Category Archives: Portraits

Wedding at Sunset

Candice and Daniel’s wedding took place this weekend during sunset. The couple looked to be very much in love and the sunset made for a beautiful wedding. Outdoor weddings at sunset do provide some challenges, but they also provide some opportunities to create some amazing photographs.

Having a short ceremony allowed it to complete before it got dark. With a little flash, it was easy to create some great images. Of course, even though it did go dark, guests were still able to remain comfortable outside due to the lighting that the venue was able to provide. Luckily, the couple had also brought some outdoor neon signs from Neon Mama with their names on, so guests had that additional lighting too. The outdoor ceremony was bright enough!

As usual, formals were shot right after the ceremony. The sky was looking great. As the colors got richer though, it gets darker. Candice’s wedding dress became fuller in color, meaning I could capture the beauty of it perfectly. If you’re a bride looking for a wedding dress, you could check out somewhere like Winnie Couture atlanta store for some dress inspiration. The changes in color during this shoot meant that having good equipment and experience becomes very important. Knowing what my camera was capable, I still made sure to verify it was doing what I wanted by checking the LCD information and thumbnails. As usual, it was almost impossible to see or focus. Having a flash that emits a focused beam helps a lot.

Wedding-Phoenix-AZ-PhotographyAs the night went on I took advantage of the bonfires and decorative lighting to create some fantastic images. As a photographer, I love it when the environment gives me so many opportunities to create great and unique images for a client.

Congratulations Candice and Daniel!

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix, Arizona


How to succeed as a Photographer – part II

Last week’s article I wrote about providing the clients what they want.  Today I am going to spend some time in this article going over another key area – working with your clients during the shoot.  If you are shy and want to hide behind your camera when around clients, then shooting people is most likely not where you should be.  But you may very well succeed photographing products, nature or architecture as area for you to specialize.

Unless you are photographing professional models, most people (and some models) need direction to create a photograph that they will love.  You will often hear your client say “I’m not very photogenic” or  “I hate having my photo taken.”   Learning what causes these thoughts will help you create the photographs desired.

I will go for the direct approach by simply asking “Why do you hate having your photo taken?” or “What makes you feel that you are not photogenic?”  So very often their answers will be easily addressed during the photography session.   Sometimes it just creative posing/ligthing and other times it is going for the less staged portrait.   The key is to understand their concern and find a way to show them you are confident that you will solve this.

To get natural smiles I have a running dialog during the shoot, telling some really bad jokes and just generally being a bit silly.  Sometimes I talk about movies or television.  You need to find an interest of theirs and talk about it.  This will take them away from thinking about their photo taken and get them relaxed enough to create some great photographs.

You have probably seen the commercial where the dad says “I know all the songs from High School Musical.”  The daughter is very embarrassed by the singing and dancing dad.  Be that singing and dancing dad.  By being aware of the world of your subject you can relax them.   Shoot younger kids know Sponge Bob and his friend Patrick.   You get the idea.

Consider shooting with background music.  Having clients bring in their mp3 player of their favorite songs to patch into the sound system.  If they don’t bring one, ask which station they want on the radio.  Music usually elevates the mood and adds a comfort level. 

And of course, getting feedback as soon as possible helps both you and the client.   Some photographers hate showing the clients the LCD.  I find that limited use can be a huge benefit.  Nothing works more to put a client at ease then showing them a great shot on the LCD.  And on the rate occassion they don’t like what they see, you can address it before you take all the shots that way

A running commentary on what you are shooting helps too.   I am always saying ““Beautiful!” or “Wow!” or “Amazing!” or “This is a great shot” etc.  Your positive chatter boosts your client.  And the best part is, you should being telling the truth.  These are great shots of the client.  Just be sure to choose your words carefully.  Using words like sexy and hot can make a client very uncomfortable very quickly.

What it really comes down to is making the client feel comfortable and relaxed.  Remove the stress and make the photography session a very fun experience.  By quickly developing a relationship with the client, you will know how to bring out their very best.  I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with a lot of very successful photographers and these thoughts are common across the group.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix


Maternity Photography for the whole Family

Your pregnancy is a very special time for the entire family.   And a great way to show this is to involve the entire family in the maternity photographs.  The sample here shows a future big sister posing with her future little sister.

Sister with Baby

Everyone in the family is looking forward to the new baby’s arrival.  Featuring them in the photo session makes the day fun and special for everyone.  Children always seem to come alive whenever they are asked to pose with their future sibling.  They often have their own ideas of what they want to do, so I always take a few minutes to shoot a few of those frames to keep the enthusiasm going. 

