Winter is a Time for Studio Work
The wedding season slows down in winter and unless there is some beautiful snow, the bare trees and brown earth does not inspire me to do photography outdoors.
But no matter, it just means that it is time to be indoors and in studio, and do some work/practice/play with lights. Last Saturday I took out the big guns - my studio strobes - and had my muse, young Sierra, over to model for me. This girl won't have to worry about having senior pictures because I often have her in front of my camera.
But last Saturday was about lighting and working on making some more dramatic portraits. I attended Imaging USA a few weeks ago in Nashville. It is the annual convention for the Professional Photographers of America and I had the opportunity to attend some hands-on training with noted photographer, Chris Knight. Learning is one thing - then practicing with it is another, which is why I set up this shoot.
Education is an important part of being a professional photographer. And the good thing is that an amazing amount of information can be found online. I happened across one You Tube vlogger, Irene Rudnyk, and watched her video on editing in a particular style. I applied it here to Sierra's portraits and I have to say, I like what I see.
Here is a question to ask your photographer when hiring one: "Do you play?" I do, and often it is a collaborative outing with other photographers as well, trying out things, making suggestions, discussing technique, and lending equipment. Just as a concert pianist does their scales every day, just as Picasso made hundreds of sketches before putting paint to canvas, a photographer should be thinking, "How can I challenge myself?" and practicing their craft.
And giving back. I will have Sierra's pictures printed and given to her, along with these two for this guy:
That's Bryce. He works at the Blue Slip Winery in Knoxville and made sure we had food during our shoot - a critical role in any gathering of photographers and models!