The Potato Patch

INSPIRING STORY NO.1

This inspiring story comes from
Shauna of Shauna Sotelo Photography!

“This lovely lady approached me about doing a special photo essay with her. Briawna was born blind in one eye, as a result her eye never grew. Briawna has always hidden her eye and is tired of it, and faced her fears to be photographed this way. She has been ridiculed and teased her entire life because of this. I am so completely proud of you, and please everyone give her props, she deserves it. The complete essay will be posted soon but I wanted to share her beauty. Briawna is also a fellow aspiring photographer, who is graduating from high school a year early and applying to the Art Institute. She is an inspiration.”

You can read the full essay and see all the photos here:
http://www.shaunasotelo.com/blog/2012/01/31/briawna-taking-a-stand/

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT-UPTOWN PHOTOGRAPHY

This photographer spotlight is Jessamyn
from Uptown Photography!
Here are her answers to the questions I asked her.

What do you like most about photography?
I love capturing a true moment. Silly, Fun, Special moments between a family, the love between a couple, the sweetness of a new baby, the giggles of a toddler, attitude of a senior! The little moments are the most important thing, turning something ordinary into a treasured memory is my favorite thing.

Do you have a specialty or a favorite subject to shoot?
I love photographing families, couples, seniors, & portraits but I feel I truly shine with babies & children, there is just something so sweet in each expression they have. A brand new bebe just melts my heart, if I could, I’d spend the whole time snuggling them! Children grow soo so fast being able to get that shot that will bring back a flood of memories is just so special. Newborn today & an almost three year old tomorrow!

What got you started with photography?
How long have you been shooting professionally?
I have been shooting professionally for a little over 2 years now! I got my very first SLR, (film, I KNOW! lol) camera for my sweet sixteen! After my son was born was when I truly started to get more involved, I purchased a new DSLR & starting snapping each moment! I started out shooting friends & family, slowly learning as I went! I have taught myself everything I know, between searching online for tips & tricks, reading my manual to trial & error.

What’s your favorite editing tool/action?
As far as editing tools, I use Aperture for Mac as well as CS5. I love me some My Four Hens Actions! She is a big inspiration to me, I adore her work as well as her actions. I have used quite a few actions, Florabella, PURE, My Four Hens, etc. Each session is different, because each person’s style is different, my mood & feel I am looking for are always different. Example for seniors, I like a bold image, for families I like a cozy, warm image, for newborns & babies I like a soft, clean & bright image.

Do you have any advice or tips for amateurs?
*Don’t take everything to heart, I must admit I have
a very hard time not taking things to heart.
*Don’t stop learning! I don’t know everything, I’m not sure I ever will
but I am 100% willing to learn!
*Research until you have fallen asleep at the computer!
*Go out & shoot everything!
*Learn your camera, it will be your best friend!
*Push yourself with every single session, shoot out of your comfort zone!
*Don’t be scared to ask questions! I was for a long time because I wanted people to think I knew everything there was to know, I don’t know everything
& asking for help only makes life easier.
*Do put your heart & soul into every single image!
*Get creative! Find some fun things & fun locations.
*Make a blog! & Update it! -My New Year’s Resolution is to
update my blog with each session!
*Be confident in your work.
*Appreciate others work, the struggle you’re going through to get noticed & get out there is the same struggle they went through/are going though. It can be a catty business when it truly shouldn’t be. There are plenty of clients! Every photographer has a style, a style that fits one but maybe not the other.
*Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Golden Rule.
This will make you a more appealing person & photographer.

Here are some pictures from Jessamyn!
Thanks so much for sharing with us.

PICTURE SPOT-SOUTH 1ST AVENUE POCATELLO

S. 1st Avenue is chock full of fabulous
old brick buildings and doors!
If you like the vintage look, this is a great place to go.
Between the Benton overpass and E Terry
there are tons of great spots!
Here are some pics I’ve taken there.

WHAT TO WEAR GUIDE NO.3

The items for this guide come from Old Navy, Mod Cloth,
Downeast Basics, Forever 21, & Famous Footwear.

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT-STUDIO 180

For our first photographer spotlight we have Jordon
from Studio 180 by J Hofman Photography.
I asked her a few questions and here are her answers!

What do you like most about photography?
The thing I like most about photography is that I get to turn fleeting moments and memories into art for families to keep forever. Memories are the best things in life for me, so I love being able to help people always remember as a living.

Do you have a specialty or a favorite subject to shoot?
It’s hard to pick a favorite subject to shoot, but I guess I would say I specialize in one on one portraiture. I love shooting newborns, and infants, and children, maternity, and soon to be graduates. I really love doing fashion shoots. I also shoot families and weddings, but one on one portraiture is definitely my favorite. I would say the reason I like one on one the most is because I feel like I can really capture personality, and drama, and moments, tell stories, and, in general, have more artistic and creative freedom, when I’m with one, or even two or three, subjects. Sometimes in big groups, those things get lost. Plus, I love the interaction when I’m shooting one on one. I think it sets the client at ease, and we can just have fun and really capture who they are.

