Blogs for Photogs // a great photo editing tip!

We've mentioned this before in our classes but it's very true! Editing consistency is very important for your photography. If you hang a photo on your wall or someone else's wall from one season, and then another the next and so on... you'll want the editing to be very similar or the same. Consistency with your editing style, skintones and lighting is key! Find a style and stick with it. :) In addition, here are two HUGE things that have helped me with editing:

• Always edit in the same amount of light (your monitor will look different in different light/at different times of the day) - the windows in my office are completely blacked out so I'm always editing in the dark! It really helps me stay consistent with editing!
• Don't edit an entire session or group of pictures in one sitting. Edit it, come back later and double check! For example: sometimes I'll edit a session that appeared very cool/blue straight out of camera. I'll bump up the warm a lot and think it's a huge improvement from where I started. Then I'll come back later and even the edited image looks too cool so I'll make it warmer and closer to the actual skintones. Or sometimes it starts very cool so I'll over correct and make it too warm the first time through. My point is, you see a lot more the second time around when you've had a mini break from the images!

Final Edited image:

First time editing:

Straight out of camera:

Canon 5D mk ii, 70-200mm 2.8L lens, // f/2.8, 1/200 sec., ISO-320, center focus, natural light

As you can see, it changed quite a bit from the original image to the final one.... with one stop in the middle. Even if you like the middle one better, the top image is more consistent with our portfolio and editing style so that was my goal. :)

{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 

Do you have a photography question that you'd like answered in a future post? Email your questions to Amy: info@memorymp.com - Thanks! 

Tips for photographers // flash advice for DSLRs

The question for today is, "The flash that comes on a camera is not the best I know. What other flash types are out there, and if you were to buy just one or two, what would cover the bases best?"

First off, before you try and tackle flash photography, I would advise learning your camera really well and becoming very familiar with changing your settings first. Only because if you add extra flashes, that just creates more to think about and more settings to manage if you're already confused about shooting on manual. :)

A great way to learn your camera settings is with our photography 101 & 102 workshops where we talk a lot about camera settings and lighting. Another way to learn your camera is to just switch it to manual, read up in your camera manual, look things up online, or go out there and practice!!  

Ok, let's talk flashes now. Yes, the little pop up flash on your camera is not the best. Sure, it works fine for snapshots and quick lighting when needed, but it's definitely not recommended for evenly exposed and well planned photos. The built in flash doesn't provide much light, its one directional, and it's just guessing what you're photographing (as opposed to attachable flashes where you can manually adjust the settings based on what you're taking a photo of.)


If you're looking to upgrade, start with one speedlite flash. We have the Canon 580 ex ii flashes, which are around $500. Canon and Nikon offer many types of flashes... These just work well for us with the type of work we do.

These flashes will help expose your photos in lower light situations. You're also welcome to use these flashes outdoors as a little fill light. In most cases, DO NOT have the flash pointing right at your subject (like it is in the picture above) - anytime you send direct light like that right at someone, it's pretty undiffused, harsh, and creates more washed out faces, shadows, and sharp unwanted lines. By simply facing your flash up slightly or straight up bouncing off the ceiling, your pictures will look SO much better having more diffused light!

Here's an example of one speedlite flash, pointed up bouncing off the ceiling:

Beyond that, you can continue to add multiple flashes, accompanied by a triggering machanism like Pockettwizard. We use up to 3 off camera flashes, and we have 4 pocketwizards. Having multiple flashes helps with exposure, but it's also fun creative light. (like having it fire in the background)

 
{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 

Do you have a photography question that you'd like answered in a future post?
Email your questions to Amy: info@memorymp.com - Thanks! 

Desk Prints vs. Wall Art

It took us a couple of years to nail down the different prints and products we wanted to offer, but for the past few years we have offered our products in three categories:

1. unmounted desk prints: professionally printed loose prints. Offered as 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 or 11x14 prints to frame (with glass)
2. mounted prints: mounted on 1/8” masonite & ready to frame (without glass) - we offer linen texture, embassy texture, or fine art canvas.  8x10" - 30x40"
3. ready to hang wall art: standout prints, float wraps, canvas gallery wraps. No framing needed, they come mounted and ready to hang!

