The Eyes Have It

I'm a huge fan of making the eyes the focal point of the frame.  There's so much mystery and intrigue in a person's eyes.  I prefer to highlight that whenever I can.  It's a personal preference.  One that often leaves me criticized for framing a photograph this way, because it cuts the top of the head out of the frame.  I say, show me the rule that claims a person needs the top of their head in a frame and well, I'd still frame people this way.

When you look at these portraits, the eyes of the subject should draw you in.  The lighting, shadows, and even the catch light in the eyes give the photograph a sense of depth, but it's the position of the eyes (in the top 1/3 of the frame) that give the portrait life.

Matt

Tyler

 

 Kyle

Mini Me... Well, Sort Of.

Over the weekend, I was so honored to photograph Tyler, my nephew and Matt, his friend.  It's their senior year and we had to make it special.  Anyone that really knows me, will see these photographs and think nothing is wrong, but for those that don't know my brand of humor, let me just say, I'm a firm believer in the power of laughter!  We did a lot of serious photographs, but also had to have some fun.  I want Tyler to remember the nice photographs, but I also want him to remember his goof of an uncle.  Oddly, during the session, I realized just how much Tyler is like me.  I'd say he's a mini-me, but he's kind of towers over me.  We had to shoot the photographs on our knees... yeah he's that tall! 

Thanks for putting up with me Tyler!  We love you.

A special thanks to Matt Fischer, you'll have some photographs and story here soon.

Adam and Bethany

We love to photograph people, but more importantly, we love to photograph people in love.   There's something about the connectedness of two people that draws us in.  Adam and Bethany approached us with one request.  They wanted to be themselves.  They didn't say make us unique, we're all unique, they simply said let us be who we are.  For us, that was something worth working for. 

On the day of the engagement session the wind was so strong, we had to make a great number of changes to our lighting and posing techniques. 

Amid the growing problems,  Adam and Bethany never lost faith in us to produce images they would love. 

We bounced ideas off each other, talked about what we wanted to do, and listened when Adam and Bethany had suggestions.

In the end we had a great session.  Best of all, Adam and Bethany got to be who they are, and we got to use a cool feature of one of our programs.

That's right, Adam and Bethany like comic books, so it was only fitting they get to have a page out of their own book.

The Cost of a Memory

I answered my phone the other day, to the sound of my dad's voice.  He told me my uncle Glen had passed away.  There is always a moment of disbelief when news like that is bestowed upon us.  But reality isn't far behind.  His passing made me think of the last time I spoke to him and how during the family gathering we opted not to have someone photographing the event.  Now, more than ever, I regret the decision.  We cannot see into the future, but through photography we can keep a part of the past with us.   Or can we?

Before we started photographing others, we used to love photographing family and loved ones.  We have albums of prints to view anytime we want.  But then the digital age arrived.  We traded film for memory cards and prints for CDs.  It seemed like the right payoff, until we started to realize the life of the average CD is about 3 years.  Suddenly, family photographs are no longer viewable.  Lost to a digital black hole, all the family vacations and special moments we can no longer get back.  The fear of losing such wonderful moments was one of the biggest reasons we moved away from the CD movement and returned to the print process. 

Sure, the digital age has made it easier to capture special moments and preserve them for a lifetime.  Yet, we insist on viewing digital images digitally.   It's wonderful that we can store gigabytes of family photos on writable CDs and DVDs, but how often do we get to enjoy them?  One caveat of the digital age is the fact you need a device to view images.  As photographers we hear the days of print are dead.  It's easier to give a client a CD of images and be done with the process.  But the process isn't done. 

Enter Chase Jarvis, a huge voice in modern photography.  He was recently asked about prints versus digital viewing.  His response was simple:  "The print is the actualization of a process".  The print is a physical reminder.  It's tangible.  It doesn't need batteries, recharging, or WiFi to enjoy.   So why do we insist on cheapening the experience?  If we know the average life of a writable CD or DVD is 3 years before the information starts to become unreadable, will you remember to burn discs every couple of years or will you fall victim to lost memories?

We don't expect clients to buy every photograph we make.  It's our hope they will find unique memories they want to display and eventually tuck away for future viewing.  If you are old enough to remember the glory days of 35mm film, you are also old enough to know how spent film canisters sat in a drawer until they were no longer printable.   

If you take the average price of a print and divide it by 40 years,  you end up realizing a memory isn't really that expensive.   At the end of the day, will it be the initial investment that scares us, or will it be the memories we lost because we didn't place enough value on our memories.

