In Search of...Love and Light and Life

Ha! You probably thing that's a cliche that I am look for Love and Light.

No - it's not.  Photography is all about light. Can't take photographs in the dark because the camera won't focus. That doesn't mean it's a bad photo either.

I am looking for good light and lots of love. I am looking for Soul - that is the real subject of my images. Peoples love, emotions, and their souls. Happy, sometimes contemplative on the edge of thought.

I am looking to capture - as I did on Saturday - a baby's first steps.
The First Kiss
The Festive Moments at a party
The transitions ..B'nai Mitzvot, Weddings, High School Seniors, Singles looking for dates
The Joy...kids running barefoot in the grass or the sand
Celebration of pregnancy, or newborns or milestones - like birthdays - First, 13th, 16th or 99th.
The weight that isn't there anymore. The sparkle in his eyes when he sees you.

I want to celebrate my subjects from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

The Ordinary is OK  - it's the days you remember..a look, a touch, a place you favor. Or THAT couch, That dress.  If you can see it you will be able to close your eyes and smell it..the scent of your newborn, her perfume, the scent of the pot on the stove cooking your favorite meal.

I am looking for those moments of life.  Don't you want to have them Flash Frozen.Photographed?

Connecting

It's amazing when you find people in your life who have similar ideals and you connect with them. Friendships are like waves at the beach. They have a cycle.  In my world I have looked for opportunities to connect others for many purposes. I love searching to create synergy. Facebook and Linkedin are great for helping people find one another to have that connection

I had a client who came into the studio for dating headshots and she dressed for business.  I took her over to Boku Mangos and she got the perfect casual first date outfit.  Sharon Schlesinger of Boku had a Date Night where she opens the doors to people to create some connections too. I ended up booking her daughter Pam's family session from that - which will be in about a week. I am so excited. Sharon and I have partnered with other merchants in The French Quarter to get some connections going. Together, we held a Date Night and invited all our connections, The Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber and the tenants of our building.  Thanks to Nicola's Kitchen, they sent over all the food we could use. We ended up continuing our visiting at Push Lounge.  We are going to work on creating a calendar and we are going to raise some money for charity with my photography and her connections. Lots of good ideas, connections and even business. 

So what is the point of my message today? Connecting with other people is critical to working with a photographer.  Being personable and making people comfortable is critical to making a good photograph of a person. Pets, Children and Adults all feel when you connect.  Part of networking is connecting with people in your environment ahead of time to have a comfort level with creating good images. if we come  together for a cause, it helps create the ingredients to a good photograph. For businesses, in general making connections and friends is all about good  business - for every one who participates.  Oh, and because of our efforts we got three new members of the Woodland HIlls-Tarzana Chamber too!

Ta Da...Flash Frozen Photography! In Person Almost LIVE

What makes a good picture?

When I was a kid and we took the roll of film to Rexall Drugs ( On La Cienega and Beverly Blvd -across from Kiddyland or what's now the Beverly Center)  to be "finished" it took about a week. 

We'd anxiously open the envelope and look at the photographs that came back. Then we'd make a pile of bad photographs and the keepers.  The keepers were worth putting in the scrapbook. The others went into the envelope with the negatives never to be looked at again but they cost money and we didn't want to waste them so we kept them. They were blurred because the camera moved, or were dark because they were taken when there wasn't enough sun out or because people blinked.

So fast forward to the digital era. We have cellphones and digicams - also known as point and shoot cameras and we have professional gear and movie/video cameras too. You can hardly go anywhere without someone whipping out their iPhone or Blackberry to take a photo. A wedding, a business meeting, a restaurant. I am guilty of using my Palm Centro.  And then there is facebook. We mobile upload those photos. We post photos of the oddest things aside from the kids and pets and whatever tickles our funny bones.I have Rye Bread from the Deli and feet from the parking lot at Pink's Hot Dogs on my cell phone gallery.

So what prompted me to blog is that on facebook I see the Good Shot post again. It was a portrait. Supposedly taken by a professional photographer. It has no technical merit. The colors were pix-elated and over sharpened and it didn't resemble a portrait. It was out of focus. The subject was not even recognizable.

I am going to go through some of my photographs and show you some of the outtakes with some of the keepers. There is a time for photography that is fun and yet has some technical correctness. I was to see everyone raise the bar for what to keep and when to hit DELETE. We're inundated with stuff we don't want to dispose of. But we really should but we can't.

So we have to agree that: 

A Good photograph has some ability to use a camera.
They don't all need photoshop.
They don't need too much photoshop - less is more sometimes.
They don't have to be taken in sunshine with your face toward the sun so you squint.
They do need to have focus which is not necessaribly the blurry background from "shooting wide open" with your lens.
All children between 3 and 8 automatically show their teeth like a dog who you are taking their toys away from them.
People in the photos are recognizable and clear
They photographs tell some kind of story to them about the subject (they DO have a subject)
Just because you have a camera does not mean you do not have a reason to photograph something..

That's what I am thinking about. So lets take the journey together to show some befores and afters. One day the Jpg might go the way of the 8 track tape. And what's not printed will be in the envelopes never to be retireved or viewed again.

Beautiful. Feminine. More

I just had Lisa Keating in my studio. Lisa's website is EncinoMom.Com and she is an extraordinary woman. It was great having her in my studio because it really gave me a chance to get to know her. She is so multi-talented but what impressed me most is her inner beauty. She recently started a new venture with her husband, Warren and in between our session and when I started processing she entered a contest to be affiliated with Oprah.  Her show is called "Why are You Here!?!" and just watching the taping made me think about why I am here.

Lisa is friends with Dolly Thicke of Dolly Couture and she wanted to be photographed in Dolly's dresses and we made it happen at Flash Frozen Photography.  The session was fun and playful but we also found some great synergy business wise.

I hope you will come back to my website and visit Lisa's choices in a few weeks (We had almost 80 photos from her session to choose from!) but also that you will visit http://www.encinomom.com/ - pretty soon Lisa will not only have my photos on her site, but, her production company is going to work with me to make a video about why I am here....

In keeping with The F Words: All things Feminine - sort of

The latest news from Flash Frozen Photography is all things with F words: FUN! Feminine, Family, Father's Day (gone for this year), Feline and Fido, Formal, Flirty and Functional. What is next is the FOURTH of July and Fireworks! More FFFF Fun

First for the Fun! We've been doing Corporate Headshot Days and lots of our friends have been coming to have fun. We're meeting other people in the community and networking while we're in the studio. Lots of business and getting familiar (F-Word!) with each other. Very Functional for your Website and Facebook and Linkedin too. While we are doing that Karen Snyder of Cosmetically Organized and Laura Jimenez of Millennium have been helping every one look FABULOUS!  We're going to have another headshot day so call the studio, get on the list and get yourself Flash Frozen for Business!  We're even working on a fun Flash Frozen Day for Finding your Forever Friends and Future Family (Dating Headshots).  If you are looking for a reFFeral I bet I know some one that can help you because of all that business that got done in my studio. I really love making connections.  That is my FRIEND and all around give back to the world person Linda Mallut of http://www.mybunnyandme.com/ She is busy hopping around with her bunnies donating FUNDS to see that people get well and FIGHT the cause of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The next F Word is FRAME! That is part of the F family FINISH~!  We want you to leave the studio and have FINISHED Portraits and that means ready to hang in just the right spot in your Family Home or at the office too. So if you mention the blog with your session and print order, we will give you 25% off our in stock frames.  I ordered a selection of custom frames in Silver, Black, White and Walnut that are perfect for the collection of family portraits to go up the stairs, down the hall and on the wall in the Family room.

Tomorrow I am really excited that I will again be Photographing  the Twinkle Toes Dance recital at Main Street Dance being held at the Madrid Theater on Sherman Way. I love those little dancers. They do it with their full heart for their families. I hope they will have the chance to remember the FUN and treasure the memories FOREVER.

The other F word that I have to share today is FOUNDATIONS! Yes, that is what they used to call the Bra and Panty Department in the very old days. I am working with Barbara Cohen who is styling women for Dress for Success to help them get work! Dress for Success helps women Feel good and get employment by helping them dress the part. So I am asking my Friends to go to their Favorite store (Fredericks of Hollywood could work!) but really maybe not quite that Feminine and pick up a Bra and some ladies unmentionables (Panties) and donate them to the cause. The Girls will really thank you. Your favorite Big Box Stores, or Target or TJ Maxx, Kohls or Ross all come to mind to me for a good source.  Call me if you have any questions.  Diane Fonteboa of Two Tomatoes in Sherman Oaks has signed on to be a drop off spot too!  Thanks, Diane for stepping up to help.

