This may come as a shock to some of you, but I have a mild (okay fine, severe) obsession with dogs. So, when clients call me for a photo session and ask, "Can I bring my dog?" I get really excited. Like jumping up and down, tail wagging excited.

Prepping your pup for a photo session can be easy, but it can also take a little time to ensure it goes smoothly. It is absolutely worth it to make sure your dog is comfortable, for both your dog's sake, and your photographer’s safety.

Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert in dog behavior. So please, if you have any questions or concerns about your pets, contact your vet. These are just my experiences and examples that have worked for me, both as a pup parent and and a photographer.

Health Checks:

First of all, make sure your dog is healthy before your session. When dogs aren’t feeling well, they can sometimes show you in unpleasant ways. I once met a dog at a home consult who was typically super happy to meet new people. However, for some reason, when he met me he was barking, pacing, and posturing in a such a way, warning me to stay back. Later, the parents found out he had an ear infection. When we met at another time, he was a lot less anxious around me.

If your furry friend if physically uncomfortable, she is not going to be at her best. According to PetMD, signs your dog is in pain include panting, excessive licking, restlessness, aggression, shaking, trembling, twitching muscles, and difficulty lying down. It's also important to pay attention to behavioral changes in your dog. If you dog is doing something abnormal, chances are she is feeling abnormal. Shaking her head and dipping her head to the ground, like she is trying to get something out of her ear, may indicate ear pain or an infection.

Our hound dog Gus Gus used to get ear infections often. Those big droopy ears were prone to ear infections, common in hound dogs.

Anyway...

I am not saying you need to have your dog into the vet for a check up just before your lifestyle photo session, not that it wouldn't hurt! Just keep an eye out for behaviors that might suggest discomfort.

Check out this site to see some warning signs that your dog may need a visit to the vet.

Transitions

Having a new family member can be a big transition for both humans and dogs. As humans, we can usually verbalize the stress and anxiety we feel when things change. Even toddlers can usually verbalize some kind of distress when a new baby comes, ya know… screaming tantrums… lol, jk… not really.

Transitions are hard.

Dogs on the other hand, have to rely on their human’s ability to interpret the behavior (of a completely different species) for signs and signals of stress. If we are not aware of our own dog's stress signals, things can get real hairy, real fast!

Keep in mind, your dog is dealing with a lot when a photographer comes over for a newborn photo session.

First, your furry friends are learning how to deal with their new lifestyle and getting less attention and sharing space and time with the new baby. Before Baby, often times our pups were the center of attention, and that change can be stressful.

Second, your pup has to deal with a new human (your photographer) coming into his home. A new human that also has a strange black boxy metal thing that keeps hiding her face, while she tries to get his attention. Fido doesn't know if that person is a threat, wanting to hurt someone in their pack (especially the newest and smallest member), and WHAT THE HECK IS THAT THING YOU KEEP PUTTING UP TO YOUR FACE??!!

It's a good idea to invite your photographer over for a home consult, especially if you plan on incorporating your dog in your photos. I always set up a time to meet pups before the session, so on the day of the session, we are less likely to have issues. I have met dogs at their homes, on walks, and even at the dog park to get some play time relationship building. Not only is it fun for me, but it allows me to focus more on the natural family connections when everyone (including your pup) is comfortable with me during the shoot. I can get down on the ground and play with your dog, at their level, to get those perfect shots.

Make sure your photographer is comfortable with being on their dog's level.

Understanding Dog Behaviors:

Your dog's primary way to communicate with you is through her body language and behavior. Barking, growling, whining are all typical signs of stress, but knowing the more subtle signs can be a big help.

According the American Kennel Club, “Stress signs to look for include whale eye (when dogs reveal the whites of their eyes), tucked ears, tucked tail, raised hackles, lip-licking, yawning, and panting. Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look away.” Tongue flicking, drooling, shaking, excessive chewing, and shedding are all signs of stress.

Your dog may freeze or get stiff when they see something frightening. If this occurs during your session, you need to change the situation right away. Your dog may be telling your she is so scared she cannot handle the situation. What happens next is often a bite. If your dog is pacing around while your photographer is there, your dog may be telling you she cannot settle down while she is there.

These are all ways your dog is telling you they are not comfortable.

Again, it comes down to knowing your dog's stress signals Stay cognizant of her facial expressions and body language before and during the session. If you dog doesn’t feel comfortable with your photographer, she will tell you.

