Erin + Sam at The London Wetland Center

The lovely Erin and her handsome beau Sam (who has a fantastic name, right?) were married at the WWT London Wetland Center in style. One of my favorite details of the day was the pewter colored dress with black crocheted bolero. It was non-traditional and absolutely STUNNING on Erin, as was all the joy and love! 

How to Have a Great Senior Portrait Experience

Much like headshots, we've all seen what we're not looking for in a Senior Portrait, either for yourselves, your kids, or for me, as a photographer. 

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a giant styrofoam '2014' prop, but what I am saying is that it's not for everybody, and if you follow this blog and you enjoy our work, it's probably not what you're looking for either. 

Unlike headshots, Senior Portraits also double as a rite of passage celebrating a high schooler's last year as a young adult, before the weight of final exams, dissertations, and student loans, otherwise known as 'reality', comes crashing down. It's a lot to ask out of a 1-2 hour portrait session with a teenager who may be feeling awkward, unwieldy, and skeptical as to the importance of capturing this important transition period for posterity. 

So with Senior Portraits, you have two goals, right? One is to get the shot for the yearbook and get the shot to send to Grandma and Grandpa to show them how big this kid is getting and how he's almost an adult! Second is to create an experience that allows this young adult to express who they are, what they want their high school friends (and their family!) to remember about them, and to help them feel comfortable showing what makes them unique. And you can't 'get the shot' without creating the experience and the comfort level. 

Now part of this is just being good at what you do as a photographer, and also good at putting people at ease. That's a big part of it. But it wouldn't be a blog post without sharing some insight, so now let's talk about some questions I get asked frequently regarding Senior Portraits, and what you can do to help create the experience for yourself or for your teenager! 

Wear something you feel comfortable and confident in: 

I know what you're thinking. "But Sam! That's cheating! You gave that same advice in your headshot blog post!" 

And you're right, I did. Also, good job reading my other blog posts. But I repeat it because it's good, solid advice. If you feel uncomfortable in your clothes, you're going to look uncomfortable in your clothes. Period. An exception might be in there somewhere for weddings or joyous events because you're so crazy happy that it outweighs how heavy that dress is or how hot that tux is, but when you're not talking about a special event with unparalleled levels of joy, discomfort is going to win out, every time. And it's going to show on your face. 

Generally I suggest sticking with solid colors or simple patterns that don't distract from your face, but it's about what you feel comfortable and confident in. There is nothing wrong with dressing up or down, as long as you're comfortable and you look like, well, you! This client chose an outfit that was comfortable, flattering, and was very much 'her' style. 

What about hair and makeup?: 

In keeping with the 'be comfortable, be yourself' theme, I would caution against straying too far outside of what your normal hair and makeup routine is, for one simple reason; these pictures should look like you. It's probably not the best time to try a brand new hair color or a really drastic makeup change. Certainly dress up and get fancy to the extent you'd like to, but remember, your friends and family want to see you. This client chose to go without makeup. In her words "I've never worn makeup, and I'm not going to start now!"

Choose a location that has personal meaning to you: 

Now, I don't want to stress people out. There are some teens who really don't have a specific location off the top of their head that has special meaning to them, or not one that their parents would let them get pictures taken in. (Your best friend Julie's basement doesn't count, sadly.) And that's okay! When you can, picking a location(s) that has special meaning is great, but it can also just be a type of setting you enjoy, such as a rustic setting or an urban setting. If you're not sure where to have your portraits done, I'm happy to provide suggestions based on what you're looking for! This client chose a gorgeous wooded hideaway that she'd found while hiking one day. 

Do you need props?: 

The short answer is no. The longer answer is, only if you want them. While I can't specifically recommend the giant foam '2014' and I don't have those laying around anyway, what I can suggest, if you're looking for ideas for props, are things that are important to you. If you play soccer, bring your soccer ball or heck, even your whole outfit! If you love photography, bring your favorite camera. If you are an avid reader, bring your favorite book! We're painting a picture of who you are and what is important to you right now, and your own personal props can be a fun way to do that! This client loved to knit, and wanted to incorporate that into some of her photos. 