It's different now

Last night I attended the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County meeting. PPLAC is a networking and educational group affiliate of Professional Photographers of America. I am a member of both groups.

As photographers we spend time learning from each other, we often take workshops to learn and practice new techniques like I did last weekend.  We get to change what we do, we get inspired and our vision changes. Last night's speaker was Ken Sklute who is a world class photographer and he showed us what he is doing and his techniques for several genres of photography.  I won two things last night - some gels to color my oncamera flash because I know that CTO means Color Temperature Orange! and the other was some software for moving bushes and flowers into photos that is fun.

In a few weeks I will be speaking to the members of the group here in my studio. I will be teaching the Business of Business for Photographers. Another dynamic of photography is that many artisits are not business people. I am also teaching that same topic out to the Smugmug User's Group in Riverside. I presented the same topic to the SmugMug users group in Los Angeles in October. I get so enthusiastic about the business side of life.

When you hear another photographer it's always a good thing to practice those techniques so that you know them and you can vary the look of your images.

All this ongoing learning and playing with gear, toys, technique and such is different as a professional. My geeky friend, Will, was going to come and play in studio with me but our missions are different now. When I play I want to have something concrete I can work with. I want to raise the bar.  Will just wants to play and see what happens.  I want to create so that I can have a new tool in the bag that I can use for my business.

Maybe it's why I haven't even looked at the images I took on my cruise last week. It's critical to keep my skills up. I created some great images from my travels. But the purpose is different now.  I love what I do enough to take it on vacation but my play is much more wanting a new end result. More than just sitting on a hard drive.  I want to make art for other people now. Not just for me. I might have to work on some of those vacation photos soon to see how varied my own skills have changed too - not just how I think about my photography. It's all different now.

Learning and Sharing

For the last three days, I have been in a workshop with Mark Robert Halper learning his system called The Exceptional Portrait.  Mark is a wonderful Fine Art Photographer who like me is very passionate about the craft of Photography. I had the pleasure of learning from Mark last year in is class called The Order Appointment.

There were 12 photographers in our workshop today, and I have to say it was a process to think differently in the approach to making a wonderful portrait.  There are many schools of thought on how to take a photograph.  I hear all the time about snapping one off. A portrait is not snapping one off. That would be a snap shot. Part of Mark's approach is to make you stretch to see things to the nth degree. Really see it. Live with it, add to it.

Learning to tell a story of a person is much more. Composing a real portrait consists of all the components being just right: Lighting, Clothing, Sense of Place, Expression of the Subjects, Placement - of each component. Even having the right mindset of everyone in the vicinity of where the portrait will be created.

On the flip side of learning is a sharing of ideas with others in the workshop. I was paired with other photographers each of the three days and it's amazing what just talking out loud with other photographers can spur in the creative juices. What equipment to use from lights to lenses.  One of the images I created was with studio strobes which are the big flashes we use. One was magnificent natural light from a window with sunshine and clouds. And one was with the little LED Flashlight I carry in my purse. I was waiting to have the right image to use that as my main light. It needed just the right portrait to use it on for drama.

I feel so good about this week's sessions. There are new tools in the camera case. New ideas to experiment with. And create. Really create.Simply but with flair. An F Word - Flash Frozen Photography is an F Word too. Fun, Faboulas and Fine Art....

Sprucing it Up a Bit

This is the area just behind my desk. I am visual (duh!) and love to spread out to see things which means papers, photos and any other paraphernalia like to go on the credenza behind me or depending on the work I do, it gets spread out in the shooting room too.  I was much more orderly when all I did was accounting. But that is another topic.

A while ago, my neighbor in The French Quarter, John Saffell of Nicola's Kitchen had a little marketing push from me and before you know it he got hooked into having a mixer for the Woodland Hills-Tarzana Chamber in the courtyard right in front of my studio.  So collectively we decided a bit of sprucing up the place was in order.  We replaced a few trees in front of our offices and I put in an installation of my photography in his window. I'll blog about the window next time-and the family portrait of them, currently in MY window that once was their holiday card a few months ago - now framed BIG.

One of the things I did a while ago was order some "Expressions" from my friend, Torreh Pearl.  Torreh and I were both members of the National Association of Women Business Owners and she was on the Board of Directors when I was President.  Anyway, Torreh's business is http://pleaseuseyourwords.blogspot.com/

I bought a few of them, but this one conveys my message to all who enter. And I put a custom "expression" on my windows too that gives me some more sign visibility.

Anyway, I just love how the words "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" looks behind my chair. It's not a very subtle message.  Thank you Torreh for telling me about Uppercase Living and coming to hang these with me. Not only have you helped spruce up the place, I am really glad to have you in my circle of friends ad sprucing up my life a bit.

Legacy

The last two weeks I have been photographing the dance classes and students at Twinkle Toes Dance at the Main Street Performing Arts Center in Canoga Park.  I had so much fun connecting with the children learning to express themselves through dance and music. The teachers were so dedicated and amazing and I want to thank Karen Hayes, the Director for her support and encouragement.

I am not a "school" photographer but I am a portrait artist. It's foreign to me to line people up and take a photograph. Working with people in their environments is a great expression of the art that tells a story of the person. In the dance studio, I set up a fun little background with a pink poof of tulle I called a "cloud" and I got to be 5 - 6 or 7 and got the girls to give me real smiles most of the time.  I also took photographs of the mostly girls, just listening or dancing or waiting for a change of shoes to their tap shoes from ballet shoes. I can hear Miss Jill say "It''s Tap Time, Dancers!" as I write this.

I was reminded how ingrained behaviors are when a camera is pointed our way to make an expression we've been told to make. How many times those 3 year olds saw me pointing their way and they automatically said "cheese" without prompting. And I often countered with my own comments designed to get real smiles. I sat so they could copy me and they were posed. My feathers and tickle fairies (tools of the trade) were the bribes I used.

In any case, we all have stories of our lives that need to be told and recorded for our histories. Some of these little ones will fondly remember what they were like at that age and remember the songs that were played as they shuffled those tap shoes across the wood floor and were leaping across the room in tutus. Parents and Grandparents can hold that 5 year old in their hand and refresh their minds when they are old and frail and senile and clinging to the times their children were toddlers. Just from that piece of paper created by a moment and a camera.

We have momentous times in life that are traditional for photography - transitions and celebrations and certain ages. But don't forget that the everyday life needs to be recorded and the stories told. The photos might recall a scent, a time past that will be sentimental. A parent will fondly recall a look and action and expression of emotion of the two year old that will sustain them when they are being cared for by their own child.

And while digital photography is the current medium to capture that photograph, we don't know if it will cause images to disappear like the cassette tape did so we must print it and archive it. Because it's not the piece of paper. It's much more. It's our Legacy and we must preserve that on paper to keep it in our hearts.

What I Heard at the Wedding and Portrait Photographer's Platform Class

Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International Conference is held each year in Las Vegas and the last two years it was at the MGM Grand Hotel. A beautiful property.  I've gone now for four years and it's a great source of networking, education and shopping,  And inspiration!

One of the great treasures in the world of Photography is David A. Williams from Australia.  There are a number of people I have met at the shows but David gave a platform class with a room holding about 1000 people and there were tears and sniffles at various points in the class. 

David told us of a project he did when his Mother was diagnosed with a form of Dementia.  His father was also a photographer and he made an album of photos from the important parts of his life and he talked about  photographers and what our purpose is. David did a personal project - something we are encouraged to do with our own photography to expand our visions.

His Cycles and Echos presentation keeps bringing me back to my childhood. His images were stunning. Unlike some of my images that were not well preserved or were poorly developed. I grew up with the notion that good photography was expensive.  David showed me what I knew that it's priceless. He taught us that if we look hard we can see that a mother will take in the scent of her children. You can see than in his own history.

The only images I have from my own parents wedding were the proofs and one that my mother left for me of her childhood immediate family. My parents divorced. My aunt had one image of my parents together. I found one of my Mom and Dad when my Dad was in the Army in Korea taken just before he shipped out. I cherish the copies of the photographs taken at my grandfather's Bar Mitzvah at the Breed Street Shul in Los Angeles in 1913 - all of the family in one photograph - including the family dog. And the 1923 snapshot of my grandparents with my Aunt on the beach at Santa Monica.  The original Muscle Beach. Grandma was standing on Papa's Shoulders and Aunt Sophie was about 6 months old. What was life like then? They wore the bathing suits that look like tank tops and shorts to the knees.