Here is a link to the American Kennel Clubs page on understanding your dog's stress signals, and how to calm them down. Take a look and see if this rings true for your pup.

It might also be a good idea to brush up on your ways to calm your dog when she is anxious. Snuggling, brushing, and physical contact can calm your pet down at the moment. You can also set her up with a space that is just for her. Something peaceful, with toys and blankets. Somewhere with limited stimuli.

Check out this website for more ideas.

Practice:

Practice taking pictures of your pet a week or two before the shoot, so she is comfortable with the noise, the camera, the flash, and being the center of attention. Cameras are strange things to a dog not familiar with them. They are bulky and they hide a person’s face, which can be unnerving to a dog. If you do not have a large camera, grab some that that is dark and about the size of DSLR camera, put it to your face, and follow her around for a few minutes. See how she responds. Practice this a few more times throughout the week. The goal is for her to get comfortable with it.

Extra Training:

Before your session, get your dog prepped by working on some basic training commands she already knows. Practice commands like sit and stay, which might keep her focused during the session. Training can be a stress release for dogs, as it gives them something to focus on, other than the stranger in their home.

Exercise:

Get your dog enough exercise before the shoot, if possible. This is one of the best ways to help your pup stay calm during your shoot. Hopefully you know what your dogs needs for exercise. You know the saying, “a tired dog is a happy dog?” You don’t want an exhausted pup, but hopefully you know your dog well enough to know what is too much. A dog park visit early in the day, a long run or walk, even a 10 minute fetch session in the backyard can be super helpful.

Best Treats EVER!!

Hopefully, you know what your dog goes absolutely bonkers over. This is MOTIVATION!!! A dog will move Heaven and Earth for the right incentive. Is it cheese, peanut butter treats, or freeze dried liver? Keeping some freeze dried liver in your pocket can be a tremendous incentive for your dog. Thankfully, the camera technology has yet to capture smells, as you may offend your human family members with the horrid smell of freeze dried (insert any meat) in your pocket.

It also might be a good idea to keep your dog a little hungry before the shoot. Food is a great motivator. Don’t starve your dog, but maybe feed your dog half her breakfast before the shoot and half after, or even during.

Keep Leash Close:

If your dog cannot be trusted around strangers, keep a leash close by. This way, you can put her on lead if she needs a break.

Grooming:

You may want to give your pup a teeth brushing, a bath, and a good brush before your session. Other grooming tips are to wash her collar and clip her claws. Or if you prefer, you can have a professional groomer do it a few days before.

One of my heros is Patricia McConnell, PHD., certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, founder of Dogs Best Friends, and author of several books on dog behavior, most of which I’ve read. According to another hero of mine, Temple Grandin, “McConnell gives a voice to those who can’t speak in words and provides hope for fearful animals everywhere.”

You can learn more about Patricia McConnell here. Her website is a great place to start when you have questions about dog behavior.

In Conclusion...

The biggest take away from this, is to know your dog's behavior. In any situation, keeping your dog, your family, and others safe is contingent on paying attention to what your dog is telling you about how she feels. Know her stress signals, what scares her, what motivates her, and what calms her down.

Also, talk with your photographer about her level of comfort with working with dogs. Many photographers are great with dogs, but make sure they are aware of dog stress signals. Though I am not an expert, I am very familiar with dogs, their behavior and their stress signals. I have worked with dogs, been to multiple training classes with multiple dogs, and have studied dog behavior from many different perspectives. Like I said earlier, I am a little obsessed.

Finding a location for your family photos can be a daunting task, especially if you are not originally from the area. As a non-native Madisonian, I was pretty overwhelmed with finding new and interesting locations for my families, year after year. I am pretty picky about my locations, however, I pride myself in being able to find great backdrops in the everyday world around me. Plus, Madison and many of the surrounding towns have great green space and really quaint urban backdrop settings as well.

I use a criteria for finding new locations. These four things have to be present for it to go on my “Great Locations” List. Some good locations have 2 or 3 of the necessary things, and depending on the family, time of day, and a few other random factors, I will use those, as well.

Background

First, of course, the background has to be pretty. It doesn’t have to to be perfect nature, but it has to be aesthetically pleasing, with not a lot of extra visual noise (stuff) in the background. I prefer to have backdrops that are not just one color (aka, only green trees), and I like to be able to see the sky. That is not always possible, because a visible sky can bring harsh shadows, depending on the time of day.