Heading To The Wall Street Journal

It's been a little on the busy side the last few weeks.  Tax season is creeping up on us.  Booking new events, family portraits, seniors, and a few weddings.  It's been a great year thus far and we're still in January. 

Speaking of a great year, I just found out from Dave Hansen, at Hansen Foods, he's going to be featured in The Wall Street Journal.  His interview will talk about what it takes to run a successful small business and how little features like personal attention, quality products, and customer service help to ensure a share of the market.  What does any of this have to do with Forbear Photos you  might wonder?  Well, the editor of The Wall Street Journal liked the photographs of Dave we did, and asked if they could run them with the interview.  I'm not sure if the interview and photographs will be available to view on the web, but we'll post a link if it becomes available.  Until then, have another look at the photographs and make sure if you live or visit Hart, you stop in and see Dave and the crew.

Want to see Dave larger than life?  Take a drive down Polk road heading toward Silver Lake.  Both of these photographs were made into billboards.

Giving Back and Giving Thanks

“Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope.”  F. Scott Fitzgerald

A few weeks ago I received a phone call from the Shelby High School Aspire program director, asking if I might be willing to come to the school to photograph students and their families.  The school was hosting a family fun night and wanted to give something back to the families of participating students.  One of the biggest concerns for the director was the fact they could offer nothing in the way of compensation.  

I’ll be honest here, for several months I’ve been touched by so many photographers and their willingness to give back, that I really wanted to my part and use my skills for the underserved.  I was touched by photographers like David DuChemin, Jeremy Cowart, Piper Mackay, and various others in the field doing wonderful work for NGO’s and NPO’s.  I also know that many of these photographers cannot do the work they do without clients supporting them with paid projects.  That is where all of our past and present clients come into the picture (pardon the pun).  Without you, Rebecca and I would never have earned enough money to buy the gear, purchase educational materials, and have the confidence to take on such a job.  Without you, families that seldom have a chance to be photographed together, especially by professionals, would not know the joy of holding and framing a printed photograph.  It’s the memories we make for you, that allow us to give back to the community.  Your financial support and willingness to allow us in your homes and families lives through the last year have greatly contributed to the success of this opportunity.  Please take a moment to view the smiling faces you helped. 

We cannot begin to thank you for your financial, but most importantly your emotional support.   We hope that in sharing your joy and special occasions, we can continue to share joy with others.

Thank You,

Travis   

Photography 101

The word photograph literally means recording light.  By that rationale every image be it digital or film is a photograph.  Ok, I'm fine with that.  In fact, I think the new digital age is an amazing and wonderful thing to have happen in my lifetime.  It's the first time in the history of photography that anyone can make photographs.  What used to be a club with a members only status, is now a public frenzy.  The rate of new photographers to those leaving the business is 10 to 1.  This is a double edged sword for many.  It means the market is tougher to generate income, get noticed, and sometimes just keep your head above water.  It's a great time for clients as well. 

With a limitless amount of photographers to choose from, it's a great way to find  deals on family, senior, wedding, or any other type of photograph need you may have.   Herein lies the rub (for all you Shakespeare fans).  I hear photographers being hired for amounts that literally equal $1.57 an hour by the end.  We've been there too.  When you are first starting out you have to prove to a client you have what it takes to meet and then go beyond the expectations of said client.   To do this, it takes hard work, dedication, and continuing education.   If you want quality, you hire a professional.  When you want a good deal you run the gauntlet and hope the photographer you hired can come through. 

One of the best ways to hire a photographer is to spend a few minutes looking at their body of work.  Does the work fit your need?  Is it trendy, consistent, or both?  One of the biggest questions to ask yourself:  does the photographer understand light?  The photographs below are examples of light use. 

This pair of images shows the difference between a proper exposure according to the camera and an adjusted image that utilizes strobe lighting with proper exposure.  A professional photographer should be able to use both natural light and know when a strobe will enhance an image.

This is an example of a nighttime exposure with strobe side lighting.  Please note the dramatic elements of side lighting versus the typical front flash.  Next time you are watching a television show or movie that utilizes nighttime tones watch what type of lighting they use.  You can learn a lot about lighting watching the masters at work, not just the storyline.

This example is a classical side lighting technique used by landscape and natural light photographers.  Does the photographer know how to do this if necessary?  Ask.  It's ok to ask a photographer questions.  A true professional will not stumble or talk about success with other methods.  A real professional knows when to step down from a job they know they cannot do. 

Before you hire a photographer, do yourself a favor.  Look at the work the photographer produces, take a few minutes to ask questions, and don't price shop, one of the biggest complaints clients have is that they went with a cheaper photographer instead of the one they wanted.  Most of the occasions you're hiring a professional for, happen once.