In older blog posts, I have the photograph of me at age 5 with my mothers Buick. I remember the dress, the car and the street.  My sister has the 16 x 20 framed photograph of the three siblings in a vignette as was the style at the time, framed that my Mother adored. Every year or so the photographer came to the house. Sometimes there were albums, but this one was on the wall for 30 years in my childhood homes. When I see that photograph, I think of all the places I remember it hanging. I remember all the personal history that went along with that image. That's pretty powerful for a piece of paper.

David taught me there is far more to a photograph. Look deep at the images you cherish. It's not the piece of paper. It's about the history of the person and their history and their family history. And all those memories. You can feel your past. The mind is amazing. You can remember the scent of your mother and her perfume and the cooking smells that permeated your house. And all that is important in your life and your person.

I cannot believe that I have been given a gift that allows me to create that for someone else. I cannot believe that someone came thousands of miles to show me and teach me that.  Thank you, David for your gift to me. I want to pass that on to the next generations too.

5 Days - and 360 to go!

Just like a car needs gas, creativity needs inspiration.  I need to fill up and top off to make my photography be the best it can be.  When I hold  my camera, I want each image to be better than the last one.  When I do a session, I want the last image to be the very best.

This morning I am packing back up to head for home from Las Vegas and the Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International Show at the MGM Grand.  There were 14,000 photographers that attended this annual event, 300 vendors from Labs, Album Companies, Lighting and Grip and Gear and Software suppliers. You can buy Props, Backgrounds, Clothing just for studios and even lingerie for the Boudoir Studio. There are workshops and books to buy.  I bought a  light system to use for a mobile studio, a camera strap, a book and some software that is an upgrade to some that I already have.  I go with a budget in mind and I came in below what I planned to spend.

I went to two "Master" Classes that were Boudoir classes with very different styles of photography and one on Children's Photography that wasn't much about photography but on communication with people. I went to  a few Platform classes with as many at 1000 in the room. One was quite emotional and I will blog about it in my next post.

Those of you that know me well know that I am a pretty good networker and I did that well. I walked the very long distance several times a day and in the 15 minute walk made some wonderful connections. I sat in classes and in restaurants and walked the tradeshow connecting with other photographers and vendors. I invited others, now friends, to dine with me and I even arranged a get together for a photographer community that I am a member of.

The real treasures that I am bringing home are some new friendships and relationships with my fellow photographers. I really can't wait to see what this next year fosters. I think some great things are on the horizon. And I have had enough for this year but I am eager to return again next year.

Never say Never

For many years I would say that I never go to network at breakfast meetings. I am so totally a night owl. I love the quiet of evening at midnight when life is still, my husband is sleeping and the dogs are snoring and waiting for me to join the pack and give them a good night Milk Bone.

Earlier this year, I decided that I was missing something being an active member of the Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber of Commerce and as of January I decided to ditch that word NEVER. Seize the Day is more like it. So much energy that I didn't know I had and some real connections to make at that hour. I even ventured out beyond that.

This coming week I when I am at Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International Conference and Trade show, I will be in class by 8 am on several days. I will be eager to learn and keep an open mind. You just know something good will happen. Because I will never say never - ever again!

The Power of Many

I am very excited that next week I will be networking with 1000's of my competitors. In Las Vegas will be the largest Portrait and Wedding Photography trade show and conference.  No where else have I seen in business people willing to help people achieve and support than I do in the world as Photographers seem to do. We teach each other about technique, software and business.

Business has always been exciting for me as an entrepreneur. I have networked in my careers as a Banker, Bookkeeper and Tax Professional and now as a Photographer. I have won a number of awards for connecting people. It is interesting to me in that world to make connections for others. Be it one person sharing with their colleague or a client looking for a Party/Event planner,  makeup artist, hairstylist, florist, a venue or invitation person.  I have always loved connecting people and creating a fit. Very much like a matchmaker. Just like dating sometimes there are people who fit and once in a while they don't.

The power of connecting people is amazing. Not only in a financial sense do people get rewards for connecting but sometimes we have people we know that make a difference for others.  It feels good when you hear about someone that has a need and it gets filled because you fit two people together. A photographer I know is training for a triathlon which will raise money for charity. She asked for sponsors and when I saw the charity, I connected her with another friend who is on the board of that charity. Maybe it will be something bigger for both of them.  You just don't know.

I want to urge you to find a need that someone has - be it for business or friendship. Seize an opportunity for someone else. Zig Ziglar said you can have everything in life you want if you help enough people get what they want.  I wish you the power of many connections.

The right tools for the right job

This is the season where Brides are booking weddings and business people are updating their marketing materials, websites, and families are thinking about portraits for spring, graduation and Valentine's Day.

Something to consider when you are hiring a photographer is that they have the right tools to do the job you are hiring them to do for you!  A Camera, a Lens and a Business Card are the tools you might start with but there is so much more to being a photographer.

Someone I know contracted with a photographer to do some headshots and contacted me yesterday because the photographer gave them a special price. The problem is that the photographer doesn't have the right place or the rights to shoot the headshots - or the equipment since they don't have a studio, studio lights or backdrops to do those headshots.  So that special price really isn't special if the client is looking to obtain the right tools from another photographer to create what they've been contracted for.  A true professional photographer knows their limitations and won't accept a job that they don't have the right tools, equipment or even the rights to use the property.

Location and Property rights are very important.  If you are contracting with your photographer to shoot at the beach or at a major theme park or national park, or even the local mall, office building or shopping center, the photographer needs permission to do commercial work on the property. They either need the permission of the property owner, lessee or they need a location permit from the park, beach, municipality.

If you are having an event at a major venue - like a hotel or location, your photographer should have liability insurance. Even if they are doing a family portrait. What if the light stand fell on your child?

If you are getting married or having an event, you would want to ask about lighting - not only in the sanctuary or hotel ballroom because the lighting the photographer can use can greatly affect the final photos. A professional and experienced photographer will have more than just an on-camera flash. They will also bring some strobes to add to the light so that you get great photos.  If the photographer is limited to where they can photograph as is common in many ceremonies due to religious requirements, then they need to have a "long lens" of 200 or 300 millimeters to be able to get some closeups far away and they need lenses capable to open up to let in the light from the room without flash in many cases.

A really critical tool that a photographer should have is the ability to communicate with their clients. They should offer to educate you on what you are buying. You may only commission a photographer periodically so one of those tools in the camera bag should be honesty about their ability, their equipment and a lot more than a business card, one lens and camera. 

Shooting with the end in mind!

When you are working with a photographer there are several things to think about and to ask questions about.

The first thing you want to think about is why you are shooting. If it's for a portrait or a commercial shoot or a wedding you will want to discuss the location - the studio, a park, the beach - there's make up, wardrobe, timing, the purpose and what you want at the end of the shoot. Just like a script gets written, so does your photo session have a plan. It's not only my job to create the ambiance, but also all the details and then plan the lighting that's right and then photograph for a final result that you will adore. Let's not forget the fun experience too. I love all the planning and getting to know you and make it perfect.

Well, you might be thinking that you want a portrait to give your sweetheart for Valentine's Day. Or maybe you want to have some photos of the kids because they are at an age where everything they do is cute. Or you need headshots for dating or for business. At that point it's time to consult and plan the session so you get the final photos that you are dreaming about.

If we are doing a Naughty but Nice Boudoir session, we want to arrange for hair and makeup. Wardrobe is important. I might say bring two or three or more outfits. Bring colors that go with the room you want to put the photos in. Don't wear red if your primary color at home is green. If your house is very French Country you won't want to necessarily dress in shorts and do a beach session.  Every session has a style. So do you. We want to reflect who you are in the session. I am not putting you in feathers and lace if it's not you. You might need pearls. Plaids and stripes and prints can be tricky or they might be ideal to tell your story.

Then there is what you are going to do with the photos. I've already shopped for you. My job is not only to make you look good but to make you look your best where ever you will be - on a website, in an album or on the wall or desk. Your photo reflects a message about you. Maybe there will be an album for your family to cherish for years. Or the sign in board for the wedding from your engagement. Or you photo will be on the wall for his eyes only in a little  black book.  Do you like Sepia tones or Black and White? A Mix or just color. We have signature products and finishes to your photos. There are collections of products or just the one you want. This applies to a day of your life, a wedding, your pets, your children and multigenerational family or even your newborn.

Let's plan what's perfect for you. Let's create something that you and your loved ones will remember always and forever.

Let's dig deep....

On a Photographer's web forum I am involved with, another photographer asked what we do to give back to the world.  Currently, I am running a promotion and donating session fees to Rotary International to be earmarked to the Haitian Earthquake Relief.

Of course that made me think about going back into the world and giving.  There are so many ways to give - money, recycling your belongings, giving a hand to a friend - maybe by supporting a goal they have or or promoting a business of someone you know and have done business with or someone in your circle of influence. We can run, walk, bicycle or even now do a Shrinkathon. We might participate via a Synagogue, Church or directly with a charity and we can have some fun doing it too. Literally, we  can give blood via the Red Cross too.