Some locations have a lot of versatility as well. It is always great to have a park that has more than one or two areas for nice backdrops.

Some backdrops are used seasonally, as well. Some locations look better in the fall than the summer, or better in the winter than the spring.

Open Shade

Second, it’s best to have open shade available during the session. Open shade refers to an area that is shaded from direct light, but still has enough light surrounding it. This does not mean the same thing as ‘shaded’ areas. The two are not synonymous with each other. Shaded areas are just areas that provide shade but often either has sunspots shining through, or there isn’t enough light. An area with “open shade” is an area that is still brightly lit, but doesn’t have random sunspots shining through.

When taking photos in areas that do not have even shade, you get a couple of bad photo issues. My favorite, raccoon eyes! This is when there are harsh shadows under the eyes, making dark circles surrounding them. Or, if the sun is shining in your subjects eyes, you get washed our colors and squinted eyes from trying to not look into the sun.

Fun fact: The best time of day for outdoor family photography is an hour or two after sunrise, and an hour or two before sunset, referred to as The Golden Hour.

Parking

This is a must for most of of my sessions. If my families have to walk half a mile in their pretty outfits and high heels, photos will not be as easy. Pit stains and glistening foreheads don’t make for great photos.

Space to Play

As most of my families have young children, a place for them to be able to play and run around is often needed during photo sessions. If there is no place to play, kids can get grumpy and restless. Plus, a fun playground can also make for a good incentive. Sometimes kiddos are just not in the mood to smile for the camera. During those times, we can get those really great expressions and natural smiles when they are playing.

With those four factors considered, here are a few of my favorite locations in and all around the Madison area. Some locations have photographer fees, but many don’t. I am always happy to shoot at locations with fees, but I also try and offer up some free locations as well.

North & East Side & Surrounding Areas

Village Park in Waunakee

This park has really beautiful stone bridges that look great in photos. There is an adorable meandering brook running through the park, which is a nice addition to the aesthetics. Plus, there is a giant playground that kids can play on.

Token Creek in Deforest

Token Creek has absolutely everything a photographer could want for taking family photos, and it's my #1 location for fall photos. The bold colors of the maples, paired with the reds of the sumacs make for a variety of color year round.

These nine images below are located at the first parking lot, and just in the fall! There are about 10 different locations in this park, and each location offers a variety of gorgeous backdrops.

Burke Park

Burke Park is another favorite of mine to photograph families, especially in the winter, spring and early summer. There are so many textures at this park. If you are looking for a great location for senior portraits, start here!

There tends to be a lot of photographers here during the peak season. Because this is one of the best free parks in the area, it is always being utilized for wedding and bridal, engagement, family, and senior portraits.

Plus there is a perfect playground for big kids and a separate one for littles.

Central Madison

Olbrich Gardens

Olbrich Gardens is a great location, despite the $40 photographers fee. The price is low compared to other places, and it is totally worth it. The drawback is timing. They close well before sunset during the spring and summer, and there are not a ton a locations with open shade. But, a good photographer can work around the sun and shadows and still get great images.

Vilas Park

Vilas Park is another amazing downtown location. It is just outside the zoo, which can be a good incentive for smiles. There is something pretty awesome about hearing a lion's roar while you are getting your photos taken!

It has a beach, a beautiful forest with trails, a classy stone bridge, marshy water spaces with tall pussy willows, a great sunset spot, and a rustic pier. The arboretum is right in the background as well. A great location for seniors, graduation, and family photos.

South Side

Lake Farms Area

This area is also one of my favorite places to go. It is very versatile and just gorgeous all around, from the bike and hiking trails to the dog park close by.

McKee Farms in Fitchburg

This park is perfect for young kids because it has a dream park and a super fun splash pad. Perfect for summer and fall, but this park is really pretty all year round.

West Side & Surrounding Areas

Lakeview Park in Middleton

This park is nice because it has a lot for kids to play with and explore. There is a really pretty pond and a nice wooden bridge tucked around in the back forested area. Plus an abundance of weeping willows in the background. And when I say I don't want a lot of green in the background, I make an exception for weeping willows.

Don't plan to go to this park in the summer without promising your kiddos a play in the incredible splash pad and playground!

