Made You Look Photography

Catching Up...

2011-02-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Wowee! It's been quite a while since I've stopped to write a blog! Life and business have been pretty non-stop since the holidays. The Facebook fan page is up to over 600 and steadily increasing which makes me smile. There's been quite a few special memories captured over the last few months as well as some surprises. It's been quite a ride, and I'm holding on for dear life while enjoying every moment!!

I've sat at my computer writing and rewriting this blog while trying to decide what to include and share and what would be an oversaturation of information. I've included snippets of sessions and little quips about them and then deleted them again. After all of the indecision and self doubt, I've settled on one idea: tell what you know. So that is exactly how I will start my blog renewal.

While I do a lot of traditional portraits, my business thrives on photos that tend to be of a more personal nature: Boudoir. I've blogged before about this form of photography and the emotional benefits to the subject, but I've never shown how I do it. Don't get too excited; I'm not going to disclose all of my secret techniques and locations. ^_- Instead, I'm going to show you some examples of the much requested Before&After's, SessionInProgress, and the final result.

I often think that I should be as thin as a rail and as buff as a body builder with the amount of equipment that I move up and down stairs and whatnot in order to get the "perfect" shot. Perhaps my assistant, Jhesi, is the one truly reaping the physical benefits from this task since she is always there ready and willing to stand in an awkward position with a light or reflector or drag some heavy piece of furniture out of the shot whenever necessary. I truly don't know how I'd do the special sessions without her. She is in a word: invaluable. I'm not terribly vocal during a session. I like to watch the moment unfold and capture it when it hits its peak. Often subjects need a little guidance, and Jhesi, in all of her mind-reading grandeur, can translate my tongue-tied instructions to a "T" to get everything to look exactly as I envision it. Here she is holding a single spotlight at the perfect angle so that I can create the look from above.

The result were images like this...

and of course I love this one because if reminds me of classic Marilyn...

The Before&After's are simply samples of the procedure for the glamour processing. While this is an automatic inclusion for a boudoir session, the glamour processing is often requested for pageant portraits and special sessions such as Quinceanera and promotional headshots. You can even request a toned down process for a traditional session in order to achieve that "fresh" look. Here are a few so that you can see the difference...

As you can see, I only enhance the natural beauty that each woman possesses. With a little skin resurfacing and other enhancements, even the questionably ordinary photo can become the bell of the boudoir ball. The shoot itself is really only about 10% of the work. I dedicate at least 20 hours per client's session. It is in this process that the magic happens and I'm able to offer the client a variety of options to choose from.

So now you've had a little peek into one of my biggest and deepest rooted photography passions: Boudoir.

Art & Inspiration

2010-01-23T10:03:00.001-08:00

I love photography. Love probably isn't even a strong enough word for how I feel about what I do. Not only is it a friend to me, it's also a challenge. While I adore photographing people and capturing those special moments that slip by so easily, I also have a passion for still life.

One of the biggest challenges with still life is that it does not have a personality. There are no smiles or quirky expressions; it just sits there waiting for you to find and extract it's natural beauty. Lighting is just as key as mood. That's my biggest thing, I think, with doing still life: I try to express a mood. I've spent quite a bit of time lately on several ongoing project series. I'm trying my "hand" with a wide variety of textures. Food is one of the subjects that has really captured my eye lately. I was told recently that if you can master lighting and photographing food, you can light and photograph anything. Naturally, I took that as a personal challenge to figure out the secret to that aspect of photography.

I've also had a fantastic time learning how to photograph glass. Lemme tell you that it's not as simple as it looks. Glass is difficult to focus. It has flaws that are otherwise hidden until put in front of a macro lens. What looks smooth and clear to the naked eye is revealed to be pitted and marbled. I find these discoveries to be breathtaking. It thrills me to realize that each piece has a hidden map of creases and inconsistencies that make it all the more pertinent to me.

And how could I resist creating my own version of a classic Andy Warhol painting? I couldn't. ^_-

All of my art pieces are personal in that I take inspiration from them. I can only hope that you are able to do the same. For a better look at more of the photo art that I've created, please click on any of the posted pictures. They will take you to the Art & Inspiration album of our fan page. Thank you for allowing me to share a piece of myself with you.