One of my favorite stories of giving was about my great grandmother, Sosha Bella. My great grandparents owned a bakery in Los Angeles and my great grandmother would give the bread away when people came in that couldn't buy it. She was in charge of the front to the bakery with the girls. The boys were the bakers with my great grandfather, Hymie.  In any case, they gave away all kinds of baked goods to the people who couldn't afford to buy.  In my earlier years of my bookkeeping business, I always had one new business that I worked with at a reduced fee to help them get a foothold on business and sometimes I did things for free. I felt good helping a man fish instead of giving him one - although I have done that too many times.

In my photography world this last year, I have continually volunteered for http://www.bigsunday.org/ - for about 5 years now:
I have photographed at Temple Beth Havarim when the kids made flowers to give to the senior center
I have photographed several times at the Agoura Animal Shelter and even found a home for a Cairn Terrier named Robby who was there in the process.
I photographed at Rescate - which includes the West Valley Food Pantry
I photographed at the Ventura County Animal Shelter for an adoptathon - over 200 dogs and cats got new homes. This last year it was at the West Valley Sheriff's Station and we had 10 different organizations benefiting among them Operation Gratitude, the Girl Scouts and mostly the West Valley Food Pantry.

I am on the list for http://www.momentbymoment.org/  - an outreach of photographers to photograph sick and terminal children as needed

I photographed the Walk of Lights for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Woodland Hills

I had a friend photograph for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Orange County and I am participating in the Shrinkathon - the kickoff will be at my studio this next week.

I photograph for the several Chambers of Commerce - mostly the Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber of Commerce but also the Canoga Park West Hills Chamber. I photographed for the Valley Cultural Center and I donated photography to Cabrillo Music Theater. I supported the LAPD and the Topanga Station by photographing the Topanga Booster's annual fundraising event.

I am a part of www.imagesforacure.org and donated session fees to the cause for Breast Cancer Research as well as to the Breast Cancer Fund.

We are big believers in giving in my house.  Clean out your closets and give to Haven Hills.org or National Council of Jewish Women or Salvation Army. Clean the Pantry and give to Sova or West Valley Food Pantry - both supported by LA Regional Foodbank.

Let's dig deep and share the abundance we've been given. It's the best thing you can do to feel good from the inside out. And teach your children and grandchildren to do the same. It's very worthwhile. Show them by example.

Energy!

Well this month is starting off the year with a BANG! I think that we are all ready to see a turnaround in the economy and people in my community are excited about all kinds of things. It almost is like we've all bought new underwear and it feels good from the inside out and we are all smiling. I love that feeling.

So while I bought some film and it's waiting for me to take it out for a personal project and some fun, I am also using the new year to start some other things FRESH. I've cleaned out closets and clothes at home and I am doing some of that at the studio. I've been coaching a few other photographers on how to run a business and crunch numbers and I've even revised a part of my own business plan as I helped them work on their plan too.

A new year is always a good place to start with new things. We get the same results when we do the same old things. Just like a fresh piece of paper we can write on, we can do that with our mind and our plans too.  My plan calls for me to actually go to a few breakfast meetings this year. I am not an early morning riser, Like most people, I want to do what I want to do and love routine. But what happens when we do something different - we get different results.  If I never went to breakfast, I'd have had the same old routine day. If I never bought the film, I wouldn't have the fun of my photo project waiting for me.

The net is that today, I had a bunch of prospects, renewed some relationships and I worked on supporting others in their businesses too. My change of pace left me full of vigor and energy.  I feel GREAT today doing something I am loathe to do. I took care of me, my business and I am full of energy and enthusiasm.

Do one thing different today and feel the energy and positive mental place from it. Go ahead. You will feel like a million bucks. And that is contagious. Other people will want to have some of that too. Be willing to try something you haven't tried for a while and see how refreshed you are. Let me know how it works for you.

Old Things are New again

I bought my 1st digital camera about 2001 - that means I have been a digital photographer 9 years and my film cameras are older than that. At first, I didn't know much about using software so it was a point and shoot camera. 1 Mega-pixels. And I used film - actually Slide film to do any important photography.

Yesterday, we bought a new backup camera for my portrait studio and a fine art printer for my travel and fine art photography. When we left Samy's Camera, I rang up my purchases up in the camera department and I'd meant to buy film. And today I had to go back because they sold me the wrong ink cartridges. They were really nice exchanging the ink package at no charge because it was their fault for selling me the wrong stuff and what I was supposed to buy was $50 more! Yay, Samy's!

I think of my photography equipment as my "toys" and so my toy chest has most of what I want. We photographers always have "GAS" - Gear Acquisition Syndrome because it's a constant thing that there are newer and the latest and greatest. It's very expensive to get too caught up in continually buying new stuff without a budget and a plan.

But the $12.00 best purchase I bought is the two rolls of film I got. I am going to work on a series of black and white images and a roll of color too. I'll have to be patient. It's going to take a few days to see if I got the shots I wanted. I am looking forward to dusting off the old cameras and using my newer lens on the old camera bodies And the old feeling of anticipation while I wait for the film to come back from the lab.  In the meantime, I will play with the new printer..

What am I really buying when I book a photographer?

Recently I had a conversation about pricing of photography. I was asked the cost of a 4x6 print and what my my price for them would be for the guests at the wedding.

I don't sell 4x6 prints for work I do in my studio. I do sell them for events. When you see the local big box store selling them for less than a quarter, you might wonder why my cost of the paper is so much more. When you go to the drug store with the memory from your camera, they are usually what we classify as snapshots from a family gathering or vacation.  We almost never print what comes out of the cellphones because frankly, they are just disposable photos much of the time and are for entertainment more than anything.

Back to pricing -  that print isn't what you are really paying for when you hire me for your event or session. You are engaging me to create a result but you are paying for what had lead up to that piece of paper. No, you are not paying for the photography class I took in High School or the film. You are paying for the services and equipment that lead up to the resulting art capturing a moment of time and place.

 It takes so much more to make a good image than just a shutter click. Go look at the photos on your cell phone. I take those quick photos of the meal I was served or the flower in a funny spot or the dog butt or the guy at the mini mart. But for your events or sessions, I am not using my Palm Centro or a Blackberry.

First a photographer needs to have the right equipment. A camera, some lights, some lenses - for me Professional grade that offer low light ability. For a wedding those items in my bag cost more than my first house did.

I've spent years getting to know just when to click the shutter and with what settings to isolate the person from the background. It's second nature. I carry two or three cameras, 3 to 8 lenses and lights sometimes 4-5 flashes and things (we call them modifiers) to make light go where I want it to be and look soft and flattering.  Then there is software too.  I delivered some prints today. I used six different software programs to deliver those prints: Photoshop, Camera RAW, Lightroom, Filters and plug ins. Some specialized portrait software and backup software. I have a computer or three, and monitors to go with. And a bunch of backup drives. A website that was custom designed and hosted. Oh - and I have insurance. It covers me if you fell over my light-stands or camera bags( another expense) or if I lost all those compact flash cards because I didn't follow the procedure to attach them permanently to me. I pay for taxes too - on all that I buy to furnish the office. I have phones and rent to pay too. A car that needs gas and telephones that hopefully ring. I need to know the latest fashion and photography styles to take that portrait. I might need a class to follow the trends too.

I strive for quality. My lab doesn't charge me a quarter. They have people who look at the print to see that what I did will excel. It doesn't just pop out the side of a printer and go into an envelope. They apply a finish to each and every print that keeps it archival so it will last you twenty generations. I might have it mounted or laminated or textured depending on the image. I spent a great deal of time deciding which papers and textures and labs would suit my style of photography and make the images stand out and be cherished.

So much more goes into the finished print that it's not paper. Not to mention the sprinkle of love and piece of my heart that go into creating each photograph. 

I keep reviewing all my components that make up the prices i offer. The time I spend continually raising the bar, perfecting the look and creating an image to be proud of. I hope that I have answered your question about the real cost and price. I teach photographers and entrepreneurs to be business professionals including making sure that count their time and knowledge and equipment and overhead into their product. All of the knowledge, peripheral expenses and my experience is a part of the price which comes to more than nineteen cents. I am sure you will agree.

Merry Hanukkah and Happy Christmas

I am here in the studio and I am surrounded by presents. Not for me but created by me. It's pouring rain and the studio is filled with boxes of things being picked up this week for holiday giving.  My shooting space is filled with remains of shipping cartons that need to go out to the recycle bin but it's raining too hard to go back there. I have boxes of holiday cards waiting to be picked up and they'll be mailed this week I am sure.