Pope Farms

Pope Farms has a beautiful sunflower garden that is just incredible for summer photos. But, there is very little open shade. And at sunset, be prepared to share the space with the many photographers wanting to get that perfect sunset shot!

No matter what side of town you are on, there is always a great place for your family photos. There are a lot more options around, but these are my favorites.

Let me know if you have other locations in mind. I am always happy to try new places, as long as it works out. It is easy to find the magic in everyday settings, backyards, and busy streets.

How many of y’all have ever taken the digital images you received from a professional photographer to get printed at your friendly drugstore, and when they came back the color was off, or things seemed a little less sharp? Hear me when I say, not all photo labs are created equally, and where you print your photos is just as important as who takes them.

Why Professional Prints?

Many professional photographers do not allow clients to print their images just anywhere. They don’t give out a print release, and often require prints to be purchased through their studio. Believe it or not, it’s not to squeeze every last penny from their clients. Rather, it is to preserve the photographer’s reputation, and reputation of the product they sell. When a client prints professional images at a drugstore printer, the full quality of their work is not displayed as it was intended. Poor quality prints look poorly on the photographer, which discredits the reputation of the product they sell. And in today’s cut throat competitive market, reputation is EVERYTHING!

Not only that, photographers want their clients to have the best images, printed on the best paper from the best printers. Professional printers cost a little more than your local drug store, but trust me when I say… the difference is substantial.

This blog is not about trying to convince you to order prints through you photographer, but rather to give you a simplified explanation of why it’s important to use professional printers for your professional photos.

Let’s Go Over Some Basics

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a printer. Resolution, color management, sizing, and paper quality are key to getting the best quality prints.

Monitor Calibration

For starters, professional photographers should have their monitors calibrated correctly, which is essential to getting consistency across the entire process. Monitor calibration ensures the monitor used to edit an image, matches an industry standard, so color, contrast, and brightness are the same in print as it is on screen.

Understanding Resolution

Resolution is an important part of printing your images. When a client picks out their package from VBP, they receive high resolution digital images. When we talk about resolution, we are talking about PPI, or Pixels Per Inch. Pixels are the smallest unit in a digital image. Pixels contain the information for images, so an image with a higher PPI has more information, and an image with a lower PPI has less information.

An image that has 72 PPI, has only 72 pixels in any giving square inch, while an image with 600 PPI has a whopping 600 pixels in each inch, resulting in a much clearer and sharper image.

To give you an example, when you get your proofs gallery from VBP, those images have 72 PPI. They are low quality images, because they are created for the web only, not for print. When you get your final gallery, those images are high res, somewhere between 300 and 600 PPI.

In terms of printing, professional printers sometimes require images to be upwards of 600 PPI, resulting in higher quality images. The bigger the image, the more PPI you want.

Color Management

Color is a physical property of light, which means it is basically how our brains interpret light. If there is no light, there is no color.  

Fun fact: trying to explain the physics of color to a 7 yr old is as difficult as trying to explain why too many cookies isn’t good for you!

One of these days, I am going to write a blog just about color, if my brain doesn’t explode during the process. But for now, let’s focus on what color is, in regards to your photos and printing them.

Color Profiles

We view our images on many different devices and through different softwares and programs. The camera when I take photos, Lightroom when I cull, Photoshop when I edit, my CRM site used for uploading galleries, the professional printer I use when I order prints, the monitors used at the printer I use, and the printer used to make the print, all have a color profile. Each time an image is viewed through a different apparatus (for lack of a better term) inconsistencies in light and color can occur, depending on the color profile of the device being used.

A color profile (aka, ICC profile) is a code that ensures the colors are consistent across all devices and locations.

Any of you Hitchhiker fans? You can think of a color profile as kind of like a Babble Fish.

Or, remember the game telephone? Everyone sits in a circle and one person whispers something to the next person, then the next, and so on, until the last person says the whispered message out loud. It is usually NOT the same message as it started as.

A color profile ensures the message is the same, each time it is viewed.

There are many different color profiles, and they are all pretty close in comparison. But “pretty close” only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, right? Display P3, ProPhoto, RGB, and CMYK, are among the most widely used.

In order to maintain color consistency from edit to print, it’s good to edit in the same color profile as your printer.