What about outfit changes?:

Many Senior Portrait clients choose to have a few outfit changes, but they certainly aren't necessary. Some things to consider when thinking about outfit changes are whether there will be a private place to change at the venue you choose for your photos, and what types of outfits are important to you to have represented in your pictures. For instance, a rugby player may want to bring their uniform, but certainly wouldn't want all of their photos taken in it. Bring as many outfit changes as you'd like, even if you just want them there as options! This client had her chef's uniform and also a lovely summer dress, to showcase several facets of her personality! 

 

I'm hoping that what you take away from this is that being comfortable being yourself is the best thing that you can do to ensure great a great Senior Portrait experience, and a the best way to get results you will be happy with. Give me a holler at contact@robandsamphoto.com if you're interested in booking a session and I'm happy to help brainstorm ideas on how to let your personality shine in your pictures! 

Until next time! 

All my photographic love, 

Sam

Easter Eggs and Bunny Ears...

Last but not least, I'll share some bunny day pictures from our household. 

Derby, Baby!

In addition to eating my body weight (and then some) in candy today, I've also been thinking a lot about how much I love derby! What with the upcoming bout next weekend, I figured there was no time like the present to give a shout out to one of my favorite sports and spread some link love. 

Make sure to find us at the bout next weekend! 2013 Season, Bout #5: We Roll on Shabbos. Here are some captures from the last bout to tide you over. 

Bouts are always a good time, but on top of all the exciting derby action, can you believe not one but TWO couples got engaged at the last bout? Congratulations to the happy couples! 

For those of you interested in all the lovely local derby things, such as bout schedules, team rosters, merch and tickets for the Mad Rollin' Dolls, check out their site here.

Here you can see an article on one of our favorite skaters for the Unholy Rollers, Elle Machete, featuring photos by Dutcher Photography. 

And here is a song for you, just because. 

Roller Derby Queen - Jim Croce

Speaking of Feeling Motivated (or not)...

So, I write a (not too preachy I hope) post about productivity and then drop off the face of the earth for two weeks. Yes folks, that's how I roll. 

I've been recovering from hand surgery this week, which has made it hard to type, take pictures, hug my kid, brush my teeth, eat anything that requires utensils, put on clothes with buttons/hooks/snaps, and has also made me relatively lazy, as I can either choose to be in pain or to be loopy on pain meds that make me sick to my stomach. Neither choice seems very pleasant to be honest, so I've been spending a lot of time sleeping. 

I did, however, do my first post-surgery portrait session today! So while I'm a bit too out of it to write a real blog post in which I share wisdom and wit aplenty, I'll leave you with some pictures of a super cute family I had the pleasure of photographing today! 

What Inspires You to be Productive?

I'm feeling unmotivated today. If I'm being honest, I've been feeling unmotivated most of the week. 

That's not to say I haven't gotten anything done mind you, but sometimes just keeping every day life running along smoothly without anything blowing up is a minor miracle. Or a major one, depending on how you look at it. 

My lack of motivation has gotten me thinking about what helps me to be productive, and what doesn't help at all, no matter how much I want it to.

Productivity Fail...

• No matter how much I would like it to, simply telling myself to get things done doesn't work. It never has. 
• Do you know what works even less than the above? Other people telling me to get stuff done. It just irks me. I become obstinate. It's a fault, I know. Work in progress...
• I simply cannot be motivated to do something I don't believe in. I'm not saying I won't get it done, but... it's definitely low on the priority list. This is why I don't dust. 

Productivity for the win! 