For wall art, we're always happy to help clients pick out photos and sizes for different arrangements.  It's important that the photo or photos aren't too big or too small for the space they're wanting to hang it so that's where we come in! It isn't uncommon for us to ask our clients to bring a photo of their wall at home with measurements so we can help them put something together. This is the last thing I ever want to see at someone's house:

11x14 may sound big, but it's not! 

60x40.... that sounds better.

Tips for photographers // Camera settings for group photos

One thing we get asked a lot is, "What are the best camera settings for group photos?" or "What's the best way to take group shots?" We've all taken photos that we look back on later and realize some people were blurry or stepped out of the focus plane. There isn't one perfect formula for group photos. It's completely possible to shoot with a low f-stop and still get everyone in focus.... just remember what creates depth of field and start getting a lot of practice at what works best for you.

Before I share my settings for group photos, I want to remind you of the three things that create depth of field..... it's not just created by your aperture!   Depth of field changes with:

• Aperture - The higher your F-stop number, (the smaller your aperture) the larger your focus plane will be. (remember that low numbers mean large aperture, higher numbers mean small aperture)
• Distance from your subject - the further away from the subject you are, the larger your focus plane will be
• Focal length or zoom amount - the more zoomed in you are, the more depth of field you will create (smaller focus plane) 

Like I said, there isn't just one way to go about this, but here are our aperture "jumping off" points for different amounts of people.

• 1 person = F/1.4 +
• 2 people = F/1.8 +
• 3 people = f/2.0 - f/2.8+
• 4 people (family session, bridal party, etc.) = f/2.8+
• 5+ people = f/3.2, f/3.5, f/4.0 +

 ^^^ These are just quick rules of thumb, but sometimes we can put the f-stop even lower if we're confident that they'll all be in focus (which has just come with practice!)

 Canon 5D mk ii, 50mm 1.2L lens, // f/2.5, 1/125 sec., ISO-1000, center focus, natural light

 Canon 5D mk ii, 15mm fisheye lens, // f/3.2, 1/250 sec., ISO-100, center focus, natural light

Canon 5D mk ii, 50mm 1.2L lens, // f/2.8, 1/160 sec., ISO-50, center focus, fill flash

Canon 5D mk ii, 50mm 1.2L lens, // f/3.2, 1/160 sec., ISO-50, center focus, fill flash

More group photo tips:

• If you're shooting a lower f-stop like 2.8, etc., make sure your group is in more of a line, and you're standing parallel with them so they all are photographed in the same plane and no one is out of focus.
• If it's a more traditional, complex or large group family shot (some seated, several rows or layers of people) it's probably best to start at an aperture of 4.0
• If you're not sure what works for you with different lenses or different amount of people, get some models to do a test shoot! Try several different settings standing in several different places with different lenses, then you can go home and analyze it and learn from it!! 

{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 


Do you have a photography question that you'd like answered in a future post? Email your questions to Amy: info@memorymp.com - Thanks! 

Lightroom & I are soul mates // an editing before and after!

Just had to share this image because it gave me a WOW. Here's the after:

and here is what it came from: 

Lightroom is quick and aaammmaaaaaazing!!!

Canon 5D mk ii, 50mm 1.2L lens, // f/1.4, 1/160 sec., ISO-400, center focus, natural light

Tips for photographers // Photo editing programs

We were recently asked about picture editing advice so we're happy to share! If you've been to any of our photography workshops, you'll hear us rave about Adobe Lightroom and encourage everyone to get it. Although, I know Lightroom may not be necessary or affordable for every picture taker. 

If you have the desire to enhance your photos before printing, a few things your photo editing software should be able to do is crop, adjust color and change the exposure. 

If you have a point and shoot camera (small basic digital camera), I would recommend: Adobe photoshop elements, for around $80. With it you can:

• organize your photos
• do basic edits and enhance your photos
• easily create and share online

If you have a DSLR and are a photography hobbyist, aspiring photographer or a part-time photographer, I would recommend Adobe Lightroom for around $150. My favorite lightroom features are:

• easy sorting capabilities to manage large collections of RAW or JPEG images
• everything is in one place which saves time for an efficient workflow
• user friendly and simple layout (much easier to grasp than photoshop was for me)
• easy adjustments for color and exposure treatment
• ability to make custom presets for editing, importing and exporting (saves time!)
• the features go on and on.... read more on their website! I'm a huge fan!