This time of year is special. For many families, holidays are special times where we get together and relish one another.

For some families, the days are hard because there are so many expectations of what this time of year means and people don't see eye to eye. My hope is that for those who have those feelings, that this year is a time to heal.

For those without a family, I would hope you will make one and adopt a family or a person to be your family even for just one day.  If that is too much, go give a gift of your self by finding a project to make someone feel special.  The real gift will not be something in a box or a bag but the gift will be in your heart.

Let's celebrate this season with gifts from the heart.

Thanks and Gratitude

The last few weeks have been full of Flash Frozen Fun! I have been all over the West Valley and Conejo Valley with my camera. I've been gearing up for the final holiday rush and thinking about some new ideas for shooting so I have some fresh inspiration for planning some sessions in my idea book.

Today is Sunday - my favorite day to stay home "in my pj's" as I say and do some domestic things like cooking. My house smells of soup cooking on the stove - scent of fresh herbs and vegetables simmering. We have some classical music playing while my husband Frank is crunching some numbers and I am alternately surfing facebook ( www.facebook.com/laportraitphotographer - go ahead and "friend" me please!) and cooking and finishing some photos.

I did a studio session with Kevin's Cuties and the image went to the framer and came back framed in the wrong orientation - landscape instead of portrait. I love it so much, well, I am keeping it for me and the framer - who offered to fix it right away - got a 2nd sale from me so watch for a couple of adorable little ones in my window. The framer also promised to have it back to me almost the same day. It really pays to do things early because in life there are things that just happen. I love working with great vendors behind me who just take great care of me and my clients.

If you happen to be someone who does things last minute, I do have some beautiful custom frames I had made so that I can turn out a finished fine art photograph quickly and make a unique gift for you. I can set up a session for you by December 18th and still have a gift in time for Christmas. Of course, I can also do a gift certificate until December 23rd!  A gift might be a boudoir "Naughty-But-Nice" session for Valentine's Day - which will be here before we know it.

Also, what I am excited about is that John and Kate Saffell of Nicola's Kitchen brought their family to one of my favorite spots and we did a family session. I am working on the images today and we will have a display of their family inside Nicola's Kitchen - right across from my studio. We're also working on a fine art display for their window across from my studio window. A bit of European flair for the window will add some Flash Frozen Fun in The French Quarter

Today, I am finishing photos from some Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber, West Hills-Canoga Park Chamber, Calabasas Chamber and Encino Chamber of Commerce events; I photographed a luncheon on Thursday for the Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber where the City Attorney, Carmen Trutanich spoke about fiscal responsibility for the City of Los Angeles and how the Billboard laws and Marijuana Dispensaries affect businesses and residents alike;  And on Friday, I had the honor of photographing The Los Angeles Police Department (Yes, I shot the Police!) at the Topanga Boosters 1 Year Anniversary at the beautiful Warner Center Hilton Hotel. It was a fun and beautiful affair with a number of dignitaries who give so much to our community.

I am thankful and full of gratitude to live in a beautiful community, filled with people who care, great clients and a loving husband. This is the week to say Thank you and be grateful to all those who are a part of our world - our clients, family, friends and community. All these parts are the sum of a good life. Happy Thanksgiving!

Events are us! All over the place

This has been a really crazy month since we got back from Washington DC!

I have been shooting quite a bit this month for the community. I am a big believer in giving back to our community. I photographed a bunch of ribbon cuttings for the Woodland Hills Tarzana Chamber of Commerce and their Wine Event and luncheon. One of the ribbon cutting events was for me - a Mix and Mingle with Champagne and Nibbles from my neighbor - Nicola's Kitchen. Since we were in the French Quarter - I thought we should not take ourselves too seriously and as they say in Nawlin's "Let the Good Times Roll" - so we had Mardi Gras Beads and Feather Boas to go with the Champagne and Smiles!

The Woodland Hills Chamber Connection Magazine is out and my image of our Congressman Brad Sherman made the cover with some of the ribbon cutting images from last month.  I have been covering a few events for the West Valley News as a Photojournalist (and I have been writing too!)  and last month's edition included images from the luncheon with Congressman Sherman and Councilman Dennis Zine.  The next edition will have images from The Valley Cultural Center's Dancing with the Valley Stars Event held at the Warner Center Marriott - it was a really fun event with many of our community learning to dance and a competition was held. I was invited to take photos of the event and particularly the dance competition. Thank you, Ed Crowe (Publisher).  You can visit the images for the Valley Cultural Center or any of the ribbon cuttings on my website www.flashfrozenphotography.com/events/

I also was the official press photographer for Light the Night - The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's annual fundraising event in Woodland Hills at Warner Park. I featured Linda Mallut's Ear-Resistible Bunnies Team (http://www.mybunnyandme.com/) because Linda's team raised $13,000 plus dollars for LLS and Linda inspired so many people to participate. The power of one small business is amazing!

Finally to bring people up to date, I donated a portrait session to be the Grand Prize at the Cabrillo Music Theatre's Casino Night event and I was there last night while Chief Executive Officer Carol W. Nussbaum invited me to make a display of my work in the main lobby so I thought it would be fun to show you a display of my images. It was really fun to meet so many people who were attending the performance of Guy's and Dolls at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Cabrillo Music Theater holds a special place in our hearts - we have been season subscribers since they built the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and our Cairn Terrier, Daisy, was their Toto in their production of Wizard of Oz.  Cabrillo is the resident musical theater company in the Conejo Valley and is a non-profit organization. The productions they put on are really top notch. If you haven't seen any of their musicals, I encourage you to go and tap your feet to the music and have a good time!

It's in the blood

Well, we've arrived in Washington D.C to celebrate my husband's birthday. He hadn't been here since he was 7 or so and I thought it'd be a great surprise to bring him here. I love this city - vibrant and alive and filled with history. Being here, no matter your political affilliation just makes you proud to be here and be an American.

I have been here on business twice before and both times it was part of my duty as President of The Ventura County Chapter of The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  As President, I was invited to participate in discussions on Small Business issues with Pres. Bush's advisors at the SBA and we were invited to The White House. It was quite an honor. We were not allowed to bring cameras (sniff). The inside of the Executive Offices were amazing. And even though that was about 5 years ago, well, I will never forget the honor.

What is funny, is I kept telling Frank that our hotel was in the same neighborhood as where I stayed before. We walked to dinner yesterday and I couldn't find it but I was sure the drug store we stopped in for water and essentials was the same one as the one I was in before. I asked the concierge where that other hotel was and found out that it was the same hotel I am staying in. Just remodelled and rebranded. I picked it because the area was convenient. That was too funny. No wonder I was thinking how similar the structure was. I can't believe that. Deja Vu!

We dined at Old Ebbitt Grill - a tradtion for great food and drinks and people. Today we saw the National Mall, The Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial Wall, The Korean War Memorial and of Course the Captial Building and White House - among many other things, like The Ruby Slippers, Julia Child's Kitchen, Ball Gowns of the First Ladies and Archie Bunker's Chair.

But here is the thing I wanted to tell you about:  I left my cameras home.  I have NEVER done that on purpose. But this time I did. Part of me is seeing things I want to snap - I did bring a small snapshot  camera and I have taken tourist pix. But this trip is a gift to my husband. And I wanted to devote my time to him. This wasn't for me - this trip was his gift. And if  I was looking for photographs, I wouldn't be present for him and his enjoyment. I did forget to buy him a Birthday Card. But I am giving him a gift he will not forget in all the travels we've done. I have never left my camera. I do have tomorrow to buy him a card (or I could give him the one that I bought at the American History Museum - Wizard of Oz Themed) 

Happy Birthday Frankie.

The Race for The Cure

Well, not really the race for the cure but my mind has been racing all day with ideas for all kinds of things. I guess I am on a bit of a roll.

I got an invitation from The John Wayne Cancer Center's Annual Membership Luncheon at the swanky Beverly Hills Hotel. I donated a session and framed image to them last year for the fund raising effort and I was very happy with the amount of money that was raised for my effort. So my thoughts were, well - that was only one session. Maybe there is a way I could donate a day for more sessions when someone had a link to http://www.imagesforacure.com/ - exactly what I was thinking.

So, while I have not finished with the John Wayne Cancer Center at UCLA's idea, I have decided to shoot all day on October 11th in my studio to donate 100% of my mini session fees for the day and donate to Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  The mini portrait experience session fee will be $100 for 15 minutes of camera  time. Better than that...we are going to have a lot of fun doing this and we are going to do something good towards finding a cure, Hopefully, the cure will be not only for Breast Cancer but all the various cancers out there.

