Be Present? Observer versus Participant.... Why hire a photographer for your small event
Have you ever been at your child's game and been snapping away at photos and at the end they say Hey Mom did you see me do.... and your eyes get big and you say ummmmm I think so.... I was watching I was taking pictures I just didn't see that. MOM Fail... well not really but in the moment of trying to capture the memory you are just observing it thru the lens. You can't cheer and yell well you can but then the pictures would be out of focus so you don't. So in the moment while we are there and present we are observing the moment not participating.
So while it may not be feasible to hire a professional photographer for every soccer game there are moments we all want captured that we often capture ourselves and become the observer of the event instead of a participant.
Think back to your family photos at an Amusement Park or Beach Vacation.... there was always somebody missing... the picture taker.
People often don't think about hiring a Professional Photographer for birthday's but think about the party and the pressure that would be lifted off of you if you weren't trying to make the memory with photos and were actually in the photo?
As the photographer in my family I am usually the one left out ....I'm not sure who created the selfie but it was probably a photographer wanting to prove they were in their moment. Sometimes we get quite creative to show we were there....
take a look into those glasses and you'll find the photographer in the moment!
As a participant you aren't just captured in the memories you also are emotionally involved. An observer is processing the moment from a distance so actually it's not just about being in the photo. You want the moment to be a memory but you also want to be emotionally involved in the moment. Paired together, the photo and the emotion, the memory takes that everlasting form so to have both it's time to hire the observer to capture all the participants to create the everlasting memory and capture the emotions.
Now the benefit of a professional photographer is while they are observing your families event they capture the emotion. They seek out the moment thru their lens and tell the story. The photo story-telling accompanies the emotions the participants have and creates the emotional memories of our lives. That's the significance of valuing the photojournalism of your story ... your life... your moments... and your memories by hiring the photographer for those moments like Weddings and Family Photo Sessions but don't forget the other life moments like Strawberry Field Sessions, Sunflower Field Picking, birthday parties, Prom Night, Graduation Parties, Birth of Your Children, Family Homecomings and so many more small events that you end up as the observer in your own moment.
So, when you are planning an event and thinking of what you want for your memories think to yourself do I want to be a participant or will I be an observer? If you want to be a participant then it is time to look up your favorite photographer, fill out their Client Questionnaire of what you want captured, and let them create and craft the memories with their expertise and you engage in the moment, experience the emotions, and enjoy the memories.
As always You Make Me Happy When You Choose When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise
What's In A Name?
It's National Tell ~ A ~ Story Day.... so who wants to hear a story?
A long long time ago in a land not so far away.... okay so maybe not that kind of story. But how about What's in my businesses name? Don't go... keep reading I promise it's a little funny and a lot meaningful.
So every night from the birth of my first daughter I sang to her ...." You are my Sunshine" . Let me take you thru the lyrics just a little further. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy WHEN SKIES ARE GREY"
END OF STORY! .......
Nooooo anyone who knows me knows I have way more to say than that!
When she was about 2 years old I even learned the second verse which wasn't quite as lullaby oriented. The next five years every night I sang the same song to my daughter to soothe her to sleep all the way thru that second verse. It did the trick every night off to sleep she would go and even when she visited her grandparents they would sing "her song." At 7 years old she was SUPER excited she was becoming the BIG SISTER. She wanted a baby sister so badly and finally the day arrived.
Over the next couple of months the novelty of Big Sister wore off a bit and just like many new siblings bring change her new little sister brought a big change! That beloved lullaby that she loved so very much that lulled her to sleep drove her new little sister to uncontrollable crying, crocodile tears and nothing close to lulled to sleep. It took a few months to realize that the song I was singing to my first child that sent into a peaceful sleep had my second child keeping us all awake with uncontrollable crying. Well what I thought was uncontrollable except when I would stop singing she would stop crying. So once I realized the tears were connected to the song my oldest lost her beloved lullaby every night. Pretty sure the song wasn't the problem it just signaled to my newborn it was time to sleep and she didn't like sleeping! Often I would try the song out and even still today she has an aversion to the song because to her it means it's time for bed! The irony was her first year of ballet her recital piece was ballet to the song " You are my Sunshine." What a testimony to every child being different. One element that is perfect for one person may not be perfect for the other.
As a photographer, I personalize and tailor each project to the Client. Your client questionnaire gives me the opportunity to suggest locations and customize your experience. Just as my daughters needed two different lullaby's every client needs a personalized touch to their session. So if you say you love nature and have a woodsy feel my recommendation for your family session may be Chesapeake Arboretum .