If you are a professional photographer or have hopes to be, I would recommend Lightroom for sure, but Adobe Photoshop is also handy for advanced editing. I also use photoshop for all of my designing as well.

There are tons of options for photo editing software on the market, but we have been extremely happy with the Adobe products and edit photos with them exclusively. The great thing about going with the mainstream and popular programs is that they have tons of help, support, and online tutorials available so you can teach yourself or look up solutions as you go along. We have a few tutorials as well on our youtube channel! http://www.youtube.com/memorymp

^^ A Lightroom before and after with a RAW image.

{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 


Do you have a photography question that you'd like answered in a future post? Email your questions to Amy: info@memorymp.com - Thanks! 

A great photography class for beginners!

If you've ever said, "I have a nice camera but have no idea how to use it," or "I bought a $1000 camera, thinking it would give me talent, but I still can't take good pictures".... These local photography workshops are perfect for you!! Yesterday was our third round of Photography classes for beginners hosted in Yakima. We were so happy with the turnout! Although the classes are held in Yakima, we still get lots of out-of-towners (anywhere from Seattle to Spokane) and it's so great that people would travel to attend our class! 

Learn more about the photography classes here.
 

 The Baron family acted as our models for the 102 class. We took them out on a session so everyone could see how we work and practice taking some photos as well!

Here were my settings for this photo:

Canon 5D mk ii, 50mm 1.2L lens, // f/2.0, 1/160 sec., ISO-100, center focus, natural light

Between the two classes we gave away a camera strap, 2 posing guides, a 20x24 mounted print, 25 press printed cards, a 20x24 canvas gallery wrap, and an 8x8 press printed album from WHCC!

 Look, even baby Ryan takes pictures :)

Testimonials from yesterday's students!

"What a great photography class. Learned sooooo much about my camera that I had no idea how to use or why to use it....now the homework of getting out there and taking some great shots! It is amazing what I have been missing out on. Wished I would have done it sooner. 35 dollars for 3 hours. WELL WORTH IT"

"Thank you so much for creating these workshops. We were immediately drawn to you guys and we appreciate your willingness to teach and share your knowledge with us all."

"Excellent introduction to DSLR basics, I'm leaving with a good set of tools to use in the field."

"I'm extremely pumped to apply all the knowledge I obtained today to future photoshoots!"

"Thank you so much! This was just the type of information I needed to be inspired!"


Please join us for the next set of classes!! Learn more here.

Helpful Facebook Timeline Tips for Business Pages

We noticed that the new Facebook timeline is set to launch on all business pages March 30, 2012. What better than to post a quick blog about it! I highly recommend you start playing with your new page now and see it in preview mode before actually pushing live. Do this as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute.. you might get stuck with a boring page that shows you were not prepared. We love the new facebook timeline, and enjoyed making a custom cover photo, you should too!

some helpful tips to give your business page a "makeover" 

first things first... upload your new cover photo. Be sure to read Facebook’s guidelines for cover photos to be certain you are following all the rules before posting.

Select which apps and views you’d like to appear in your apps area and arrange them as you desire. The top three apps should be the most important to your business as they will be “above the fold,” with the remainder accessible by clicking the arrow to the drop down menu.

Know the images sizes. Below we wrote down the required image sizes for you to jot down on a sticky. Stick it to your computer monitor and you won’t have to look them up or worry about forgetting them.

• Cover photo: 851 x 315
• Profile picture: 180 x 180
• Thumbnail image for apps: 111 x 74
• Highlighted & milestone images: 843 x 403
• Images within wall posts display as 404 x 404.

Try to post a lot, your fans will stay engaged that way! It is best to be authentic, helpful, honest and kind.

Take advantage of the new Admin Panel to monitor your Page Insights, new activity and always be timely in responding to your personal messages if you choose to have this feature turned on.

Add events and milestones to your Timeline!  Create a visually interesting appealing Timeline. Also take a moment to go through photo albums and delete any past photos that you aren’t incredibly proud of.

Good news for us photographers is that research shows that photos posted generate twice as much engagement versus all other types of posts. Keep your page visually appealing … even more important for the photo industry.