A proud father always makes for a special photographic moment.  The love that you see when the father and mother pose together makes for an amazing photograph.  Capturing this emotional time for the couple creates heirlooms that will be remembered forever.

So consider bringing the family for part of your maternity photography session.   Or maybe do two session, one with the family and one to feature just you.

Orcatek Maternity and Pregnancy Photography – Phoenix


Bodyscapes for Fine Art Maternity

This week I had one of my most enjoyable shoots, a maternity photography session.  A woman’s pregnancy is such a special time that it really needs to be captured in a way that will create a lasting memory.  I have found that using non-traditional techniques for pregnancy photography gives my clients something different.

Bodyscapes are a style that I find is very effective for capturing maternity photographs.  Traditionally this style is reserved for the fine art nude community, it makes an excellent way to capture the magic of pregnancy.  My favorite technique is to use a rim light to really show off the shape of the belly. 

Baby Belly Bodyscape

I have an elevated table for the mothers-to-be to lie on so they won’t have to face the challenge of getting up from a low bed or casper mattress or worse,  the floor.  A single step up and they can easily lie down on the padded table or return to standing.

When I mention I would like to shoot some bodyscapes to my clients they often have no idea what I mean.  But once they see some sample photographs they are sold.

 Orcatek Maternity Photography – Phoenix


Glowing Maternity Photography

There’s something incredible about East Brunswick maternity pictures – whether you’re taking them or the one being captured. Capturing that magical look that pregnancy brings to a woman is such a rewarding type of photography. I really enjoy working with pregnant women to document this time in their lives. These photographs will become heirlooms that the family will treasure through generations.

Maternity PhotographyWhen I shoot maternity photographs I take my experience from glamour and boudoir and apply those techniques. The softness desired in glamour photography creates very beautiful maternity images. The future moms are prefect for this type of look.

Also, I find the lighting techniques from glamour and fine art come into play. Using the light and shadows to contour and hi-light the shape of her belly takes an excellent knowledge of lighting. In my fine art work I shoot what are known as bodyscapes, and pregnancy creates some amazing opportunities for this type of photography.

Often the father and/or siblings will pose with the mom to be to show the family’s newest member in their first “portrait”. And of course there are plenty of fun maternity poses such as baby blocks on the belly and hand hearts that are always fun.

As always I am looking forward to my next maternity photo shoot. I know that it will be a joy working with the pregnant mom to be.

Orcatek Maternity Photography – Phoenix


Skylights in the Studio

The new studio is still in progress with the build out, but I couldn’t resist testing out the skylights to see if they were going to be as nice as I had hoped. They were better than I had hoped. Simply set the camera up – ISO 400, F5.6, 1/60 and shoot away.

Lots of freedom of movement around the studio area as the pool of light is very large. The skylights themselves are 4×8 and about 21 feet above the floor. If you want to have a skylight dome for your studio or any other room, they would definitely be recommended due to the amazing lighting that they can offer.

Skylight Test

This sample shot is pretty much straight out of camera. I just cropped and reduced it in Photoshop.

We are still on schedule for a May 1 opening of The Studio. Back to the work to make sure everything gets done.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix, Arizona


Couples Boudoir

Boudoir photography of a couple presents a whole new set of challenges. Each of them can be overcome by the photographer. Many of these issues are the same in a multi-person photograph, but some are more specific to boudoir and glamour.

Lighting multiple people is always a challenge, but boudoir tends to use much more dramatic lighting than your typical portrait. More shadows from direction light. Often the couple will be facing each other so care must be taken by the photographer to keep one of the faces from falling too far into shadow. I always use the main light on the woman’s face, the guy is secondary. Here I may use a fill card to bounce some light, or a fill light with various modifiers to keep the light from hitting parts I wanted in shadow.

Posing the couple also adds some challenges. First you always make sure that she looks great. Then he is posed to work with her body. The limited to lack of clothing also adds a few challenges. In my studio, no shots can show genitalia, poses must always conceal. Additionally clients may have other levels of modesty to preserve in the photographs. Sometimes it is a movement of a fraction of an inch of an arm or a leg to provide the needed coverage. Always checking through the viewfinder as they move from pose to pose, it takes a careful eye to keep the shots perfect.