Glamour/Boudoir Sessions

2009-12-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

One kind of shoot that has become very popular lately is the Boudoir shoot. Sensual and sexy is how people think of the boudoir style of photography. Others refer to it as glamour photography, where the photographer’s goal is to make you look better than your best. It is not about having the perfect body, the most beautiful face, or being tall, thin and gorgeous. What a boudoir photographer does is brings out the glamour that is in every woman. Boudoir shoots are basically sexy photo shoots that give you an opportunity to wear different styles of lingerie (or whatever you want). Boudoir photography is about glamour and fantasy. It’s about bringing out that special beauty a woman usually reserves for her lover in a series of photographs. The photographer captures what her lover has always seen in their heart. Lots of brides, in particluar, request these sessions, and the albums that I make are such a great gift for fiancee's on the wedding day--it always gets a great reaction!

There are often some questions about these sessions so I'm going to answer a few of them here in case anyone is thinking of having this done!

Q: What if I'm not a size 2 with a perfect body?

A: No problem! My job as a photographer is to emphasize the good and minimize the less than perfect. Besides, your significant other doesn't expect you to look like a different person, and he thinks you are sexy the way you are!

Q: Where will we shoot?

A: If you live in, or have a friend that lives in Shelby or Desoto County, we can shoot at that location. My house is also an option if you can't find any other place. A hotel room is also an ideal location, but please bear in mind that this is an expense not included by the photographer.

Q: What should I wear?

A: Its best to bring a wide variety of different outfits, and photos of poses you've seen in magazines that you like so we have something to start with. As the shoot progresses, you will feel more comfortable and able to try different things on your own, but it helps if you have something to look at to begin.

Q: Do I have to shoot nude?

A: No, of course not! Unless you are in lingerie, I primarily shoot only "implied nude", where you may not be wearing much but you can't see anything showing that you might not want shown. You don't even have to do this if you don't want to--lingerie is just fine. You can also decide at the shoot what you are comfortable/not comfortable showing.

Q: But....are you going to post photos of me on your blog? I really don't want anyone to see them!

A: No, of course not without your permission! The girls whom I have posted in my blog have given me the go-ahead to post those photos up there and I would never post photos of you that you were uncomfortable with.

The albums also make awesome Valentine's Day gifts, but they take awhile to produce, so this next month is the prime shooting time for these sessions!

Retouching is included in all our packages to enhance the photographs and make sure you look amazing. Collages are also available.

Tis the Season

2009-11-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for garland, bows, and showing off your holiday spirit. Who doesn't love the holidays with all of the colors, lights, and cheerful music surrounding you everywhere you go? It's one of my favorite times of year for many reasons, not the least of which is capturing the joy that is practically glued to everyone's faces from now until New Years. It's hard not to get caught up in that warm and fuzzy feeling as a child regales you with their innocent thoughts on reindeer, snowmen, and a jolly round elf that makes their most heartfelt Christmas wishes come true. These are the things that make me smile. These are the things that give me beautiful dreams and creative ideas that abound until I'm just bursting with good feelings and want to share them with everyone that I meet. Some of those creative ideas have come in the form of custom photo Christmas cards. I've designed flat photo cards for you to choose from. Folding cards are also available for certain templates.

25 5x7 flat photo card w/envelopes $50
25 4x8 flat photo card w/envelopes $40
20 5x7 folded photo card w/ envelopes $60

To help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have their Christmas pictures made and ordered in time to send them to off to loved ones, I have set aside Saturday, November 28th. I will be doing back to back sessions all day in the Collierville Town Square. For those that are in the North Mississippi area, I will also be doing back to back sessions around the Hernando City Hall on Sunday, November 29th. If you would prefer to schedule a private session in a seperate location, please let me know so that we can set this up. All holiday sessions still require the standard $30 sitting fee. Please call or e-mail me to reserve your time slot.