Please come out and support me and my friends that day. We will have so much fun it won't be forgotten. Bring your kids, your spouses, your dogs (on leash) and your smiles!

Kinds of Photography! Headshots, Portraits, Commercial Use, Personal Use!

True or False?

If you hire a photographer to a photograph your wedding, you order a disk of images and make prints for your bridesmaids and parents
If you come to the studio to make a portrait, you can use it for your website for your small business.
If you do headshots, you can print them up and frame them for your honey's desk
If we do a commercial shoot for your brochures, you can print images for your office and the one of you can be displayed at home.
If you buy a print from your photographer, you can scan it and make prints or put it on Face-book

No! The answer to all of these is generally no.  In the days of film, you went to have photographs taken and the photographer kept the negatives and you got your prints from the photographer. They retained the Usage Rights. With Digital, it's more accessible, but, you still have to find out about "rights management". We take photos and find them all over the Internet or printed in a way that harms the photographer. The rights to use the image in a personal or business application are what you buy with a photography purchase. You need to find out how you can use the images. Some photographers will send you a bill for doing things with your images when you haven't paid for the specific use or sue you for violation of their copyright.

When you take photographs, the photographer generally retains the copyright to your images. Photography is creative work and photographers sell the USE of the images. Sometimes the answer is maybe. The result is that it's negotiable.

If you have a wedding, the photographer will retain copyright and give you the right to do prints. Sometimes the use is for all the images or sometimes it's restricted to the Bride and Groom - they can't put the images on a website that will print them. You need to find out what is the right thing to do. If you plan to print for everyone in your bridal party, you really need to find out what you have purchased from the photographer. If you print images for your bridal party, or your parents, well you might be stealing the photographer's product and you could be subject to a lawsuit with damages.

Headshots are generally commercial use. You use them for business, for actors, they show the person in various characters to get acting jobs. For business people, they might be used on a One Sheet, Bio, Resume or brochure or annual report. You haven't bought the right to print a portrait for your girlfriend. You need to ask the photographer what use you have purchased.

A commercial job is generally very cut and dry. You have photos taken for a specific business purpose. Or you buy a series you have agreed to general release for use.

In all cases, each photographer has a policy of how they handle the crossover between commercial and peronal use. Ask lots of questions because it is important to you and the photographer who created the images!

In my heart and mind

I hate it when I take time off to play...and every where I look I see a photograph in my mind's eye. And I have no camera to record the scene or moment.

This weekend was Labor day. We had plans to visit with Dorene and Barry - our good friends, who have a little spot to spend weekends in Santa Barbara. So yesterday we went up to hang out, play bridge (we met them in a bridge class on a cruise and play cards with them and take lessons regularly!). We walked the art show, had lunch on State Street at Holdren's who has a great menu with lots of good choices, we relaxed and walked a few miles of Cabrillo Blvd. which lines the beachfront. I also made a trek to Samy's Camera and bought a few needed supplies and a few impulse purchases too (like a cinnamon color backdrop to go with leopard prints for my  boudoir photography when black won't due!). We had tried to have an over night but our dog sitter couldn't stay the night so we came home, went to sleep and took care of the puppies and went back while our dog sitter came in to see and play during the day.

Anyway, I saw so many scenes all day for two days. People on bikes and rented Surreys, birds on the water and in the grass at the Ventura Harbor - with a sea lion and a seal in the harbor, kids and toddler's just being themselves. Joggers, Volleyball players, street performers, Pelicans, Egrets, A giant sea gull was standing on the roof of a huge Escalade - taking a ride; Kayaks, Parasailers, Brides on the Beach, Skateboarders.  Fish and crabs - on the rocks near the beach. People holding hands, The water was beautiful and Sterns Wharf bathed in just the right light. Palm Trees in a good light and at an angle unique to my vision of them. Fences - worn and weathered. Lover's trapped in their own world. Dogs walking down the beach. Buildings with sun drenched facades and colorful embellishments. Water - reflecting birds, boats, and more. Much more.

Sometimes it's good to see and put the camera down. Next time I shoot this week, I should be full of inspiration. But I am sure I am going back to Santa Barbara very soon with my camera in hand and close to my heart. Just like the young girl who's lover is away, I felt a pang of longing and missing something today but in my knowledge of myself, I know that I will be reunited with my soul mate again later shooting kids, dogs, portraits, a wedding and even my album collection are on the calendar this week. Maybe you reading this will be the beneficiary of my passion.

The Doll and the Experience

When I was small, it was a pretty regular thing for a photographer to come to the house and do children's portraits. We didn't use the same photographer every time, but they came, set up, we got dressed up in our party clothes and we smiled for the camera, usually on a tripod, we sat in a chair and that was it - we were re-arranged and told to kiss each other or some other silly thing that would make my mother buy all the photographs unless they were really bad. One series my brother and I were supposed to kiss and he pulled away - to four year old boys, 5 year old big sisters had cooties. I vividly remember these photography sessions as being fairly boring, especially when they were doing the individual pictures.


One of the photographers thought I needed a doll to hold. He went to my room and picked the biggest doll. I remember the brown and orange dress with the Peter Pan white collar typical of 1960 fashion and the full gathered skirt. The doll had curly orange red hair and was hard plastic. He put the doll in my arms and snapped a few and it was over.


Today, I have a shelf of framed images from several of these photo sessions. Most of the photos were in black and white, although you could have shot with color then. Frequently, the photography studio would paint over the photo in color - my mother had a 16x20 on the wall that was framed. My sister has that photograph. It was in the hall way with all the school photos on the wall. 


Anyway, back to the doll. That doll was in good shape as far as little girl dollies go. I never liked that one so she didn't get played with often. Actually, my little sister was more often pushed down the street in the stroller and dressed up to play with than any of my dolls. I had a bunch of dolls but preferred to read a book or listen to music or ride my bike.  When I see that photo, what I think of was that he picked the only doll I didn't like and never played with it. I hated that doll.


When I photograph kids, I think of those boring sessions. We didn't interact with the photographer. He told us what to do with Mom looking on and then dismissed us. A month later, they came back with proofs, Mom picked her choices and products and that was it.


When I photograph either children or adults, I want the session to be memorable. A real experience. I spend time getting to know the kids. We talk...sometimes they don't answer, but I engage them. We might need more than 20 seconds for that. Maybe half an hour. I have toys - maybe we blow bubbles! Or play ball, Or look at toy bugs. One session we went to the garden and the kids found real snails. That was their world. If I am at their house, I ask to see their toys and I have them tell me which one they like best. I don't want them to remember that 40 years ago that I went to their room and made them take a photograph with their least favorite thing.  I want them to remember that I cared about them, made them feel happy and I hope they remember the session as a fun experience to re-live when they are my age.


My wish for all my children's,  family and portrait sessions - they should always be a fun and happy experience. No ugly, orange haired dolls allowed.

Make Someone's Day today!

We live in a very busy world. At least it seems that way. Often times, we have more on our plates than we realize. We have to remember to do good things and take good care of ourselves. Eat right, get rest, play hard, exercise, take care of our spiritual needs and have inner peace. We thank ourselves and feel good when we do that for us.

Something we often miss out on is being kind to others. We need to remind ourselves in our busy world to say "thank you for a job well done" or to tell those around us "You did a great job" or even "I am glad you are in my life". If a stranger is kind to us, show appreciation. Someone hold a door open for you or give up a seat for you? If the grocery clerk goes out of the way to help you find the obscure item you wanted, tell their manager - let them know. Send a letter or a card to someone you are thinking of. Have some knowledge that will help someone else out? Share it.

I got several nice comments about some photography work that I did that have stayed with me. I love comments on my website and on my blog. We love when we do good photography and our clients appreciate our efforts. We always want to make our clients look good. In turn, I am the one who got some appreciation and when we feel good we want to do more of the same - for other people.

The dog is a great example - their mission is generally to please other people. When you reward them with attention - a scratch on the ear or a pat on the back - they wag their tail, most of the time. People wag their tail too - in other ways.

Pay it forward! Go out of your way to make someone else feel good - tell them you like their tie, the dress or shoes or their smile. Let them know they are having a good hair day too. Leave little crumbs of goodness - smile at a stranger, hug someone you love and tell them. Do a kindness - give a dollar to a charity (or more if you have it!).

Make up and photography - just photoshop it! And Size does matter!

I've done a series of business headshots lately. All different clients and all for different reasons. Whenever I have a pre session consultation, I always recommend - even for men - that a little makeup will make your photos that much better.

The basic headshots are generally used to market you - your business or your skills for getting work. Sometimes you want a headshot because you are looking for a new position, maybe you are an actor and you want to try for a new character so you need a new look; No matter what, you want to look your very best for your brochures, your one sheet, your website, your resume, your comp cards and business cards.