If your Graduating Senior loves the City Vibe I may suggest the Neon District. The goal will always be to make the experience the most I can for my clients.
So now you ask Why When Skies Are Grey? Why not the song title "You Are My Sunshine"? That gets into the technical aspect of photography while everyone thinks the best day to take a photo is when the sun is shining brightly it's actually on a cloudy day. When the skies are grey you don't end up with harsh shadows on your subjects. Light is the basic element of photography and the importance of proper lighting is an entire Blog alone! So we won't dive deep into the aspects of lighting but if you are naming a photography business based on the significance of the song "You are my Sunshine"... the "When Skies Are Grey" is a much better fit for the name.
Now for the gushy mushy side of your photographer! The final element in the Tell A Story of What's In A Name for When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise. The "You Make Me Happy" part.... remember the lyrics.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy WHEN SKIES ARE GREY"
When you may be feeling grey... when you are lacking cheer and brightness... what is your "You Make Me Happy" often its' a photograph. A photograph lifts your cheer and creates a happy emotion with just one look. It can transform you to the moment and bring the happiness from that moment in time. So capturing the moment to create and craft your forever memories to give you the "You Make Me Happy" moment is what makes me happy!
There you have it the Story of the Name....
The Song represents a family memory
The Lyrics explain the aspects and elements of photography... lighting as the element and making you happy as the aspect.
So Now When You Read
"You Make Me Happy When You Choose When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise" You Now Know the Story!
When they started Kindergarten did you think?
Today April 21, 2021 is National Kindergarten Day... when you think back to your first day of school do you remember how long Summer Vacation seemed to be? The same 90 days now flies by but each Summer day when you were 5 years old seemed to last an eternity.
What about those first day of school bus stop photos! We all remember those cheesy smiles or maybe even a face of tears but either emotion we all can feel when we take a look at those snapshots.
And then the moment comes that the Kindergartener is now the GRADUATE! How did all that time pass? This is a major milestone and with the current Seniors of 2021 their story has the variance and a not so familiarity of those of 2 years ago. So just as with the first conception Friedrich Frobel's brought in Kindergarten to encourage children to express creativity, fuel curiosity, and foster independence our 2021 Graduates are creating their own sense of memories outside of the box, similar to the unprecedented Graduates of 2020. The moments are the same accomplishment but the memories will look different. Capturing those memories are even more important to cultivate their creativity and value the changes they endured.
What's in a Senior Photo Session anyway? Why should you even do one if there will be no big event as in years past? Even some people think well maybe I shouldn't even buy a Cap & Gown? The moment may not look the same but the memories you capture in those priceless photos will create the forever memory. Your Senior Photo Session captures your personality, maybe a favorite location, the city vibe, beach, a country field, a beloved pet or your awesome car that has it's own name! Whatever your personality is show it!
So even more now it is important to have that tailored personalized Senior Portrait Session to commemorate your memories and value the accomplishment. Eighteen years ago your vision of the day may of looked different but the milestone is still the same. So order that Cap & Gown, Schedule that Portrait Session, get a commemorative shirt, order that extra Tassel to hang in your car window. And for that Preschool Grad or Kindergarten Grad that isn't having the same year that Senior had 18 years ago make their new memories too. Get their Cap & Gown portraits to have at their Graduation Party in 18 years. That's the value of a photo, it captures that moment and creates the memory.
Whether it's signs in the front yard, a drive party Grad Party or a small gathering in the back yard HAVE THE CELEBRATION! Do the DIY Prom, Take the Pictures, Eat the Cake.... okay so that's just because I love cake! But make the memories bigger and better. Don't forget the 2021 College Grads as they are finalizing their college memories in an unprecedented time make sure to capture their photos on campus, grab the mask and get out there and take the photos.
Decorate the cap even if the only place you will throw it is the backyard.
So now for the 2022 Graduate it is time to schedule your Senior Portrait sessions and don't forget your upcoming Kindergarteners for 2022, Schedule that Back to School session for August to commemorate their memories. Whatever our moments are a photograph will lock that moment into memory. It freezes time for you!
Do you know a 2022 Graduate that would like to be part of our 2022 Senior Influencer Team? If so send them to our Senior Influencer Team Interview
You Make Me Happy for Choosing When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise!
