Sure it may be cold and wintry now but soon the birds are chirping, the buds are blooming, and the snow has officially melted. That means it’s time for your spring family session. Here are a few wardrobe tips to ensure the whole gang looks smashing:
Play up the fact that it’s spring. Have a necklace with a butterfly pendant? Perfect! An insect-printed tee? Yes, please.
Channel the colors of spring. Seriously – look out the window for inspiration for your family’s color palette. Greens, pinks, yellows, beige, khaki, and blues all work exceptionally well.
Layer up! Spring can be both warm and cold at once, so come prepared. We love spring scarves, light cardigans, vests, etc.
Photos from the Kwenyan Professional Services Holiday Party 2018.
Should I Hire a Professional Photographer to Document
My Event?
If
you’re on the fence about whether or not to hire someone to photograph your
event, consider these reasons:
Let’s
say the event is a family reunion and you want to get a group photo of the
whole family. You could do it yourself, but one of two things could happen
then. A) You have someone take the photo for you, leaving a family member out
of the photo because they had to take it. This could possibly offend that
person or make them feel awkward for being excluded. Or B) You set a timer on
your camera. This can be problematic because there are so many people in the
photo that you will need to take several images to make sure everyone is
looking and has their eyes open. You will have to take two to three times as
long to get the photos done because you’ll have to keep resetting the timer,
and you still might not have gotten the shot. Hiring a professional will
eliminate all of this stress.
I
don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go around all night taking selfies
with my phone or camera with all of my friends and family members. I would much
prefer to relax and enjoy the moment instead of trying to capture it. The
quality of the photos will be much better than the selfies. Also, trying to
take a selfie with a group of people is next to impossible when trying to get
everyone inside the frame.
If
the event is a birthday party, you don’t want to miss out on visiting with
guests or helping your child open presents or cut the cake because you are too
busy trying to take the photos. You want to be part of the action, not stuck
behind the camera.
Another
great thing about hiring a professional is that you don’t have to worry about
editing and distributing the photos after the event is over. You just have to
wait to receive them from your photographer.
Finally, it’s really a gift to have well lit photographs taking by a professional who preserve the memory of your event. Those images are going to be cherished by everyone for a very long time to come.
Our business motto is: Let’s us capture the moments so you can enjoy them.” These are words that were carefully chosen. We know lots of people have cameras today and enjoy taking photos. But at your own event, sit back and enjoy it. Let me capture and save the moments for you so you can enjoy them forever!
Some
people shy away from winter sessions because, well, it’s cold. But winter
sessions make for some prime photo ops, so don’t write off the brr months.
1.
Keep tracking the weather. Those white winter days after a lot of snowfall can
result in some seriously gorgeous photographs. Booking two months out probably
won’t work, and you’ll instead want to book on a shorter notice.
2.
Really play up the winter accessories when planning outfits. Think cozy knit
scarves, colorful coats, adorable boots, mittens and more.
3.
Plan the day out so that nobody gets fussy or too cold. A bribe of hot
chocolate after the session goes a long way. Also make sure that everyone’s
dressed warmly.
4.
Don’t be afraid to have fun in that snow. Snowball fights? Snowman building?
Angels? The possibilities are endless and this should be all about having fun.
5.
Choose colors and prints that pop. An all white background is absolutely
beautiful, but having that pop of red or that flash of gingham can really make
for a gorgeous photograph.
6.
Pack the necessities. Noses tend to run in the cold, and glasses can fog up.
Bring tissues, hand-warming packs, clean clothes and hot beverages to keep
everyone perky throughout the shoot.
7. Because it
can be really cold, note that a shorter session may be in order. Make the most
of your photos by using every single second to the max, especially at the
beginning of the session when everyone’s still warm and spirits are
particularly high.
ShowKids Invitational Theatre (SKIT) next production is Disney’s “Newsies” I have the pleasure of capturing the show memories in digital stills and video DVD for cast and crew.
Performances run January 25 – February 3, 2019. For more information or to order tickets please go to http://www.showkids.org
I had the pleasure to once again create some publicity photographs for SKIT next production, “Newsies.”
These photographs have appeared in media advertisements and will also be on display in the lobby of the theater
More publicity photographs, along with photographs from the show will be on my website: http://skit.dabourphotography.com. Prints and digital downloads are available for purchase.
The show runs January 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 2019. For more information and tickets visit their website http://www.showkids.org. All shows at Voorhees HIgh School theater in HIgh Bridge, NJ
A total lunar eclipse of the moon will occur January 21, 2019
Tips on how to photograph a lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse will occur late Sunday January 20, 2019 into the early overnight hours of January 21, 2019. The long range forecast is questionable as to whether or not folks in the north east will be able to see it. But just in case we can and you want to grab some photos here are some tips:
Bundle up. It’s the middle of the winter late at night
Bundle up your camera too. OK so they don’t make sweaters for cameras but there are some important cold weather tips for camera. The most important one is to allow plenty of time for your camera to adjust to the colder temperatures. And don’t be tempted to bring your camera inside for a quick break and then go back out. Your camera will probably fog up once you go inside and will take a while to go away. The condensation could also happen inside your camera and lens which is not good. If you want to be real safe put everything in a large sealed plastic bag before heading inside
You will need a tripod. Even though this won’t be a long exposure (the moon is brighter than you think) you still want a sturdy shot with no vibrations
Have an extra battery or two. Cold eats batteries for breakfast. So have a couple of spares fully charged and ready to go. You don’t want to be out there with the perfect shot and then the camera battery goes bye bye.
Get the longest length lens and optional extender that you have. There almost isn’t enough you need to make the moon look really great. 200 mm is not really enough. 600 is good but hard to come by
Exposure compensation is key. As I mentioned above the moon is bright. But if you just point your camera up in the sky it comes out all fuzzy. Why? Your camera is trying to compensate the *entire* frame to the same level of light. But you (probably) don’t care if the background goes dark as long as the moon is properly exposed. It will be the middle of the night after all. So if you photograph in Program mode, you will need to use exposure compensation to decrease the amount of light captured so the moon looks darker
Manual mode is better. If you are comfortable in going into manual mode use these setting as a start: ISO 100, 1/125 and f8 or f11. Depending on your camera or lens, you will need to adjust these settings
Frame your shot. Look to see if there is anything you can include in the photograph to show scale in the photo. When the lunar eclipse reaches maximum, it will be up in the sky so this will be a challenge. But when it starts and may be a little lower, perhaps include some trees? Or a passing airplane? It’s too late for Santa 🙂
Good luck and remember item #1 above!! And if you’re in the northeast, pray for clear skies! The extended forecast doesn’t look good for sky watching…
Dabour Photography 