The camera, with the best photographers behind them, can hide and mask some flaws. The lights can be used to hide some imperfections and shadows can sculpt your face and your figure. Light highlights and shadows minimise. We can create some illusions in the studio.

Makeup is really a helpful tool and it needs to be applied with great skill. While you may be female and you've applied your "face" every day for 25 years, it doesn't mean that you will know how to apply it for a session under studio lights. Self applied makeup often looks washed out under studio light. A professional will skillfully layer concealers, color correction layers, blush layers and sculpt your best features. Even to look natural. And it all needs to be well blended. Think about how the Bride always has that beautiful glow about her - it's helped by good makeup!

For people of "a certain age", eyes are really important. We all have laugh lines, even in our 20's. And we all have a little to mask under our eyes. One of the big issues I see as a photographer is mascara that has 'travelled" to the space under your lower eyelids. It makes the under eyes appear to be gray and tired. And it's really not so easy to fix, pixel by pixel in Photoshop. It makes shadows on the side of the nose as well. A professional makeup artist knows how to keep mascara on your eyelashes - not on your eyelids, nose and elsewhere.

Lipstick misapplied bleeds into the area around the lips without lip liner. And careful layers make lips appear fuller or narrower. Kissable for those dating headshots. You want to avoid really shiny lip gloss. It reflects the light and makes white spots on your lips.

I really prefer to getting the images the best they can be when I click my shutter. As a portrait artist, we create some fantasy for our clients - it's expected. In Boudoir it's the only way - we are creating a vision. For business headshots, the images have to look NATURAL! I don't want to make my client's look too airbrushed - unless it's appropriate. For a business headshot, that's not the best way. Makeup - a little dab will do you.

I touch up every photo for the color that we want in the final product. I might soften some laugh lines. But for the most part, I want you to look like, well, a nice version of you so that you will say Wow - I really look good. But not so much that you look like someone else that isn't you! A basic headshot comes with some minor skin retouching: a few blemishes removed, eyes whitened, lines softened. If you choose to wear your mascara on your cheeks, I prefer to not have to photoshop it. Skin tones vary so much on one face that to make you appear NATURAL, it can take hours to fix problems like that to enhance your look and make the image perfect. Don't assume that a quick click of the mouse changes those imperfect smears. It can take hours to fix it for the most skilled to get it all matching. I'd hate to charge a client to fix something that we could get right to start with for a small amount.

And why does size matter? In a small photo, you have less detail - the photo is small and you will not see the pixel dots you might on a larger image. Check it out in the Internet. You will see imperfections in larger images that aren't visible in small ones. Size does matter. We will talk about image sizes in a new post soon.

Every time you change a hair style or color, gain or lose a little weight, you might need an update. That might be my next topic. Excuse me, I will be back I have to go touch up my lipstick.

Heart and Soul

I am a big believer that if you are going to do anything, you should go full force and give everything you have into doing it. Half measures mean a half baked finish.

A few years ago I worked with a photographer and showed him how to use a software interface for his photography. His advice was that "Good Enough is good enough - you have to know when it is good enough". For me the answer is when I have put my heart and soul into it - I can feel that it will meet the standard I set. I am constantly learning new techniques and processing and shooting methods. It lets me continue to evolve and raise the bar.

On Friday night we went to the Hollywood Bowl and heard Lang Lang and Herbie Hancock. I sat right next to Morgan Freeman. I asked him if he tires of fans "bothering him" and he said "Never. If I did, I picked the wrong career". I want to be best I can be.

When Lang Lang played Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, I watched his face. He played with all he had. He played piano with his soul. You could see the emotion in his face. I needed to see and hear nothing else. That was my takeaway from that concert. He gave his all.

What I really got is that when I photograph, I hope my expression is what his is. I feel my art from inside. I hope that I shoot my photos from my soul. I want my images to reflect that. Do everything with all you have and put all your heart and soul into it.

Beauty and the Buick

My sister finally cleaned out some of the photos my mother took with her Kodak Brownie - my official first camera. I now have a big envelope of treasured snapshots from being a kid!

That camera required film that you unrolled and had two round spindles to roll the film when you turned the dial to rewind. When you unloaded or reloaded you risked getting light marks and over exposing the edges of the negative. We never bought color film for it - too expensive and not available. We didn't use it too often - just special occasions. I don't know what was special about this day - my hair was set with metal curlers when there was something going on. While the photo doesn't meet the standard of what I take and sell, it's from a group of my most prized possessions. I won't bore you with the whole envelope of images. But I will remind you to take those old photos out and cherish them now and then. After all, there was a lot of prep just for this snapshot. I bet there are not many people reading this that have ever slept with metal curlers in their hair (torture in the interest of being beautiful or as Mom said Beauty sometimes hurts ?!?).

Wishing you some great memories and beauty without discomfort!

More Photography Tips: Preparing for a photo session

I've had a few calls this week for some basic "Corporate Headshots" - traditional head and shoulders, type work. Since people have different expectations of what they should do to get a final product, it's important for me to know a lot about the use of the image, how the subject sees themselves and how they want to see themselves.

A fun aspect of any kind of photography is playing "dress up". Clothing choices are important. If I am planning on a gray/blue background, the color has to fit. The color of the subject's eyes, hair and skin are impacted by the clothes you might wear. If you are an attorney you would definitely have different clothing choices than maybe a photographer or a physician or an advertising executive or even a realtor. You always want to avoid really big patterns or small patterns (houndstooth is nortorius for the moire pattern) that the camera will see funny and moire or be out of focus appearing in the final image. The purpose of the image should have the focus on you and your clothing should represent you, so even though you're into status, labels and logos and text on clothes are not good choices.

Then there is the issue of makeup. Some women are comfortable doing their own makeup. Makeup for a boudoir session is pretend to the nth degree and a very important part of the "character". But for our corporate headshot, well you want to appear put together - not too much and certainly not too little. A professional makeup artist will make the whole experience great - skin is perfectly dressed for the camera. Even men can benefit with at least some foundation and powder to hide the color tone we don't want to see.

I might ask about weight. I am a bit "fluffy" and yes, I have issues about it like most women who ask 'Do I look fat in this?" So we want to have you wear something that makes you feel your best that will make a statement in your image. I ask because I have a photographer's bag of tricks that I can use to adjust the image to make my subject appear thinner in parts both in the studio and at the computer.

Third - a headshot is generally "commercial" photography and not a portrait. It's used for a business purpose. One of my future blogs will focus on the difference in portraits and headshots - oersonal use vs. commercial use.

Whoo Hoo!

Hey do you like my new Blog Look?

I updated my website and along with it my website designer, Dr. David of Wolfsnap.com updated my blog to match. You can interface my blog from my website and vice versa.

David, you are so cool! I love the new look of Flash Frozen Photography. Everything ties together just beautifully.

I couldn't ask for better!

Some Basic Photography Tips: Snapshots!

Yesterday, at the Hollywood Bowl, I used my Palm Centro to take a few snaps of the Hollywood Bowl stage from my seat. I love how they take the shell and add a few colors and change it during the performances. I uploaded to Facebook (www.facebook.con/Laportraitphotographer) within minutes so you could see it almost live.

As a Professional Photographer, I've gotten very selective about what I like to post and the quality of my images. When I went on Facebook later from my desktop computer, I remembered why I rarely like to use my phone for photography. While it captures a quick moment, the quality isn't there. The image was fuzzy - what do you expect from an lens with little in the way of optics? The camera is held at a funny angle, distorting the angle of view and it's just all around not a very quality image.

There are several aspects of photography that are very important - mainly the lighting, the composition and the finishing of the image. With a Palm device, the lighting is a small flash and it blows out the image - the color is off and grainy. The composition can only be what you point at - and sometimes it has to be angled. And there is no finishing.

So when you select a camera to carry with you all the time, these are things to remember. When you use your cell for photography - you just won't get something worth more than a fleeting moment. Next I will chat about the next level of shooting.

It's almost weekend - fill yourself with the Arts!

It's almost weekend. Tomorrow night I am going to the Hollywood Bowl - my favorite summer Los Angeles Experience. My husband bought season tickets for four seats many years ago and we've agreed that we'd never give them up. Often, I bring my camera once or twice a season, which for us is usually five concerts on Fridays. Sometimes, we will add an extra here or there and the 4Th of July. We are going to take my friend who gave me a gift of my first Photography Class at the Santa Fe Workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A great place to learn and absorb photography. The teacher of that class, Sarah Meghan Lee encouraged me to become a professional photographer several years ago.