What got you started with photography?
How long have you been shooting professionally?
Professionally, I have been shooting for about two years. Before that, I studied Visual Communication, emphasis in photography, at ISU. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication/Visual Communication back in May of 2009. Some of my favorite pieces I’ve ever done were shot when I was still in college. I did a lot of amateur work while in college, plus assignments for all of my photo classes. In high school, I was yearbook editor and had a great interest in photojournalism. I still love doing freelance photojournalism whenever the opportunity presents itself. My most notable photojournalism work was probably the work I did for Rockwell Homes and the Marshall-Spreier family during the Extreme Makeover Home Edition build in Pocatello. That was so much fun. One of my images even made front page. My dad told me that after I went to college, he was sorted through my old room and found thousands and thousands of photos I’d taken over the years. I got my first camera at age 9 and was always a big shutterbug.

What’s your favorite editing tool/action?
It’s hard to pick a favorite editing tool, but I will say a lot of the times, less is more. I always shoot RAW, that way I can make minor adjustments in photo RAW, such as white balance and exposure, when needed. It’s a great tool. I always boost the sharpness and black a little in photo Raw. And I always border on over exposed. I rarely like dark pictures, unless it adds to the art of the image. For editing, I always use photoshop. Most of the actions I use, I found free on the internet. I’m not going to lie. Or, I came up with myself. I’m saving my pennies to buy sets from PURE or TRA. I love Totally Rad Actions. They have some amazing tools. I’ve never used PURE, but would love to try theirs out.

Do you have any advice or tips for amateurs?
My best advice/tip for amateurs, shoot, shoot, shoot. The more photographs you take, the more you’ll learn, the better you’ll get. And, ask, ask, ask. (I’m still in the process of doing both of these.) Some photographers are insecure and, well, kind of snobby about sharing information. But the great ones know that being really good is about more than knowing the technical mumbo jumbo. So, the really good ones will help you overcome the technical boundaries, because they won’t be afraid of you. You’ll notice that a lot of the top photographers out there offer (rather profitable, to them and you) workshops. Whether or not you’re good will all boil down to whether or not you have a good eye, and whether or not you can come up with creative ideas yourself. Anyone can learn how to use a camera and copy what they see on Pinterest or the internet. (This is a nasty black hole too many fall into, including me. I’ve been there. And, sometimes you do it just to please the client. Cringe. Cliche client pleasers.) Explore lots of different kinds of art, have hobbies, be a well rounded person and you’ll be a better photographer for it. Everything you love will be reflected in your work. I’ve noticed a lot of the really amazing portrait photographers I look up to, especially in fashion, have a good knowledge of dance and body movement. I wish I had more! Learn all you can. Be educated. These are goals of mine.

Here are some pictures from Jordon!
Thanks so much for sharing with us.

 

PICTURE SPOT-CITY CREEK

City Creek in Pocatello is an awesome spot for picture taking! There are lots of grassy fields, an old wooden fence, tons of trees, bridges…basically it’s a gold mine!
Here are some pics I’ve taken there.

 



It really is a versatile location, so go check it out!

TIP-FIXING EXPOSURE IN PHOTOSHOP

If you shoot in RAW format, then fixing your exposure is super easy in photoshop raw. But what if you shoot in JPEG format or if you have a camera that doesn’t let you choose what format to shoot in? Well, there’s nifty little tool in photoshop called ‘Exposure’.
(go to Image>Adjustments>Exposure)

This tool allows you to adjust your exposure, offset, and gamma correction.  Of course there are some pictures that are too badly over/under exposed to fix, but this tool is definitely helpful for most exposure problems.  I personally shoot in JPEG mode most of the time and have found this tool to be quite helpful. It’s definitely worth playing around with!

WHAT TO WEAR GUIDE NO.2

The items for this What to Wear idea guide come from:
Old Navy, Downeast Basics, Gap, Kohl’s, Famous Footwear,  & Forever 21.

REVIEW-LEMONDROP BACKDROPS

If you’re looking for some great backdrops and floordrops then you should check out Lemondrop Backdrops! They have 3 different material choices, many size choices, tons of fabulous designs and very affordable prices!  I have purchased a floordrop from them in their vinyl material.  I absolutely love it!  They say their drops are glare free and they aren’t kidding! I’ve haven’t gotten any glare on all the sessions I’ve used it on.  They also use environmentally friendly inks.  And you can even request a custom design!

The part I like most about my vinyl drop is that even if it gets wrinkled or folded (which happens a lot when I have sessions with little kids) the wrinkles come back for the most part out when you lie it flat.

Here are some pics I’ve taken using my drops.

SPECIAL NEED PHOTOGRAPHY HELPS

Photographing those with special needs can be overwhelming!  But I think everyone deserves beautiful pictures. I myself have a son with autism and it can be very challenging to get a good picture of just him let alone a picture with anyone else.

I’ve found a couple places that have some great advice on doing photo sessions with special needs children.  Go check them out!

There is a great blog called SpecialT that shows her photo sessions with special needs kids and she shares some tips in her blog posts. She also sells a guide to photographing special needs kids!

Another great blog post is on Pure Photoshop Actions. One of the photographers over there has 2 autistic children and she did a post with some great basic tips on photographing families with autism.

As a parent of a special needs child I think the most important thing to remember is that they are first and foremost -a child!  They like to do what kid’s do… have fun!  So if you’re doing a photo session with a special needs child, try to have fun! Yes you will have to do things a little differently, but it’s a great way to stretch your creativity.
It can be easy to define someone by their special need, but that is not what defines them. They are a person, and if you treat them like a person things will go much more smoothly.
And like I just said, yes you will have to do things a little differently. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad…just different.
(Okay, I’ll hop off my soap box now).