Now there is color space, which is the spectrum of color that a color profile extends to. CMYK captures less of the color spectrum than RGB. I use RGB, or Adobe RGB, which is also what my printer uses.

Everything I do from beginning to end is done in the same color profile.

Take a look at the images below. Can you see the difference in each image?

If might be hard to see the difference in these four photos, but look closely at the blues and purples. This is where I see the most variation in prints from different places. Now you might be thinking, that differences is not too bad, not too noticeable. But this is just the variation within one device, and just how it was exported from my editing program, and has not been sent to the printer.  This is only one stop in the print process.

Print Sizes

Cropping vs Resizing

When an image is cropped in the process of printing, through a drugstore printer or online printer, the integrity of the image is changed. This is because the information in the image is altered. Information is cut out or stretched in the image, making it pixelated or blurry.

Resizing an image is different than cropping. When photographers resize an image with the applications they use to edit, they are not just cutting out information, but rather adjusting the information to fit correctly in the new size. This alters the size but not the integrity of the image.

The example above is an example of a resized image verses an image that has been cropped. You can see the resized image has more clarity and sharpness, and the cropped image is a little pixelated and less clear.

Cropping also changes what is actually in the parameters of the photo. Different crops allow for more or less data to be available. For example, a 5x7 photo has different dimensions as an 8x10.  Look at the examples below, and notice how much of the image is cut off for different crops.

Paper Quality

Figuring out which type of paper to print your images on can be a little overwhelming. It’s hard to see the paper quality online, or on a computer screen. Here is a breakdown of the different types of paper found at most printers.

Glossy Paper - This type of paper offers vivid colors and a smooth and soft surface. It’s flat, which allows for a nice reflective quality to the image. Most drug store printers offer glossy prints by default. The advantage to using glossy paper is the vibrance of the image, as the colors are often bolder. The disadvantage is the shine. Because it is an ultra smooth surface, it can be difficult to reduce the glare on glossy paper.

Matte - Matte paper offers a more muted look with a slight textured surface. It’s not glossy or shiny, as the texture in the paper disperses light instead of reflecting it, creating a moodier look to the image. The advantage to using matte paper is the depth of the image you get. There is no shine, and the images are a little sharper. The disadvantage is the colors can be a little bit duller. And, if your photographer edits with a matte style (such as myself), matte paper can dull the colors too much.

Lustre / Luster - This type of paper is a unique style of paper somewhere in between glossy and matte. The texture of the paper is just enough to maintain vibrance and create depth, while reducing shine and reflection. Lustre is my favorite choice of paper, and what I edit for. It works best for my matte style of editing, allowing for enough shine for vibrant colors and depth, while muting it enough to show mood and emotion.

The images below are the paper types used at the printer VBP uses. You'll notice the glossy paper has just a bit of texture to it, which reduces some of that glare you get from most glossy photos.

I don’t actually offer matte paper in my store, only because I already edit in a matte style. Printing matte photos on matte paper can sometimes mute the colors too much. I shoot and edit for lustre paper.

To Wrap Up...

In conclusion, you hire a professional photographer to document the most important moments in your life; weddings, birthdays, the birth of a new baby, etc. Your photographer wants to give you the best quality and the best full service experience from start to finish. Your session doesn’t end until your beautiful prints and products are visible in the way they were intended to be.

Compare this to any other industry, or special something. You would not expect to order at $200 bottle of wine and have it served in Solo Cups, nor would you expect a $100 steak to be served on a paper plate. When you spend the money to get a fancy meal, you expect that meal to be presented to you in an attractive way, as it is part of the fancy experience. Part of the experience of hiring a professional photographer is getting professional prints. It is worth the extra cost, and you will see the quality and value for generations to come.

If you have any questions about printing, ideas for place to print, feel free to get in touch. Click on the button below and let's chat!

If you have a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) or mirrorless camera, you probably already know that photography is just as much science as it is art. Or, maybe you bought a really nice DSLR camera a few years back, and have been using it in auto mode.

I get it. I got my first DSLR camera back in 1999, and used the auto mode for at least a year, because I was too anxious to try all the manual bells and whistles. My first camera was a Canon Rebel, a film SLR, which added another layer of intimidation, and financial burden of constantly buying film as I learned.