**Templates will be posted shortly

Capture the Color

2009-11-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Fall is upon us, and I couldn't be happier! Fall is one of the greatest seasons for many reasons, but the most obvious reason is the brilliant colors everywhere. Sure the leaves are gorgeous in all of their vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds, but there is another reason that I love this season so much; the color temperature of the light. The light of early mornings and late afternoons are perfect for picking up and complimenting the subtle warm hues of ambers, yellows, and rusty reds. It's an ideal time for family portraits as they can get outdoors, enjoy the space and feel like a family. Autumn portraits also have a great informality about them, so it's easier to relax and simply be yourself. No more stuffy formal wear; just casual comfortable clothes that reflect your true personality and allow you to let that shine. So bring a colorful sweater, break out the scarves and furry boots. Let the rosy cheeks abound. It's time to show Spring that Fall is truly the better of the seasons when it comes to pictures. ^_-

Side note: This is also the time of year to start thinking about and scheduling your sessions for Christmas cards and gifts. Availability is limited and will only get harder to come by as the holidays get closer. E-mail, FB message, or call (901-647-3414) to book your appointment and reserve your date and time.

Digital Resurrection

2009-10-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is officially my very first blog post for Made You Look Photography, and I can only hope that I do the company justice. For those of you that know me personally, I readily admit to being a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my art. Photography is my way of expressing myself and bringing out the true beauty in my subject whether it is an object or a person. There is beauty everywhere, and my personal mission is to make it displayable for all the world to see. Yeah, I'm not totally sure that 'displayable' is a real word, but I'm going to go with it for all intensive purposes. It's safe to say that making you look not good but amazing is my ultimate goal. I love doing it! I thrive on it!

All of that being said, I have discovered a new way to resurrect digital images that otherwise would have been discarded due to over or underexposure. Sure, it's important to constantly check your camera settings, but sometimes the perfect pose comes just when I'm testing my shutter speed and/or ISO. Don't know what I'm talking about? All you really need to know is that the perfect setting can create the perfect picture. It's an art in itself just to get it set right. However, sometimes the sun comes back out unexpectedly while I'm snapping away and changes everything. For those times, I now know a solution. Oh, I'm not going to give away my secret formulas to fixing the pictures; just know that I have figured it out and am completely excited about it!!

Please bear with me a moment and allow me to show you what I mean. The following photograph has been completely unaltered with the exception of my newfound "fixit" technique. Will there be more to getting it ready for print? According to my photography OCD, yes, but that's just the perfectionist in me again.

I am constantly studying and learning my craft. Trust me, there's a lot to learn. I have not been in the business for years on end like a lot of the photographers who's work I admire, but I do think that I am growing with each click of the camera. It's very exciting to see something that takes your breath away and realize that you are the one who created it.

While I'm running on and on to fit so much into my first blog, I might as well get to another very important point: retouching. I've heard the arguments that if a photo is retouched at all then it is not a true work of art. I call malarkey on that claim. Some of the most amazing pictures that I have ever seen have been retouched and/or tweaked in some way, shape, or form. The fact is that our cameras do not always see what our eyes do. Eyes are fantastic in that they automatically adjust to any and all situations. They can focus on the tiniest thing in an instant and can have an incredible depth of field. While sophisticated and clever designs of digital cameras are always being created, they have yet to duplicate the exact ability of the human eye. Therefore, occasionally a picture may need a little boost to produce the emotion that the photographer felt when caught up in the moment of capture. Let's face it, photography is in fact an art, and art is subject to opinion based on who is viewing it.

Now that I've got that out of my system, let me show you a little about the process of retouching in my "lab." I would never want to blatantly call someone else out by displaying their raw images, so I used my own. Yes, this is a "hold your arm out as far as you can" picture taken with my trusty little purse camera otherwise commonly known as a "point and shoot." It's served me well, and while I would never use it during a session (that's what my Canon 50D is for ^_-), it works perfectly for simple examples such as this. Please note the difference in the Before, During, and After images. There is skin smoothing, blemish removing, color enhancing, and (my favorite) facial feature enhancements.

That's it for now. Please check out my fan page on Facebook. Simply type in Made You Look Photography in the search box or click on the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1069253534&v=info&ref=profile#/pages/Made-You-Look-Photography/108683671610