What I learned during my first maternity session!

I wanted to get my feet wet in the world of maternity sessions, so I invited Lauryn and her precious family over to my garage studio so I could practice.  I knew she would be a good choice to practice on because she is confident and secure in who she is---very necessary characteristics for a maternity session. :)

I also wanted a chance to practice my lighting.  A chance to just play---to see what would happen if I did this....or this...or that.   For me this winter has been all about learning how to work with light, either studio lights or natural light.  

Here is what I discovered:  I am the photographer.  I control the light.  I can even control the sun-- wellllll, I can't make it wait for a client to show up, but I can manipulate it to get a desired effect.

Through a series of trial and error yesterday, I was able to determine which lighting to use to get the image out of my head and into my camera.  (Talk about a feeling of supreme satisfaction!)

I also learned that trying different angles of the same shot is well worth the effort, especially with a pregnant woman.  To get the lines of the belly to be accentuated so she looks pregnant and not just like a girl in an over-sized shirt you have to twist and turn and practically stand on your head at times.  Bless her heart, my little guinea pig had to get up and down in the floor a million times so I could get those lines just so.

I also learned that my camera is a LIAR!  I shoot with a Canon D7 (or 7D whatever---some professional eh?  I don't even know the name of my gear!)  Anyway, it's a liar.  It lies about the white balance.  There are a ton of white balance settings from which I can choose, but none of them are true.  They ALL still have to be corrected post-production.  AND my camera LIES about the image clarity---what you see on that little preview screen, is most definitely NOT what you will get.  You THINK you won't have to do any touch ups....the screen shows this fantastic smooth, milky, dewy glow, and then you get it in the PC to process and discover the clarity is through the roof and every single pore is there for the world to ponder. Whoops!  Thank goodness for those actions in Photoshop, right?  :)

The biggest thing I learned, though, is that I really need an assistant!  Someone to hold the swaths of fabric back, someone to hold the blow dryer to move her hair, and someone to hold a reflector.   Ah, I guess I will need to invest in some more clamps, light stands, extension cords, and maybe a remote for the camera!  :) 

Now my only problem is choosing whether I want this in black and white or color. :)

These images were processed using The Cosmetics Counter from https://www.facebook.com/ATwistedLenZPhotoshopActions 

Super easy way to clean up those pores and hair follicles and even some harsh shadows.  Heck, I even used it to change my floors in one set. :)

My First BLOG: A Reminiscence of Facebook on the Eve of Its Total Destruction

Oh my!  I feel kinda like a real, live, grown up photographer! :)

I guess I should thank Facebook for forcing me to grow up and get my business act together rather than taking the easy way and letting Facebook promote my business for me. It seems a shame though.  Facebook was fun--while it lasted and when it worked right.  So many small businesses--little mom & pop shops--- reaching out to one another and promoting one another.  Such fun to watch them all learn and grow with me.

Of course there is the other side of that, I guess.  I did have three complete failures trying to make transactions with Facebook "businesses."  One lady literally took the money and ran...shut down her page and turned off her phone. I'll pray for her.  I wish she had at least sent a message apologizing, explaining, something.  Plus, with Facebook having its death rattles, maybe I can keep my credit card bills down.  I was spending an awful lot of money on the cutest things for Tyley Sue. :)

And there is the "dark side" of the photography pages.  On one end of the spectrum you have the rock stars of photography--perfect every time, outrageously priced, and worth every penny if you can afford them.  On the other end you have the mom with her point and shoot camera who is just willing to help folks out by taking a few pictures of their families for a few dollars.  Nothing stellar but a simple service for a simple fee.  Then there are thousands in between (like me) who offer good images, nice extra touches like Photoshop editing, good locations, at a wide range of prices.   We try to stay affordable for the average family and still be creative and artistic with our images.  When suddenly along comes the Rock Star.... she says the rest of us are "fauxtographers." Nice, huh?  I'm puzzled by it. I'm not hurting her.  The people who come to me would never, ever, ever shell out $1500 for pictures in her studio. So why be so mean?  Maybe she never listened to Taylor Swift's song, huh?    Anyway, I saw a lot of nastiness among the photographers of Facebook. A lot of judgmental nastiness and name-calling. Maybe I am a "fauxtographer."  Maybe I will never be a Rock Star---maybe I don't want to be if it means I have to be insecure and call everyone names who decides to give this photography thing a try.  I hope I never rise so high that I forget where I started and how hard it was to learn everything (yeah, still working on that part).

So, Facebook may be dying.  Maybe not.  Maybe Zuckerberg will capitulate in the end as the mass exodus begins to occur.  Either way, I will simply adjust.  I will have to work a little harder by keeping up several sites at once instead of just a couple of simple posts at Facebook.  Now I will need to update my galleries ( www.zenfolio.com/simplymephotographybymetheredge ), tweet once or twice a day (@simplymestudios ), blog about my sessions here (simplymephotographybymetheredge.blogspot.com) , and then post the blog over at Facebook for the folks who remain there...oh and add an Instagram account to the mix.
If nothing else, I won't ever be bored.  :)
Thanks Facebook for making me stretch my wings.  Guess it's time to fly.