Pet Photos Tips & Tricks for National Pet Day
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE ANIMALS... well the furry variety... the dogs, cats, bunnies not so much the snakes although what some people may not know is even though I am immensely terrified many years ago I did have a snake that lived in my house and was a pet. I guess building trust in him made me eventually not afraid of him and he was the exception to my extreme fear of snakes!
So with today being National Pet Day I thought it’s a pur-fect day to give some tips and tricks to capturing those wonderfully focused pet photos. Let me first say Vince is a professional model ... lol ... honestly he is amazing and lucky for me will do anything for a treat so it’s easy work for me to grab that spectacular photo of him!
Actually photos of pets are an excellent training experience for a pet ... except a cat ... that’s more of a training for you when working with cats!
So let’s get started
- Have treats! Training treats work best. They are small and don’t make a mess so they will not leave debris in your photo. Buckley Training Treats are on my favorites. They are small enough even for the little dogs at the shelter and can be found at local TJ MAxx and on Amazon.
- If you have someone with you have them hold the treat just above your phone or camera or just below. You want the eyes looking at your phone or camera so don’t have the person off to the side. Then that’s where your pets attention will be. (For cats or dogs that aren’t treat driven you can have a toy and cats love a good laser light show!). If you are alone just hold your treat right above your phone even sitting it right on the top of the phone can work if it’s a Buckley trainer treat like I mentioned before.
- Get some tools! iTrainer Is a free training app but it also works great for getting that wonderful head tilt! Squeak squeak quack quack or meow meow there are over 15 different sounds to use. It’s paw-some! There are other apps available but this one just happens to be my favorite!
- So you have the attention getters now just a couple of techniques to get those wonderfully focused images of your lovable pet. Focus on the eyes! On your phone use the little focus box to focus on the eye. With a camera do the same! Try not to use auto focus. Make sure your focal point is set to their eyes. Why you ask? Especially with dogs their nose is set ahead of their face which deals with depth of field. That’s a separate photograph lesson for another day! But for your pet photos you want the focal point to be their eyes 👀 pulling you in and make you just wanna say muah! I love that face!
- Also don’t Zoom! You can Zoom on your computer for work or with friends but try not to Zoom your phone photos especially! Zooming loses clarity. If you have taken any of my Photography Courses you know NO ZOOM! Cropping is better so if you want to narrow the frame take the photo as is and crop out what you want out of the image.
Okay so now you are geared with a few treats, a toy, a phone and a pet GO TAKE SOME PHOTOS and share your pet love on When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise Facebook Page Also request to join our In Focus Private Client Group for specials, promotions and more Tips and Tricks and share your National Pet Day Photos there too! When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise "In Focus" Private Client Group
Check out some of the Mosaic Images & Pet Items available at When Skies Are Grey DesignsA portion of your purchase for Mosaic Images will be donated to Friends of Norfolk Animal Care Center.
Want a special blog topic sometime? Send me an email and let me get your ideas of what you would like to hear about! If you have any questions please contact me at [email protected]
If you have an upcoming special occasion for your pets Schedule a Pet Portrait Session.
Preparing For Your Families Spring Photography Session~ 3 Steps to Magical Photos
Let me take you thru 3 Easy Steps to Prepare for your Spring Portrait Session
1. Arrive 5-10 minutes early... this gives you plenty of time for last minute issues that may arise.
No need to be too early you want everyone to be fresh and ready.
2. What to Wear.....this can be really stressful for some but DON'T STRESS! When picking out outfits,
pick out the outfit for the most difficult person to dress first & then plan everyone else's outfit around theirs.
Plan like it one person's outfit.
Too many patterns can be too busy for the eyes but still let it be an expression of YOUR FAMILY!
Check out my Color Palette guide to help you style your family.
For extended large family sessions dress each family group in their own color or color palette.
If you have any questions or need guidance that's what I am here for please ask!
3. Don't stress...
laughing+ loving+ calm = BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS!
Not every beautiful photo is cheesy smiles...
in fact the ones that are often the most touching are those natural looks.
So don't point at the camera to get your little one looking then all we have are fingers pointing!
I may have a little pocket of treats to hand out to age appropriate children
but if you prefer me not to, just let me know.
Remember if you are not in the picture and are helping to make the children smile or a pet look make sure to stand nice and close to the camera .... right behind me is the best!
And don't leave the pets at home! If you want to include your pets, dogs or cats let's talk we can capture your family including the furry ones!
CAPTURING CREATING & CRAFTING YOUR MOMENTS INTO MEMORIES!
~Denise, When Skies Are Grey Photography by Denise
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for upcoming events and specials!