31 days of photo fun: THE BEST LENS for photographers

DAY 3 // This month we'll be posting a blog every single day leading up to our photography workshops on April 1st! The Photography 101 class covers exposure, focus and composition. Photography 102 covers more technical aspects of workflow, posing, and lighting. (and we'll talk a lot more about Lightroom in the 102 as well!) Learn more and claim your spot in the workshops here.

If you ask me, everyone needs a 50mm lens. With Canon gear there are a few 50mm options, and I have the 50mm 1.2L and will recommend it to EVERYONE.

 50mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.2

This is the only lens I've felt this passionate about and I even catch myself daydreaming about it sometimes.

 The more you shoot with different gear, the more you learn the strengths, weaknesses and special tricks to each lens. 

This is why I LOVE my 50.

1. beautiful depth of field
2. crisp and dependable
3. versatile (can be used in low light situations)
4. great focal length.

{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 


Do you have a photography question that you'd like answered in a future post? Email your questions to Amy: info@memorymp.com - Thanks! 

My first time at WPPI!

Have you ever been to Vegas? My idea of this city was put together from the few movie clips I've seen of the city and let me tell you, it was WAY bigger than I expected. The strip seems huge, filled with these over the top themed hotels. For it being mid-week in February, there were still a ton of people wandering everywhere. This was our first time in the city, so we spent some time at WPPI but we also wanted to see a little bit of Las Vegas too!

My WPPI highlights: talking to Jasmine Star and buying a Kelly Moore bag :)

Here are my Las Vegas tips & WPPI tips:

• Wear comfortable shoes! There is lots of walking to do!
• Visit the In-N-Out in Las Vegas. I thought it was just a California thing, but I'll enjoy an in-N-out meal no matter the city.
• Set time aside to go through the trade show. I think it took us about 8 hours total by the time we walked around the whole show, talking with lots of vendors, watching some live demos, and buying some products. The trade show is a great place to get inspired with the latest and greatest photography stuff. We also bought a few things there because of certain WPPI specials. Prepare to feel slightly overwhelmed. There are over 300 vendors there so I felt like there was a ton of info thrown at me in one day!!
• Bring business cards or cards with your info on it! Someone else gave me this tip before I went and it's true. There are plenty of drawings to enter. Some of them scanned our name badge to get our info, others had a drawing bowl you can drop your card into.
• Don't plan on communicating by cell phone while at the trade show. There were several areas at the MGM where I didn't have reception with AT&T. Could be different for others, but it was frustrating for us to try and all stay together since we couldn't get ahold of each other. There were lots of QR codes at the booths that we couldn't scan because no one had internet/reception on their phones.
• If you're not a smoker, brace yourself for indoor smoking. In Washington the smoking law has been in effect for several years so I'm not used to being around people smoking indoors, but there's no way to avoid it in the casinos in Vegas. When we came home all of our stuff smelled like smoke.
• WPPI is at the MGM and they offer rates for $149/night. There are other neighboring hotels that you could also stay at and just walk to the MGM. (Excalibur, Luxor, New York) - If you want to go back to your room in between classes and things you may want to stay at the MGM but if you're doing trade show only, just a few classes, or don't mind staying at the MGM all day once you arrive, you can save some money by staying at a neighboring hotel. 3 nights for us at the Excalibur was $267 with tax.
• Everywhere you go in Vegas, ask about coupons, student discounts, and military discounts! We were about to buy tickets to the Cirque du Soleil for $95 and asked about any discounts and got them for $65!
• If you're headed to WPPI from Eastern WA, you can fly out of Tri-cities for cheap! Allegiant air got us flights for around $150/each with taxes. Allegiant air has a deal with the executive shuttle in Las Vegas but if you're going in a group do NOT get the shuttle, a taxi is cheaper & faster. A taxi from the airport to the strip is around $12, and the shuttle was $7 (x4 of us was $28) - and the shuttle took foooorrrrreeeeevvvvvvveeerrr. We ended up not getting to our hotel until 10:45pm and the hotel had given our room away so we had to stay in an overflow smoking room (bleh) - basically, take a taxi if you're in a group, and don't check in past 10pm or they'll give your room away!! 

Here are a few video clips we took :) 

SAVE THE DATE for WPPI 2013: March 7-14th. See you there!! 

This was "31 days of photo fun: DAY 2" - check back every day in March 2012 for a new blog!