Probably the most difficult challenge is the interaction portrayed in the photographs themselves. The photographer has to work to create a sensual image without it looking like something from an adult entertainment site (not that there’s anything wrong with the stuff on www.porn7.xxx). The best inspiration comes from fashion magazines, where they often show couples posed sexy but not trashy. The emotions I work to evoke from my clients are desire, love and passion, but avoid lust.

I have found boudoir couples sessions to be an emerging trend. I have been getting more and more questions about this type of photography. Hopefully the trend will continue, as the couples who choose to do boudoir together tend to be great fun to work with.

Orcatek Boudoir Photography – Phoenix, AZ


Professional Make-up for Photography

Professional make-up for your photo shoot has many benefits for both the client and the photographer. I include make-up services in a lot of my packages and in others I let the client decide.

There are several benefits to the photographer. First is the reduction in the amount of time spent retouching. A good make-up artist (MUA) can make their skin look almost perfect. With wedding makeup, flamboyant isn’t really a word that comes to mind, but it’s still very rewarding for the bride to see the pictures afterwards, knowing that she looked her best – here is an elopement wedding photographer to look at for some examples. This is a golden example of a time to hire a professional. Additionally they keep the shine off the skin that some people get on their faces (both men and women). I hate retouching the shine off skin.

Now even if a client knows how to do their make-up (many are quite good), a professional MUA will be able to do things beyond this. Airbrushing the skin is one technique that yields awesome results that they provide. Additionally a MUA will be able to create specialized looks that fall outside the range of normal make-up. Classic pin-up is an example; another would be fashion make-up for model portfolios.

Fashion Make-up

One of the benefits to my clients is how easy it is to just come to the studio and have everything handled for them. Many find it very relaxing to have their make-up done for them. We chat and joke around and get to know each other before the shoot. This puts the client at ease prior to the shoot, settling some of those pre-shoot jitters.

The MUA’s that I work with also travel to my location shoots. My clients love it when everything comes to them to make their shoot special. We’ve gone to client’s homes, hotels and even the middle of the desert. Every time the results were worth it.

Many MUA’s work in salons in addition to working with photographers. I have a team of MUA’s that I have used that provide incredible work. Having several on my team allows me to always have proven talent available when needed.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix


Valentines Day is Coming

Welcome back to my blog. I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Even though Valentines Day is over a month away, it is a good time to start thinking about giving photographs as a gift. Regardless of whether you choose to have photos printed, or you opt for a personalised git like my photo socks, it would definitely be worth getting something sorted soon. Between scheduling, select proofs and production of your gift, it does take some time for the process. For a humorous mix of romance and photography for valentines, look into these photo boxers, an undeniably unique and funny gift.

Of course boudoir and glamour photographs are very popular for lovers. These special photographs are a gift that is always well received. There are so many options within this area that your photographer can help you choose the perfect package to fit your needs.

But Valentines need not be limited to boudoir and glamour. Traditional portraits also make a wonderful gift. Everyone wants a nice photo of that special person in their lives. A professional portrait is a great way to say “I love you.” If you’re wanting to show a little more effort also, you could look into getting your photographs taken and use the photos to create personalized bobbleheads as another unique gift for your spouse, capturing a loving moment using a different medium.

And couples portraits are also a great idea. A photograph of the two of you showing your love for each other in your eyes will make you both feel great each time you look at it.

So don’t miss out and book your with your photographer soon.

Orcatek Photography – Phoenix


Giving Back – Portraits for those in need

It is the time of year when so many enjoy so much, but there are those who struggle to even put food on the table.  For those families a professional photograph is something they can never even consider.  So I am reaching out to photographers to find charities and services in your area that help the needy. 

 

Work with them to set-up a free portrait session for these families and give them a gift that will be able to treasure.  I’ve done this in the past and the families are so very happy to get the photographs.   A print package can be created that will not be too expensive for you to create. 

 

In the past I have approached local labs and have gotten them to help with the actual printing costs for some of these charities.

 

Another option is to give discounts to your clients for bringing in donations for a local food bank.  Your clients will tend to be very generous.  With the need be even higher than usual this year, every little bit that people can do will help.

 

There are plenty of other ways you can use your photography business to help others.  Be creative and find a way to do something extra this year for someone who needs a little extra.

 

We are all very lucky to have this amazing career as photographers.  In today’s economy more and more people are facing very grim futures.  So be sure to find a way to give to others through any way you can. 

 

 

Orcatek Portrait Photography – Phoenix