randolph is an accredited photography program and we are learning all of the up and coming techniques in digital. However, we learn the fundamentals of photography through film with medium format. How many photographers can say that?

4. Use student photographers- If you absolutely can not afford the photographer you want, the next best thing is a student photographer. A student photographer usually has a cheaper rate they charge because they are still learning, but many times they know more than enough to capture beautiful images for your big day. If you have to choose someone with no experience other than a point and shoot camera over a student, choose the student. Furthermore, a good relationship with a student photographer usually means free portraits for you in the future because a student always needs models. Many times they will shoot your engagement for free if you hire them for a wedding. In other words, you will get deals that you normally would not with an expensive photographer.

Getting in the swing of things!

I'm finally adjusting to the schedule at Randolph Community and how this photography program is going to work. This week we're learning how to use our light meters that were required for the class. Our professor recommended the Sekonic L308S model so I purchased one from Peace Camera in Raleigh. I tested it on a senior shoot so I'm becoming more familiar with it and Bill went over the incident and reflective modes. I played around a little bit with the flash mode on the shoot because I'm a member of www.nobsphotosuccess.com and I was practicing something mentioned there. I took the ambient reading of the subject and actually added a stop to that reading and matched my off camera flash to that. It darkened the background and really made the girl pop from the picture. This weekend I have to work some more on my gray card assignment. I stayed in the dark room from 10am-7pm Wednesday night and got all of my prints done so now I have to cut them down and arrange them on the 11x14 mat board. As for now I checked out a Mamiya medium format 645 from school to shoot Chuck's assignment "Lines". Our county fair is here this week so I'm gonna see what kind of lines I can find at the fair to shoot.