Meet Megan and Bryan. Engagement Session

Meet Megan and Bryan. They became engaged last year and with their wedding day nearing close, I know they are very anxious to begin their lives together. They are both very sweet with each other and I truly enjoyed photographing them for their engagement session. We had a beautiful, unseasonably warm winter day. Ultimately perfect! I love the location chosen for their session. I have photographed here before and the red bridge and wooded area certainly are remarkable! Megan and Bryan, you two are awesome and I loved creating these images for you. I am very much looking forward to sharing in your wedding day and photographing you as you take your vows! 

 

Meet Taylor and Logan

Meet Taylor and Logan. They were engaged last year and when Taylor called me about doing their engagement session she absolutely wanted it done in the winter! She had hopes for a snowy setting and I love how much fun this session turned out to be for them. The weather turned out to be quite nice for us and unseasonably warm on our session date in January. Beautiful day! And we were lucky because nearly all of the snow melted days later! They brought along Taylor's dog Buddy and I fell in love with him. He was so sweet and patient posing for us! I think he kind of completes these two! 
Taylor and Logan both have plans to finish up their college studies before setting a date for their wedding and I am truly happy for this amazing couple! 
 

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Beginner's Photography Workshop

If you were nodding yes to almost every one of those questions, then it's true, you already know you want to participate in this class. Right? Right. 
Here are the details: 

When: Saturday, March 2nd from 1-4 p.m.

Where: My home, unless otherwise specified 

Taught by: Me, Amy Elisabeth Photography 

What you will gain: A better friendship with your camera along with newfound knowledge of creating better images! Become more confident behind your digital camera! 

What you will learn: Step away from Auto Mode! Learn ISO, aperture, shutter speed, exposure and metering and how these all work together to create an image. Become creative and understand how composition, shooting vertically and horizontally help you achieve this. Find correct lighting to avoid the imfamous pop-up flash!

Who this class if for: Any beginner with a DSLR camera(digital cameras with interchangeable lenses) who wan to better understand photography and their camera. This class will not teach you how to use various brands of cameras. Having your camera's manual along is  imperative. 

Cost: $65 Which includes group instruction hands-on practice, teaching materials, and light snack/beverage.   Non-refundable, however if unable to attend, you can trade your sign up with a friend.

To sign up and join the fun, please email me at amyephotog@gmail.com

To read about last year's photography class, check it out here! 

Meet Erin. Class of 2013

Meet Erin. Class of 2013.
I met Erin while photographing her team's tennis pictures this spring. One thing that I noticed right away about Erin is her beautiful red hair. And her fun personality!
She loves, loves, loves to sail and living on a bay leading to a Great Lake, she is no stranger to the waters. Quite an avid sail girl too, throughout the summer she helps to instruct a sailing class for youth. It is clearly her biggest passion!
And of course her session had to involve her sailboat. Oh yes! Something I knew would showcase her individuality!
We had a perfectly warm, sunny evening. Beautiful locations for her senior session. Thank you Erin for 1., not letting me fall off your sailboat and 2., being so amazing throughout your session!

Color or Black & White?

I love this image. Absolutely love it. It just speaks "timeless" to me. And while I really like the color version, I think I am leaning towards the black and white image.

Which one do you prefer?

Congratulations Class of 2012!!

Class of 2012! Congratulations to all of you for making it to this point in your lives. High School Graduation! You did it. Be proud. And be proud of who you are!

Enjoy these graduation memories with friends and your family. Savor these moments of happiness!

As all of you begin this new journey in your life, remember to never lose sight of who you are. Be true to yourself. Stay positive. Keep smiling! And don't lose hope! Stay on that path to your dreams. But most of all, never give up trying!

Congratulations to all of you!!

Meet Saidee ~ Class of 2012

Meet Saidee. Class of 2012. With her long red hair, bright blue eyes, she is so beautiful! I absolutely loved this session with her. She has such a fun style, dressing in vibrant colors which accented her hair and eyes, not to mention her personality. Such a fun and happy, laid back girl! Her colors and clothing choice she wore brought these pictures to life. And those orange, suede boots? Love!!

Along with her session she brought her old fashioned bike and we incorporated it into a few shots, which turned out to be my favorites. I feel adding props to a session oftentimes will tell a story, describe one's personality, and for Saidee her bike showcased how fun she is!

Thank you Saidee for this awesome high school senior session!!! I wish you the best with all of your future plans after graduation!

Out Of Camera & After Editing

My children are probably my favorite subjects to photograph outside of our flurry of pets around our home. But my daughter is probably my most photographed participant. She helped me prepare some images for my photography class I held last weekend. She patiently let me take numerous images of her, finding the best lighting and those catchlights, or reflections in her eyes. Which I love!

The image above is how it looked right out of my camera and on to my computer's monitor. Exposed nicely. Sharp. How I like it. I shoot in RAW format which basically means this image was completely untouched by the camera. When shooting in JPEG format, the camera will sharpen, add contrast, saturation, etc to an image which is perfect for everyday shooters who may or may not use any type of editing software post taking pictures.

But I do use an editing software. Hey, sometimes that is what I love most about taking pictures. Enhancing them to something even more!



I use an editing software called Lightroom which I have adjusted to and now love using. It has caused my editing workflow to speed up and cause my turn around time for editing sessions for clients so much faster. Which leaves me more time to take pictures of my kids!

In the picture above, I ran a preset which in seconds added saturation and vibrance with contrast and some added warmth. I sharpened the image and then I am done.

With this black and white version, I ran another preset to give this contrasty, warmer look. I truly love pictures in black and white. Maybe it is my love of Ansel Adams photographic style. Or how black and white adds a sort of a dramatic, emotional feel to an image. Either way, currently I am being drawn to editing more of my pictures to black and white.