Shooting in auto-mode made my images blurry, flat, and always too bright. My exposure was never right. Once I figured it out, I practiced as much as possible, trying out different settings and combinations of shutter speeds and aperture. I was using film, so ISO wasn’t part of the equation, but film speed was. So I tried out different film speeds, as well.

But now we live in the digital age, and film speed is now ISO. This information works for film SLRs as well. Just sub ISO for film speed.

If you want to have your photos look the best, you need to have the right exposure. And to have right exposure, you need to have a basic understanding of those three fundamental components that affect exposure; shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Understanding these elements, how they work, and how they work in concert with each other, is key to having the right exposure, focus, and depth of field.

‌‌Let’s get the terminology out of the way, first.

‌‌Exposure - According to the photography experts at Adobe, “Exposure is the amount of light that reaches your camera’s sensor, creating visual data over a period of time.” It is determined by how much light is available and for how long.

‌‌Aperture - Aperture is the opening in the lens that allows light into the camera. In the exposure equation, aperture controls the “how much” factor; it is a measure of how wide the opening is. The wider your aperture, the more light that gets in, and visa versa. Aperture is expressed in fractions and are called f-stops. The larger the number, the smaller the opening.

‌‌When I was learning this stuff with film, I thought of aperture as an open door inside my lens. The door in my camera lens is always open. So if I close that door 1.4 inches (f/1.4), the door is still wide open, allowing a lot of light through. If I close that door 8 inches (f/8), that door is open just a little bit, allowing less light to get through.

You could also look at aperture as a pupil. When it's dark out, your pupil gets bigger to let more light in. When it's bright out, your pupil doesn't need as much light, so it gets smaller. ‌‌

Shutter Speed - Your camera's shutter is basically a curtain inside it, that opens up for a certain amount of time to allow data to hit the sensor, capturing the image. Shutter speed therefore, measures the amount of time that curtain is open. This is the “how long” factor.

Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. A faster shutter speed keeps the shutter open for a very short time, allowing less light. A slower shutter speed keeps it open for a longer period of time, letting more light in.

The shutter is kind of like your eyelid, opening and closing. ‌‌

ISO -This is a measure of how sensitive your camera sensor is to the light allowed by the aperture and shutter speed. A lower ISO is less sensitive than a higher ISO. What that means is when there is more light, a lower ISO is used. When there is low light, a higher ISO is used.

‌‌Overexposed - Images that are brighter than what your eyes are seeing. This occurs when too much light hits the sensor, or for too long. This is a problem because even the most advanced editing software cannot get back data that has been totally overexposed.

Underexposed - Images that are darker than what your eyes are seeing. This occurs when not enough light hits the sensor.

‌‌Light or Exposure Metering - This is measuring the amount of light in a given space with a device called a Light Meter. There are different types of light meters, but they all help your camera to know what the correct exposure is for that area. Many DSLR cameras come with a meter built in, so check to see if yours does. This is an incredibly useful tool, built right into your camera. Without getting too scientific, your light meter is measuring the scene to determine the settings that will bring everything in the image to middle gray.

Middle Gray - 18% of gray, which is the value between black and white that is defined as correct exposure. This is not the center of the black to white spectrum, speaking mathematically, but it’s what our human eyes can perceive as the middle. There will be more about this in the May blog about color space and printing.

‌‌Exposure Compensation - Exposure compensation is a tool on your camera that can override the exposure settings your camera set for a given scene, when metering. Your light meter can get confused when there is a lot of fluctuation between light and dark, so knowing how to use exposure compensation is very helpful.

Histogram - The graph on your camera that shows the brightness of an image.‌‌

Exposure Triangle - The three components (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) that work together to create optimal exposure.

Plane of Focus - This refers to the distance from the camera where the subject is most in focus and clear. The plane of focus runs perpendicular to the camera, which is important to know for Depth of Field.  

‌‌Depth of Field (DoF) - The distance between the closest subjects and the farthest subjects in your image that are "acceptably sharp." Yes, in focus is subjective. Depth of Field is expressed in terms of a narrow DoF or large DoF. A narrow DoF has a smaller length of focus and a large DoF has a larger length of focus.

‌‌Shutter Priority - A semi-manual mode on your camera that makes the exposure decisions based on the shutter speed you choose.

Aperture Priority - A semi-manual mode on your camera that makes the exposure decisions based on the aperture you choose.

Bokeh - Background that is seperate from the subject‌‌, or blurred background.

