Happy last day of March! Hopefully this means we wont get anymore snow! To be honest I’m sick of the white ground and grey skies. I’m looking foreword to blue skies and good times on the boat!
Last week I photographed Danielle and Ryan’s lifestyle session in downtown Spokane, WA. Danielle warned me that its going to be difficult to get Ryan to smile naturally. But as it turned out that it was harder for Ryan to make a serious face!
1 comment March 31st, 2008
This weekend I was doing some blog stalking and updating some website bookmarks. I ran across an old bookmark that I used to frequent quite often named MAGNUM photos. MAGNUM is a select group of photojournalist photographers from around the world. These are not just any photographers, they are the BEST in the world at what they do and usually risk their lives to tell a story!
MAGNUM just announced 4 photo essays on WARS. One story is from Vietnam, another from Iraq, Lebanon and Chechnya. This mini essays are narrated by the photographers and I think everyone should take 15 minutes to listen to each. The images are amazing and the words are powerful!
I hope everyone had a great Easter!
Add comment March 24th, 2008
How is everyone doing today? I am have spring fever and going crazy that it is not here yet. I still have a foot of snow in some areas of my yard and we have not had a significant snow fall in a month or so. Maybe I should have a hair dryer party so we can go out and melt everything?
You might notice my cool new Photoshelter widget on the bottom right side of my blog. It basically just runs a little slide show of all my stock photography, which I think is really cool. Check it out if you have not done so already.
I’m getting a lot of request for my commercial work lately from various ad firms. I’m assuming it’s because business are really starting to pump up their marketing due to the slowing economy. Today I will be shooting fashion images for a new boutique for men in Coeur d Alene. I’ll post some images from it tomorrow.
My last note is about weddings. I have about 5 openings left for weddings this year. If you know anyone who’s getting married please let them know I have some open slots. I would like to get these spots filled soon so I can plan the rest of my work year asap.
I thought I would do demonstration a before and after from the 14th & Grand shoot. I always try to keep my fashion images clean and real. Meaning, I hate to over retouch the face and eyes. When images are over retouched I believe they look cheap and very unprofessional. Keeping the skin and it’s texture adds realism and professionalism. Thats just my two cents.
Before
I first cleaned up the random hairs, retouched her skin and juiced up the eyes a bit. Thankfully Julie from the make-up studio did an awesome job on the makeup. Which saves me about 20 minutes of retouching the face alone. I then added a little contrast to make the image a little more dramatic.
After
Add comment March 19th, 2008
My lecture at the Professional Photographers of Idaho convention was a big success. This was not my first time standing and lecturing to my peers, but it was the first time in a non workshop setting. Standing in a conference room with 100 tired faces at 6 am is not an easy thing to do. To be honest thats way earlier than I like to get up in the first place and how do you spark peoples interest when all they really want to do is be back in bed? My goal was to explain the rules of lifestyle photography that I created for myself, how I direct my couples and not pose them. Every lecture that I have attended on lifestyle photography was always full of fluff and “look how great my pictures are” photographers. I wanted my message to be different and I think I hit home with some of the photographers in the audience. This past week I have received positive testimonials from some of the photographers attending the convention and I would like to share some with you.
Sean,
I was one of them that said you were my favorite speaker. (I told you in person) Your fun, free style of shooting is WOW! just blows me away! I am so not the ok, now pose kinda gal. What you had talked about left me in ahh.
I told my family about the hospital shoot you showed and I cried tell it!
Coming through this summer, Hoping me and my family can meet ya.
Thanks again, Nikki
Dear Sean,
I enjoyed your comments at PP of I so much! What a great way to capture your clients! I think I took more notes during your class than any other. I am excited to start offering life style sessions. Thanks for the video!!! I loved it. I have the same thing happen to me frequently and I get so pissed off about it. I have several clients I would love to send that to (but I won’t). Thanks again for all the great info.
Alyce – Photographer
Hey Sean,
Nice job with the program at the Idaho Convention. It’s refreshing to listen to someone speak that isn’t doing so just to toot their own horn. I’ve seen a lot of great programs over the years, but I appreciated the way you explained how you do what you do. I always seem to get inspired by great programs and great photographers, but they don’t always help out with the actual process. I enjoyed hearing how you “direct” your clients and stress the importance of them just being themselves. I can’t remember who said it, but someone at the convention said, “He’s like a movie director, but he’s taking photographs. His clients are the actors, and they are playing themselves.” Nice job, but I wanted to see you show more images. I think that might be partly my fault since you thought you had another half hour. (Ooops, my bad.) Keep up the good work and get busier with the blog. – Matt Green
I just want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to write me. I do hope I get to speak again in the near future.
On another note………
Make sure to stop by your nearest magazine rack and look for Alliance wakeboard magazine. I should have two images being published and one of them being the one below.
Add comment March 18th, 2008