• Feeling like what I'm doing matters or is positively impacting someone is a big motivator for me. 
• I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I check something off a to-do list, which is probably why to-do lists or apps like Evernote make me feel so organized, and therefore, more likely to get things done. I can't help it, I LOVE checking things off! 
• While I'm not crazy competitive, I'll admit that sometimes what motivates me is wanting to do better than my competitors. Simple, yet effective. Certainly that has been the case in my own business, and at various day jobs throughout the years. I try to keep my competitiveness to a healthy minimum though. I don't want anyone to think I'm out there giving other photographer's the People's Elbow or anything. 
• I find I'm really more apt to get stuff done if I break it down into smaller actionable items. I am a person who tends to get VERY overwhelmed if I look at an entire project, or a month's worth of goals, and so I have to break it down by minute, by hour, or by day. Otherwise I totally panic. As in, "Oh my god, how will I ever get this all done?! I'm just going to hide under the covers and lock my door and hope no one finds me..." Breaking things into little to-do lists keeps me from becoming immobilized by panic and never leaving my bed again. 
• Sometimes I totally play mind games with myself. When I'm running for instance, I'll tell myself that I can stop after XYZ number of miles if I want to, even though I know I really want to do twice that. Once I get to that point, I'll keep telling myself that if I can do just .25 more miles, I can stop. I have no idea why this works, but, for some reason, it does. 
• This song: Wait So Long - Trampled by Turtles
• This kid right here. His determination is inspiring! 

Now since I'm feeling lazy this evening, it's your turn! Tell me what gets you motivated? Do you have a special routine or ritual that gets you into the headspace for kicking butt? Do you have a poster or picture you look at, a song you listen to? Leave a comment! 

On Being a Professional Photographer in the Age of Instagram

Ah, the age of Instagram... 

We are inundated with artsy snapshot after artsy amateur snapshot every day of our lives. Every time we log onto Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We can't escape art these days it seems, and with all of this instant access to filters and on-phone cameras with more megapixels than my first pro DSLR, there are many who wonder if we've lost sight of the value in a truly well-taken photograph. 

Now, I know what you're probably thinking, or at least what I would be thinking if I were in your shoes... 

"But Sam, I've seen your Instagram feed. Isn't this a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, hmmmm?" *knowing look*

And you're right. I love Instagram and Hipstamatic and all of those other iPhone camera apps as much as the next person. Maybe more. It is because I'm not blameless here that I urge you to consider the following, prior to becoming very annoyed with the prevalence of trendy digital imagery on your social network feeds:

• It's not about you. Or me. Or anyone but the person who took the photograph. The camera clicker in question didn't take the pic with you in mind (or if they did, well that was very nice of them.) They took it because something about that particular coffee cup or that particular building or that particular cat really engaged them. It inspired them. It evoked an emotion. It made them giggle. Most of the time, people snapping away on their camera phones aren't trying to make art, they're trying to tell you the story of their life, what it is, what they want it to be, and how it makes them feel. But, that crap is hard to talk about, so instead, they take a neat photo that reminds them for even five seconds that the world isn't all grey and that there are still beautiful and interesting things out there. 
• It's not the tools, it's how you use them. Yes, you can take a beautiful photograph with an iPhone, or a crappy camera, or with a kit lens, or through a pinhole camera, or with any other number of questionably "unprofessional" devices. I'm not ashamed to admit I actually have an entire show's worth of framed fine art architectural pictures taken via iPhone. And you know what? They're beautiful. But they're not beautiful because they were taken on an iPhone, just like no picture is LAME just because it was taken on one. It's not about the tools... It's how you use them. A good photographer, a good artist, will use whatever means they have at their disposal to create something meaningful to give to the world. Even if that tool is a super sweet Instagram app.

So, let's stop looking at this phenomenon as something that in any way devalues the "art" of photography. There is room for all of us here! Let's instead look at Instagram and Hipstamatic, and all those other fancy camera apps as serving a greater purpose in inspiring both amateur and professional photographers alike to create something personally meaningful, to have a creative outlet (even if you work a desk job), and to share their story with the world, one picture at a time. 

Okay... Maybe more than one at a time.