Post - Post production, or editing

SOOC - Straight out of the camera

So now what?! What the heck are you supposed to do with all this information?!?

Using the exposure triangle to get the correct exposure is key. Different subjects call for different exposures, thus, different combinations of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. All three settings change the look of your image in different ways.

Light

You get more light by A) having a slower shutter speed, B) having a higher aperture (lower number on the dial) and C) increasing your ISO.

Likewise, you get less light by A) having a faster shutter speed, B) having a lower aperture (higher number on the dial) and C) decreasing your ISO.

The 1st image: shot at f/5, shutter speed of 1/640 & ISO 500.

The 2nd image: shot at f/5, shutter speed of 640 & ISO of 125.

The biggest difference between these two photos is the highlighted areas, especially the sky. The shadows and midtones are good for both images, but the highlights are overexposed in the first image. Keeping the ISO down was the only setting that needed to be changed to correct the exposure.

Digital cameras are great for experimenting, because you can shoot and see right away what your settings are doing.

Try This: Start inside your home during a time when there is enough light coming in. Find something to photograph, and set your aperture at the lowest stop available. Keep your shutter around 250, and ISO at 100. You can make a little set up like I did here (literally a white foam poster board for the backdrop and some utility fabric for the floordrop), or just find something with good contrast between the highlights and shadows. Something light and dark. Then practice with upping your ISO, your shutter, and aperture and see what combos work best. Every situation will be different, depending on the lighting. I used natural light on a cloudy day, with a white backdrop and a lighter floor drop. This was done inside my house, which has horrible lighting. There was no editing for these images, other than to resize them for the blog.

The first image was shot at f/2.8 at 1/800 and ISO of 250. This image is too dark, but has more in focus. It would be fine with a little bit of editing.

The second was at f/2.8 at 1/250 with and ISO of 100. This image is bright enough, but the focus area is really shallow. You can pretty much see the plane of focus like a straight line! Not subtle enough.

The third was shot at f/5 at 1/250 and ISO of 400. This image has great lighting and great focus area. The highlights are not too bright and the darks are not too dark. The plane of focus is subtle and looks good.

Motion

Shutter speed controls movement, or the blurriness of a subject in a photo. If your shutter is set at 1/250 or faster, you will basically stop time. Keeping your shutter open longer will give you blur, if your subject is moving.

Moving cars on city streets, waterfalls and moving lights are great places for a to try out longer shutter speeds, as well as night photography. Just make sure you have a tripod for anything longer than 1/200, or you will get camera shake and your images will not turn out as planned.

The first image was shot at f/2.8 at 1/800 and an ISO of 100. The lower aperture was needed to give a little more light with such a fast shutter speed.

The second image was shot at f/3.5 with a shutter speed of 1/500 and an ISO of 100.

Adjusting for light can be done with your aperture and ISO here. If you are photographing a race or your daughter's soccer game, and you want to capture one or two people, you can increase your ISO and / or aperture to get more light.

Try This: Shoot in Shutter Priority with motion. Go to a park and have your kids run around. Set your shutter for 1/250 and see what your camera does to compensate for its lighting needs. Then speed it up, and again. Test it out.

Depth of Field

If you want to make your background blurry (less DoF), or get that bokeh look, you need a wider aperture. Remember, aperture is like a door closing, not opening, so the larger aperture, (the smaller number on your camera) say f/1.4, is going to give you more light, and focus on the focal point and nothing else, thus, blurring the background.

If you want your background to be more in focus (larger DoF), with a larger focus area, you would need a smaller aperture, like f/8 or f/11. Smaller apertures are better for group shots and landscape photography. Larger apertures are great for portraits.

Keeping your shutter speed slower and increasing your ISO will give you more light if you need it when using a lower aperture.

The first image has a small depth of field, the second has a moderate depth of field, and the third has a large depth of field.

Try This: Shoot in Aperture Priority to experiment with depth of field. Go to Olbrich Gardens (or any other garden with flowers) this spring and set your aperture to the highest setting, (the lowest # on your dial) and see what your camera decides for shutter speed and ISO. Then adjust your aperture, one stop at a time. Your camera will adjust the shutter speed and ISO accordingly.

This is also where exposure compensation is useful. Check out your manual to find out how your exposure compensation is expressed, and try it out. Nikon and Canon have different ways it's expressed, and I only know Canan's.