The second series of things we do as a season is go to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plana's Cabrillo Music Theatre. We've subscribed to their three productions (now 4 or 5) since we moved to Westlake Village. In 2005, our Dog Daisy was chosen to be Toto in the award winning production of Wizard of Oz. We got to train Daisy and have Dorothy stay over our house to get used to working with dogs.

Why do I tell you about this: Art breeds art...All kinds of Art! Including Photography. As an artist, we thrive on our senses being filled. It gives us creativity to go and see and hear and delight on sounds and visuals of dance, songs we can sing in our hearts and minds and out loud too.

So fill your weekends with art of some kind or another. Keep singing a happy tune.

Update of the day...

Lots of news besides the 107 temps that were recorded by my little Mini Cooper's thermometer today in Woodland Hills.

First, I had a great wedding at The Scarlett Belle Paddlewheel Boat last weekend in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. Jennifer and Jason got married. I also shot their engagement a few months ago. They are so cute together. You can really feel their love for one another. My favorite moment in the ceremony was during the ring exchange when he surprised her with a tattoo of her name right where the ring would be.

Second, I've been out and about networking and I am an official card carrying member of the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber of Commerce. They have so many great ways to be involved in the community. If you see someone with a camera at one of the events, it very well could be ME!

On that note, I have a short talk I am giving for The Warner Center Business Professionals. I am talking about a topic close to the hearts of many photographers - Image. And it's not about me making them but about business people and what their images say about them. When we are out in the world we need to put our best faces forward in all we do. That includes when we're out social networking on FaceBook, Twitter and in person too. Not just for pictures, but our whole person is part of our image. When I create a photograph of you, well, it's only a small part of who you are that shows.

And to work on my own image, I have lost a few pounds working out to improve myself. Working out with my trainer, Chris Rudy feels just great. I'm in about my third month of serious workouts. I can really do some good crunches!

And for those of you who check in to my website, well, while I make me over, I am making over a bit of my website too. Stay Tuned!

So go out and show your best side to the world. We have a lot to give back.

Blogging and Tweeting and Shooting - Oh My!

There are so many hats to wear as a photographer - sales and marketing, the business of photography, pricing things, shooting things, finishing things. Albums to make, prints to finish and order. Prepping for shooting, finding locations and visiting venues. Of course in all this - the customer comes first. Without being organized it would be easy to drop the ball!

So which ball is dropped first? Well for me it's usually my blog so I am not going to drop the ball today. I have a lot of exciting stuff going on.

A couple weeks ago, I shot Jennifer and Tommy's wedding at the beautiful Santa Anita Church. It was so sweet. He proposed and they wanted to get married the same week. Her parents put together a beautiful wedding in a month's time, and you'd never guess that! The reason for the rush was that her grandfather has been sick and Jenn did not dream of having a wedding if he couldn't be there. I had so much fun and I have fallen in love with her little nephew, Errico. All the kids wee so cute. But Errico wanted to add some of his own flowers to the cake. Congratulations, Jenn and Tommy!

I also did a shoot of a very special young lady, Jasmine. Jasmine is my husband's granddaughter and she's 7. We love spending time with her and there are usually a lot of other people around. No time for portraits. But, she came to spend the 4th with us and aside from going to the Hollywood Bowl, I planned to have a good time creating some portraits we could cherish. We took photos at the Hollywood Bowl, some in our home and some at one of my favorite shooting spots. This is one of my favorite from the Hollywood Bowl series. Besides being sweet and smart...those blue eyes are captivating!

And to top it all off, I have been invited to speak a few times for several photographer's groups. As a Certified QuickBooks advisor and business consultant (something I have done for 20 years) I am going to teach some workshops on the business and finances of being a photographer and running a business.

All my passions in one blog (well, not quite but a few). But stay tuned...there's more. But not today. I will have to be more chatty here. I better get some beauty rest. I have a wedding on Saturday - another Jennifer and her groom Jason. Stay tuned...I will be back to tell you more!

Give me some Love!

I love visitors to my studio. I am so proud of how beautiful it is.

Tomorrow I am hosting a Launch Party for a networking and referral group that will meet here twice a month for resource sharing. The attendees will be mostly women who will be coming from Thousand Oaks to Simi Valley to Woodland Hills and Beyond. I am so excited that they will see my photography!

I did have a few visitors today who came to see my work and meet me and a client who picked up her engagement photos and who looked at the assorted albums I offer. She loved them and the studio's decor and ambience.

I love visitors to my website and blog. Yesterday I had a visitor to my website looking for a certain type of event photography - which I have done but not made prominent. Some photographers think you must have your website show only specific kinds of photography - for example if you do weddings then your website should be all about weddings and that is all you should do and display.

For me that would be like only eating Chicken every day. It's good. I like eating chicken in a variety of ways, but I love to eat all kinds of cuisine. The same thing goes with my photography. I love to make images of people, place and things. I think you can tell a story about all of the above. I don't think that if you are a really good photographer that shoots weddings and bar mitzvahs and portraits that you also cannot be creative shooting babies, maternity, boudoir photography and even products.

If you were to meet me and get to see my enthusiam and know that I have spent my adult life breathing all the facets of photography from Flash to Location Lighting to posing and creativity you would know that I work hard and happily making a banquet of images for peoples viewing pleasure! What I do is capture a time and a moment and emotions in people - be it at an event, a wedding, an engagement or in my studio - from birth to old age.

Show me the love....let me capture the expression and the moment for generations.

Flash Frozen Photography
Professional Portrait and Wedding Photography in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywoood, Woodland Hills, and Thousand Oaks, California

interesting

I have been tweeting on Twitter and friending on Facebook; I chat here and there and have my Internet connected friends texting me. I get way more emails than I do phone calls these days. Because of the Internet my circle of friends has really expanded. Not just on the social sites, but, I have met many new people in person.

The most important of course is my husband that met me via the internet way before there was a match.com or jdate. I've spent time with my friend who lives in Holland but is Turkish both in Los Angeles and in Belgium and Amsterdam. I've run into people I know in Dover, England and in France and Italy..not to mention Hawaii. It's funny to have someone calling your name while you don't expect to know a soul.

So in the social scheme, I wondered how many people find me. It's always good to know who is reading your musings about photography from the photographer in Woodland Hills. So if you're reading this please take a moment and comment and say hi or follow me or friend me! I'd like that. Maybe we'd even get to meet in person sometime.

Until next time,

Kathy

Flash Frozen Photography
Professional Portrait and Wedding Photography in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywoood, Woodland Hills, and Thousand Oaks, California

Random Thoughts....

I had such a good day today. First, the good news! I have had braces since December 2007 and they came off today! I was thinking about all the cute little children (I went on location to shoot at a preschool - 14 children from 6 months to age 5) I got to photograph last week. You can't tell a child from age 3 to 7 to smile because you get that fake kids smile. So if you see an adult walking around Woodland Hills this week like that - it's me and please say hi! Yes, I am smiling just like the grill of a 1950 something model Buick Grill!.

Something else that I thought fun was that I ordered a beautiful leather photo album of Ellie - she's on my website and I have been following it's shipping progress. It left Italy on Monday and it will be in Woodland Hills on Friday via Germany, France, and Philadelphia. Not going first class in the hold of a cargo plane, but fun to follow I think. I will have to take some photos of the album and post them here on my blog.

Second, if you are following me on Twitter(chatkat) Facebook(kathyrappaport), you will know that I was one of the official photographers for Big Sunday (www.bigSunday.org) I got to photograph over 400 people volunteering while they worked really hard to make the community a better place. Homebound Senior Citizens were gifted with flowers hand made in paper flower pots, letters were written for soldiers in Iraq delivered by Operation Gratitude, Brownies (as in Girl Scouts) and Rotarians (www.woodlandhillsRotary.org)sorted food to go to Rescate and dogs benefited by food/toy and blanket donations at the Agoura Animal Shelter. That was the really big feel good this week.

I hope you will feel good in the sea of all things happening. If you aren't call me and I will try to make you smile!

Gaffer's Tape

Today I worked on framing some images. They say to measure twice and cut once. I had placed the photo in the mat but planned to affix the photo to the mat when I finished the frame. Yikes! I forgot to do that, finished the frame, put the wire and paper backing on it and when I turned it over, remembered that I had to take it apart to start over.

I am one of those anal people who checks and double checks but I wasn't mad at myself. I used it as a lesson for myself. I got to rearrange my workroom a bit; And I was really happy with the revision to the frame. I tried a new technique. It worked.

Not often we get to start a job all over. Some things you can't do over and other things you would not want to do over if you could. So just as with woodworking, we need to measure our words twice and say them just once. It's not like gaffer's tape. You can't do all things without leaving some residue behind.