ISO

Remember, ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor to light. You can play around with your ISO, or even leave it on auto, and see what you get. If you’ve set your aperture and shutter to the settings you want, and then see in your display screen your images are too dark, increase your ISO. Your ISO lightens up the entire image. It’s pretty amazing how much this technology has improved in newer cameras, but still be aware of the amount of noise, aka, grain.

I am extremely picky about my ISO, and when I have a client's shoot, I use as low of an ISO as possible, never going above 3200. My camera has a setting that allows me to limit the ISO range, so I can leave the ISO on auto if I chose, and my images would never get too grainy. Even though my camera is capable of capturing images with higher ISOs and still maintain a lower level of noise, I very much dislike any noise in my photos. I prefer crispy, tack sharp images that jumps out at you. Noise dulls that, so I stay as far away from it as I can.

This is not your typical professional photographer’s perspective; many photographers utilize higher ISOs and do very well with it. This is just a personal preference on my end. Try using higher ISOs and lower ISOs and see what you like.

The first image was shot at f/2.2 at 1/250 with an ISO of 3200, the second image was shot at f/6.3 at 1/250 with an ISO of 12800.

In Conclusion

You can get creative with your settings and play around with them. There are many different ways to get the correct exposure. And remember, ‘correct’ is subjective. I tend to underexpose, on purpose, just as a personal preference. I have more room to manipulate highlights and shadows in post when the images are underexposed.

Take a look at your images and the histogram on each one. For learning purposes, you want to have kind of a curve, with the top being fairly centralized. My curve top is usually closer to the left side, indicating underexposure. However, in the studio, I like to have my curve closer to the right side, getting brighter photos SOOC. This makes for less editing in post.

Learning is half the fun with photography. I would love to see what you do with your cameras. Show off some of your images in the comments and tell me about your experiences.

Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!

We are having our FIRST EVER Holiday Sale! We've never done this before, so this is really exciting! (We couldn't decide which one to do so, our indecisiveness is your gain!)

Both deals are ONLY available for purchase during our Holiday Sale, Friday, Nov. 25th through Saturday, Dec. 3rd. You do not have to schedule your session during this time.

1. GRANDPARENTS MINI SESSIONS - 25% OFF

I have thought a LOT about our family's elders this year. I think a lot of us have... Unfortunately, as our children get older, so too do their grandparents and elders.

This is not a sales pitch about how time is short, and we should capture those moments before they are gone... However, I wanted to (very quickly) share my story, my lost opportunity. The year before my mother passed, my family did a portrait session at one of the local dept. stores. Even though she was already very sick; and I wish we would have had some happier and more authentic family photos taken when she was still so vibrant, these are all I have, and I cherish them.

So, in 2023, we are offering a special Grandparents Mini Session; and get this... through NOV 25th and DEC 3rd, you can purchase that mini session for 25% off!

That's $50 off!

There are no specific dates you have to sign up for, no particular locations. You can book your mini session when and where it works best for your family. So if your family visits in the spring, you are covered! If your family get togethers are in the summer, no problem!

They are good for outdoor or studio sessions (studio has limited space) so weather won't be a barrier.

Some restrictions apply with scheduling. The sessions will need to be scheduled during the 2023 calendar year, and cannot be used for a Fall or Winter Mini Session.

Win the holiday gift giving with the best gift for your elders!

GRANDPARENTS MINI SESSIONS (regular price $200)

25 minute photo session

5 hi-res digital images

professional editing and touch up service

print release

This is such a great deal! Don't miss out, and get your session during our Black Friday Sales Week.

2. HALF OFF NEWBORN SESSION FEE

Welcoming a baby into your home during 2023, or know a friend who is? We've got the sale for you! Half off the session fee for your next newborn photo session! That is a $100 savings!

It's an amazing offer, and a great gift idea for anyone who is welcoming a new baby, or planning to in 2023.

Check out the Newborn info here, so you can see just how our newborn sessions work. This discount can be used for either Lifestyle Newborn Sessions or Studio Newborn Sessions. We aren't picky! (Don't tell, but I really just want to hold more babies.)

So, be the holiday hero this year with an amazing gift of memories!

Come back on Friday, November 25th for your exclusive access to these amazing Black Friday Sales!

If you have any questions, click on the link below and send me an email. I am happy to talk about your vision and answer any questions!